Chapter 1

Chapter One

November 1817 – Derbyshire, England

M r. Joseph Marley, that being the husband of Mrs. Caroline Marley, was dead. One might even say he was dead as a doornail. The woman herself had no knowledge of doornails to be certain he was as dead as one, but he had been six feet under for an entire year, so that was good enough for her. All in all, it meant she could finally shed her mourning blacks in favor of more fashionable colors.

But Caroline found herself on the large stone steps of her late aunt’s estate, Longford Manor, reluctantly donning black again. Though the expected mourning period for an aunt was four weeks at the least, perhaps she could get away with only two or three. Especially considering Caroline had not returned to this little hamlet by choice, and she had not seen the woman in over a decade. They had never been close, and she did not expect any great bestowing from the will because of it. Despite her father’s caution to maintain the wealthy relation, Caroline did not have fond memories of her last visit to Hamstead.

Examining the door knocker, Caroline remembered it being so large and ornate when she was younger, entirely too high up for her to reach. The doornails appeared to be serving their proper purpose, only the knocker itself was now at eye level, worn and rusted, and looking every bit as dead as her Aunt Fanny. Caroline did not know with certainty the status of the woman’s financial affairs before her passing, but it seemed perhaps there might not be much left if the manor itself had been left in such disrepair. It made Caroline wonder if the two days of travel from London had been worth the trip.

When the door opened at last, a familiar face appeared.

“Good day, Mrs. Marley,” said the housekeeper, Mrs. Park. “Welcome back to Longford Manor. Do come in.”

Caroline eyed the woman with scrutiny. “Mrs. Park. You have not aged a day,” she said, which was not meant to be a compliment. The wrinkled woman had been ancient when Caroline had been a child, and yet, somehow, she was still living.

Stepping past the woman, Caroline looked around the familiar foyer. The interior was much better kept than the exterior, but she would have to wait for the solicitor to know the full extent of the property.

Mrs. Park folded her hands in front of her. “You must be tired from your long journey. I can show you upstairs so that you can rest, if you wish. The solicitor, Mr. Eddleton, will be along within the hour.”

“Very well.” Caroline quietly followed through the spacious corridors, but she could have made her own way blindfolded. She could still remember all the adventures she’d had in this house as a small girl, despite the years that had passed, including those with her brother and her friends, or rather, her friend.

“The footman will retrieve your things from the carriage,” Mrs. Park said, before bowing out and leaving Caroline alone in the bedroom.

With a sigh, Caroline removed her bonnet, sitting on the bed. It wouldn’t take much for her to fall asleep, or to unpack her belongings, but she couldn’t make herself too comfortable yet. She didn’t know just how long she would stay in Hamstead and wanted to be ready to leave in a moment’s notice. As the daughter of Ebenezer Scrooge, she had done as her father had instructed—maintain the distant family relationship for a chance to inherit. Caroline had returned to that end and nothing more.

As the hour grew near, Caroline saw herself downstairs and pushed open the creaky doors to the drawing room. She entered, expecting to wait in silence until the solicitor arrived, but instead, her feet immediately came to a halt when she noticed she was not the only person in the room.

Fred Scrooge stood from his arm chair, smiling hesitantly. “Good day, sister.”

Caroline narrowed her eyes at him.

“Come now, you could not expect to attend the reading of the will alone. You are not Aunt Fanny’s only remaining family, you know,” he said with a wink.

Caroline huffed in response. Of course no one else would be here. She had no parents, no husband, neither grandparents nor children of her own. But being nearly the last of her family alive did not mean she wished to see her estranged brother. It brought up a thousand memories she would much rather forget.

She turned and found herself an armchair, lifting her chin to admire the room. Fred moved to sit on the couch, leaning on the arm toward her. “Do you really mean to give your elder brother the cut direct?”

Caroline sighed, before finally turning her gaze to him. She had once loved him dearly, and found his humor so charming, but now she could only see him as ridiculous. He had always been the tall and lanky sort in his youth, but age now favored him at least, softening his appearance.

