His Christmas Match (A Gentleman's Guide to Once Upon a Time) (3 page)

“I hope you will enjoy your stay, and I
will do my best not to be a hindrance.”

Lady Penelope rolled her eyes. “I don’t
need a companion or a chaperone,” she insisted. “I want you to enjoy yourself
as well.”

Rosaline stifled a sigh.
 
Lady Sandlin and Lady Penelope had the idea
that Rosalind would be attending as any invited guest, and that simply wasn’t
the case.
 
When Lady Penelope was with
others, Rosalind intended to make herself scarce and attend Lady Penelope when
needed. “My duty is to see to you,” Rosalind reminded the young woman.

“Noah worries too much,” Lady Penelope
dismissed.
 
“I have yet to do anything
that would cause him concern, nor am I as impetuous as Phoebe.”
 
She let the curtain fall back into place.
 

The coach rolled to a stop and
Rosalind’s stomach tightened.
 
She had
been worried about this house party since it was decided she was going.
 
It wasn’t that she feared the house party;
she just wasn’t sure she could watch as Lord Felding courted a real lady.

She shook the thought from her mind.
Rosalind always knew he would marry a fine lady who was his equal.
 
A lord of his stature would not ever consider
the niece of a vicar with a questionable background. Not that anyone had any
idea exactly how questionable. That would remain a secret forever.
 
Society believed she and her siblings were
the orphans of a missionary and his wife who had died, and that was how they
came to live with their uncle by marriage.
 
Nothing was further from the truth.

* * *

Noah stood at the back of the parlor not
really speaking with anyone.
 
He was
waiting for Lady Jillian.
 
He had arrived
a day early to visit with his good friend, Lord Meadows, and the rest of the
guests began arriving this morning.
 
Though Lady Jillian had been out for two Seasons, he had not taken
notice of her until this fall.
 
He wasn’t
quite certain what had intrigued him or if it was simply the fact he was
finally ready to settle and pursue a wife.
 

He had first been drawn to her beauty.
Blond hair, ribboned with gold in the sun, light blue eyes, and a pale
complexion.
 
Her beauty was arresting.
Noah couldn’t believe he had not noticed her before, or that she hadn’t been
married off by now.
 
Her dowry was
impressive, not that he needed to marry someone of wealth, but it was a comfort
to have.
 
The few times they conversed,
she was soft-spoken and pleasant.
 
When
she delicately laughed, he found himself smiling.
 
Noah looked forward to coming to know her
better, and the house party offered the perfect opportunity.
 
If it went as well as he hoped, he might be
betrothed before the Season even began and could relax in knowing that he would
be doing his duty with a wife he could tolerate.

It was time he married and set up his
nursery.
 
The realization had struck Noah
this past summer. He had hoped to find love as his friends had. Their marriages
were far richer and happier than those in society who had married for
connections.
 
As the little season began,
he resolved to find and settle on a wife, and that was when Lady Jillian came
to his attention. He still needed to come to know her a bit better before a
final decision was made on whether they would suit, but Noah suspected that
there would be a betrothal.
 
One day,
they might even come to love each other.

Activity in the foyer drew his
attention. Others had arrived, but he could not yet see who they were or make
out the voices.
 
. Noah glanced around
the room. His closest friends were already here and had arrived yesterday as he
had.
 
Sir Richard Lavins and his wife,
Simone, were presently walking in the gardens enjoying the sunshine.
 
The air was brisk but not uncomfortable.

Marius Parker, and his wife Sabrina,
were seated by the fireplace and in a quiet discussion with Dillon Chambers and
his wife, Emily.
 
Though there were many gentlemen
he numbered as friends, Noah considered Sandlin, Meadows, Parker, Chambers, and
Lavins to be his closest friends.
 

Lady Meadows rose from her place on the
settee when the newest guests entered. Noah forced himself to remain where he
stood as Lady Jillian walked into the room beside her brother, Marquess of
Broadridge, the future Duke of Eldridge.
 
Lady Jillian looked as lovely as he remembered, not that it had been
that long since Noah had seen her.
 
It
was only a few weeks ago they shared a waltz before he’d retired to the
country.

As Lord Broadridge and Lady Jillian were
escorted about the room, Demetrius Valentine approached and stood beside
Noah.
 
They had known each other since
Vicar Grant, his wife, and the children moved into the vicarage. Even though
Demetrius was a few years his junior, they remained friends throughout the
years.
 
Before being called to the bar,
Demetrius had served as Noah’s and Meadows’s solicitor. Now they were friends
who enjoyed each other’s company even if Demetrius never went into society.

“Benedick did not join you?” Noah
questioned without taking his eyes from Lady Jillian as she moved about the
room escorted by her brother and Lady Meadows.

“He is in the middle of an
investigation. There has been an increase in thefts along the waterfront,”
Demetrius explained his brother’s absence.
 
“He believes there is a new gang in the area and won’t rest until they,
and their leader, are caught and transported.”

Noah nodded.
 
