sisters are dead set against my marrying Sebastian.”
He whispered, “I’ll help you.”
“You will?”
Peter nodded. “It’s high time Seb settles down. You’re perfect for him, Henry, and he knows it. He’s just being stubborn.” Peter paused, then: “You do care for him, Henry, don’t you?”
“With all my heart,” she said.
“Right then.” Another firm nod. “I’ll take care of your sisters. You look after Sebastian.”
But for the present company, Henrietta would have smothered Peter with grateful kisses. “Oh, thank you, Peter!”
“Think nothing of it, Henry. This is all my fault anyway, so I’ll right the matter.” Peter looked down the table at his brother, then said, “I don’t know what you’ve done to Seb, but he’s not looked so smitten in…well, ever. So you just go about your way and leave the sisters to me. Oh, and Henry?”
“Yes, Peter?”
“Thank you for caring for him.”
She patted his hand. “You don’t have to thank me, Peter. The blackguard stole my heart long ago. I didn’t really have a choice in the matter.”
Peter smiled at that.
“Heavens, look at the time,” piped Roselyn. “We’ll be late for church!”
The whole table erupted in chaos then.
It was Christmas Day, and the annual Yule service was set to start within the hour.
“Fetch the children!”
“Ready the sleighs!”
Like a herd of horses, the family poured into the corridor and headed for the front door.
Henrietta busied herself getting ready: wrap, muff, fur hat. All the while, she slowly maneuvered herself next to Sebastian. Behind him, really. In the tumult of the household, he didn’t notice her standing there.
Henrietta was about to impart some whispered words—to remind Sebastian of the kiss they’d shared the other night—when Penelope whisked by and hooked her arm in his.
“Come Ravenswood.” Penelope smiled. “You’ll ride with Peter and me.”
Drat! Henrietta glared after the departing couple. She didn’t know how Peter was going to get her sisters away from Ravenswood, but Henrietta dearly hoped he’d come up with something soon.
Bless Peter! He’d caused such a ruckus in the household, Henrietta was sure to find a moment alone with Ravenswood.
The whole family was in a tizzy because Mama’s Christmas bell was “missing.” It’d been in Mama’s family for more than a hundred years, and it was tradition to ring the bell before the Yule feast.
According to lore, the little porcelain bell blessed the food and the family. No one could eat until thebell sounded, so a troop of famished Ashbys were scouring the house, looking for it.
But Henrietta was looking for something a mite different: Ravenswood.
She bustled through the passageways, peeking into the branching rooms. She noted the parlor was empty, but just then a dark head popped up from behind the settee.
Sebastian.
And he was alone!
Henrietta took a moment to fluff her skirts and ease her thundering heartbeat. With as much aplomb as she could muster, she waltzed into the room.
“Any luck, my lord?”
Sebastian stopped dusting his trousers to stare at her, a seductive glow in his dark blue eyes.
Henrietta was having a devilishly hard time keeping her wits about her. For far too long, Sebastian had looked at her with platonic regard. Now each time he glanced her way, a carnal fire burned in his eyes. It delighted her to her very core, his wanton attention, but it also distracted her.
“I’m afraid not, Miss Ashby.”
So he was back to calling her Miss Ashby, was he? It didn’t matter. She’d have him breathing her nickname again soon enough.
There was a low timbre to his voice. “I can vouch, though, that the Christmas bell is not underneath the settee.”
Henrietta busied herself in the room, “searching” for the bell. “Where could it have gone?”
“Perhaps one of the children took it?” he said. “It is a rather shiny trinket, if I remember correctly.”
Henrietta
He whispered, “I’ll help you.”
“You will?”
Peter nodded. “It’s high time Seb settles down. You’re perfect for him, Henry, and he knows it. He’s just being stubborn.” Peter paused, then: “You do care for him, Henry, don’t you?”
“With all my heart,” she said.
“Right then.” Another firm nod. “I’ll take care of your sisters. You look after Sebastian.”
But for the present company, Henrietta would have smothered Peter with grateful kisses. “Oh, thank you, Peter!”
“Think nothing of it, Henry. This is all my fault anyway, so I’ll right the matter.” Peter looked down the table at his brother, then said, “I don’t know what you’ve done to Seb, but he’s not looked so smitten in…well, ever. So you just go about your way and leave the sisters to me. Oh, and Henry?”
“Yes, Peter?”
“Thank you for caring for him.”
She patted his hand. “You don’t have to thank me, Peter. The blackguard stole my heart long ago. I didn’t really have a choice in the matter.”
Peter smiled at that.
“Heavens, look at the time,” piped Roselyn. “We’ll be late for church!”
The whole table erupted in chaos then.
It was Christmas Day, and the annual Yule service was set to start within the hour.
“Fetch the children!”
“Ready the sleighs!”
Like a herd of horses, the family poured into the corridor and headed for the front door.
Henrietta busied herself getting ready: wrap, muff, fur hat. All the while, she slowly maneuvered herself next to Sebastian. Behind him, really. In the tumult of the household, he didn’t notice her standing there.
Henrietta was about to impart some whispered words—to remind Sebastian of the kiss they’d shared the other night—when Penelope whisked by and hooked her arm in his.
“Come Ravenswood.” Penelope smiled. “You’ll ride with Peter and me.”
Drat! Henrietta glared after the departing couple. She didn’t know how Peter was going to get her sisters away from Ravenswood, but Henrietta dearly hoped he’d come up with something soon.
Bless Peter! He’d caused such a ruckus in the household, Henrietta was sure to find a moment alone with Ravenswood.
The whole family was in a tizzy because Mama’s Christmas bell was “missing.” It’d been in Mama’s family for more than a hundred years, and it was tradition to ring the bell before the Yule feast.
According to lore, the little porcelain bell blessed the food and the family. No one could eat until thebell sounded, so a troop of famished Ashbys were scouring the house, looking for it.
But Henrietta was looking for something a mite different: Ravenswood.
She bustled through the passageways, peeking into the branching rooms. She noted the parlor was empty, but just then a dark head popped up from behind the settee.
Sebastian.
And he was alone!
Henrietta took a moment to fluff her skirts and ease her thundering heartbeat. With as much aplomb as she could muster, she waltzed into the room.
“Any luck, my lord?”
Sebastian stopped dusting his trousers to stare at her, a seductive glow in his dark blue eyes.
Henrietta was having a devilishly hard time keeping her wits about her. For far too long, Sebastian had looked at her with platonic regard. Now each time he glanced her way, a carnal fire burned in his eyes. It delighted her to her very core, his wanton attention, but it also distracted her.
“I’m afraid not, Miss Ashby.”
So he was back to calling her Miss Ashby, was he? It didn’t matter. She’d have him breathing her nickname again soon enough.
There was a low timbre to his voice. “I can vouch, though, that the Christmas bell is not underneath the settee.”
Henrietta busied herself in the room, “searching” for the bell. “Where could it have gone?”
“Perhaps one of the children took it?” he said. “It is a rather shiny trinket, if I remember correctly.”
Henrietta
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