Chapter 12
The holly bears a prickle, as sharp as any thorn.
The next couple of days passed in a blur of happiness for Meg as she and Nathaniel snatched every moment they could together.
It seemed, however, that a conspiracy was afoot, for suddenly everyone wanted to be around them.
Perhaps their happiness was infectious, Meg thought ruefully, for the entire household was in excellent spirits as the Hall readied itself for Christmas.
Meg regarded herself in the looking glass, admiring the deep red merino redingote. It fitted beautifully and was lined with a lush gold satin. The matching bonnet sported three plumes, dyed to match the coat.
“Oh, you do look a picture, miss,” Betty exclaimed, standing back to admire her.
“Thank you, Betty,” Meg said, wondering if a person could burst from happiness.
How was it possible to feel this way, to have her life change so dramatically?
She had gone from being utterly alone to finding such a man she could not have imagined him had she been given the task of describing a hero.
He was just too wonderful to be real, and yet he was, and he loved her.
As if that were not enough, she would gain a family through Della and Aubrey, and the dowager duchess.
That such a woman had championed her seemed beyond anything, and she knew she would be in the old woman’s debt for the rest of her days.
“Betty,” she said, wanting everyone to share in her joy. “Would you still like to be my lady’s maid when Mr Ashford and I are… are married?” she asked, hardly able to say the words out loud they seemed so extraordinary.
Betty’s mouth fell open in a little ‘o’ of wonder, then her cheeks turned bright red and her eyes filled with tears.
She reached for her apron and buried her face in it.
“Oh, M-Miss Bancroft, I would like that above all things!” she exclaimed, or at least, Meg thought that was what she said, for it was hard to tell between the hiccoughs and sobs that punctuated every word, and the apron that muffled her mouth.
“Well, that’s settled, then,” Meg said, pleased, her suspicions confirmed when Betty dropped the apron and gave in to emotion, throwing her arms about Meg’s neck and sobbing on her shoulder.
“Thank you, miss. Thank you, thank you, thank you, I won’t never let you down, I swear it.”
“There, there, Betty, dear. I know you won’t,” Meg soothed her, giving the girl a hug.
They both leapt as a peremptory knock sounded on the door. “Come along, slugabed! Surely, you’re ready by now?”
Meg laughed and ran to the door, finding her breath catch as she tugged it open to see Nat standing there. Lord, but he was handsome, his blue eyes glinting with mischief.
“Ready, are you?”
“I am.”
He grinned and made a turning motion.
Meg rolled her eyes but turned in a circle for him. She had not yet worn the lovely red coat and thought it rather suited her.
“Beautiful,” he said, holding out his hand to her. “I am a lucky fellow. You’ve not changed your mind?”
“No!” she exclaimed, for he asked her every morning now, just for the delight of seeing her get exasperated with him.
“Just checking. A fellow needs to be sure of such things,” he said, tucking her hand comfortably into the crook of his arm.
Meg laughed as he escorted her down the stairs.
The scent of pine and spices filled the house, growing stronger as they descended.
The reason for that became obvious as they discovered the footmen bringing in great swathes of greenery.
Boughs of fir, holly and ivy, rosemary and laurel were piled in the entrance, swiftly borne off to other parts of the house to decorate mantelpieces and to bring some festive colour to every corner of the hall.
“Della and Gee-Gee adore Christmas. When we get back, you’ll be roped into tying red ribbons and studding oranges with cloves, mark my words,” he warned her as they made their way around the mountains of greenery.
“I can’t wait,” Meg admitted. “Papa was never very fond of Christmas. I always decorated anyway, but it isn’t quite the same if you’re doing it alone.”
“You’re not alone now, Meg. You never will be again,” he promised her, his laughing eyes becoming suddenly serious. “I want to give you everything you never had before, everything you could wish for.”
“You don’t need to do a thing. You have already given me so much,” she exclaimed, shaking her head in wonder. “I couldn’t be happier.”
“I’m glad,” he said as he escorted her out of the house and down the driveway, heading towards the town. “But I’m going to start by giving you a proper Christmas. With decorations and carols and presents, and family squabbles too, no doubt,” he added ruefully.
She looked at him and smiled, admiring his handsome profile and wondering how she could be so lucky. “Well, there’s no need to add the family squabbles.”
