Page 70 of Snowbound Regency Christmas
Julia glanced over her sister’s head to her father’s angry red face. ‘I did not have a choice, poppet. Papa arranged for me to become a governess.’
‘If you had to be a governess, why couldn’t you have been mine?’
The last three years of her life had been pure drudgery and Julia had no wish to repeat them. But if she did not let go of her anger, she would be reliving those three years every day for the rest of her life. She would not cede any more power to her father or the Mrs Heaps of the world.
‘Your sister did not have a choice, Amelia,’ Mildred said, her voice louder and stronger than before. ‘But she does now. Please stay with us. You’re family. At least through Christmas and Twelfth Night. Amelia and I have missed you so much and we want to hear about everything you’ve done since we parted.’
Her stepmother looked at her husband as if to see if he was going to countermand her offer, but for once Julia’s father was silent.
Mildred linked arms with both Julia and Amelia. ‘Come, we must get ready for dinner, for we have invited guests. Happily all of your beautiful gowns are still in your wardrobe, Julia.’ She stopped walking and looked at her stepdaughter. ‘The baron and his mother are coming to dinner. I was hoping to bury all of the bad feelings between us and our neighbours. It is what Christmastime is about.’
Three days ago, Julia might not have been able to bury her resentment towards the Ballantine family, but since meeting Devin she could. Julia realised that both families had suffered from the very public scandal and only through a show of friendship between them would the old whispers finally die. ‘And Christmastime is about family.’
Amelia dropped Julia’s hand and put an arm around her waist. They walked that way until they reached Julia’s old room. Mildred opened the door and Julia entered the bedchamber. It was larger and finer than she had remembered. It almost felt as if this room belonged to a different person—or that in the last three years Julia had become a different person.
‘I will have the maids run you a bath and my own personal maid will come and assist you to dress and arrange your hair… Perhaps you and Baron Ballantine will be able to patch things up.’
Julia thanked her stepmother and gave her sister one last hug, before they left the room. She was grateful for a long, hot soak in the bath, as well as for some silent time for reflection. There was no patching things up between herself and Joshua. He’d never been hers to start with. But perhaps she could with Devin. They had made a great team. Even when she had loathed him, she had been terribly attracted to him. His intelligence. His strength. His humour. And mostly his heart.
If he came tonight.
And if Devinaskedher instead of told.
Chapter Twelve
Julia felt more nervous waiting for the Ballantines to arrive than she had when a criminal had winked and jeered at her. She touched her curls—they were beautifully arranged around her face. It was a great improvement on Julia’s usual chignon. Nor was she wearing a plain gown in a sombre colour: her celestial-blue dress was three years out of fashion but still beautiful. The neckline was cut low across her bosom and the sleeves were short and puffed. The skirt was ornamented with three flounces. But what Julia loved best were the long gloves that had been tinted blue to match her gown. She felt transformed like Cinderella.
The sound of horses and a carriage caused her to jump. Mildred placed her hand on top of Julia’s and lightly squeezed it. Her stepmother probably thought that she was embarrassed to see Joshua. But Julia could hardly tell her that she’d been compromised by her former betrothed’s younger brother and, incidentally, had become besotted with him.
The butler opened the door to the parlour and announced Baron and Baroness Ballantine (Joshua and Devin’s mother), Mr Ballantine, and Mr Ashby. Julia’s family all stood and then bowed to their guests.
To Julia’s surprise, Mildred walked up to Mr Ashby and shook his hand warmly. ‘I am so glad that you suggested we make amends between the families, Mr Ashby.’
Mr Ashby, who was dark-haired like Joshua, bowed his head. ‘I for one am pleased that you offered the olive branch and invited us to dinner this evening.’
The sour expression on Baroness Ballantine’s face was less pleased. But Julia didn’t care what she thought. Her eyes sought Devin’s and she saw a smile grow slowly on his face until it reached his mismatched eyes that intrigued her so much.
‘No one is as pleased as myself,’ Devin said in a loud voice, ‘for I have apologies to make to you all. You might have already heard the damaging rumours that have been spread throughout the village. Sir Eustace and Lady Sullivan, I am sorry that I claimed to be your daughter’s husband on our journey here, but I can assure you that I did so for her safety from two known criminals and I did not compromise her in any way. I am a man of honour and Julia is a virtuous woman. I know that it is untoward, but I was wondering if I might have a private word with your daughter? I also owe her an apology for my behaviour this morning. I told her something rather than asked her, and I should like a second chance.’
Her father scowled and Mildred’s gaze went from Devin’s smiling face to Joshua’s benign expression and back to Devin’s in wonderment. Devin was not the suitor her stepmother had been expecting. Mildred rubbed her gloved hand over her opposite arm and answered for both of them, ‘I suppose so, but not for long, Mr Ballantine. Unless you would like to speak to my husband first to ask for his permission to pay your addresses to his daughter?’
Devin shook his head. ‘A woman can decide her own future.’
‘Indeed? How the times have changed, Lady Ballantine,’ Mildred said, glancing at the other matron for support. But the other lady did not speak. And her husband merely scowled. Mildred made a funny little sound, half cough, half giggle. ‘Well, if there are no objections. I mean, unless Julia is not inclined to meet privately with Mr Ballantine.’
‘I should like to speak with him, stepmother,’ Julia said, moving across the room to Devin. Her pulse was racing like a rabbit jumping. When she reached him, he held out his arm for her and Julia curved her fingers around his elbow. ‘I will take him to the Yellow Parlour.’
Mildred clapped her gloved hands together. ‘Excellent choice, for that room is next door to this one. And allow me to remind you, Mr Ballantine, that the abbey walls are very thin. No more than ten minutes alone. For I must think of my stepdaughter’s reputation.’
Which was hopelessly in tatters.
Broadwick Abbey’s walls were made from thick stone, but Julia couldn’t help but appreciate her stepmother’s attempts at guarding what was left of her virtue and good name. The butler opened the door to the grand hall and they walked to the adjacent room and closed the door behind them. She released her hold on his arm. Julia’s heart was thudding in her chest and her throat felt dry. She let out a long sigh of both nervousness and relief.
‘Surely you are too young for such sighs, Miss Sullivan.’
Devin had repeated Mrs Mack’s words from when they first met on the mail coach. Despite her trembling body, Julia giggled. Devin grinned at her in the sort of way that made her knees feel weak. ‘I believe you know to the day how old I am, Mr Ballantine.’
‘I know that today did not go how I would have hoped, and according to my brother, the blame is entirely my own,’ Devin said, his gorgeous blue and green eyes burning into her own. ‘I thought to make a proper speech, but Joshua warned me that was also a mistake. That I had talked too much and listened too little. So I mean to do better.’ Devin lowered himself to one knee. ‘Julia, what would you like me to do to make this right?’
