Page 57 of A Lovely White Christmastide
But one thing weighed on him.
While he had offered his hand to Julianna, she had not given him an answer. At first he’d not thought much about it, but as the days passed and they’d grown closer he now wondered if she’d done so on purpose, perhaps out of self-preservation. Did she plan to break the engagement?
She had no obligation to keep it. Mr. Caleb Waverly had not returned since the previous Sunday. No one really knew where he’d gone, but he’d also not been missed. His surly disposition and determination could not have been so easily supplanted, though.
Daniel had no doubt he would return with some other method to demand Julianna’s hand, but this time he would be ready for him. While his offer had been impetuous, he now realized his heart had been leading his head the whole time. In the three weeks he’d been at Haverton, he’d fallen madly in love with Miss Julianna Haynes and had no intentions of going back on their engagement.
But what if she found someone else? It had been a stipulation of the engagement. Could he stand back and let her go? The fear of losing Julianna created a vice-like grip around his heart.
“Are you well?” Julianna asked from the chair beside him.
He blinked, pulling his gaze from the fire that burned in the hearth. “Pardon?”
“You have been silent these past ten minutes.”
“Only a bit fatigued.” The blood rushing through his veins countered his remark. He tried to quietly calm his erratic heartbeat by taking a few deep breaths.
Julianna did not appear convinced. “Your fists are clenched and your face is ruddy.”
“Only a bit warm. I should probably move away from the flames. Plus, I have some correspondence to attend to.”
“On Christmas?” Her little nose scrunched.
“Not that I need respond today, but it is our tradition to send notes for the holiday.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the letters he’d been saving to read as a special Christmas treat. Julianna’s eyes brightened. “Ah, with your Eton friends. Would one of those friends be Mr. Alfred Deane?”
Daniel nodded, surprised that she’d remembered the name from the stories he’d told her about his childhood.
“And would another be from Robert Cratchit?”
Daniel chuckled. “Yes. You have a good memory. Can you guess who the last one is from?”
She tapped her chin for a moment and he smiled at the pretty picture she made in the soft fire light. Someone laughed softly from across the room and he turned to see Mr. Baitman whispering something in Mrs. Barker's ear. Oh, how he wished to ply the woman with a little of her own wisdom if only to see her squirm, but that would ruin his own blessed moment of peace with Julianna.
“It was something with a J, or was it a G?”
He turned back.
Julianna popped a finger up in the air. “I’ve got it. James… James Bailey.”
“Very good. You deserve a prize for best memory. I do not believe I could name any of the friends you have mentioned.”
“That is because all your friends have such normal names, while mine have the misfortune of having very creative parents. How many women do you know named Javenia?”
“Yes, but you have others with fairly normal ones as well.”
“I suppose Mary and Olivia are a bit more common.”
“Jule,” Miss Haynes said from behind her sister.
Julianna turned to peer at her.
“I am going to turn in for the night. Will you be alright?” Her eyes strayed to Daniel and she frowned. Was she truly worried about him? They were in a room full of people.
Something had been off about Miss Haynes ever since they’d practiced in the music room yesterday, at least concerning him. She’d remained closer to her sister, often pulling her away from his company and interrupting private conversations. It was strange after she’d been so willing to help him the night of his and Julianna’s accidental kiss.
And this morning he was quite certain her questions about his childhood had a hidden agenda, but what? She’d become particularly focused on his sisters’ friends, which seemed odd as he’d spent the majority of his growing years away at school.
