Page 15 of The Twelve Days of Love

Each child came and took a turn embracing Caroline and then took their seats as servants slipped from the room.

She turned to Luke. “The book alone would have been present enough but to hear the children chant The Twelve Days of Christmas will become my happiest memory of this day.”

She took his hand and pressed a kiss upon his knuckles. “You are a wonderful husband and father, Luke St. Clair.”

He smiled. “I am just happy that no one gave away the surprise. We have been practicing for weeks here at Fairhaven, usually in the ballroom when you were napping.”

“And Luke taught our children the rhyme when they came to town for Catherine’s reading last week,” Jeremy added.

Hudson grinned. “Well, I didn’t know a thing about it but it was a lovely surprise, Luke.”

“The children worked hard in memorizing their lines—and even harder in keeping our practices a secret.”

Footmen entered the dining room then, trays ladened with roast goose and boar’s head, the two main dishes of the day. They ate until they were stuffed and then made room for the mincemeat pies, a St. Clair staple at Christmas. The pies held chopped meat and dried fruit, along with various spices and sugar. It was a tradition to use leftovers from today’s feast to make pies for the twelve days leading up to Epiphany. Eating a minced pie each of those days was supposed to bring twelve months of happiness in the coming year.

“I don’t think I can move,” Hudson proclaimed after taking a last bite.

Caroline sniffed melodramatically. “You can’t move? Trying eating as much as you did and carrying a babe in your belly.”

They all chuckled and Luke gave the children permission to leave and go play. Then he stood and helped his countess to her feet before he swept her into his arms.

“Luke St. Clair, you put me down at once!”

“Not a chance, my love. I am carrying you upstairs, where you will take a long winter’s nap.” Turning to the others, he said, “I will be joining Caroline in that nap so find something else to occupy yourselves with if you would.”

As they reached their bedchamber, Caroline said, “You have given me the best Christmas gift ever, Luke. I love you so much.”

“Just wait until tomorrow,” he said mysteriously and carried her inside the room to their bed.

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