A Merry Little Christmas by Martha Schroeder

Author:Martha Schroeder [Schroeder, Martha]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Victorian Romance
Publisher: Belgrave House
Published: 2002-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Priscilla’s dreams that night were filled with waltzes and kisses and the most exquisite lovemaking. As a consequence, she overslept and had to scurry around with Gillie, the maid’s, help and pack as quickly as she could, so as not to keep Jeffrey and Lucinda—and most importantly, Nicholas—waiting.

Gillie snuffled as she packed. “I’ll be that sorry to be saying good-bye to you, Miss Harrowby,” she said. “The other ladies aren’t half so nice. And when they leave I’ll like as not be sent back to the farm. And it won’t be long now. The ladies will leave once they learn the earl left for London this morning, early like.” She sighed. “I don’t suppose you’d be needing a maid in London, would you?”

Priscilla sighed. Her mother would never allow her to have a maid of her own. She shared an overworked girl who had aspirations of becoming maid to a truly fashionable lady. “I am sorry, Gillie. You have done very well, and if I hear of a position in London I will write and tell you.”

Gillie looked disappointed, but shrugged philosophically. “Yes, ma’am,” she said.

When Priscilla arrived, she found Lucinda and Jeffrey waiting for her, Jeffrey with ill-concealed annoyance. She sighed. The day was off to a bad start. But with Nicholas with her, she was sure she could withstand even Jeffrey’s heavy disapproval.

Then she discovered that instead of waiting for her, brown eyes sparkling with mischief and love only she could see, Nicholas had gone on ahead of them. Like the earl, he had left early that morning. Her heart sank to her shoes.

She had counted on hours of closeness, stolen looks, and smiles. It was all that would have made a long trip with Jeffrey sneering sardonically at her every word bearable. Now she was to face it alone, without Nicholas’s constant belief in her to give her backbone, and she would have to hide just how disappointed she was. Underneath the disappointment was a spurt of anger and below that, down where she almost did not recognize it, was a tiny flicker of fear.

She took a deep breath. She could do it by herself. She would simply imagine Nicholas was there with her. “Good morning, Lucy. Good morning, Cousin Jeffrey.” She smiled and took a perverse pleasure in seeing Jeffrey frown as she reminded him of their relationship.

Lucinda, as always, stepped into the breach. “You are looking lovely this morning, Cilla.”

Priscilla tried to look appreciative. She had dressed with special care, for Nicholas’s sake, in a new traveling dress and matching fitted coat of deep cobalt blue. Now there was no one but Lucinda to be impressed. Anxious to hide from Lucinda and Jeffrey how fragile her peace was, she smiled again. “You told me this shade would become me, Lucy. And now you can see the results of your advice. What do you think?” And with a toss of her head she turned around, showing off the outfit.

Jeffrey rolled his eyes, but Lucinda gave

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