“Oh, those are non-negotiable,” he said apologetically. “You’ve never had a big family all together in one place, so you don’t know these things are inescapable at some point during the holiday, but despite that, it will still be wonderful. I promise.”
“I believe you.”
Though Meg had fallen in love with Little Valentine the first time she had seen it, today the place looked so charming she could not help but think it the loveliest place in the world.
The morning might be freezing, but the sun shone, inviting her to turn her face up to it and relish the touch of warmth.
Frost glittered over everything, the grass brittle beneath their feet, and the rooftops dusted with white as smoke plumed into the azure skies from every chimney.
Ahead of them, the sea sparkled, an endless ribbon of blue, a sight she could not imagine ever tiring of.
“Do you really think it would be a good idea to create a garden here?”
Meg turned to stare at Nat, wondering if he’d been thinking the same thing she had. “I think it would be a marvellous idea. Just imagine how it would look if you created a beautiful garden with that as the backdrop,” she said, gesturing to the stunning expanse of cobalt before them.
He studied her for a moment as they walked, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
“Would you like to live here? Maybe not in the town, for there won’t be land enough, but close by, perhaps?”
“Oh, Nat! Could we?” she exclaimed, her heart leaping at the prospect. “I love it here, it’s so pretty, and we could be near your grandmother and keep an eye on her, which might make Hawkney feel less aggrieved.”
“The devil can fly away with Hawkney, but being close to Gee-Gee would be a definite point in its favour,” he agreed. “I think the sea breezes and storms might be challenging for a new garden, but what’s life without a little challenge,” he said with a grin.
“Do you really think it would work?” she asked, not wanting to push him in a direction that might cause his ambitions to falter.
“I do. Of course I’ll need to do more research, and finding the right place will be a challenge all of its own, but we could build a new house. If that fancy new hotel is being constructed, there might be an opportunity there. It all needs looking into.”
“Build our own house?” she asked, gazing at him in wonder.
“Yes, why not?” He smiled at her. “Then we’ll have exactly what we want. It will take longer, of course, but we’ll be off on our travels much of the time, and we can always stay with Gee-Gee. I think she’d be delighted to have company.”
“You are a wonder to me,” she said, laughing. “We’ll build our own house, just like that.” Meg snapped her fingers to illustrate the point.
“What?” he asked in confusion.
“Nothing scares you, nothing daunts you. I think it’s wonderful. I have been afraid of the big world since I was a child, and when I was forced into it, I found it more terrifying than I ever imagined, but not you. Nathaniel Ashford can do anything he likes.”
He laughed at that, raising her fingers to his lips. “With you, I can,” he corrected. “I’ve had my fair share of being afraid. Realising how I felt for you was about the most terrifying thing I’ve ever experienced, topped only by my fear you might not feel the same.”
“Well, I do, and now we can be bold and brave together, and take on the world!” she exclaimed, grinning at him.
“Anything for you, my love,” he told her, words which settled in her heart and glowed.
They walked on a little farther and Nat opened the gate to the vicarage for her.
“Well, here we are, then. Just how excited do you think the old man is going to be?” he asked as they made their way up the path and knocked on the door.
“Very,” she replied, looking forward to telling him, for everyone else knew already, or thought they did, but then it had been a lie. Now it was real, and she was eager to have someone congratulate them and be able to feel she deserved their words.
The door swung open, and Nat greeted the maid they had seen on their last visit.
“Mr Ashford and Miss Bancroft, to see the reverend,” Nat said, handing her his card.
“Come in, sir, miss. I’ll see if he’s at home. If you’d like to wait in the parlour, I’ll—” she said, and then broke off as a door down the corridor swung open.
“Did I hear—ah! Mr Ashford, Miss Bancroft, what a delightful surprise! Come in, come in!” exclaimed Reverend Honeywell with as much enthusiasm as they had expected.
But then he turned, regarding the little maid sternly.
“Now, Polly. Tell me, my dear, did you happen to move my spectacles when you cleaned earlier? I don’t like to complain, but I’ve looked everywhere and—”
Polly smiled fondly at him and reached up, plucking the spectacles from the top of his head and handing them to him.
“Oh,” the reverend replied, his expression falling comically. “Drat. Thank you, Polly, my dear. Be so good as to bring tea for our guests. You will take tea with me?” he added, looking so hopeful that Meg could not have refused him even if she hadn’t wished to.