His Christmas Match (A Gentleman's Guide to Once Upon a Time) (37 page)

“Miss
Valentine,” he called and turned, but Rosalind had disappeared.

“She
went upstairs as soon as she entered,” Penelope advised.

She
would be back shortly when she couldn’t find the twins, and Noah turned to
introduce Lady Jillian and Lord Broadridge to his family.
 
“They will be visiting for a few days,
Victoria.
 
Could you ask a maid to make
up two rooms?”

“Of
course, Noah.”
 
She glanced past Noah and
into the hall and frowned before focusing back on Lady Jillian and Broadridge.
“Please, join us for tea.”

Noah
led Lady Jillian to an empty chair then crossed the room to stand beside
Sandlin. The man gave him a questioning look, and Noah leaned over. “As soon as
the niceties are over, the two of us will retire to the library.”

Sandlin
nodded and returned his attention to the others in the room.
 
Broadridge had taken the seat next to Lady
Jillian, and the two were engaged in polite conversation with Noah’s
family.
 
A maid entered with a tea tray,
followed by Rosalind.
 
Noah’s mood
lightened at the sight of her.

“Excuse
me, Lady Sandlin, but where
might the children …
” she
broke off when she saw the twins playing at Victoria’s feet.

“Ah,
there they are.”
 
She glided to the
sitting area and bent over the two ruffling their hair.
 
“If you would like, I can take them to the
nursery.”

“Don’t
you dare, Rosalind Valentine,” Victoria insisted.
 
“My grandchildren just arrived, and I will
not allow them to leave.”

Rosalind
quickly curtseyed. “Of course, my lady.”

“Do
sit down, Rosalind. I am sure you could use a cup of tea after you
journey.
 
I can’t wait for you and
Penelope to tell me all about the house party.”

Lady
Jillian straightened, and her eyes grew wide as Rosalind thanked Victoria for
the invitation and settled beside Phillipa on the couch.
 

Noah
was hard pressed not to laugh at the look of utter shock on Lady Jillian’s
face.
 

As
Penelope was telling her mother and sisters about the snowball fight, Lady
Jillian rose from her seat and sashayed over to Noah. “Your servants take tea
with the family?” she asked with disapproval.

Noah
could see Sandlin above Lady Jillian’s head, and his eyes narrowed with
distrust and dislike.

“You
have forgotten that Miss Valentine and her family are close friends of ours and
were long before she became the Sandlin’s nursery maid.”

Lady
Jillian sniffed. “It is not right,” she hissed.

“There
are many things about this situation that are not right, Lady Jillian.” Noah
turned to face her.
 
“And Miss Valentine
taking tea with my family is not one of them.”

“You
still believe that after learning the truth?” she demanded in a hushed tone.

“More
so than ever.” He offered his arm, “Shall we return to the gathering?”

“I
think I would like to go to my room and rest before dinner.”

Noah
escorted her into the hall and asked a maid to show Lady Jillian to her
chamber. With any luck, he would not see her before dinner.

Broadridge
was exiting as Noah returned. “I believe I will rest as well.”

Noah
nodded to a footman. “Please direct Lord Broadridge to his room.”

The
young man nodded and gestured toward the stairs.

Noah
returned to the sitting room. Everyone watched him with interest and questions
in their eyes. He closed the door, leaned back against it, and sighed.

The
only person not watching him was Phillipa. She was staring off into space,
forehead creased with thought, and her lips pursed.
 

Noah
sauntered over to the sideboard and poured himself a glass of brandy.

“Lady
Jillian is familiar to me,” Phillipa said after a moment.

“You’ve
never met her,” Patience said.

“Yes,
I know,” Phillipa focused on the others.
 
“I am sure I will remember in time.” She shook her head.
 
“Tell us, Noah, why did you bring her here?”

He
glanced around the room, and then he focused on Rosalind who watched him
intently. Noah took a deep drink and swallowed; the liquid burnt a path down
his throat.
 
“Lady Jillian is attempting
to blackmail me into marrying her, and I have yet to find a way out of this
predicament.”

Thirty-Two

Rosalind
couldn’t be in the room when Noah explained the details.
 
Penelope may have said she would accept the
marriage, but that didn’t mean the rest of them did.
 
This family had been a part of her life, the
best friends she had known, and Lord Sandlin was now her employer.
 
Rosalind feared that the family would
convince Noah it was best that they not wed, and worse, that Lord Sandlin may
decide she should not be in charge of his children.
 
She would be without employment again, and
this time there would be no family connection which she could use to gain a
position in another household.
 
Her
stomach tightened, and Rosalind feared she might become ill.

When
the family learned, what would they do, and how would they treat the rest of
the Valentines? Would they feel betrayed? Insist her uncle give up his
parish?
 
Noah may feel different and wish
to protect them, but that didn’t mean Sandlin, Noah’s sisters, and step-mother
wouldn’t convince Noah to see the reason in distancing themselves from the
family. It was what those in society did. Even when one of their own stepped
out of the bounds of propriety, they turned their backs. That was exactly as it
had happened to her mother.

Would
her entire family have to move? Would they remain mum about the circumstances,
or would Demetrius and Benedick be ruined as well?
 
And what of the others? Orlando was a
physician, Mercutio a pugilist, Petrucio an actor who had traveled throughout
England and on the Continent, while Bertram was a foot soldier.
 
She may have been brave in telling Noah that
she would reveal their secret before she allowed Lady Jillian to do so, but
Rosalind wasn’t feeling so brave at the moment. Could she destroy her family to
save the man she loved, and was it right to do so?

