Free Christmas at Ravencrest: A Dark Hero Christmas Short (Reluctant Heroes) by Lily Silver Page A

cups in response.
    “To Lady Beaumont .” Captain Rawlings said, pirating away her toast to the the gathered staff. “Without her, none of us would be here, celebrating, as his lordship is not one for parties.”
    “To Lady Beaumont.” Donovan echoed his friend’s sentiment as he lifted his cup in agreement. “Without my darling wife, my life would bleak and gloomy indeed.”
    Everyone lifted the ir cups, toasting her. Donovan gave the signal to the musicians behind him to begin playing. As the song began, he took the cup from Elizabeth and set it aside. He took her hand and led her out into the middle of the room. The gathering parted for them, allowing them to begin the dancing as Bride and Groom, as if it were a wedding dance. Elizabeth was relieved to be rescued from her meandering speech by Donovan and his old friend, Captain Rawlings, aka Black Jack the pirate.
    Everyone clapped when their dance ended. The musicians began playing the country dances she had specified to help the servants and villagers feel at ease. It was their party, after all.
    As the evening progressed, the kissing ball Chloe Ramirez made was a popular target many of the men used to advantage. Captain Rawlings stole more than one kiss from the Spanish beauty because of it. Chloe didn’t appear to mind the captain’s persistence in spiriting her beneath it, much to Uncle Gareth’s chagrin. Few knew Uncle Gareth and Chloe were lovers.
    Donovan’s hired men gave the captain stiff competition with the women. They danced with each of the household maids but Elizabeth noticed the men kept lining up to dance with the beautiful Miss Ramirez and whirled her under the implied mistletoe through the night.
    Aside from Donovan’s Uncle Gareth, Captain Rawlings was the only man bold enough to ask Elizabeth to dance with him. She was uncertain about accepting his offer but Donovan insisted, citing that Jack was his oldest friend. That settled it. The awkwardness between Elizabeth and the captain was officially behind them if Donovan could approve of a dance between them. Captain Rawlings had offered to help Elizabeth when she’d briefly considered leaving Donovan some weeks ago. Donovan and the captain come to blows over the incident, and the captain had given Donovan a black eye.
    “How are things?” Captain Rawlings asked her when they were out of Donovan’s hearing.
    “ Wonderful. Donovan is devoted to me.”
    “ I guess that leaves only the sea as a mistress for me, doesn’t it?” Rawlings replied with a sigh.  “Unless your handsome companion would let me pay court to her? Miss Ramirez is a fine, elegant woman. Think she’d have an old salt like me?”
    “She has formed a tendre for Uncle Gareth. They’ve been courting for some time.” Elizabeth told him as they came together and walked in a circle with palms raised together after a brief parting.
    “My ill luck.” Rawlings complained.  “All the attractive women keep getting snatched up.”
    “Then you’d best stop lingering in my parlor pining for what you cannot have and set about snatching a woman of your own.” Donovan’s deep voice intruded behind them. He took her hand, cutting in to take the captain’s place as Elizabeth’s partner. 
    Donovan surprised Elizabeth as he appeared cheerful throughout the evening. He dragged her out to the dance floor several times with genuine enthusiasm to dance simple country dances. Elizabeth had no idea her husband actually liked to dance. She expected him to stand on the sidelines and brood, as he hated society gatherings. And yet, this was a simple party, with plain folk, not the nobles who betrayed him in the French court.
    *******
    Donovan was happy to encourage his bride in her generosity towards his retainers. The new staff had helped Elizabeth make the old plantation house into a true home. He whirled Elizabeth about the brightly lit salon as the musicians played another English country dance.
    Elizabeth was brilliant in the