(Aincourt's Hearts, #2) The Hidden Heart by Candace Camp

Author:Candace Camp [Camp, Candace]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

"I would have said cheerful, rather than abominable. However, the fact is that they did not ignore your orders. When I questioned them, it turned out that it was fully two years ago that you had told them not to. So I pointed out that if it were still important to you, you would have told them this year, and since you had not..."

"Miss Maitland, I will thank you not to be educating my servants on ways to get around my orders."

"I merely pointed out that it would be unreasonable to expect people not to celebrate Christmas for years upon end."

"You are treading on dangerous ground here."

“Indeed? Well, Your Grace, unlike your servants, I do not live in fear of you or your moods. And I am certainly not going to pretend that you are reasonable about this whole Christmas issue when you clearly are not."

"My people are not afraid of me."

"No, they are afraid of hurting you. They are afraid of pushing you over the edge. They are afraid—"

"All right! I understand your point. But I am master of this house. I do have the right to decide what will or will not be put up in it."

"You have no right to deny everyone else the joys of the Christmas season. There are your guests to think of, stuck here far from their homes during Christmas."

"I did not invite them. They are a damned nuisance, and I wish they would all leave."

"I am sure you do, but they cannot. So they must make the best of it, and I would think you could do the same. You certainly do not have the right to deny Christmas joy to Gabriela. She has been through enough. She should not have to spend her Christmas sunk in a black mood simply because you are too selfish to let anyone around you be happy." Jessica was warming up to the argument now, her blood pumping fiercely through her, energy flooding her.

"How dare you?" Cleybourne took a long step toward her, light flaring in his eyes.

Jessica drew herself up, meeting his ire head-on instead of stepping back, and said, "I dare because it is the truth. The sight of Christmas things makes you unhappy, so you forbid them to everyone else in the house. Not just for one year or even two, but for four years."

"I do not forbid them Christmas. They are welcome to—"

“Where? How? Your servants live here, they work here. There is church, I suppose, where they could find some little bit of cheer and happiness. Otherwise, their only choice is to leave your employ, and they are all far too fond of you for that. However, Gabriela does not work for you, and neither do I. Why should she have to endure the same restricted life that you and your servants do? I see no reason for Gabriela to miss what joy she can find in the Christmas season because you are too coldhearted to allow a few bows and bits of greenery to be hung about the house.

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