“How do you do, Fred? I presume you are not thriving in your current position?”

He leaned back, his lips parting in a cheeky grin. “Because I know you have the same fiscal eye as our father, I assume you speak of the rectory living. I have taken on an additional local parish, so the income is just enough to cover our small family, but you must have already received my post that Lily is expecting again. Sometime this month or the next.”

Caroline made a neutral sound of acknowledgement. Surely, she had read that when glancing over his letter before tossing it in the fire, without bothering to send a response.

“Though I had hoped our new little one to meet Aunt Fanny, perhaps the old biddy went on early to prepare the child for its life here with us. Or to warn her about meeting her own Aunt Caroline.”

“Ha! Certainly not.” Caroline had no desire to meet the forthcoming babe, and she could not imagine having to stay in Hamstead for more than a fortnight, let alone a month or two. She would stay long enough to receive her inheritance and then return posthaste to London. Where she belonged.

“Won’t you stay for a little visit?” Gone was the teasing tone, Fred’s voice gentler now. “You’ve not even met Kitty or Hannah, and they would love to know you. So would Lily.”

Caroline shook her head. She wanted to explain how it was all for the best, that their connection remained a distant one, for both their sakes. They desired different things out of life. He required simplicity in the country, and she preferred her life of affluence away from all of that. She had only returned for the inheritance, not to rekindle the family connection, and meeting them would only make things more difficult for him, for them. But to say so, she was certain would break his sentimental heart.

“We will have to see what the will states first and what is required of us,” she said instead. “It is very likely she will leave the majority to you, since she always favored you.”

“Bah. I have the rectory with my family. What do I need a great income or a large estate for? Besides,” he paused, “our aunt did love you, very dearly. Only you would not let her.”

Perhaps their memories of their Aunt Fanny were different, but she felt the old woman had always challenged Caroline, pressing her for more than she wished to give of herself. But before she could respond, the drawing room doors opened, revealing the butler, Norman. “Mr. Eddleton has arrived.”

The grandfather clock across the room struck the hour, and Caroline’s brow shot up. “How very prompt. Do send him in.”

The conversation with her brother forgotten, Caroline straightened as Mr. Eddleton entered the room. He was a stout man of average height, and the clothes he donned were sophisticated but worn, which matched the quaint country atmosphere. He also bore a kind look about him, in a way that suggested he and Fred would very likely be friends, if they weren’t already.

“Good day, Mr. Scrooge, Mrs. Marley.” He bowed in greeting. “Thank you for meeting with me today, though I do wish it were under more pleasant circumstances.”

“Of course,” Fred said, standing to shake the man’s hand. “Thank you for coming.” Then he leaned over toward his sister. “He lives in the neighboring parish, so we are acquainted.”

As she’d suspected.

Mr. Eddleton saw himself settled in the chair across from them and retrieved all the necessary documents from his satchel. “First, I would like to start by saying how deeply sorry I am to hear of the loss of your aunt. As I’m sure you both well know, she and her late husband had no children, and perhaps because of that, they felt the need to share their wealth with all those around them. Many families in Hamstead and the surrounding areas have been blessed because of their charity and generosity.”

Caroline could not be surprised, though it did explain the state of the manor house.

“In spite of that, the substantial inheritance remains, and the estate still receives a healthy income from the tenant farmers. At our last meeting to have this will signed with witnesses present, she was abundantly clear that these means are not given lightly but made with great consideration and out of love for the both of you.”

She could not miss how Fred gave her a pointed glance, but Caroline ignored him.

Mr. Eddleton retrieved his spectacles and cleared his throat, pulling out the documents. He read the legal introduction of the last will and testament of Fanny Browning, before getting to the specifics that left Caroline holding her breath.

“There now, for the remainder of the estate,” he mumbled as he read. “‘To my housekeeper, Mrs. Park, I leave my gilded hairbrush that we both so adored. To my butler, Norman, I leave my husband’s hunting rifle, who always cared for it much better than I ever could.’”

