Snowbound Wedding Wishes by Louise Allen & Lucy Ashford & Joanna Fulford

Author:Louise Allen & Lucy Ashford & Joanna Fulford
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2012-11-01T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

The next morning Theo worked steadily on the estate’s papers until Aggie told him, when she brought him coffee, that Jenna was about to set off to Buxton to collect the food she’d ordered yesterday.

Theo confronted her in the cobbled yard, where Rob was helping her get the gig ready.

‘Jenna. You’re not going by yourself, are you?’

‘And how else did you expect the food to get here, my lord?’ She said this in a mild voice that couldn’t be described as insolent, but...

‘I thought it would be delivered.’

‘Out here?’

Of course. Stupid idea, to expect small market traders to come all this way. His eyes narrowed. She was dressed as he’d seen her that first day, in a man’s scruffy coat, with boots and her long hair thrust under a cap. It was as if she was determined to show him she wasn’t seeking his, or anyone’s, attention. Except that somehow, with her small hands thrust in the pockets of that big old coat, and with her wide brown eyes blazing defiance, she looked more enticing than ever...

Hell, swore Theo. He’d asked after Hewitt in Buxton and been told he’d left the area; as well, or he’d have seen the wretch in gaol. Now he said, ‘Take Rob with you.’

‘Impossible! Rob has to collect firewood from the North Wood.’

‘Take Rob with you and stop arguing,’ ordered Theo.

Lips pressed tight, she climbed up on to the gig and took the reins; Rob clambered up beside her and they rattled out of the yard.

* * *

Theo went round the house room by room, making a list of repairs that needed doing, horribly aware that tomorrow—Christmas Eve—his guests would arrive. When he heard the sound of the gig clattering into the courtyard a couple of hours later, he made himself stay where he was for a while.

Then he went into the kitchen. The big table was laden with provisions and he examined each item with dawning incredulity. ‘What on earth...?’

Jenna had come in carrying one last big parcel. She’d taken off her coat and cap, and her long blonde hair hung loose. She saw his face, and her eyes grew stormy. ‘You said!’ she accused him. ‘You told me to get traditional Christmas fare!’

‘I know,’ Theo said. ‘But what on earth is it?’

She pointed at everything in turn. ‘This is brawn. Here are chitterlings and Derbyshire oatcakes. These are pigs’ heels. And here...’ she unwrapped her parcel ‘...is a boar’s head.’

‘A boar’s... Dear God, you’re joking.’

She stared at him a moment, then she started to gather it up again and push it into her assortment of wicker baskets. ‘Very well, my lord. I shall take it all back!’ The boar’s head was heavy; Theo saw her stagger and hurried to take it off her.

‘No,’ he said, ‘leave it.’ He was thinking of Celia’s face. She would most likely faint when she saw the boar’s head, and... Good God, the boar had little, puckered-up eyes like Celia’s mother’s!

He was trying not to laugh. ‘We’ll keep it,’ he said.

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