Until You (22 page)

Soaking in the heated water of the bath a short while later, Ashleigh gradually felt the tenseness in her muscles begin to relax.  She lay back against the rim of the large copper tub and refused to think about Nicholas, allowing her mind to drift at whim.  Eventually, her thoughts turned to all of the Christmases she had spent with her grandfather, and as they did, she tried to focus on the pleasure that this time of year usually brought her.  Despite the loss of her parents, her years at
Glenbrooke
had been filled with happiness, and the Christmas season had always been especially joyful. 

Her grandfather was a very generous man and every year, in addition to giving monetary bonuses to their employees, he invited all of their staff members and families, as well as all of their tenants to partake of a magnificent feast held at
Glenbrooke
on Christmas Eve.  This year, due to his absence, Ashleigh knew that he had written to his steward, instructing him to have holiday baskets filled with roasted turkeys, freshly baked bread, cakes, puddings, and a number of other delicious treats, to be delivered to the numerous families in lieu of their annual dinner.  She only wished that she could deliver the baskets to each family personally. 

Drawing herself from her temporary reverie, Ashleigh noted that the water had begun to cool and that her skin was beginning to prune.  Turning her attention to the matter at hand, she quickly finished her bath.

When Annie returned with Ashleigh's pressed gown, she had just stepped out of the bath.  She had washed her hair until it squeaked and she had scrubbed every inch of her body until her skin glowed a rosy pink, for she wanted to look her best for the night ahead.  She was determined to act with grace and dignity, and even more importantly, with pride.

With Annie's help, Ashleigh dressed in a topaz-colored gown with a heart shaped neckline that exposed her throat and the creamy white tops of her breasts.  The sleeves were long and tight and ended in sharp points at the tops of her wrists.  The dress was cut in the latest fashion, without a lot of lace and ribbons to detract from the simplistic beauty of the design, and she had Annie style her hair into an elegant twist, which gave her a look of added maturity and sophistication.  Around her neck, she wore her mother's pearl choker and then added just a hint of color to her pale cheeks.  When she looked in the mirror, she was pleased with what she saw.  Looking back at her was a woman; for the young, innocent girl of her past was no more.

When Ashleigh made her way downstairs and into the dining room, she saw that Nicholas was conversing with Madeline as they waited to take their seats at the table.  Brendon however, stood just within the doorway, and it appeared as though he had been waiting for her.

“I wasn’t sure that you would come down for dinner,” Brendon said quietly, with an apologetic smile.  “But I'm glad that you did.”

“I'm fine, Brendon, really.”  She tried to look as though she meant it.

“I am so sorry, Ashleigh, I do not think I will ever be able to forgive my brother for the horrible things he said,” Brendon stated solemnly.

“Then I would never be able to forgive myself Brendon, for I do not wish to come between you and Nicholas,” she said, laying her hand upon the sleeve of Brendon's dinner jacket.  “What happened between Nicholas and I, well… it is between us, and isn’t something you need to concern yourself with.   So please just let it go, for my sake.”

Clearly not wishing to upset her, Brendon grudgingly nodded his assent and then tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. 

Turning, Madeline noticed her arrival and smiled warmly.  “Ashleigh dear, you look lovely.” 

“Thank you, Madeline,” she replied, returning the duchess’ smile.  “Once again, I have you to thank.  Your taste is impeccable.”

“You give me far too much credit, dear.  The gown pales in comparison to your natural beauty.”

“I could not agree more,” Brendon said with an appreciative smile.  “And you, Grandmother, are a vision as well,” he added gallantly.  “It is a rare privilege to be dining with two such lovely ladies this evening.” 

“Shall we be seated?”  Nicholas said, his expression guarded as he grasped his grandmother’s elbow and escorted her to the table.

 Ashleigh was relieved as Brendon seated her beside Madeline and then walked around the table, taking his seat on Nicholas' immediate left without incident.

Watching as Ashleigh settled into her chair; Nicholas couldn’t help but notice her breathtaking loveliness.  She looked stunning as usual, but there was something different as well, perhaps an added maturity about her since he’d seen her last, he wasn't quite sure.  Added experience perhaps?  Damn it all, he hated the fact that even though he now knew her true nature, she still had the ability to rouse his desire.  As his gaze moved from her face to the bodice of her gown, he couldn't help recalling how her nipples had hardened when he had taken them into his mouth.  Christ, he was getting hard just looking at her.  Thoroughly disgusted with his lack of control, he deliberately brought the appalling, yet enlightening scene he’d witnessed that morning to mind, the sight of Ashleigh in his brother’s arms, so sickeningly reminiscent of the time he had discovered Melissa in the arms of her lover.  Clearly Ashleigh was no different than the rest; there was no longer any doubt.

