A December with a Duke_A Regency Romance by Collette Cameron

Author:Collette Cameron [Cameron, Collette]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Seductive Scoundrels, Book Three
Publisher: Blue Rose Romance
Published: 2018-12-18T06:00:00+00:00

Busy with Theadosia’s seemingly never-ending Christmastide activities, the next twelve days passed quickly. Each morning, weather permitting, Everleigh walked with Sarah and Mrs. Schmidt, and more often than not, Griffin joined them.

He hadn’t today, and he also hadn’t been at breakfast.

Others had also begun taking a morning constitutional. No surprise, given the rich foods and lack of occasion to exercise. During summer house parties, guests might play croquet or shuttlecock, practice archery, or go riding or boating, but there weren’t nearly as many opportunities to be outdoors and stretch one’s legs in the wintertime.

Today, Ophelia, Gabriella, and Jessica, arms entwined, walked ahead of Everleigh.

Ice skating was planned for next week, but since she’d never learned how to skate, she’d already decided to stay behind and work on her Christmas gift for Sarah: a new rag doll. A replica of Maya, wearing a crimson and gold striped dress—an exact match to the dress Everleigh was sewing for Sarah.

She’d picked up the material and supplies she needed in Colchester during a shopping excursion Theadosia had planned four days ago so that those who hadn’t brought gifts and wanted to exchange them Christmas Day might purchase a few trinkets.

There’d been much whispering and covert tucking of small packages into coats or reticles and brown paper packages tied with strings carried to the carriages by patient footmen, including Hampton. He still looked at her with more interest than he ought to, but he’d not been impertinent again.

Ridgebrook smelled wonderfully of pine and other greeneries. Thea had tossed aside the custom of waiting until Christmas Eve to decorate the house. Garlands, wreaths, and ribbons bedecked the doorways, fireplaces, and mantels. She created a truly festive atmosphere, and, each passing day, Everleigh relaxed a bit more.

Nearly every room bore signs of the holiday, and tonight, again flouting custom, they were to decorate the grand Christmas tree. Smaller trees had already been erected in most of the common rooms, complete with miniature scenes around their bases. For days, in the afternoons and evenings, as one guest or another entertained them with music or songs or even read aloud, many of the others strung popcorn, cranberries, cherries, and currants, or created paper chains for the tree.

Cook had been busy making sweetmeats to stuff in crocheted baskets, and she’d made dozens of pretty cakes and shaped biscuits to hang by ribbons from the tree.

Theadosia’s propensity to toss aside custom to entertain her guests and provide them with a Christmastide they would long remember was endearing. She’d forgone no expense or effort to assure them an unforgettable holiday, especially Everleigh.

Everleigh hadn’t told Griffin she planned on giving Sarah a gift for Christmas, fearing he’d feel obliged to reciprocate. It wouldn’t be proper to accept anything from him, so by being secretive, she saved them both potential awkwardness.

As it was, she was a touch discomfited he hadn’t attempted to kiss her again.

She wasn’t certain whether she was relieved or vexed. For the first time in her life, she’d enjoyed a man’s

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