Free At The Stroke Of Midnight by Bethany Sefchick

surprise from
between her lips.   "I tried to get
a message to you so many times, but I believe that my efforts were thwarted by
my valet.   He was my father's valet
before mine, and I fear he is more loyal to my mother than to me."   He pressed himself closer to Jane still,
nestling his hips against hers, vaguely aware of the smell of pine that was now
wafting through the air around them.   He
must have stepped on a bloody decoration or something.   "I would never hurt you, Jane.   Not intentionally, anyway.   I promise.   You must believe that."
    She stroked her fingers through his
hair, marveling at the softness of it.   He was so sincere, and she could see a measure of pain reflected in his
eyes.   It was pain she felt as
well.   "I do.   I believe you.   But that does not change anything, Sebastian.   Our courses have been plotted.   At this time next year, I will be serving as
governess to what I am given to understand is a nine-year-old hoyden of a child
in the wilds of the Scottish Highlands.   There are other children as well, and, in time, I will fulfill that same
role to them.   I will not be at
Blackstone.   Probably never
again."   She swallowed hard, still
allowing her fingers to toy with the ends of his hair.   "But you will be.   With your wife.   My sister.   And that is
something I cannot bear to watch."
    "But we are here now, and I
have yet to sign the papers binding me to Lizzie.   I am not convinced that I will sign them in any event."   He shifted Jane in his grasp so that he
might position himself snugly between her legs.   "But you are correct when you say that we must prepare for
the fact that I might not be successful in my quest to win you."   Typically, Sebastian was not given to
thoughts of failure, but, at the moment anyway, he had no idea how to extricate
them both from this messy situation.   "And you are here now."
    Jane eyed him shrewdly, trying to
discern what he was about.   "What
are you suggesting?"
    "If this is truly to be your
last Christmas at Blackstone, then allow me to make it memorable.   Let me show you how much I care and that I
am, indeed, trying to find a way to fight for you that will not harm so very
many others."   He brought his
forehead down to rest against hers, something he could not do with another
woman.   "Let me prove to you that I
do, indeed, care."
    Jane knew she should refuse his
offer.   This proposition of his could
only lead to heartache.   On the other
hand, she had three days until Christmas Eve when the engagement was to be
announced.   If she was not with him now,
there would never be another opportunity.   Lizzie might want to wait until spring to announce her impending
nuptials but Jane was no fool where her father and Angeline were concerned.   Their goal was to announce the wedding and
then remove Jane from Sebastian's grasp.   There would be no waiting.
    Not to mention that Christmas was
never a happy time for her anyway and she doubted that next year in Scotland,
so far from all that was familiar to her, would be any different.   Her holiday cheer, as well as any her father
might have had, had died with her mother.   It was not returning any time soon.   Though he could not know it, Sebastian was offering her both the moon
and the stars.   He was offering her a
happy Christmas season, even though the ending would, in all likelihood, be
bitter.   It would not be the first time.
    Still, if she did not spend time
with the man she desired now, she never would.   Was it not better to take what was offered and enjoy than to never be
offered it at all?   She knew that both
Amy and Caroline believed in that philosophy but she had the feeling that, were
her friends here, they would urge her to proceed with caution.
    For once, Jane did not want to be
cautious.   Where had being the good
daughter ever gotten her?   Precisely
nowhere.   She was tired of rules that
did her little good when compared to the other young