Convergence of Desire (The Lovelocks of London Book 1) by Felicity Niven

Author:Felicity Niven [Niven, Felicity]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bletherskite Books
Published: 2022-08-31T23:00:00+00:00

Twenty-Two

Christmas came. Phillip stayed in Cambridge.

“Probably making merry around the Wassail bowl with friends from his college,” Thomas said.

Thomas had urged Harry to invite her family to celebrate Christmas at Sommerleigh. The invitation had long been overdue, he argued, and her stepmother and her sisters should see where she lived. And so Harry had sighed and said she would put her work aside for a bit as the boughs of evergreen and sprigs of holly were gathered to decorate the house on Christmas Eve.

“I’ll write to them,” she said but she never did, so Thomas himself wrote. The Drakes would have no grand company, he said in his letters. No need for their maids. Let the maids go home for Christmas. Come straight to Sommerleigh from Derbyshire where Catherine and Arabella had been staying with friends.

Harry’s older sister Mary and her husband the Viscount Tregaron were at his family seat in Wales this Christmas, but Mary sent her love along with her regrets.

When Catherine and Arabella arrived, Arabella practically burst out of the carriage to hug Harry standing on the front steps.

“Oh, Harry, how beautiful you look and the house, it’s so grand, I can’t believe you are the mistress here. Begging your pardon, good afternoon, Lord Drake.” She curtsied even as she put her arm around Harry’s waist and snuggled to her sister’s side. Harry very lightly laid her arm across Arabella’s shoulders and made no protest.

“Good afternoon, Miss Arabella, you are most welcome. And Mrs. Lovelock.” Thomas turned and bowed to Catherine who had just been helped from the carriage by one of the footmen.

Catherine curtsied appropriately but she did not look at Thomas. Her gaze was arrested by Harry. She came up the steps slowly and held out both her hands. Harry took her arm from around Arabella and gave both her hands to her stepmother. Harry allowed a kiss on the cheek and then whirled and took Arabella into the house, promising her some chocolate to warm her.

Catherine turned now to Thomas. Unexpectedly, he noticed a clenching of her jaw. He gestured toward the door, for her to enter. She reached out and grabbed his forearm.

“Lord Drake, Harry looks . . . so well.”

“The country agrees with her, Mrs. Lovelock.” Still she held his arm in her grip.

“I am pleased. I suspect I owe you an apology.”

Thomas laughed. “Let’s hold that in abeyance.” She smiled a little uncertainly at that, released his arm, and swept into the house.

They passed a most pleasant week full of walks around the grounds and tramps in the meadows and forest, games in front of the fire in the drawing room, and enormous meals crowned by a monstrously large flaming plum pudding on Christmas Day. The weather was dry and mild, for the most part, but there was the miracle of a few flakes of snow on Christmas Eve. Arabella and Harry had both gone out into the garden and tried to catch the falling flakes with their tongues, laughing and running about.

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