Chapter 29

CHAPTER 29

T he hot bath warmed her and returned some of her senses – although her toes coming back to life had been excruciating – but it didn’t heal Noelle of the trauma she had been through.

However, Cooper sitting next to her and waiting had undoubtedly helped.

As she snuggled into him now, she closed her eyes in the comfort he provided – comfort and the knowledge that he wasn’t going anywhere.

“That was quite the wedding day,” he said as they lay face-to-face on the pillow, staring at one another. His eyes were all over her, as though he was trying to memorize her every feature.

“Certainly unforgettable,” she quipped, although his features remained serious.

“I don’t know what I would have done if anything had happened to you,” he said. “I would never have forgiven myself.”

“Then we are fortunate that it ended as it did,” she said. “But I do not doubt that it did so because of you – and because of what you and I are to one another. I understood what you were thinking, what you wanted me to do. We are connected by more than our marriage vows, although that has certainly strengthened them.”

“I believe that’s called love,” he said before clearing his throat. “I should have said it to you sooner. I felt it quite some time ago. I just… I have never had that love in my life before. My family didn’t love as yours did, and it took me some time to accept it, for I know that my life will never be the same again.”

“Do you regret it – falling in love?” she whispered, wondering if she genuinely wanted to know his answer.

“Not at all,” he said, causing relief to rush through her. “Being in love is the greatest emotion that could ever overcome me. To such an extent that no matter what happens, it will always be worth it, and I would accept it again and again, as long as it was with you.”

His words warmed her entire body more than the bath ever could have as she smiled at him.

“You are right in that I have known love my entire life, and yet I was still scared to tell you how I felt,” she said, lowering her lashes. “I shouldn’t have feared it, but if you hadn’t accepted it – accepted me – I would have had difficulty in continuing the fake relationship. Then once we had committed ourselves to one another, I could never have walked away.”

“Well, you’re stuck with me now,” he grinned.

“Thank goodness.”

He kissed her on the forehead.

“Sleep now. We will talk more about tomorrow in the morning.”

“It won’t be tomorrow then.”

“No. It will be Christmas. And our new life together will be born.”

“I can hardly wait,” she said, the smile playing on her lips as she drifted off to sleep.

Cooper should have slept more, but he couldn’t keep his eyes off of Noelle – even in her sleep. He watched her in awe and protection – two emotions he never thought he would attach to a woman.

When her eyes blinked open the following day, he brushed the hair away from her face. She pushed herself up on one elbow, her lips curving into a smile.

“Good morning,” she whispered. “Happy Christmas.”

“Same to you,” he said. “How does it feel waking up as Mrs. Hartwell?”

“I am grateful I can do so in your arms,” she said. “It’s hard to believe this will be every morning.”

“Does that scare you?”

“Not at all. It leaves me feeling at peace.” She smiled lazily at him. “I have something for you.”

“Oh?”

She slid out of bed and over to the corner cabinet, where she had hidden away his gift. It was wrapped in brown paper, as she hadn’t wanted to elaborately wrap it and remind him of the previous, much more threatening, package he had received.

“Here,” she said, placing it his lap as he sat leaning against the wooden headboard. It looked small in his large fingers, but he quickly opened it, eagerness on his face as he did so. She wondered when he had last received a Christmas gift.

He held the creation in front of him, and Noelle’s heart pounded in excitement at him receiving it as well as hope that he would like it.

“You made this,” he said in wonder, and she nodded. “When would you have had time to make this for me?”

“Usually before bed,” she said with a slight smile, “until you otherwise distracted me. What do you think?”

He slid the pair of gloves over his fingers, which fit perfectly. She had stitched his initials on the right hand glove and hers on the left.

“How did you know my size?” he asked, blinking at her.

“I’ve gotten to know your hands rather well,” she said, heat stealing up her cheeks. He chuckled as he leaned forward and kissed her lips. “Your hands were always cold, and you never wore gloves. Maybe you preferred not to, but I thought you might need them.”

“Thank you. I love them.”

An hour later, Noelle finally made her way to her own chambers to prepare for the day. They would all attend a Christmas church service, traveling there on sleighs; apparently, snow had blanketed the ground overnight.

Cooper waited for Noelle to head downstairs for breakfast, uncertain of what they would find.

The dining room was rather tense and formal, as though no one was quite sure how to act around one another.