Benedick always held a strong sense of
justice even as a boy. It didn’t surprise Noah that he had joined the
Metropolitan Police along the Thames and quickly moved up in ranks and held a
position as an investigator.
 
Noah
expected Benedick to be in charge of all of the police eventually.

“I thought this was just to be a hunt,”
Demetrius whispered. “Men only.”

“That was the original intent but Lady
Meadows wished for better entertainment than we could offer.” Noah chuckled.
“As such, our pleasant hunt has turned into a house party with all the
entertainments anyone could wish.”
 
He
glanced to Lady Meadows who was now leading Lady Jillian and her brother toward
them.
 
“I am not sure I disagree with her
plans either.”

The trio stopped before Noah and
Demetrius.

“Lord Felding, I am sure you are
acquainted with Lady Jillian and her brother, Lord Broadridge.”

He bowed toward Lady Jillian and she
dropped to a quick curtsey before Lady Meadows turned toward Demetrius.

Noah watched Lady Jillian
carefully.
 
He had seen women seem to
fall under a spell when in Demetrius’s presence without him even uttering even
a single world.
 

“Lady Jillian, may I introduce Mr.
Demetrius Valentine,” Lady Meadows said.

Demetrius bowed deeply before her though
she didn’t offer even the slightest curtsey in greeting. She merely studied his
face with a smile frozen on her lips.
 
Did Lady Jillian find something unpleasant about Demetrius?
 
Noah knew of no one who didn’t like the man.

Then again, he did not know Lady Jillian
all that well, and she was quieter than most ladies. It could simply be she was
shy or not comfortable around strangers.

“How are the courts these days?”
Broadridge asked sticking out his hand to shake Demetrius’s.

Demetrius laughed.
 
“Eventful. I am glad to be away from London
for a short time.”

“I have more guests arriving,” Lady
Meadows interrupted. “If you will excuse me, please.”

The gentlemen nodded before Lady Meadows
sailed across the room.

Noah and Demetrius knew Broadridge from
school, and soon Broadridge and Demetrius were discussing the hunt. Lady
Jillian smiled pleasantly but didn’t appear at all interested in the
discussions of the hunters, game, or the area they would be riding in on the
morrow.
 
She kept glancing about the room
then out the window but made no objection to not being included in the discussion.

“Would you care to stroll outside, Lady
Jillian?” Noah asked and offered his arm.

Her smile became genuine and took his
offered arm. “Thank you.”

He led her through the doors and onto
the grounds.
 
The sky was a serene, deep
blue and the air crisp.
 
Why hadn’t he
thought to have her retrieve her pelisse before venturing out doors? Lady
Jillian would be cold in a very short time. “Perhaps we should return inside.”

“No, please.”
 
Her smile brightened revealing straight white
teeth.

“At least let me have a servant retrieve
your wrap.”

She nodded quickly. “Very well.”

Noah led her back inside and signaled to
a footman.
 
She said nothing as they
waited; she simply smiled prettily.
 
She
was nothing like his sisters who chattered his ear off whenever given the
opportunity.
 
Only one could be
considered quiet, and that was Patience who spent most of her waking hours
seated before a canvas or lump of clay.

The servant returned in short order and
assisted Lady Jillian into the wrap before Noah once again led her out of
doors.
 
It wasn’t so brisk he needed
anything other than what he was wearing, but he had a jacket whereas Lady
Jillian was simply in a gown.
 

“Did you have pleasant travel?” Noah
asked. He was at a loss of what they could discuss.
 
He didn’t yet know what interests they might
have in common.

“Yes, we did.”

He glanced about them. Others had taken
to strolling the dormant gardens, but he wasn’t sure he wished to join another
group at the moment. His intention was to come to know Lady Jillian during this
party, and he couldn’t do that if they were speaking with others.

“The weather is mild for this time of
year.”

“Yes, it is.”

Noah stifled a sigh.
 
He had never had so much difficulty chatting
with a lady before.
 
In fact, most ladies
led the conversations.
 

“Lady Meadows has a number of
entertainments planned.
 
Tonight she will
ask the guests to entertain with music.” He glanced down at her.
 
The top of Lady Jillian’s blond head came to
his shoulder.
 
She was a petite woman but
well-rounded where it mattered. “Do you play or sing?”

She smiled up at him. “Yes, I do.”

Perhaps Lady Jillian was painfully shy
until she came to know a person because Noah could swear he had seen her
engaged in conversation at balls, soirees, and picnics this past fall.
 
Why was she not conversing with him?
 
Perhaps she didn’t wish to encourage him?

The thought gave him pause. What if she
had already rejected him in her mind?

If that was the case, why was she
walking with him now? She could have claimed it was too cold to be outside or
invent any other excuse if she did not wish to stroll with him.

Was she simply a quiet person?

Noah steered Lady Jillian back toward
the house when Demetrius Valentine and her brother, Lord Broadridge, stepped
outside and walked to the edge of the veranda and lit cheroots.