A Christmas Courting by Jennifer Moore

Author:Jennifer Moore
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Regency;Christmas;holiday;love;siblings;family;friends;festivity;town
Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc.
Published: 2018-07-18T22:50:45+00:00

Chapter Six

With Parliament going into session before Christmastide, more people were in Town than Patrick expected. But even though he was hoping to avoid the crowds, the club warmed him, and not just from the outside chill. The deep wood interior, the hint of cigar, sounds of glasses tinging together brought memories of laughter and friends. And he hoped the deep masculinity of the place would keep his thoughts firmly rooted and clear as he tried to muddle through all he had just learned.

He downed another cup. Not married.

He couldn’t wrap his mind around it. All this time Patrick had thought her lost to him, thought she had closed the door on that possibility by marrying an awful shell of a man. But here she was, not married.

She’d certainly done everything in her power to get married. After the opera Patrick had finally asked about her wedding. His mother said she had stood at the front of the church near the parson, tears streaming down her face, with such a look of hope, long after most of the guests had left, waiting. Her father had waited with her. When Patrick heard these details, he had wanted all over again to pummel Trimble.

His face pinched at the thought of her suffering. Physical pain tugged at his core for her tears, even though they were caused by another. With another grunt, he sought distraction, anything to take his mind off her. He pulled a couple of the fliers that were scattered about the table toward him. A new artist, the Sparrow, was quite clever. He found himself grinning at an openly and brazen depiction of Lord Liverpool refusing corn to the poor. Brave. The artist risked censure from the highest power and risked stirring up the poor, which Patrick found even more intriguing. It was very much something Alice would have enjoyed. And his frown returned anew.

“You look as though you might cry. Miss me, did you?” Lord Nathaniel Halloway’s mock-hopeful face looked ridiculous, and Patrick was grateful it made him break into a smile and laugh.

“Oh, shut it, man. Here, have a drink.” Happy a friend had come, Patrick held up a glass.

Halloway looked almost the same as ever, with a few lines across his brow that weren’t there before. He waved off the drink. “It’s early.” Then he removed his hat and eyed Patrick. “I know you’re glad to see me.”

Patrick stood to embrace one of his dearest friends. “More than glad. I’ve missed you and our whole set.”

“We are a sorry lot without you.” Halloway motioned for a footman to take his hat and cloak. “Have you seen anyone since returning?”

Before he could answer, a dark shadow fell across their table.

Patrick looked up. A man’s face, obscured in darkness, blocked light from the candles. A slow chuckle from Halloway made Patrick look closer. “Kilroy?” He stood, a second grin cracking his face from its disuse of late. “Kilroy!” His voice carried across the room, and most conversation stopped. He stepped around the table to shake hands with Lord Jameson Kilroy, future Marquess of Sutherland.

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