Mr Winterbourne's Christmas by Joanna Chambers

Author:Joanna Chambers
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: gay historical series, mm historical romance, historical lgbt romance, gay regency romance, gay romance, gay holiday romance, mm holiday romance, mm regency romance, lgbt holiday romance, lgbt romance
Publisher: Joanna Chambers
Published: 2018-11-18T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8 - Lysander

Lysander and Perry ended up carrying all the greenery that had been collected back to the Abbey. Great branches of holly and long trails of ivy, and yes, the sprigs of mistletoe in Lysander’s pocket.

Lysander hoped to get Adam alone with one of those sprigs, later.

Not that he was having much luck getting Adam alone. A stolen moment in the dining room last night, then their kiss in the snow—all the while with the threat of discovery looming. Lysander had tried to arrange things so that he and Adam could walk back to the Abbey together, quietly sorting the greenery into two bundles while everyone else joked and laughed. He was going to wait for just the right moment...but Perry had seen what he was doing and had lifted the second bundle before Lysander could even suggest that Adam help him.

Now Adam was walking with Althea back to the Abbey. They were just ahead of Lysander and Perry, with Gwen and Simon at the front, and Bella, Anne and Sir Edmund bringing up the rear.

Perry had been very quiet since they’d set off, responding to Lysander’s conversational gambits with monosyllabic answers, till Lysander had given up. They’d been walking in silence for several minutes when Perry sighed heavily.

Lysander turned to him. “That’s a big sigh. Is something wrong?”

Perry met his gaze, an odd expression on his face. “Just thinking,” he said.

“What about?”

Perry shrugged. “Things have been different since you went to Edgeley Park. This last year without you—it’s been awfully quiet.”

Lysander felt a pang of regret. He’d been so absorbed at Edgeley Park that he hadn’t given Perry much of a thought. He felt guilty about that now. They’d been best friends since they were boys, near inseparable, but he’d neglected Perry since he’d met Adam.

“Have you been bored?” Lysander asked, trying to shift the melancholy tone with a teasing smile. “Maybe you need to find something new to spend your time on? There are only so many boxing matches and races a man can go to.”

“Perhaps I should join the army.”

Lysander chuckled wryly. He could think of few people less suited to army life. Perry had an aversion to following orders. At school, he’d barely been able to sit most days from the number of canings he’d been given.

“Or perhaps,” Lysander said teasingly, “You should get married.”

“What? God, no!” Perry exclaimed.

Surprised at his vehemence, Lysander frowned. “Why not?”

Perry flushed, his cheeks staining pink. “I—just—” He broke off, then concluded lamely, “No reason.”

Lysander eyed him for a moment. He’d always thought Perry would likely marry young. The man had an easy, affectionate nature and, despite his occasional wildness, was quite a domestic fellow at heart. “Don’t you want to?”

Perry met Lysander’s gaze then, and his own flashed with surprising temper. “No, I don’t. Do you?”

It sounded very pointed the way he said it, almost accusatory. Do you?

“No,” Lysander said truthfully. “Not in my case.”

Perry glanced away. “Well, not in mine either,” he said stiffly.

He was being distinctly odd.

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