His By Christmas (Hamilton Sisters) (24 page)

“Will you be attending the Duke of Rathmore’s annual Christmas ball?” Paulette asked him.

Ah, the fourth sister intrigued him also. She looked the most like Yvette, since they had the same blond coloring. But Paulette Hamilton had married an Irish earl, who had been suspected of ridding himself of his first wife in a fire. Turned out, it had been a relative of the earl’s who had done the deed and Declan Reeves had been exonerated, but still there was a sordidness about the entire affair that William didn’t wish the Weatherly name to be associated with.

“Yes, my mother and I will be in attendance,” William said. “I am looking forward to it, as I haven’t been to one of his parties in years.”

Paulette smiled at him. “We are all going as well! It should be great fun. The Duke of Rathmore’s annual Christmas ball is considered to be the most lavish.”

“Yes, it will be the first time that our entire family will be there together,” Lisette added, happily. “The five of us have never attended the same ball before.”

“That sounds like it will be a wonderful time. Undoubtedly I shall have some good news to share that evening.” William glanced to Yvette, his meaning quite clear. Her cheeks reddened prettily.

“William,” she whispered low.

“I’d love to know more about the family bookshops.” William looked to her sisters with interest. “I know Yvette here is not overly involved in them, but I’ve only heard excellent things about your stores. In fact I’ve bought a number of books from the shops recently. How often are you there?”

As he listened to Colette and Paulette describe how they had transformed the small shop of their father’s and managed to create an expanding and successful business, his respect for them increased.

He had worried about Yvette’s family background and the fact that they were in trade particularly had concerned him. And women running a business was always slightly scandalous. No hint of scandal had ever touched the Weatherly family before and he didn’t wish to start now. But William found her sisters to be absolutely charming and elegant ladies. He could find no fault with them.

And then there was the French mother, Genevieve La Brecque Hamilton. Although her lineage was acceptable and her atrocious behavior on the day of his visit could be excused by the onset of her apoplectic attack, William had gotten the distinct feeling the woman didn’t like or approve of him. He was quite relieved that she had been unable to attend today’s tea.

As the afternoon progressed, he found he liked the Hamilton sisters very much in spite of his initial skepticism. And their husbands too. He had to give them all credit for showing up to meet him that afternoon, for he had not formally offered for their sister as of yet, although it was implicitly understood why he was there.

He noted that Yvette was quieter than usual during his visit, although she looked lovely. Everything about her was perfect. Her disposition suited him and it was obvious that she would make a wonderful duchess. With her beauty, style, and graciousness, Yvette would be an asset to him and his estate. And seeing as her four sisters had procreated with seeming ease, all things considered, Yvette should also be able to provide him with an heir without any difficulty at all.

Yes, indeed, not only was Yvette perfect for him, but also he was wildly attracted to her. So much so that he had lain awake at night dreaming of making love to her. And their kiss last night! His increasing desire for her had almost made him lose control. He had come quite close to taking advantage of her. Yes, they would marry just as soon as they possibly could.

Satisfied at last that the Hamilton family would not bring any scandal to the Lansdowne name, William finally relaxed and enjoyed the remainder of the afternoon with them.

“It was delightful meeting you, Lord Shelley,” Colette said to him when it was time to take his leave. “We look forward to seeing you again very soon. Perhaps you and your mother could join us for dinner one evening?”

“Thank you, Lady Stancliff, I would enjoy that and I’m sure my mother would too.” Once his mother recovered, it would be good to have her meet Yvette’s family. He felt sure she would like them very much.

After his farewells to the others, William turned to Yvette, who looked quite pleased. She walked with him to the front hall and they paused by the door. The Devon House butler hovered nearby.

“Your family is charming.”

“Oh, thank you, William. I’m so happy that you like them.” Yvette’s face brimmed with satisfaction. “I’m positive they think you’re wonderful.”

“It’s all working out quite well, isn’t it, Yvette? Then I shall see you at the theater tomorrow night,” William said. He had plans to escort her to see a show. Perhaps that would be the night he would formally propose to her. He took her hands in his and gave them a squeeze, wishing he could kiss her good-bye.

“Yes, that would be lovely.” She smiled up at him, looking so appealing it took his breath away.

