Page 26 of In Pursuit of a Christmas Bride
Right.
The set down.
Yet, without knowing all the details, he understood. Even if his family despised him for it, he would do anything to see them happy. Often at the sake of his own happiness. Duty didn’t discriminate.
“Flirtation.” It didn’t feel right as soon as he said it. No, he couldn’t explain it, and it was certainly something far beyond normal for him, but they shared something deeper than a flirtation. He didn’t wish to flirt and kiss. Henry wasn’t sure what he wished for exactly, only that he knew he didn’t wish to be parted from her and wanted no harm to come to her. Certainly not at his hands.
“And now you think the worst of me.”
“No, that’s the problem, Tilly. I haven’t started to know you yet, but there’s nothing I wish for more.”
A sweet, sad smile spread across her face. He could lose himself in her light green eyes. They were full of spring and hope, and days that held more promise than the long, dark days of winter. He wondered what it would be like to wake up beside her and see those eyes in the early morning, filling his day with possibility.
His days were always heavy with expectation.
They both assisted each other up to their feet and slowly made their way off the ice. He reached back, led her up the hill tothe sleigh, and was about to help her in when something hit his head.
Henry whirled around in time to catch a snowball in his chest. “What’s this now?” He bent down and quickly cupped the snow into his hand and padded it into a ball, but Tilly was faster. She hurled another snowball in his direction which he neatly dodged.
“Not so quick now, Miss Brennan,” he said, throwing his snowball.
She squeaked, jumping behind the sleigh to take shelter. “I surrender.” She tossed her arms up in the air, then slowly poked her head up, her large eyes wide and dancing with mischief.
He reached down for another scoop of snow, as another snowball knocked off his top hat and burst against his neck, sending an avalanche of cold snow down his shirt.
Flirtation, indeed.
Tilly giggled, then jumped and darted around the sleigh as he chased after her. The sun finally poked through the cloud cover, washing the landscape over with dark gold light. The very perfect weather for Henry’s first snowball fight.
CHAPTER 6
Tilly glancedover her book to the snoring Mrs. Craven. Nearly an hour into the story, and her chaperone finally was asleep for the evening. Seeing Mrs. Craven to bed when they traveled was more dangerous than bedtime with Ethan.
The old curmudgeon was notorious for insisting on one more brandy or another few pages from her book. Since her eyes were failing, Tilly would read. And then there was the matter of being too hot or too cold, or not enough pillows or too many pillows and then her back would hurt. Last month, while traveling to Bath, Mrs. Craven insisted her hips would break because the mattress was too lumpy.
She quietly shut the book and slipped out of her companion’s room to return to hers.
Only, she didn’t wish to return to her room.
It was odd that Tilly often prayed for quiet only to finally have it and wish for anything but. Too much quiet fed the lies in her brain, which in turn only fed panic. And then she was alone, afraid of what she could lose if Roger proceeded with his threat.
Tilly craved peace.
Perhaps that was the difference. She didn’t want quiet, she needed peace.
She quietly hummed to herself as she strolled the hallway. It smelled of Christmas, and the staff hadn’t hung all the evergreens up yet.
Tilly thought of the twins hanging ivy…
And she would miss everyone on Christmas morning, instead spending it with a group of strangers so she could secure a benefactor for the theater’s next production.
She paused in the doorway, struck at how handsome the earl was as he sat hunched over a small table studying a chessboard. His cravat was loosened around his neck, his shirtsleeves rolled up to expose strong forearms, and dark stubble shadowed his strong jaw.
She swallowed, her stomach a tangled mess of knots. It was best to return to her room, best to spend the evening in her own company.
But she didn’t wish to do what was best. She didn’t wish to let a moment pass when she could enjoy the earl’s company.
“It helps to have someone to play against,” she said finally, softly padding into the room.
