The Captain's Christmas Bride by Annie Burrows

he gave a very good impression of a man who couldn’t bear to be parted from his bride-to-be for more than a second. Probably because he suspected her of getting up to mischief the minute she was out of his sight.
    ‘You do not need to look at me like that,’ she snapped. ‘I really do need to take a few minutes to...collect myself. Or I am going to end up prostrate with a headache.’
    He let her go with grudging acceptance—for, really, what mischief could one get up to in a ladies’ withdrawing room? There was always at least one maid in attendance, ready to pin up torn flounces. As well as a steady stream of ladies making use of the chamber pots handily situated behind a bank of screens.
    Julia made straight for the table upon which various restoratives and emergency provisions were laid out, and reached for the bottle of lavender water. She tipped a generous amount onto a handkerchief, and pressed it to her temples. Closed her eyes, and gratefully, deeply, breathed in the calming scent.
    She felt someone sit on the stool next to her.
    ‘I’ve been wanting to speak to you all day,’ said the woman in a low voice.
    Julia opened her eyes, and met the concerned ones of Nellie in the mirror before which they sat. Nellie picked up a pot of rice powder, placed there for any lady who needed to counteract the redness of a face overheated from her exertions on the dance floor. She began dabbing it on her face, though she didn’t look the slightest bit flushed, and spoke, moving her lips as little as possible.
    ‘I don’t know what to say...’ she began.
    ‘Please, don’t say anything,’ replied Julia.
    ‘But, last night...that wasn’t meant to happen, was it. I mean...’
    Julia sighed. Braced herself for the lie she was about to utter. ‘I do apologise for dragging you into one of my schemes. It was infamous of me to use the disguise you lent me to lure poor Captain Dunbar out to the orangery. You mustn’t blame yourself for anything that happened.’
    ‘Yes, but I might have known
some
gentleman would try and cross the line. I should have kept a closer watch on you. Everyone will think so,’ she finished gloomily.
    ‘Well, if anyone
says
so, you just let me know, and I will deal with them. I shall assure them that you had no idea what I planned. That you were an entirely innocent party in all this.’
    ‘Nobody has said anything iffy to me,’ she said. ‘But I still can’t help feeling responsible. You couldn’t have planned
that
. If only I’d known exactly why you wanted to swap costumes with me. I could have warned you that it wouldn’t work out the way you wanted. Men don’t treat me with the respect they accord a young lady of your quality.’
    ‘I found that out for myself,’ she said drily.
    ‘Yes, I could see on your face what a shock it was to you.’
    ‘Mmm,’ she said vaguely. For her shock had been at seeing the man she thought was lying on top of her, standing in the doorway instead.
    ‘I certainly didn’t expect Captain Dunbar’s, um, ardour,’ she admitted with complete honesty. ‘But indeed, he didn’t do anything I didn’t like. I mean...’ She flushed and reached for the rice powder herself. ‘I could have stopped him at any time, I’m sure I could. He didn’t...force me, if that is what is worrying you.’
    From the relief on Nellie’s face, it clearly had been worrying her.
    ‘I heard you arguing in the summer house this morning, you see. Then saw you running away. And I wanted to tell you that if you couldn’t bear to marry him, then I could speak out, if you like, and see if we can’t put a stop to it all...’
    ‘No!’ The thought of stopping the wedding filled her with panic. ‘There is no need for that,’ she said as calmly as she could. ‘It was a tiff, what you overheard this morning, that is all.’
    ‘Well, if you’re sure?’
    Nellie still looked a little worried. So Julia patted her on the hand, and summoned up her most sincere smile.