“Good afternoon, Yvette.”

“Good-bye, William.”

He left Devon House feeling much better than he had before he’d arrived. Yes, all in all, it had been quite a successful afternoon. He must get his mother’s engagement ring ready to give to Yvette. It was a very beautiful emerald ring set with a circle of diamonds and it had been in his family for generations. He knew Yvette would love it.

As William made his way down the front steps toward his waiting carriage, another carriage pulled up in front of the house. Curious, he paused to watch. The now-familiar figure of Lord Jeffrey Eddington leapt from that carriage to the sidewalk and headed up the steps of Devon House.

“Eddington,” William greeted him coldly.

“Shelley.” Eddington tipped his top hat genially, a slow smile spreading across his damnably handsome face. “Just leaving, are you?”

“Yes.” It annoyed William that Eddington was at Devon House yet again. He felt slightly mollified knowing that Yvette was no longer alone in the house. Nothing untoward could happen with her entire family watching over her. Could it? With Eddington’s reputation it would be difficult to say.

“So you finally met all the sisters?” Eddington asked.

William nodded. “Yes, they’re a wonderful family.”

“Aren’t they, though?” Eddington winked at him and continued up the steps. The butler opened the door in welcome. Before he entered the house as though he lived there, he called back carelessly, “See you around, Shelley.”

William walked with reluctant feet to his own carriage, unable to shake the heavy feeling of unease at the thought of Jeffrey Eddington in the house with Yvette. The man’s constant presence in Yvette’s life troubled him. He would have to have a talk with her about it. Once he married Yvette, that bastard Eddington’s visits with his wife would be severely curtailed. Of that William was quite certain.

24

Christmas Shopping

With hurried steps, Yvette walked into the Hamilton Sisters’ Bookshop, the little bells over the door jingling as she entered. She didn’t often venture into the family business, leaving the running of it to her better-suited sisters, but today she desperately needed advice from one of those sisters. This newer store, now decorated for Christmas with cheery red ribbons and Christmas card displays, she was most unfamiliar with, since it was not the one she had grown up knowing.

Of all the five sisters, Yvette had the fewest memories of bonding with their father in the shop and had never been as enamored of books in the way Colette and Paulette were. Still, she was inordinately proud of the work her sisters had done to build the new store and to maintain the great success of the original shop as well. Paulette had even opened yet another Hamilton’s bookstore in Dublin, which was proving just as successful as the two shops in London.

As Yvette now looked around at the bright, inviting space, skillfully designed and well organized, she wished fleetingly that she had been a part of creating it. She really longed to have something of her own to be proud of. Maybe that was what was driving her to be a duchess.

“Good afternoon, Miss Hamilton.” One of the well-trained female staff members, wearing Hamilton’s signature dark green aprons, greeted Yvette with a warm smile. “Are you doing some Christmas shopping today?”

Yvette nodded, thinking of the gifts she had purchased earlier that afternoon that were now in the waiting carriage out front. “Yes, I have, and I thought I’d take a break and visit with my sister.”

The girl smiled. “Oh, she’s upstairs in her office now, going over the books. You can go right up.”

“Thank you.” Yvette made her way up the wooden staircase to Paulette’s office on the second floor. She tapped on the door lightly before entering.

Paulette looked up from one of the thick ledgers on the mahogany desk in front of her. “Yvette! What a surprise to see you here! I thought you were shopping today.”

“I was, but I’m all finished now. And I wished to talk to you about something. Am I interrupting you?”

“No, you’re not interrupting at all. I could use a break from all these numbers. My head is spinning.” Paulette sighed with a rueful smile and pointed to a pretty chintz-covered sofa. “Sit down there.”

Yvette removed her coat and gloves and sat on the sofa, glancing around at her sister’s elegant office. “How are you feeling?”

Paulette smiled, placing her hand protectively over her abdomen. “I’m tired, but I feel wonderful now. I haven’t been sick in days, although Declan insists that I rest and barely lets me do anything.”

Paulette was expecting another baby. She had confided in Yvette the night she returned from Ireland, explaining that it had been the reason for their delay in coming back to England to help with their mother. She had simply been too ill with morning sickness to travel.