Caroline snuck a glimpse at the staff, who stood by the door awaiting any assignment, and both the housekeeper and the butler were smiling with tearful gratitude. They were apparently very close with their former mistress to be bestowed such blessings from her will. Caroline herself never would have allowed such familiarity or parted with such luxuries.

“‘To my nephew, Reverend Fred Scrooge, I leave a sum of ten thousand pounds, which he previously refused to accept. These funds are to be granted with the expectation that they will be used for the upkeep of the rectory in Hamstead, and to see to the care of his children, so that they need not be raised in poverty. Though he believes his reward awaits him in heaven, I do not believe that requires a meager existence until then, therefore, there is an additional ten thousand pounds set aside for his offspring if, God forbid, anything should happen to him or his dear wife, Lily.’”

“Of course, she would have the last word,” Fred mumbled, though he bore a smile on his face and tears of obvious gratitude in his eyes.

“‘As for the estate of Longford Manor, its considerable income, and the remaining sum of twenty thousand pounds, it is intended for my niece, Mrs. Caroline Marley.’”

Caroline’s brow shot up. After receiving similar amounts, first after her father’s death, and second after her husband’s, this new inheritance would put Caroline’s worth over fifty thousand pounds. Though she was already regarded as a respectable and wealthy widow in London, this endowment would undoubtedly distinguish her even further amongst her peers. She would be living quite the life of luxury, indeed.

“‘On the condition,’” Mr. Eddleton went on, and Caroline froze, “‘that she stays in Hamstead to host the annual Christmas party at Longford Manor in my absence. If she refuses, then the estate and the remaining inheritance will pass to the next closest heir, being the son of my mother’s distant cousin, a Mr. Edward Franks.’”

Her jaw dropped open in shock. “What?”

Mr. Eddleton looked up. “As it stands, I have reached out to Mr. Franks, but it appears he is out of the country and will not return until the new year.”

Caroline’s lips pursed in a frown. How very vexing that her aunt would willingly give to Fred but put stipulations on Caroline’s portion. It was certainly not what she had expected at all, and yet, she should have known. Fred might claim that Aunt Fanny cared for her, but Caroline’s relationship with her had always been prickly at best.

“Are you certain this is a legal request?” Caroline asked steadily.

“I promise you, it is perfectly legal, and a binding document,” Mr. Eddleton said, removing his spectacles. “I have already sent a copy to your attorney in London for his review.”

“And she was lucid, not bordering lunacy, when she signed this document?”

Fred chuckled. “You know that Aunt Fanny was always sharp minded and a quick wit. It was her body that failed her in the end, not her senses.”

Caroline leaned back against her chair with a sigh. This was not what she had hoped, for she did not want to stay in Hamstead. This was the place of her past, the place of the poor. Her life was in London; that was where she belonged. But she could not turn down the chance for such an inheritance. Twenty thousand pounds, to be valued among the elite even more than she already was, the thought was too alluring to deny. Could she sacrifice one holiday in the country for even more increased privileges to come?

“Are you not simply weary from your travels?” Fred asked lightly, pulling her from her thoughts. “It is not such a large request. Surely with all your experience hosting dinners and parties in London, a country gathering here in Hamstead will be an easy thing.”

She just shook her head with a sigh. He spoke as if he had never attended Aunt Fanny’s Christmas ball before. She had always invited the entire village, from the peer to the pauper, and it was no small feat. She could manage it, of course, for she had a wealth of experience herself, but she didn’t want to have to.

“I believe that is the end of things,” Mr. Eddleton said as he packed up his belongings. “I will leave this copy of the will for you to review, but you needn’t decide right away, Mrs. Marley. If you’ll simply send me word one way or another, then I will see that the rightful owner takes place after Christmas.” Then he stood and bowed. “Good day to the both of you.”

Once the man was gone, Caroline stood and moved to the window, hating the English countryside that stretched on for miles. Not that it lacked beauty, because surely not. Every room and corridor in her London townhome was decorated with paintings of such vistas. It was what this village represented. A place she thought she had written off forever now revealed to still have its claws in her. Would she ever be freed from her past?

