Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24

T he days were both rushing forward and crawling by at the slowest pace possible.

Now that their wedding was planned, Noelle just wanted the day to come – and yet, she had enjoyed this time to come to know Cooper better. She knew that once they returned to life in London, her time with him would be more limited, so she was taking full advantage of what she had now.

After all were abed that evening, she knocked softly on his bedroom door, but when no response came, she opened the door slowly to ensure he was alone before stepping inside. “Cooper?”

He was in a chair in the corner, bent over the bedside table he had moved in front of him like a desk.

He was so focused that he hadn’t even heard her enter.

She walked softly toward him, wondering how to best announce her presence without scaring him.

“Cooper?” she said again gently, but he still jumped.

“Noelle!” he exclaimed, looking up and swiftly coming to her side. He wrapped his arms around her, providing her with the comfort that he had come to symbolize—comfort and desire that swirled up within her at his touch.

“I’m sorry. I knocked, but you must not have heard me.”

“I was writing up a contract,” he said, removing his glasses and rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Lord John agreed to sell me his land today – and become a partner on my deal.”

Setting his glasses aside, he lifted her up in his arms, swinging her around in a circle, her feet an inch off the floor. She laughed in surprise and delight.

“Are you serious?”

“I am,” he said, disbelief written on his face as he ran his hands over her cheeks. “It seems not being a murderer played to my favor. That, and his other deals falling through. I’m the only option left.”

“How fortuitous,” she said before pausing as some of the facts began to fall into place. “Not to lower the mood, but that leads me to something I have been thinking about.” She furrowed her brow in concentration and bit her bottom lip.

“I love it when you think.”

She laughed. “Well, you must love me most times of the day.”

“I—” he stopped, his eyes wide as he stared at her, and she realized what she had said. Was it possible? Could he actually love her after this short period of time, after all that had occurred so far? He opened his mouth to speak again, but suddenly, she realized she couldn’t bear it if he changed his mind and said something else, so she rushed to fill the silence instead.

“Anyway. I wanted to see you and hoped that—” her eyes caught on a box, sitting on the bed, perfectly wrapped in red ribbon. “What is that?”

He followed her gaze before dropping his arms and walking toward it, lifting off the lid.

“That is what I’m trying to determine,” he said. “I found it behind the door when I entered my room tonight. It appears to be a broken train.”

She furrowed her brow. What could that possibly mean? “Maybe it was meant for someone else,” she said. “Can I see it?”

“Of course,” he said, passing it over to her as she turned it over in her hands, her heart beating faster when she realized what this could be.

“Someone purposefully cut two of the wheels off this,” she said. “Look at how it’s perfectly sliced, as though a knife was used.”

“I see that.” He frowned, but instead of paying attention to the train, his gaze wandered back to the box. “Perhaps there is a clue as to who this is from,” he murmured, turning the box over in his hands until a piece of paper fluttered out toward the floor. They exchanged a glance before he bent to pick it up

“Read it aloud, please,” Noelle asked, even though she was already peering over his shoulder. He reached over for his glasses, fitting them over his nose.

“Not all trains reach their destination. Best change course before this one derails.”

That was it. No signature. No other words.

“Oh, Cooper,” Noelle said, lifting a hand to cover her mouth. “That is definitely a threat.”

He pressed his lips together. “It most certainly is,” he said. “Someone doesn’t want this railroad deal to go through. But who would care that much?”

Noelle rubbed her forehead. She had been thinking over this all day, and now, with this most recent threat to Cooper, it was all beginning to make more sense. “I think when we are considering who killed Lord Northbridge and who is threatening you now, we have overcomplicated everything. Trying to determine who is in a relationship with whom, where people were and when – we are missing the simplest part of it all.”

“Which is?”

“If this railroad is built through Lord John’s land, connecting London to Plymouth, who stands to lose the most? First, Sanderson disappears, as does the original deal. Then you heard of a new deal, one Lord Northbridge was organizing, and he is murdered. Now, you are trying to put forward a deal yourself, and you are threatened. If it wouldn’t have been too suspicious to have another murder, then I would imagine you would not have been so lucky to have just been warned. Who would this hurt the most?”

“You’re right,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. “We are making this far too complicated. But who would stand to lose from a railroad? It will only bring more people to the area.”

“The stagecoach?” she said with a laugh.

“Somehow, I do not think the Royal Mail is out to get me.”

“What about whoever owns the tollbooth to that area?”

“They will lose, that is certain, but is it enough to kill for?”

“I cannot see that being the case,” she said. “But that does make me wonder… would the train cause travelers to miss a certain area? An area that makes a considerably great deal off the stagecoach passengers stopping through?”

“Surely someone must understand that the rail is coming, one way or another. If the one deal doesn’t occur, another will be prepared within the next few weeks or months.”

“Would there be a reason that a delay would help?” she asked, and he pursed his lips together before shaking his head.

“That, I do not know.”

“Well, let’s plot your route and see where would be underserved by this venture.”

“Lucky for us, I already have a map.”

He walked over to his bags, pulling out all of the documentation for the railroad, saved from the initial deal he had been part of and the one he had been working on since he had arrived. He unrolled a large map and spread it over the bed, weighing down the corners so they could better see it. He traced a line over the proposed route, from London down to the final stop.

“There are stops along the way, of course, but a traveler would not need to spend the night or dine in anymore,” he murmured. “And Devizes is missed completely.”

