Once Upon a Christmas Kiss by Manda Collins Page A

hold up your head in this village. Much less find husbands for your passel of daughters. So I’d learn to curb my tongue if I were you.”
    “Love?” Mrs. Green laughed scornfully. “Wanton lust more like. She’s corrupted that poor man to the point he no longer knows who his real friends are. It’s disgusting!”
    They would have gone on, but Mr. Lindhurst, perhaps hearing their rising voices, hurried over. Winnie realized that she’d been arguing in public like the veriest fishwife. What would her mama have said? Or Lucien for that matter? She felt a blush of shame rise in her face.
    “Ladies, is there anything amiss?” Mr. Lindhurst asked with some diffidence. “I would be more than happy to show you the new fans we just got in from London. Made of the finest ivory and silk.”
    “Stop hovering, Mr. Lindhurst,” Mrs. Green said sharply. “We are having a polite conversation. That is all.”
    “I’m afraid that’s not quite what I overheard.” Winnie turned to see Lucien approaching. But to her relief, all his contempt was for Mrs. Green. “I think perhaps it would be best if you were to purchase whatever you came for and leave, Mrs. Green. And if you persist in your public slander of my affianced bride and her sister, I will see to it that you and yours are made to feel the sting of my cousin’s censure. Not to mention the ton ’s . ”
    Winnie couldn’t help but feel gratified at seeing Mrs. Green’s eyes grow wide with alarm. She might not feel any respect for Winnie, but the horrible woman definitely stood in awe of Sir Lucien. “Well, of course,” she said hastily. “I … that is to say … I mean, of course I have no wish to insult you, Sir Lucien. This is all a misunderstanding, I assure you.”
    “And I can assure you that what you call a misunderstanding sounded very much to me like an attack,” he said coldly. “And I protect my own, madam.
    “Did you perhaps have anything to do with the threat my fiancée received the other night?” he demanded. “Or her fall on the ice yesterday?”
    Winnie watched the other woman closely to see if there were any sign of guilt in her countenance, but Mrs. Green’s mouth formed an “O” and her face paled. “Of course I didn’t!” she said, clearly shocked at the accusation. “We all know that she fainted because she’s with—”
    A knot formed in Winnie’s stomach. Was the woman really voicing her disgusting speculation in public?
    Perhaps seeing the fury on Lucien’s face, Mrs. Green amended, “Because she was feeling poorly.”
    “And I know nothing of a threat,” she continued, looking sincerely flummoxed at the notion. “I may be unhappy with the way she has conducted herself,” she said, in a bit of understatement, “but I do not conduct my business in secret.”
    Despite her dislike of the woman, Winnie had to admit that her denial had the ring of truth to it. Beside her, she felt Lucien give a frustrated sigh. “I appreciate your candor, Mrs. Green,” he said grudgingly. “But if I do learn that you had anything to do with either Miss Winifred’s accident or the threatening note she received, then you bear an even greater burden of my displeasure than if you continue your public shaming of her. Do I make myself clear?”
    “Yes,” she said resentfully. “Now, if you will excuse me, I must find my daughter.”
    “No doubt to tell her gleefully about my receipt of a threatening note and the orchestration of my accident,” Winnie said once the other woman had gone.
    Turning to Lucien, she continued. “I am grateful you arrived when you did, for I thought myself on the brink of doing her bodily harm.”
    “You’re lucky her grating voice carries so well,” he said, tucking her hand into his arm as they went to the counter to pay for their presents. “And that I was the only other customer in the shop. Else both her accusations and word of your altercation would have been all through the village.”
    Winnie colored.