“Do not fret so, sister,” Fred said, appearing at her side. “I will help you, though I’m certain I know nothing about how to throw a ball. And I’m certain Lily would love to assist, though perhaps she will not be of much help, seeing as how she is in the family way.”

Caroline gave her brother a slanted glare. “I do not know if I will even accept, Fred. It could very well be a moot point, and you will have a new neighbor by Christmas.”

“But why not take it on?” He turned to sit on the windowsill, facing her. “This isn’t a condemnation from Aunt Fanny, but more she is entrusting this cause to you.”

She sniffed. “Yet it seems you do not have the same requirements I have.”

Fred shook his head. “My challenge will be accepting the large sum. She knew it would be a blow to my pride, despite knowing the great need.” He sighed. “She loved the both of us greatly, and this is merely her last way to express it. And through a Christmas party no less!”

This was his specific disposition that she could do without. “Time to be on your way, Fred. I have much to consider without your holiday merriment interfering.”

“But that is precisely what you ought to be preparing for. Aunt Fanny’s Christmas ball was always a sight to behold and a wonder to look forward to.”

Caroline shook her head. “It was a grand waste of time, and an unnecessary use of funds. I say, humbug to the lot of it.”

“What?” Fred exclaimed. “Do you mean to say Christmas is a humbug? I don’t believe it.”

“I say, let everyone do what they will for the holidays, but don’t force me into hosting such ridiculous holiday revelries, mingling with those beneath me. It is a preposterous thing, to waste time and money on such frivolousness and on the undeserving.” She ought to be able to use her money how she saw fit, which would not be done in Hamstead. She would see to her own physical comfort and social benefit, far from here.

“But isn’t that precisely what Christmas is for? It’s not a waste, sister, but an opportunity for love and a celebration of giving!” Fred stepped forward, beginning to pace and posture on his own, and Caroline had no choice but to turn and watch him. “The poor and needy might not have money to spend or much to give, but they can still find joy and happiness to be had together, and the whole world is better for it. So I say, thank God for Christmas!”

Caroline had been patiently waiting for him to finish his moment, but when the room was filled with clapping from the staff still waiting by the door, it pricked her pride.

She turned a steely gaze on the housekeeper and butler. “You have had far too much familiarity with my aunt, that much is certain. And if I am to take ownership of this estate, that much will end immediately.” Then she lifted her chin. “You can bring tea at once and see Mr. Scrooge to the door.”

Her brother shuffled forward humbly. “Come now, Caroline, do not be cross.”

She shook her head. “Good day to you, Fred. I’ve no time for your ridiculousness. Unless you want something more from me?”

“I want nothing from you, only your company. You are the last of my family now.” He paused before her and took both her hands in his. “Will you at least come to dinner, see the children?”

Caroline brushed him off. “I have no desire to visit the rectory.” The church may have been a respectable position for a gentleman, but in her mind, the Hamstead rectory next to the chapel was a symbol of abject poverty, and she did not want to be seen there, or have any connection to it whatsoever.

“But what if I brought them here to you? Aunt Fanny often had us over for dinner.”

She could not help the grimace that took over her face at the thought. But she knew he would only continue to insist, so she sighed. “Perhaps, so long as they remain quiet.”

Fred’s laughter filled the drawing room. “My dear sister, you clearly know nothing about children, for the very last thing they will ever be is quiet.” He shook his head and stepped back with a smile. “I will leave you for now, but I’m certain we will see each other again very soon.”

“Please, Fred, do try to be less cryptic in the future.”

He bowed in departure, and Norman saw him out. With Mrs. Park off fetching tea, that meant Caroline had finally been left alone in the room, and she buried her face in her hands with a sigh. How could her life have come to such a decision?

Disturbing her newfound quiet, the village church bells sounded in the distance, three times in a row. Caroline thought for certain it was a death toll, but hadn’t her aunt already been long buried? She could not account for the reason, but it bore a similar tone and cadence to her aunt’s voice, like the old woman was laughing at her from beyond the grave.