“I’m sure Declan is right to insist that you rest. You work too much, Paulette.”

Paulette rolled her eyes. “I’ll pretend you didn’t say that. So, what did you wish to talk to me about?”

Yvette hesitated. She was not sure how to phrase what she had to say.

“Is something the matter?” Paulette’s expression grew concerned, as she closed the heavy ledger.

“Something is the matter, but I don’t quite know what.” Yvette looked helplessly at her sister.

“Is it about Lord Shelley?” Paulette asked. “You know we all liked him. Are things not going well with you two?”

“No, it’s not that. Everything is going as well as I could have hoped for with him.” Yvette paused, still not sure how to begin. Oh, what would Paulette think? “Well, yes, I suppose it has everything to do with William, but not in the way you think. Something else has happened and I am unsure how best to handle it.”

“Well . . .” Paulette prompted, her blue eyes curious.

“It concerns Jeffrey.” There she’d said it. Aloud. To her sister. Yvette almost wished she could take it back and flee the store. But she had to tell someone what was happening or she would go mad. Paulette was the only one she could confide in.

“Jeffrey?” Her sister looked confused. “What has Jeffrey to do with you?”

Yvette took a deep breath and squeezed her hands together. “He kissed me.”

“What?”

“Twice now.”

“What?”

“Jeffrey kissed me. Things have changed between us since everyone went away and I don’t know what to do about it.”

“What?”

“Paulette . . . I beg of you . . . please don’t make me say it again.”

Her sister was astonished. “Forgive me. I just can’t quite believe it.” Paulette shook her head in disbelief. “Jeffrey kissed you?”

“Yes,” she said with a quick nod.

“Not merely a peck on the cheek, but a true passionate kiss?”

“Yes.”

Suddenly Paulette rose from her desk and moved to sit beside Yvette on the sofa. Her face was alight with curiosity. “You must tell! How was it?”

“Kissing Jeffrey?”

“No, flying to the moon!” Paulette rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Of course, kissing Jeffrey! What was it like?”

Yvette placed her hand over her heart. “Oh, Paulette . . . it was breathtaking. I can’t stop thinking about it.”

Her sister let that bit of news sink in. “Oh, my.”

“I know. You see my dilemma now?”

Paulette’s eyes narrowed. “Why did he kiss you? How did it happen? I thought there might be something happening between the two of you the night Declan and I returned to Devon House.”

“That was the night he first kissed me,” Yvette confirmed, nodding her head. “But it’s been more than just the kisses. He’s been so sweet to me and since Mother fell ill, he has been with me every single night until you came back. We even slept together.”

“What do you mean!?” Paulette’s eyes widened with shock.

Yvette hurried to explain. “Just that we fell asleep together and spent the night on the sofa while we waited to see how Mother fared.”

“Oh.” Her sister looked somewhat relieved but perplexed. “But I still don’t understand any of this.”

“Neither do I. That’s my dilemma and the reason I need to talk to you. I don’t understand what’s happening with Jeffrey and me.”

Paulette grew pensive. “He must have feelings for you, because I cannot imagine Jeffrey would trifle with you, of all people. Has he said anything?”

“Nothing at all.”

“So he simply kisses you and that’s it?”

“Well, yes—no, it’s just that. . . .” Yvette stammered. “We talk all the time. In truth he’s been quite wonderful. The kissing only came about because I told him I felt nothing when William kissed me and we were sort of experimenting. At least I was.”

“You were experimenting with Jeffrey?” There was shock and disbelief in her sister’s voice.

“I wanted to know what it felt like to kiss him, that’s all,” she answered a bit defensively, if not entirely truthfully.

She wasn’t just experimenting. She had wanted Jeffrey to kiss her and that’s what frightened her more than anything. That night in Lady Deane’s little parlor she had come dangerously close to doing things with Jeffrey she knew she shouldn’t do.

They had both been swept away by their wild feelings. And they hadn’t been able to discuss it since. Although Jeffrey had come to Devon House for supper last night after Lord Shelley had left, her entire family had been there and there hadn’t been a chance for them to talk privately. She had caught his eye a few times during dinner, but his expression had been unreadable.