A Very Mary Christmas by Leenie Brown

Author:Leenie Brown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Leenie B Books
Published: 2016-12-20T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

Late the following afternoon, Mary stood to the side, waiting her turn to be handed into the carriage. Thankfully, her mother had seen fit to allow them to take it and not walk to Netherfield. The shadows were lengthening, and the air was turning decidedly frigid. Nicholas stepped down to stand next to her as he waited for his horse to be brought around.

“You were successful?” She had hoped to see him in the drawing room before his meeting with Mr. Bingley, but he had been forced to arrive later than he had planned, due to some matter at his estate.

“I was. Rosemoore will have an additional field come March. I should not say, I suppose, but since you will no doubt be visiting your sisters after they are married, Mr. Bingley has not decided if he wishes to extend his lease past Michaelmas next, and so, his plans for the estate lands are not solidified. It is too new a position for him to have gotten his feet, which was beneficial to me.” He shifted from one foot to the other and laced his fingers together as if making sure his gloves were properly on each hand. “It is a rather cold day,” he commented.

“It is,” Mary replied. “I will be glad to find a place by the fire tonight. With any luck, I will be allowed to read in peace.”

“Does your mother still plague you?”

Mary felt her cheeks warm with embarrassment. “Not so often as she wishes. Papa has seen to that.”

“I am glad to hear it.”

There was a warmth to his words that wrapped their way around Mary’s heart. “Your brother tells me he has taken some work with my uncle.” Mary bit her lip as the warmth left his expression at the mention of it. She had thought he would be glad to have his brother employed, so the hardening of his features confused her. “I know my uncle is only a country solicitor and your brother will have higher aspirations, but I thought it might do him good to be useful even if it is in such a position.”

“About that,” Nicholas began. He turned his head to look at her, and, realizing that she had stepped one step away and was looking flustered, he shifted from the questions he was about to ask regarding how she had learned of his brother’s need for funds. “I thank you for the suggestion. I am glad to see him using at least some of his time wisely.”

He studied her. She had lowered her eyes, and he thought he saw a small smile on her lips. His heart clenched as did his jaw at the thought that she might actually be considering his brother. His brother! Well, she should know exactly whom she was considering. “I cannot say Fred’s aspirations reach further than next week and his trip to Bath. However, should he manage to finish his course, he will be given use of the townhouse in London,

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