A Count for Christmas by Bethany M. Sefchick

Author:Bethany M. Sefchick
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bethany M. Sefchick

Chapter Six

Grace had suspected her kiss on the ice with Marc would cause a stir amongst the party guests and she had been right. It had. In fact, they had caused so much of a stir that Lady Winterset had pulled Grace aside before dinner the night of the skating party and gently suggested that perhaps a “cooling off” period might be a good idea.

As Grace’s aunt had been part of the “Troublesome Trio,” Lady Winterset said that she felt it her place to offer that bit of advice since Lady Martha was no longer present to guide her niece. And offer it she did. She had also threatened to do everything within her power to keep Grace and Marc apart unless they began behaving in a more proper and refined manner. “Falling in lust,” to quote Lady Winterset was one thing, especially at her house party, but behaving in such a scandalous manner as to flout propriety was quite another.

The dowager had also reminded Grace that she should seek out love and not temporary satisfaction, that affairs could leave one empty and that finding someone or something more lasting and true was far more satisfying.

That both sounded like the Lady Winterset, who had encouraged Grace to seek out love and romance and magic and to have faith, and not at the same time. However, there was also no getting around the nosy old woman anyway. No matter what Grace did or planned in an effort to meet with Marc, something always went awry.

Meeting in the orangery after breakfast? Every gardener at Highburn was present. Walk in the portrait gallery? It was being cleaned. Sneaking off after the men’s cigars and port? A debutante was trailing after one or both of them.

It was maddening! It truly was!

Unhappy with being thwarted in her plan to seduce Marc, Grace had wanted to argue and remind the dowager that she had been a married woman and was quickly approaching her thirtieth year. She was hardly a child, and she knew what she was about. Well, mostly anyway.

However, for fear of hurting the dowager’s feelings, Grace had heeded Lady Winterset’s warning and for the next several days, Grace had behaved most properly – much to her great annoyance. Not to mention to Marc’s great annoyance as well.

The two of them talked and flirted, but then they did the same with others at the party. Again, to the great annoyance of them both.

Grace had spent the evening of the skating outing playing cards and doing her best to keep Lord Deaver from peering lecherously down the front of her gown or finding an excuse to touch her. The following day she had spent mostly with Marc, this time collecting greens to decorate the grand ballroom for the final ball that would be held in a few night’s time. That evening she had fended off the advances of the Earl of Stillborough, a man old enough to be her father and twice as lecherous, while everyone played parlor games.

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