The Duke's Christmas Wish (Mistletoe Miracles Book 2) by Jennifer Seasons

Author:Jennifer Seasons [Seasons, Jennifer]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: StoneHouse
Published: 2022-11-30T18:30:00+00:00

Six

“I’ve a very sincere and profound love for chocolate. I believe this is an important fact for you to know.” Patience sipped her hot cocoa as her boots crunched over the snow-covered ground of Hyde Park. The duke strolled along beside her, tall and proud—and that somehow infused her with pride and a certain sense of . . . belonging?

That couldn’t be correct, could it?

Patience shook her head and felt her coiffure jostle haphazardly around her head. With her hat gone and with the spill on the Serpentine, she was certain her hair tangled about her head most unbecomingly. It surprised her to discover that she did not care. Walking with Grant around the festival, with its glowing, magical lights, booths brimming with decadent treats of one kind or another, and merry revelry of the attendees, her cares simply melted away. Tonight, perfection was not required. Cheer and enjoyment were. For all classes, all ages. Men and women alike.

She breathed easy, appreciative of the more relaxed social mores public festivities such as this allowed. “I should expect my husband to know such important details about me.” Patience quipped playfully and brought the peppermint stick to her mouth, licking the cocoa off the end. “If ever in doubt of a way to my heart, it can always be found through chocolate.”

“Is that so?” His voice, so deliciously warm and smooth like the finest satin, sent a shiver of awareness down her spine. “Had I only known that before now.”

Patience heard the hard note enter his tone and immediately regretted her cavalier words. Determinedly she wracked her brain for something to say. Her eyes grew round and a bit panicked when nothing at all came to mind. “Ballocks.” She muttered.

Fortunately, she was saved from having to say something when a rather cheerful fellow with a thick brown beard and a wreathe of greenery upon his head, smelling of wood smoke and mulled cider, stumbled into their path and blocked their progress. “Chestnuts! They be roastin’ them just ‘round the bend. Great big buggers, those chestnuts.” The man hiccuped and grinned wide, and Patience realized he was well into his cups. “Better get them before they’s all disappeared.” He raised a mug of something in celebratory toast. “Can’t be Christmastide without those roasted chestnuts. To the nuts!”

Grant made a choking sound in his throat. “Thank you for. . . that.”

“Bet the lady wishes for some giant nuts, ain’t that right?” The man chuckled, though even his laugh slurred suspiciously with too much drink. “Just ‘round the bend near the bonfire. Go on with yourselves and enjoy.” He winked and grinned and bowed in a bobbing, sloppy sort of way before rounding on his heels and tipping his cup and calling out to the next group of merry goers on the path behind them. “Hello, chums!”

“Well,” Patience planted her hands on her hips and grinned at her duke. “How can we possibly refuse that gentleman’s grand endorsement?”

“Clearly we cannot.” Grant replied, his expression quite grave but for the lighthearted glint in his lush forest eyes.

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