What
had she been thinking? She didn’t belong with Noah. He deserved a lady who knew
who her father was.

Her
throat was closing as panic settled in, and she quickly stood.
 
“Why don’t I take the twins to the nursery
while Lord Felding explains?” She tried to smile at Lady Felding. “I promise to
return them when he is finished.”

“You
are not leaving, Rosalind,” Noah said calmly.

“I
really shouldn’t be here.”
 
Her voice
practically squeaked because her throat was so tight.
 
Surely he knew how uncomfortable this
discussion was going to be for her.

“Yes,
you should.”

Rosalind
wanted to beg him not to make her a part of this. She didn’t want to be in the
same room with a family she admired and respected while the ugliness of her
past was set before them.

Penelope
reached out and grabbed her hand.
 
“Please sit, Rosalind,” she said reassuringly.
 
“We are not your enemy. We are your friends.”

Rosalind
took a deep breath and sighed. She only prayed it was true and the rest of them
didn’t hate her when Noah was finished.

“What
is this about blackmail?” Lady Felding demanded.

Noah
strode further into the room, and Sandlin pulled away from the fireplace to
stand behind his wife.

“Lady
Jillian knows some secrets about the Valentine family. She told me that if I
did not marry her, she would let everyone know the truth.”

Lady
Felding blanched and brought a hand to her mouth. Surely she didn’t suspect,
did she?

“I
don’t understand why she would use the Valentines as her means to an end?” Lady
Sandlin questioned.

Noah
looked at Rosalind. The love in his eyes almost brought tears to her own.
 
“Because she suspected I had fallen in love
with Rosalind,” he smiled gently.
 
“She
informed me of the damaging information after I informed Lady Jillian that we
would not suit.”

“I
don’t understand. What could possibly be so damaging?” Patience asked.

Rosalind
bit her upper lip and looked to her lap. She could not watch them as the truth
was revealed. Penelope squeezed her hand, and Noah explained the family history
and the circumstances of her birth.

When
he was finished, silence followed.
 
Rosalind didn’t know what they were thinking. She feared looking to find
hatred or betrayal.

“I’m
sorry your secrets have been revealed, dear,” Lady Felding said. “My husband
and I worried that this day might arrive.”

Rosalind
looked up to find Lady Felding watching her with sadness and warmth.
 
“You knew?”

She
simply nodded.
 
“Yes, for a very long
time.”

She
blinked at Lady Felding. “How?”

“Your
uncle told my husband a few years after your family took up residence in the
vicarage. He feared what would become of the ten of you if something happened
to him or his wife.”

“Yet
you still let your children play with us?” Rosalind stated in awe.

Lady
Felding laughed. “You were only children and had no control over the
circumstances of your birth.” She glanced to her step-son. “Besides, Noah
needed male companions before his sisters drove him to madness.”

“A
playmate for a child is one thing. A wife is an entirely different matter.”
Rosalind said, not confident they would have Lady Felding’s blessing.

“Rosalind,”
Lady Felding began gently. “The only thing that is important is my step-son
being happy.”

“Then,
I can assume that there are no objections to me marrying Rosalind?” Noah asked
to the group as a whole.

Rosalind
held her breath looking at each face as they voiced their opinions. Not one
argued with him.
 
She watched closely
fearing they didn’t wish to hurt her feelings, but each of the family members
seemed genuinely happy for them.

“So,
what is to be done about Lady Jillian?” Sandlin asked.

Noah
pushed his fingers through his hair. “I’ve tried and tried to think of a
solution but none have come to me.”
 
He
narrowed his eyes at Rosalind. “And, no, you are not going to tell the world
yourself.”

“Oh,
it shouldn’t come to that,” Lady Sandlin insisted.

She
glanced at each and every one of them, still unable to truly believe that they
would accept her as Noah’s wife. “The truth may become known one day. You do
realize that, don’t you?” They had to understand that stopping Lady Jillian did
not make the situation disappear.

“We
will weather that storm when he comes,” Lady Felding assured her.

Phillipa
leaned back, sipping her tea, her focus once again somewhere else.
 
“I know that face, I just wish I could
remember.”

“Maybe
it is in a painting,” Noah chuckled.

Phillipa
slowly sat straighter and tilted her head toward your brother. “I believe it
is.”

* * *

Noah
simply stared at his youngest sister.
 
“Are you certain?” he demanded.

“Not
entirely, but why else would Lady Jillian look so familiar to me. I only leave
the estate to travel to art exhibits, and she has never visited here.” She
leaned forward and placed her teacup on the table before pushing herself to
stand with the use of her cane.
 
“I just
need to find it.”

The
task may not be as easy as it sounded. Phillipa had been collecting art work
since she was a child.
 
Noah still
remembered the first time she saw a painting and was mesmerized by the color.
Phillipa had only been around the age of ten at the time, and they had been at
May Day Celebration. While his other sisters had been able to run, play, and be
with their friends, Phillipa needed to continue at a more sedate pace because
of her limp.
 
Noah purchased the painting
for her and that summer supplied her with all the paints, papers, pencils, and
canvases a young girl could want.
 
Since
that day, she had collected more paintings than he could count. None were
painted by anyone famous, but when Phillipa found a painting that appealed to
her, she purchased it.
 
There were dozens
stacked in the room off of the library.
 
Phillipa’s chamber, studio, sitting room, and storage for her paintings
were located in the right, ground-level wing of the house because she could not
negotiate the stairs well.
 
The left wing
had been converted into Victoria’s chambers as she had been confined to a
wheelchair after the accident that injured her and had taken his father.