A Christmas in Time by Eugenia Riley

Author:Eugenia Riley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: historical romance, regency romance, christmas romance, time travel romance, victorian romance, anthology romance
Publisher: Eugenia Riley

Chapter Seven

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The next morning, feeling dispirited, Jason packed his few meager belongings, settled up his account with Annie’s father, and then left the Simmons Hotel. He let a room at a boarding house near St. James. He did not see Annie for several days, and he felt at something of a loss regarding her. He still very much wanted to protect her, but he did not want to cause her pain, or especially, to provoke an alienation between her and her father. Oscar Simmons obviously remained convinced that Stephen was the right man for Annie.

But Jason sensed disaster hovering closer to Annie with each passing day. He agonized about how he might help her in the scant days remaining before tragedy would surely strike her. Worse yet, he continued to experience the nagging fear that he might be snatched away from his new existence on Christmas Eve—and what would happen to Annie if he couldn’t alter her destiny before then?

Then surprisingly, on a morning a week before Christmas, Annie appeared at the newspaper office. He glanced up to see her standing in front of his desk, dressed in a cloak, bonnet and muffler, with her cheeks bright pink from the cold.

The sight of her filled him with both joy and relief. He stood and smiled. “Why, Annie. What a pleasant surprise.”

“I trust you are doing well, Jason?” she asked awkwardly.

“Yes, of course.”

“We haven’t seen much of you since you moved out of the hotel.”

He sighed. “Annie, you know how it has been with your father, and Stephen.”

“Are you getting settled in your new surroundings?”

“Yes—I like my room in the boarding house near St. James. I have a nice view of Westminster Abbey.” Catching her dismayed expression, he quickly added, “Still, it is not the same as the Simmons Hotel.”

She smiled. “Jason, I’ve come by to invite you to go on an excursion with me, my father, and Stephen tomorrow.”

“Annie . . .” Helplessly, he shook his head. “I can’t be responsible for causing any more bad feelings among the three of you.”

“But you must come along this time,” she protested. “You see, our friends the Youngbloods have invited us to a gathering at their farmhouse in the country. In her note, Mrs. Youngblood specifically urged us to bring you along, as well. This would be the perfect opportunity for you to do research on how an English country Christmas is celebrated. Not only that, but Father has hired a sleigh for the occasion. It’s a fairly long drive, so we’ll be gone from before noon until the wee hours of the morning.”

Jason felt very tempted, but he was also skeptical. “What about your father and Stephen? What are their feelings on this?”

She lifted her chin. “They have both consented to your coming along.”

Jason felt astounded. “They have? But why?”

Annie glanced away, avoiding his probing gaze.

“Annie?” He grinned. “What did you do—apply the thumbscrews?”

She giggled, then flashed him a conspiratorial smile. “Really, Jason, such extreme measures were hardly necessary.

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