Annabel's Christmas Rake (The Swan Sisters Book 2) by Jillian Eaton

Author:Jillian Eaton [Eaton, Jillian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-06-20T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

In the end, they managed to fit in Lucas’s sleigh without Annabel needing to sit in his lap (much to her silent dismay), and after waiting for nigh on an hour for the traffic to clear, made straight for Grosvenor Square.

The Blackbourne home was tucked back from the street behind a wrought iron gate that was draped with wisteria in spring and two large, towering oaks that turned red in autumn. But in winter, all was dormant and staid as nature slept and cold winds howled.

A sharp, slicing breeze whipped through the branches of the mighty oaks, dropping snow onto Annabel’s uncovered hair as she led their tiny group–with Lucas trailing in the back, a scowl firmly etched upon his countenance–down the broad, freshly shoveled flagstone walkway to the front door.

Candles glowed in every window, battling back the encroaching darkness that was stealing in on a shadowy tide. Beneath each candle hung a wreath, bound with red ribbon and tied with silver string. Annabel had lovingly constructed each wreath herself, using fresh pine boughs cut from a tree out behind the house. She knew that her parents believed her time foolishly spent, but if this was to be the first year they spent Christmas in the crowded city instead of Brimshire Manor, then she saw no reason why she could not bring pieces of the countryside to London.

Next December, they would be sipping warm wassail while looking out across an open field, but after the effort it had taken to move two families in together, comprised of seven individuals and one big hound, they hadn’t wanted to separate again right before the holidays.

The front door swung inward without warning, revealing a distraught Lynette. She rushed down the steps without bothering to put on boots or even a hat, and was followed closely by Lady Brimshire. Nathaniel and Lord Brimshire remained in the doorway, and a hard knot formed in Annabel’s stomach when she took note of their formidable expressions.

“Where have you been?” Lynette cried, her voice carrying on the wind as she grasped Delilah by the shoulders and gathered her close before doing the same to Temperance. “I turned around and you were gone! I looked forever, but I could not find you, and after the sleigh incident I feared the absolute worse. Oh, now that I know you are not dead I could kill both of you!”

Annabel flicked a quick glance at Lucas. He remained hovering in the back, more shadow than man while he observed Lynette and her sisters with a furrowed brow, as if such displays of familial worry and affection were unfamiliar to him. Hadn’t he family of his own? Or was he alone in the world, left to forge his own path? And how sad if it was the latter, for while her parents and brothers brought her strife, she couldn’t imagine her life without them.

As though her sympathetic stare was a trail of fingertips upon his skin, Lucas abruptly turned his head and their gazes met, hard gray clashing against soft, compassionate green.

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