“It’s not like an entire village is after stopping this deal.”

“No,” he mused. “But what about the land owner around said village? How much could he have to lose?”

“I suppose it depends on what he owns,” she said, meeting his eye, hope rising that they might figure this out.

“I’ll send a letter and get my men on this,” he said. “I would ask Lord Burton if he had any information, but I’m not certain who to trust at this point.”

“Hopefully, we will know soon,” she said. “And no longer be living with a killer.”

“That’s the goal,” he said with a chuckle. “We will only have to worry about one another. As much as I have enjoyed this Christmas party, I am already looking forward to leaving here – with you.”

“You’re not one to idle the days by, are you?”

“Most certainly not.”

“Well,” she said, sliding her hands up his chest until they wrapped around his neck, one hand plucking his glasses off his face. “In the meantime, I can think of ways to pass the time.”

He chuckled again. “Did I tell you that I like the way you think?”

“The time for thinking is over,” she said. “Time to show you.”

And she most certainly did.

The following two days passed in a blur of greenery, mistletoe, and wedding planning. Noelle had tried to urge Lady Burton not to make the wedding a great event, but Lady Burton was not to be deterred.

She had hosted many a Christmas party before, but never a Christmas wedding – and she would do this one right, in grand style, especially after the party’s beginnings.

Noelle could only sigh and allow her to do as she pleased, for the truth was, none of it mattered – not as long as she had Cooper. He had wedged himself into her life in a way she had never expected. And now she was going to be his wife.

Their nights had been full of passion, which she had greatly enjoyed. However, she was becoming frustrated because she wanted all of Cooper—all of his love and all of his body. He insisted, however, that they wait until their wedding night to truly join together.

Hattie broke through her thoughts as she and Hermione sat on the soft chairs in Noelle’s bedroom while she went through her wardrobe to decide which dress was most appropriate for her wedding.

She hadn’t exactly planned for this.

“You will look beautiful in whatever you wear, Noelle,” Hattie said wistfully as she held up a royal blue gown before shaking her head and returning it to the wardrobe. “The two of you make such a handsome couple.”

“Thank you, Hattie,” she said softly before turning to her friend and sitting beside her on the bed. “Are you sure this is all right? I know that the timing of the wedding is not ideal, not after what happened, and I understand if you would prefer?—”

Hattie lifted a hand to stop her.

“What happened to Lord Northbridge was awful, and yes, of course, I am looking forward to someday planning my own wedding,” she said. “However, that does not mean that you should postpone yours. Focusing on your wedding has helped all of us heal and still find joy in this Christmas season. For that, I am grateful.”

“Thank you, Hattie,” she said with a soft smile. “You are a good friend.”

“As are you,” Hattie said, her eyes watering. “I think you have saved my mother by saving her holiday party. This means so much to her.”

“I’m glad,” Noelle said, swallowing down the lump in her throat. “I am happy you are all here. Especially as my mother cannot be.”

“You must miss her,” Hermione said in a low voice, and Noelle nodded.

“Of course, I wish she could be here for my wedding. I never imagined the day without her.”

“You know she is with you in spirit,” Hattie said, squeezing her hand. “She would be proud of you, Noelle. And she would have loved Cooper and his charm.”

“That she would have.”

They all sniffed and dabbed handkerchiefs to their eyes before Hermione spoke up.

“I know this is rather forward,” she began, breaking through the emotion in the room as Noelle and Hattie laughed, for Hermione was never anything but forward. Hermione rolled her eyes at them before continuing. “Do you love him?”

Noelle didn’t even have to think about it. “I do.”

“Does he love you?”

Had Hermione been reading her mind? Noelle paused, uncertain of how she should respond. She didn’t want to lie, nor did she want anyone to think she and Cooper had any other reason to marry. She also wondered if their wedding could be the time he would realize or voice aloud his love for her. Or was he the type of man who would never truly fall in love? Was she reading too much into his actions, and was it more lust on his end? She wanted to believe he felt something deep and true for her. But could she be setting herself up for heartbreak?

“Cooper is not a man who easily shares his feelings,” she finally settled on responding. “I have no problem sharing my thoughts with you, but I should keep his private.”

“Very well,” Hermione said, even though she had obviously seen through Noelle’s words and understood that Noelle’s feelings might not be reciprocated.

Noelle stood, returning to the wardrobe. Even though she had been staring at it all morning, it was as though someone had reached in and cleared all the other dresses away so that she could see what she was meant to. Perhaps her mother still had a hand in her life after all.

For there in the middle was the perfect dress—one she had packed herself, yes, but that she had forgotten about. It was cream with hints of red and gold embroidered around the hem and sleeves.

Perfect for a Christmas wedding.

“This one,” she said, reaching in and pulling it up, holding it in front of her.

“It is beautiful,” said Hattie wistfully, standing beside her.

“It’s not white,” Hermione noted, tilting her head to study her. “Most wedding gowns are white now.”

Queen Victoria’s white dress had made that customary, true, but it was not as though Noelle had any time to hire a seamstress to make her one.

“It is close enough, is it not?” she asked, sharing a glance with them. “It was my mother’s.”

“Then you absolutely must wear it,” Hattie said emphatically. “You could also weave some holly into your hair, and you would be the most beautiful Christmas bride there ever was.”

“Tomorrow morning,” Noelle whispered, unable to believe it herself.

“Tomorrow,” Hattie said with a smile, squeezing her arms. “It will be perfect.”