“Good morning,” Noelle said as she sat next to Hattie, patting her hand as Cooper pushed her chair in. “Happy Christmas.”

Everyone murmured their response as Lady Burton sat next to the head of the table, obviously blinking away her tears at her ruined Christmas party.

Cooper tried to choke down some ham, but the air was so stilted that it was difficult. The Christmas spirit, as Noelle had told him about time and again, was completely stifled.

It might not be his place, but he would not allow her first Christmas as his wife to be in such circumstances.

He stood, pushing his chair back with a scrape.

“Listen, I understand that these are not the most ideal of circumstances,” he said as all the eyes around the table turned toward him in shock – including Noelle’s. However, she didn’t say anything. She sat back and watched him with interest. “But there are a few things that I have learned, both in my past and here over this party. First, our time here is never guaranteed – as we know from what happened to Lord Northbridge. The second is that we should take advantage of the moments we have to spend with those people who are important to us. I might have just met most of you, but you have all been in Noelle’s life for a long time. Christmas is a time to celebrate, even if our circumstances are not ideal. We are no longer under any threat. So why do we not appreciate Lady Burton’s considerable efforts to host such a lovely party and embrace this Christmas?”

Jaws dropped open. Lord John was laughing behind his hand. Lady Burton’s tears were now falling down her face.

But heads were also nodding, as though they had all needed his speech to snap them out of this melancholy and remind them of what was important.

“That was lovely, Cooper, thank you,” Noelle said, placing her hand on his arm as he retook his seat.

“Yes, well done, chap,” Lord John said as he tilted his drink down toward him, and Lady Burton murmured a teary thank you.

It took a few minutes, but soon, conversation resumed to its normal levels, and Cooper breathed a sigh of relief.

There wasn’t much time for pleasantries as they soon had to leave for church in nearby Guilford. The sleigh ride was cold but joyful, the wind whipping the hair of the ladies out of their careful pins and caps as they all snuggled deep underneath the blankets. Cooper certainly took advantage, holding Noelle close to him to share his warmth and enjoy her body. He didn’t think he would ever tire of that.

The church was rustic, but comfortable. Only a small bit of greenery remained from the grandeur of their wedding the day before. The service was short and simple, reminding Cooper of the Christmas celebrations he attended as a child.

By the time they arrived back to Burton Manor and dinner was prepared, it seemed that most of the party had returned to how it had been planned – with the exceptions of the prisoners in the gamekeepers’ cottage, of course, guarded by rotating footmen.

He accepted a generous glass of bourbon from one of the footmen as they waited for dinner in the drawing room, kissing Noelle on the forehead before she crossed the room to speak to her friends.

Lord John soon joined him with a drink of his own.

“What is it like, being a married man?” he asked as he took a healthy sip, saluting Cooper first.

“It is more than I ever could have imagined it to be,” he said truthfully. “I never thought I wanted to be married, if I am being honest. And now I can’t imagine my life without her.”

“Interesting,” Lord John murmured into his drink. “Not a sentiment I believe I will share.”

“You never know,” Cooper said with a laugh. “I suppose you and I will see more of one another now that we are in partnership.”

“I suppose we shall,” Lord John said, clearing his throat, his gaze on the drink he was swirling around in his hand. Finally, he looked up at Cooper with some chagrin in his eyes. “I would be remiss if I didn’t apologize.”

“For?”

“For my rudeness when you first arrived,” he said. “I judged you for no reason other than your birth, and I was wrong. Which was certainly proven when men I grew up with turned out to be murderers.”

“I appreciate that,” Cooper said, surprised that he would admit to such wrongdoing. He held out his hand. “Let’s leave all that in the past, shall we?”

“Agreed. Thank you,” Lord John said as Lord Walters approached. “I’ll leave you to your dinner, then.”

“Mr. Hartwell,” Lord Walters said with a nod. “Is this everything you ever thought it would be?”

“So much more than that,” Cooper said as they chuckled. “And you should call me Cooper now that we are family.”

“Of course,” Lord Walters said. “Welcome to the family. You have been a surprise, I must admit.”

“How so?”

“I thought you would be all business. I knew you would care for my daughter, but I assumed the support would be financial. I am glad that she has found love. She deserves it, and, it seems, so do you.”

