Chapter Twelve

In Which Christmas Eve Sneaks Quietly Up on the Guests at Forest Grange

Richard had lost track of time, but guessed it had to be nearly or past midnight.

The snow continued to fall, piling up now on the trees, bending the branches and turning everything into a barely visible world of white lumps.

But at last, he was able to sit back, stretch, and give his completed project a final review.

In the hours that had passed since Holly had offered her desk and supplies, he had managed to duplicate the document he’d carried with him—the one that had been so brutally stolen. How long ago that seemed now, and how much had happened in the interim.

Wondering if he should call Holly in, he decided to keep his results to himself for the moment. The ink was barely dry on the simple map he had used as a basis, and the design signifying the crest on the stamp of Durnford and Hutchins—an intertwined D and H—still shone a little. It would need a wee bit more time before it was fully dry.

But he would wager any sum that he had accurately recalled the position of the River Ban. That feature was the pivot on which this entire matter hinged, and had done since his office had first become involved. The details were clear and ingrained in his mind. Yes, he’d definitely got them right.

He had used some of the paints to add a slightly worn look to the paper; a smudge here and there, a slight mark, a crinkle, and a tiny tear in one corner. Stepping back, he felt a tiny dart of pride…this really had turned out even better than he could have anticipated.

Was he forging a document? The thought had troubled him a little. But looking at the finished result, the answer was no. He had recreated, as faithfully as possible, a map of some estate boundaries. There were no changes, no falsifications, all was identical to the original.

It was a copy, not a forgery, and it was accurate, not altered at all from the one produced by the original artist.

And it was done .

A sound from the other room told him Holly was awake, and sure enough she appeared, yawning, in the doorway.

“How is it coming along?” She tugged something thick and woolly around her shoulders.

“Come and see for yourself.” He held out his hand, pleased when she took it without hesitation, and allowed him to draw her to his side.

“Oh, Richard…” she breathed, leaning over the desk. “This is…astounding. Amazing. I cannot believe…” she shook her head. “You have everything here. Even the stamp, the way you’ve made it look aged…”

He heaved a sigh of relief. “Then you think it will pass Blackstone’s scrutiny?”

She nodded. “I’m sure of it. Absolutely sure of it.”

A tap on the door made them both jump, and it opened to reveal the Viscount. His lips might have twitched at the sight of them holding hands, but he offered no comment, just walked to the desk and observed Richard’s work.

Holly cleared her throat. “Well, Papa. You must agree with me…his work is quite exemplary.”

Lord Hawthorn studied the document carefully, and the silence was nothing if not unnerving.

At last he looked at Richard, who stood silent by the desk. “I am in awe of your abilities, Mr Hawkesbury. And in your debt too, I believe. With this document, I’m fairly sure we can rout the nefarious schemes proposed by Blackstone, and save Sir Duncan from any embarrassment.” He held out his hand. “You have my thanks, lad. And those of my neighbours, should they ever happen to find out about this.”

Richard swallowed and shook the proffered hand. “I’m…uhh, thank you, my Lord.” He glanced back at the paper. “I believe all we need to do now is carefully roll this up. It should have that faint curve to it when presented to Blackstone.” He paused. “Will you be doing that soon, do you think?”

“At the earliest possible moment,” replied the Viscount. “Probably in the morning after breakfast. I want that man out of my house as soon as we can arrange it. Can’t relax with him lurking in the shadows.” He glanced at Holly. “You stay away from him, my dear.”

“Oh, I have, Papa, you can rest assured of that.” She eased her hand from Richard’s, hoping the move was subtle enough to go unnoticed. “I am making sure that Richard is with me as much as possible whenever I leave my room.”

“Very wise.” Lord Hawthorn’s lips curved into a smile. “Let us hope this document will close the matter so that we can all enjoy Christmas.” He sighed. “Now go, both of you. Get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day, without question.”

“Ashe and Florinda are returning, aren’t they? And I’m still hoping that Willow will be able to make it here in time for Christmas.”

“Your mother is worrying about all of them, but since we can neither stop the snow, nor fetch them ourselves, the most sensible course is to retire and get a good night’s sleep.” He walked to the door, then turned to them. “Thank you again, Mr Hawkesbury. I believe I shall now follow my wife’s preference and call you Richard. Much easier, and you have proved yourself a valuable and trustworthy friend to the Treases. You are well-deserving of the courtesy.”

Richard bowed low. “I am honoured, my Lord. Thank you.”

“Good night to you both.”

“Good night, Papa. We will see you in the morning.” Holly smiled as her father left the room.

“You’re exhausted,” she said, looking at Richard. “Let me blow out the candles and I’ll take you back to your room.”

He sighed. “You’re right, much as I hate to admit it. But it was a task worth accomplishing, even had it taken twice as long. And your father was happy with it, as well.”

After curling the document into a slight scroll, both Richard and Holly left her study, dark now, and smelling of snuffed candles, to make their way back along the hallways and passages to their respective bedrooms.

“An eventful night,” said Holly, looking up at him outside his door.

“Indeed,” he answered, smiling at her. “A very pleasant one, too.”

She nodded. “We’ll see each other at breakfast, then…”

“I look forward to it,” he replied, correct as ever. Then he reached for her hand and took it in his, raising it to his lips and pressing a firm kiss on the warm skin, allowing his tongue to linger with a warm, silky stroke.

