Chapter 15 #3
A murmur of agreement passed through his assembled collection of relatives in the room beyond.
“But not on Christmas Day,” Beatrice said with a sudden display of spirit. She tossed a sly glance at her mother. “You thought we were ignorant about our shoddy finances. Really, Mama, we are not imbeciles, nor are we little anymore.”
“That has been taken care of,” Lucy said with a look at him that had tiny fires licking through his blood. “I shall tell you about it later.”
“Well, that’s all to the good.” Beatrice put her hands on her hips. “I knew you’d try to pawn that watch, so I made certain the proprietor of the shop wouldn’t take it. He is quite a good-natured man, and so dashing!”
Together, both he and Lucy groaned. Colin didn’t have the heart to ask how she accomplished that feat. He hoped his own daughter hadn’t taught her about flirting.
“Oh, he didn’t need to refuse me,” Lucy interrupted, and again met his eyes with such heat in her gaze that he nearly scooped her up into his arms and spirited her away upstairs. “I couldn’t part with the watch, and as it turned out, I needed it for another purpose.”
Was there ever anyone as wonderful as his Lucy?
“This is rapidly becoming a sickening display.” Simon cleared his throat.
“I said all along the whole program wouldn’t take because Mama would never stand for such tactics and she’d see through the viscount straight away because of his less than sterling reputation.
” The boy eyed her askance. “It would seem love is blind.”
Good natured laughing circulated through their company, even as the heat of embarrassment crept up the back of Colin’s neck.
Feeling the urge to say something, anything, he blurted out, “I am a changed man, Simon. Trust me on that.” He glanced at the woman beside him.
She gave him a small nod. “Lucy and I have rekindled our love. Those feelings never died; they’ve only been banked until needed until we both stopped being so stubborn. ”
“Oh, Colin.” Lucy rolled her eyes. “How gauche and insensitive in front of the children.”
All three young people huffed in indignation. “We’re practically adults,” they exclaimed in unison.
“That you are.” How lovely it would be to assist with the raising of them into adulthood—his daughter and Jacob’s offspring.
Colin grinned. He couldn’t help it. He’d been doing it an awful lot since Lucy came back into his life.
“Apparently, we all are guilty of making Christmas wagers, for I would have never made the trip here without hoping to win my father’s. ”
Ellen blew out a breath. “Please tell me you don’t intend to claim that still.”
“No.” Despite the bevy of young people around them, he drew Lucy to the parlor doorway where a ball of mistletoe hung.
In the room beyond, his family waited, every one of them looking in expectation.
Had they all been privy to the children’s machinations?
It didn’t matter. Never had he been happier, and he didn’t give a fig who knew.
Everyone in the whole of Derbyshire could have been in on the scheme and he wouldn’t care.
Not now that he had her. “I, for one, don’t mind that my wager is forfeit.
I’ve won a far greater prize.” Then he looked at her, stared into her upturned face and fell victim to her sparkling blue eyes.
Now was the time. He couldn’t wait a second longer.
Perhaps it was fitting he’d do this in front of his whole family.
In a way it would tie him back to them and begin to repair relations.
“Lucy Ashbrook, I asked you a question many years ago. If I ask it again, will there be a much different answer?”
Collective gasps rang from the girls as well as some of the ladies in the parlor.
Lucy smiled. Her eyes welled with tears as she held onto his hands. Hers were shaking. “Yes, I believe there might.”
“Excellent.” His heart squeezed, or perhaps it finally thudded back to life, for he hadn’t truly lived in quite a while. “Marry me? I said all I needed to say last night. I’m a different man with a different life, and we’ve lost so much time.”
“But we are here now.” She held his gaze, smiling all the while. Never would he tire of making her always look thus. “Yes, at long last, I will be your wife.”
With a whoop of victory, Colin swept her into his arms regardless of the onlookers, and he kissed his bride-to-be beneath the mistletoe with much gusto until a firm tap on his shoulder interrupted them.
Simon stared at him with a raised eyebrow. “Love notwithstanding, old chap, shouldn’t you ask my permission to marry my mother?”
“I beg your pardon, Mr. Ashbrook,” Colin said as he scrambled for a seriousness he couldn’t feel at the moment. “Perhaps I should rectify—”
“I’m joshing you.” Simon’s somber expression cracked, and he burst into pleased laughter, giving Colin’s arm a punch. “Please, marry her with alacrity, Lord Hartsford, and with my blessing. You both need a return of happiness in your lives. Perhaps she’ll stop moping.”
Let us pray we both will. Moisture misted Colin’s eyes as he nodded. He dropped a hand upon the young man’s shoulder. “God, you’re so like your father. I look forward to knowing you better and telling you about him.”
Simon colored and then ducked his head. “Now that that’s settled, shall we go in for tea? No doubt you both are sorely in need of warmth.”
“That we are, as well as a change of clothing. We shall join you presently,” he murmured and while the children slipped into the parlor and his family launched into wedding plans, he released a shuddering sigh.
Having Lucy in his arms gave him all the warmth he ever wanted.
He met her laughing gaze, and he smiled. “I promise to be the man you deserve.”
“You always were, Colin,” she whispered and then wrapped a hand around his nape and pulled him to her, her lips brushing his.
Sweetly she kissed him, and they lingered beneath the mistletoe for long moments before she broke the embrace.
“We both needed to appreciate each other fully first as we are as well as understanding why we’d made the decisions we did in the past. It has brought us closer together. ”
“Yes, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the results of our devious children’s actions.” Colin settled her more comfortably in his arms and kissed her again. Never would he tire of showing his affection now that he’d won her. When finished, he said, “Happy Christmas, Lucy.”
She beamed. “Happy Christmas, Colin. I hope we will celebrate many others right here where our love first began.”
“Hear, hear.” And then he kissed her once more.
How silly he’d been. When searching out the magic of Christmas and the happiness therein, he’d only needed to find Lucy, for she and the holiday went hand in hand. Never had he looked forward to Christmastide more.
The End