“Thank you,” Cooper said. “I will make sure to take care of the whole family.” He fixed him with a look. “And I am happy to advise on any investments going forward, should you require my help – or Noelle’s.”

Lord Walters chuckled ruefully. “As I am sure you have gathered, I am not proficient in that area.”

“We all have our strengths,” Cooper said. “And you love your daughter, which is the greatest strength of all.”

They both stared over at Noelle as she laughed, appreciating the magnificent woman she was.

For love transcended all of life’s stations – especially when a woman as special as she was involved.

Noelle was pleased that her friends were still enjoying themselves despite the tribulations this house party had provided.

“Are you all right with everything, Lucy?” she asked, as Lord John’s sister stood with her hands clasped in front of her, gazing dreamily about.

“What do you mean?” she asked, blinking back at them. Her head had always lived more in the clouds that in the present moment.

“You and Lord Andrew had a... connection, did you not?”

“Oh,” she said, waving her hand in front of her. “We were just having a bit of fun. Nothing too serious.” She shuddered. “It is hard to believe what he did, though.”

“It will take some time to understand it all,” Lady Brighton said, biting her lip, and they were silent for a moment, although Hattie didn’t seem to be giving them any attention.

“Who do you keep looking at?” Noelle asked Hattie, following her gaze. “Lord Bingly?”

Hattie’s cheeks turned an immediate dark shade of pink. “I’ve always found him rather adorable, but it wasn’t until this house party that I realized I cared more about him than I thought. When he was accused of murder, I could hardly believe it, and I realized afterward that I was… disappointed.”

“Why do you not go speak to him?” Noelle said.

“I had rather hoped he would approach me first.”

Hermione rolled her eyes while Noelle gently prodded, “I’m not sure that Lord Bingly is the type to make the first gesture. Besides, after everything that has happened, he is probably even shyer than usual.”

“You can do it, Hattie,” Lady Brighton said, placing a hand on the small of her back as she pushed her forward, and they watched her go.

Lord Bingly’s face color matched hers, but they were both happy and blushing as they chatted.

“Well, that just might end well after everything,” Hermione said, and Noelle nodded. “Promise that no matter how busy you become as a wife, you will still find time for us?”

“Of course!” Noelle said, grasping her hand. “Always.”

Lady Burton walked over and asked Hermione to play a song on the piano, and she sighed at the idea before doing as she was told. Seeing her father speaking to Cooper, Noelle wandered over to them, smiling at the two men who meant the most to her.

“This was quite the Christmas party, wasn’t it?” she said before placing her hand on her father’s arm. “Are you going to be well?”

“I am,” he said before clearing his throat. “Actually… I have something I wanted to speak to you about.”

Noelle waited.

“I am going to ask Lady Crupley to marry me.”

Noelle knew her mouth must have dropped open in shock, and she exchanged a glance with Cooper, who looked just as surprised.

“That is… wonderful, Father. I didn’t know you were interested in Lady Crupley – nor in marrying again.”

“We have been talking to one another in our time here, and while we might not share the love that your mother and I did, she is a good woman, and we are both on our own. We might as well support one another. I suppose you inspired me, Noelle.”

“That is lovely, Father, truly,” she said before stepping forward and embracing him. “Anything you need, please let me know.”

“Of course.”

They watched him walk away, over to Lady Crupley, before looking at one another and bursting into laughter.

“I did not expect that at all,” Noelle said.

“Do you mind?”

“Not at all,” she said. “I was concerned about him being alone. I am glad to hear that he will have someone.”

“I agree,” Cooper said before looking toward the window. “With this continuing snowfall, we might have to leave in the morning, even though the party is not yet finished. Is that all right?”

“It is,” Noelle nodded. “I am ready to begin life with you, away from this party. Take me home?”

“With pleasure,” he said, taking her in his arms and kissing her soundly. “Isn’t it something? We thought that, at this point, we would be finding a time to dissolve our contrived betrothal. And instead?—”

“We are leaving married,” she finished with a laugh. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“I suppose I gifted myself a bride for Christmas,” he grinned. “A gift that I will never top.”

“You could say that our marriage will be a gift that keeps giving.”

“You are right about many things,” he said. “But that, I think, is the most accurate of all. Now, come, let us prepare to leave on the morrow.”

“Where a new Christmas will begin.”

“Christmas – and the rest of our lives.”