To his delight, her eyes widened, and he heard the catch in her breath as his touch raised the hairs on her arm.

“Tomorrow,” he whispered. “Tomorrow, Holly, we’ll talk.”

*~~*~~*

Holly wasn’t sure she’d sleep much, given the adventures of the day…and the night. But exhaustion took its toll, and she awoke the next morning to the brilliant glow of sunshine on snow. The storm had worn itself out in the wee hours, and even now she could hear the scrape of brooms and shovels as the servants began to clear the entrances. Soon there would be the clatter of horses drawing the logs and flattening the nearby lanes, making travel possible, although still slow.

She hoped it would be enough for her brother and sisters to make it home, since today was—she realised with a shock—Christmas Eve.

She’d been so involved with Richard and the events surrounding his attack that she’d completely lost track of time. Even the green fir boughs and the scent of pine, not to mention some of the fragrances that had begun emerging from the kitchens downstairs, had not fully caught her attention.

But now that the crisis might be winding down, and perhaps concluded today, it was high time she recalled herself to her current situation as part of the Trease family Christmas celebrations.

So she rang for her maid, pulled out a warm dress in a shade of crimson that she loved, and added a matching plaid shawl. It was bright, festive, and made her feel quite pretty. She couldn’t help wondering if Richard would like it, of course, because she was a woman, and in spite of her independent nature, there were certain things that were simply intrinsic.

Richard. Just the thought of him made her insides jumpy. The way he’d kissed her hand last night, the way he smiled at her, his warmth, his smile—she’d known him for such a short time and yet here she was, anxious to see him, eager to hear his voice and look into his eyes, losing herself for a brief moment in their depths.

Staring into her mirror, she slid her tiny pearl earrings into her ears, and stilled. Did she want this man in her life forever? Did she want to be a wife to him, live with him, bear his children, and make a home with him?

He was a solicitor, not a member of the aristocracy. She didn’t care much for the trappings of Society, so that worried her not at all, but perhaps it would bother him…

Sighing, she turned away from her reflection and nodded at her maid. “I’ll do, Susan, thank you.”

“You look lovely as always, Miss Holly.” The young woman smiled. “That colour is perfect on you.”

“I like it. Makes me feel cheerful, and it’s certainly just the thing for a cold and snowy day.” Picking up her reticule, Holly moved to the door. “Do you know if any of the family have arrived yet?”

Susan shook her head. “They hadn’t when I came up, Miss. But I did see that the drive was already cleared, so once they get here, there’ll be no problems at all.”

Holly smiled. “Excellent. Thank you.” She thought for a moment. “And one more thing, did you see either Mr Blackstone or Mr Hawkesbury yet this morning?”

“I think I saw that Mr Blackstone with his Lordship as I came upstairs,” she replied. “Haven’t seen Mr Hawkesbury yet.” She grinned. “Handsome gentleman, ain’t he, Miss?”

Holly fought down a blush. “He is indeed.”

And with that, she turned and left the room, heading downstairs to the large parlour, where breakfast would be served, her mind reviewing the matters that would be dealt with very soon.

Firstly, of course, there was the business of Blackstone, the map, and Sir Duncan.

As if her thoughts had summoned him, he appeared just as she stepped down into the hall.

“Good morning, Miss Trease. I trust you slept well? And what a festive beauty you are today.”

She chuckled. “You are far too kind, Sir Duncan, but I’ll happily accept your compliments and your arm if you’re going in to breakfast?”

“I am indeed.” He leaned a little closer to her. “I take it all is in readiness?”

Nodding, Holly lowered her voice. “As far as I know, yes. Papa has told you of the plan?”

“He has. In fact, I am so pleased with the idea that my health took a sudden turn for the better,” he grinned. “Can’t you tell?”

“Your excellent spirits are fully in evidence, sir. Keep that warm smile going, and you’ll surprise almost everyone.”

“I only need to surprise one,” he murmured, as a servant opened the door to the parlour and bowed. “And here we are.” His voice rumbled around the room. “I declare I could devour almost everything, since the smells are making my mouth water already.”

“Ah, good morning, Sir Duncan. And you found my daughter on your way. Come join us. Ferguson will provision a plate for you.” Lord Hawthorn seated Sir Duncan at his right hand.

Holly watched the other man at the breakfast table.

Mr Blackstone had risen, bowed, done all the right things, but it wasn’t difficult to notice his slightly puzzled expression as he observed Sir Duncan’s vastly “improved” health.

“Good morning, everyone,” Lady Hazel appeared in the doorway, escorted by Richard. “I’m glad to see you’re all engaged in a good breakfast. Nothing like a snowy winter’s Christmas Eve to spur the appetite, wouldn’t you say?”

The conversation became general, and Holly was pleased to be the recipient of a quick warm smile from Richard, who spent some time filling his plate and then found his way to the empty seat beside her.

“You slept well, I hope, Miss Trease?”

“I did, sir, thank you. And you?”

“I don’t even recall my head hitting the pillow,” he chuckled.

The conversation around the table became general, with comments on the snow, inquiries as to the state of the roads, and much discussion as to whether the rest of the Trease family would arrive in time for Christmas Eve dinner.

Just a normal family breakfast, in a normal nobleman’s household, on the day before Christmas.

At least that’s how it appeared to the one man who had no idea it wasn’t going to be a normal day for him at all.