What a Lady Needs for Christmas by Burrowes Grace

Author:Burrowes, Grace [Burrowes, Grace]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Historical Romance, England, Regency romance, highlander, Scotland, Love Story, Fiction, Romance, Victorian, London, Historical, Scottish, Holidays, Victorian Romance, Scotland Highland
ISBN: 9781402278815
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Published: 2014-09-17T07:00:00+00:00

Eleven

“Hale Flynn, I sent you to fetch me a book. Why are you back here empty-handed?”

Quinworth suspected DeeDee’s exasperation was only partly feigned, for the prospect of losing a daughter to holy matrimony had overset her ladyship’s nerves. Nothing would do but her husband of more than twenty-five years must read some Robert Burns to her, which his lordship was only too happy to do.

“My dear, Balfour House is a veritable gauntlet. I attempted the mission you set for me, only to find Mr. MacMillan stealing kisses from Miss Hartwell in the library. Having some familiarity with kissing, I can assure you these were not holiday greetings.”

“You’re the Marquess of Quinworth,” DeeDee said, rustling about under the covers. “You clear your throat, look severe, and all in your path run for cover.”

“The young lady was giving as good as she got, else I might have indeed cleared my throat and looked severe—though might I point out, that tactic never worked very well with you, madam.”

Or with their children.

She preened as only Deirdre Flynn could preen before the man she loved. “Did you make only the one attempt, Hale? You were gone for more than a few moments.”

His lordship took a seat on the bed at his wife’s hip, close enough to catch a whiff of lilacs.

“I was trapped, trapped I tell you! I came up the stairs to report my failure to you, and what should I find but Spathfoy enjoying the privileges of a young husband with his countess. The household has gone mad.”

Her ladyship’s eyes began to dance. “Under the mistletoe?”

“I averted my eyes, my dear. One doesn’t like to see one’s firstborn son and heir so thoroughly taken prisoner by a woman half his size.”

Her ladyship rustled around under the covers a bit more, the better to show off a peignoir that would make older men than Hale Flynn revisit naughty memories.

“This is a large house, Hale. You couldn’t come up the maids’ stairs? You had to stand there in your night robe, shivering with mortification while your son went down to defeat at the hands of his countess?”

How he loved it when she made fun of him. “I came up the footmen’s stairs, and the sight that befell me…”

Had warmed his heart.

“Hale, if you want to live until morning, you’ll stop being coy.”

“Mr. Hartwell was coming out of Joan’s room. I am dismayed to report that his hair was disheveled, and Joan hauled him back into her room for a parting kiss. A good, strong girl, is our Joan. She takes after her mother.”

DeeDee stopped fussing her blasted nightclothes and laughed, the hearty, merry laugh Quinworth had fallen in love with decades ago.

“And I have missed all this excitement. Thank goodness for the foolishness of young people. Joan has had me worried these past few days.”

She’d had her papa worried for longer than that, though matters appeared to be taking a sanguine turn.

“I’m again off in search of Mr. Burns, and mind you don’t be snoring when I return, madam.

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