Page 37 of A Lovely White Christmastide
“Quiet please,” Mr. Kaye said. “We must not give her any advantages.”
Julianna glanced at Beth, trying to remember how Mr. Kaye had said to treat her headache. How was it that she’d been the last one and somehow she could not remember the cure for the person right before her?
“I would… rub her feet in circles and put on socks.”
The wide triumphant smile on Mr. Kaye’s face proclaimed her misstep.
“That is incorrect.”
He moved on to the rest of the group, but only one other person missed her question. The youngest Miss Crane appearedinnocent, but Julianna suspected she’d done so on purpose so she might pay the forfeit.
Julianna frowned. Would Mr. Kaye kiss two people tonight? The thought of kissing Mr. Kaye at all made her blush. But she did not want to share him.
“Now for the forfeits,” he called.
“Mr. Hanks, as your dare, you must kiss Miss Crane for her forfeit.”
Miss Crane’s smiling face quickly faded when she realized she’d have to kiss the freckle-faced young man, but she complied, only allowing him access to her cheek. Several members groaned at the loss of their fun at seeing the forfeit paid, but most clapped in delight.
The second man had to stand on a chair and declare himself a mad hatter, patting his head and rubbing his belly at the same time.
Then it was Julianna’s turn. She stood, knowing that there was no one else to dare so she would have to pay her forfeit to Mr. Kaye. He smiled as she approached and her nervousness made it hard to look at him.
He leaned over, giving her access to his cheek. A moment of disappointment passed and she hesitated. Julianna had hoped for a real kiss—her first real kiss since she’d hardly ever been allowed to play Christmastide games before and was only doing so now because Mrs. Barker had caught a head cold. Otherwise she’d have forbidden both her and Beth from participating.
Slowly she leaned in anticipating the hairy stubble of Mr. Kaye’s cheek on her lips, but at the last second he turned and soft lips connected with hers. Julianna froze—then her insides melted as she pressed firmer into his warmth. It was perfect, and she wanted to explore the experience further, but the burst of applause and laughter stole the moment away from her.
When she pulled away, Mr. Kaye’s eyes were wide with shock. Had she done something wrong? Did he dislike it?
Chapter Eleven
Beth covered her mouth. She’d not expected the game to go in such an intimate direction. Mr. Kaye pulled away from Julianna, his eyes as big as saucers. His hands reached out as if he would pull Julianna back into his arms, but she spun, a flush evident on her cheeks. Quickly she retraced her steps to her chair, but she did not sit. With one hand on the back, she excused herself for the night, claiming fatigue.
Beth knew better. Julianna had never been kissed before and she could only imagine what sort of turmoil the experience had stirred up in her lovelorn heart.
Aunt Waverly asked the others if they wished to play another round of Doctor or move onto a different game. Buffy Gruffy was chosen, but Beth opted not to join and instead followed her sister’s example and excused herself for the night. Perhaps if she hurried she’d be able to speak to Julianna about the incident.
As she stepped into the hall, she found Lord Bingham also making his way up the stairs to the guest rooms.
“That was quite the game, was it not, Miss Haynes?” His forehead creased and he held his right hand in his left. He seemed more intent on rubbing each appendage than traversing the stairs, but somehow his feet still found each step.
She’d seen him work his fingers a few times before, but his tense shoulders and pursed lips made her wonder if this time was particularly painful. “Are you well, Lord Bingham?”
He nodded once, then stopped. Turning toward her he said, “That is a falsehood. I am not well. At times my hand becomes so tight the fingers curl in on themselves.”
“And it causes you great pain.” It was said more as a statement than a question. Reaching out, she took his hand into hers. He’d removed his dinner gloves and the touch of his skin through the open fingers of her own lacy hand covers set her heart galloping. She tried to rein it in, but that disobedient organ refused to be restrained as she worked each of Lord Bingham’s fingers.
“Does this hurt?” She peered at him, but his gaze was locked on her ministrations. After a moment he swallowed and shook his head.
His taut hand began to relax and he let out a shaky breath. “Thank you, Miss Haynes.”
“Perhaps when we are in private you may call me Beth.” She stopped rubbing. Why had she said that? Allowing him such intimacies was highly irregular. What would he think of her? But now that the offer had been made she could not very well take it back.
“I would like that very much,” he said in a hushed tone. “And you must call me Carswell. It is much better than Lord Bingham. Every time someone addresses me as such I feel impossibly pompous or like an imposter.”
She chuckled. “You are the least pompous man I know.”
“And do you know a great many men, Beth?”
