Free A Christmas Bride by Jo Ann Ferguson Page A

housekeeper, Miss Hayes gushed, “So you are the one who captured Timothy’s broken heart and put it back together. I doubted it would ever happen, but it seems you did a first-rate job.”
    â€œBroken heart?” Serenity asked, glancing at Timothy.
    â€œâ€™Tis nothing,” he said, as he drew her arm within his again. “Grandfather does not like to let dinner wait. Shall we indulge him?”
    â€œOf course.” She knew this was not the time to ask such questions. If she and Timothy had met in London, certainly she would know all the on-dits about the man whom she had promised to wed. She hoped he would explain later. Every word that was spoken had the potential to trip her into revealing the truth.
    When Serenity turned to enter the dining room, Melanda cried, “You cannot go in yet!”
    â€œWhat?” Timothy looked at her as if she were quite mad.
    Melanda pointed over Serenity’s head. “You cannot tell me that you did not steer your betrothed under the mistletoe apurpose.”
    Serenity looked up, then at Timothy’s shocked face. Lost as they had been in their conversation, he must have taken no more notice than she of the kissing bough hung above their heads in the doorway. Although it was made mostly of the holly that was swagged from one side of the doorway to the other, there was no mistaking the leaves of the mistletoe woven through it.
    Felix chuckled. “You know Timothy well, Melanda. He never does anything without a good reason, and it seems as if he has a very good one right now.”
    â€œHe does, doesn’t he?” Serenity returned with a smile she hoped did not look brittle. “However, he will have to content himself with my hand.” She held out her fingers to Timothy, “At least until my head has stopped aching.” As he took her hand and bowed over it, she laughed. “I fear anything more would set my head to spinning even more than it does now.”
    Dropping her hand, unkissed, Timothy put his arm around her waist. “Do you need to sit, Serenity? Mayhap you should not have been so insistent about coming down to join us tonight.”
    She rested her head against his shoulder. “I think I am fine, but you are right. Sitting would be the wisest thing now.”
    â€œNicely done,” he murmured as he led her toward the dining room. “And true as well.”
    â€œTrue?” She tilted her head back to see his smile.
    â€œI cannot think of anything that would make my head spin more at the moment than stealing a tender kiss from a lovely lady.”
    She looked hastily away as his teasing words brought forth that dangerous warmth again. Glad for the excuse of being seated in the oak-walled dining room at the table between the earl and Timothy, she let the conversation flow around her as she enjoyed the delicious vegetable soup set in front of her. The food at the inn had been plain, and the meal that the innkeeper had sent with them had been hearty, but the fragrant spices in this were as exotic as the statuary in the other room. Each course was as succulent, and she savored the flavors as Melanda talked about the party that she had attended just before leaving Town and who had been there and who had not.
    â€œYou are very quiet this evening, Serenity,” said the earl as the dessert plates with the final crumbs of chocolate cake were taken away.
    â€œI am enjoying this excellent repast,” she replied. Folding her hands in her lap, she smiled. “You are lucky to have such a skilled cook, my lord.”
    â€œ My lord ? I shall hear nothing of the sort from you, young lady. As my grandson’s future bride, you should call me Grandfather as he does.” He looked past her. “Isn’t that right, Timothy?”
    â€œY-yes.”
    Serenity glanced at Timothy when she heard the hint of hesitation in his voice. His smile was unchanged, but she noted how his hands clenched just