Page 9 of A Season for Christmas

“Watch them this Season,” Evie advised with a smirk. “Every event they attend, at some point, they both disappear for a quarter to half an hour and reappear slightly mussed.”

“Or more than slightly,” her husband joked.

“They are hardly the only ones guilty of sneaking off, but they are certainly more consistent about it,” Elijah said, leaning over to wink at Josie. “We could take a lesson from them.”

His wife snorted indelicately. Though she was stunningly beautiful and had been declared a Diamond of the First Water during her Season, Samuel was beginning to realize she rivaled Evie for being the wildest of the foursome.

“This is why I do not go to balls,” Oliver grumbled, causing Diana to laugh.

“You do not want to sneak off with me?” she asked with a seductive tone, causing much consternation among the rest of the table. Elijah looked horrified at the idea, Evie’s pale complexion turned green, and Joseph groaned. Lily, Josie, and Mary all paled at the thought, though they did notchange color quite as dramatically as Oliver’s niece. Only Nathan and Anthony seemed unperturbed.

And Catherine, of course, but she was not related to Oliver in any way. She was clearly amused by the varied reactions.

Leaning over, Samuel took the opportunity to whisper in her ear.

“I would sneak away with you if you wanted.”

Immediately, Catherine flushed bright pink, her gaze dropping to her plate. No one else seemed to notice their little byplay, which was good.

“Ishouldflog you,” she muttered, making him grin.

Whether or not she’d said the words out loud, she was going to go with him. He could tell. She was taking the time to think about it, but the answer was going to be yes.

And then he was going to find out what it would be like to be flogged.

5

Catherine

Looking over her packed bags, Catherine put her fingers to her temples and tried not to feel as if she was making a terrible mistake. It was not an easy feeling to shake. Despite the thought she’d given her decision—and the many thoughts she’d had since she’d made it—it still felt impulsive. Rash. Risky.

All things she did not consider herself.

But it was also exciting.

For the first time in a long time, she felt truly alive. She was doing something rather than sitting and watching as life passed her by. The most alive she felt was normally at Society of Sin events, and even those had becomepasséin the past year or so.

Today, her blood hummed, her breath came a little faster, and she did not dread the interminable drag of time before supper. She felt energized. Hopeful. And at the same time, anxious over those emotions.

“Is that everything, my lady?” Watson asked, coming up beside her and casting an eye over the bags.

“I believe so. Thank you.” Catherine let out her breath. “Mr. North should be arriving soon.”

Off to the side, her lady’s maid, Anna, stood with her hands folded in front of her, her eyes alight with anticipation. Unlike her employer, she was excited about the trip without a hint of hesitation. Catherine felt a little pang of guilt. She was probably not the most exciting lady to work for. She did not travel often, she was not as social as many other ladies, and she rarely wore out her gowns—though she did make sure Anna was kept well clothed regardless of her own unchanging wardrobe.

Of course, Anna did not know there was also a mission to be undertaken on this trip.

The maid looked out the window at the sound of a horse’s whinny, and from the way her dark eyes widened, Catherine knew who it was before Anna said a word.

“He’s here, my lady!” The younger woman sounded breathless. “And he looks so dashing.”

Immediately curious, Catherine made her way over to the window closest to her to look out at the scene on the street. There were two large carriages—one for her to ride in and one for their luggage, as it was going to be a long stay—but Samuel was in neither of them. No, he was atop a horse beside them, looking as dashing as Anna had exclaimed him to be.

Dark breeches hugged his legs, his long forest green coat set off nicely by the darker color. Atop his head was a brown fur hat that looked very warm and was nearly the same color as his hair. He had a good seat, his back straight, shoulders wide, as his stallion pranced in place.

The geldings pulling the carriage closest to him eyed the stallion suspiciously.

Catherine smoothed her hands down over her gown.Traveling made for long days, and she had chosen her clothing for comfort… but she had also picked out her favorite colors. Today was a deep red that gave some extra color to her lips and cheeks and picked up some of the hints of red in her dark hair. Her pelisse was an even deeper shade of red, trimmed with a green that nearly matched Samuel’s coat.

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