He hadn’t seen either of them since the debacle in his study and was still unsure as to the depth of the relationship between them, but he had every intention of finding out.  He couldn't believe how calm and composed she looked now.  Had the hurt, wounded look she had given him that morning simply been a pretense for his brother's benefit?  Sitting at the head of the table, his gaze traveled restlessly between Ashleigh and Brendon.  His brother was still furious, of that he had no doubt, but fortunately he hid it well, acting as if nothing were amiss for their grandmother’s sake. 

In a state of acute anxiety, Ashleigh surreptitiously watched Nicholas as she sipped from her water glass and made a vain attempt to eat the delicious meal that had been set before her.  In spite of her increasing appetite, she practically had to force the food down her throat.  She did her best to participate in the dinner conversation, but more often than not, she found herself staring mutely at her plate.  She’d wanted to appear aloof and untouched by Nicholas' hateful words, but her exuberant nature was conspicuously absent during the first part of the meal.  She chided herself for letting Nicholas’ heartless words damage her spirit, but it was difficult to hide her pain, no matter how hard she tried.

Her attitude underwent a drastic change however during the latter part of the meal, when Madeline mentioned that the family had been invited to attend the Countess of
Dragmore’s
New Year's masquerade ball being held at her nearby country estate, and that she had already accepted the invitation on behalf of the family, as well as Ashleigh. 

Instantly, Ashleigh's gaze swiveled toward the head of the table, her eyes fastening on Nicholas’s face.  The mention of Isabelle
Taryton
caused her to gnash her teeth in frustration.  Throughout the past weeks as she had agonized over Nicholas’ absence and the knowledge of her pregnancy, she had continually wondered if he had pursued his relationship with the beautiful countess. 

Noting Ashleigh’s sudden, intense regard, Nicholas deliberately quirked his left brow and tilted his head in her direction in a barely discernible nod.

Was he admitting that he had been sleeping with Lady
Taryton
, Ashleigh wondered, her frustration quickly turning to anger at his unbelievable callousness. 

For one heart-stopping second, Nicholas wondered if Ashleigh was going to hurl her plate at his head as her composed expression momentarily slipped to reveal her inner fury.  However, in the blink of an eye, her features rearranged themselves into a seductive smile and she abruptly turned her attention to Brendon.  When she began flirting outrageously with his brother, Nicholas' own anger quickly began to mount.

Thankfully, Brendon was wise to her game and seemed more than willing to offer her his assistance as she acted the blatant coquette.  Brendon, charming as ever, played the accommodating rogue to perfection.  They bantered back and forth for several minutes, completely ignoring Nicholas who sat rigidly in his chair, a sudden frown marring his stoic features.

“I had such a wonderful time today, Brendon,” Ashleigh said sweetly.  “But then I always have a wonderful time when I am with you.” 

 “Yes Nicholas,” Madeline said, turning to her eldest grandson.  “Brendon and Ashleigh have become quite close while you’ve been away,” she said.  “Isn’t that wonderful?”

Nicholas didn’t miss the knowing twinkle in his grandmother’s eye.  Madeline Leighton was no fool and he’d long wondered if she suspected that there was something between him and Ashleigh.  Was she attempting to plant a seed of jealousy in his mind?  He nearly laughed aloud at the thought.  He wasn’t jealous dammit, he was disgusted.  Setting down his wineglass with more force than he had intended, he watched as a splash of red sloshed over the side and hit the pristine white tablecloth.  “If you all will excuse me,” he said, rising abruptly from his chair.  “I have some unfinished business to attend to.”

Several days earlier, Ashleigh, accompanied by Annie and two of the
Sethe’s
burly footmen, had ventured to the local village so that she could purchase her remaining Christmas gifts.  In previous years, she had always bought gifts for the servants at
Glenbrooke
, as well as for her grandfather, her uncle, Martha, and for Tiffany.  She loved buying gifts for others and spent a great deal of time selecting each and every present, so that each one would have a special meaning for its recipient.  However, this year had been even more fun, because she had been able to add several new names to her list.

Now, Christmas morning had arrived at last and she could hardly wait to distribute all of the beautifully wrapped packages that had been placed under the enormous tree erected in the front parlor.  She had just given Annie her gifts, an imported Venetian lace shawl and a matching ivory and lace fan.  She had also given her a silver comb and brush set, as well as two pearl studded combs for her hair.  Annie had been overwhelmed and her obvious delight had made Ashleigh so happy.

She was pleasantly surprised to discover that Annie had a gift for her as well.  Reaching out, she took the small package from her out-stretched hand.   

“I stitched the embroidery myself,” Annie said proudly, as Ashleigh pulled the three, dainty cloth handkerchiefs free of the paper.

“They are beautiful, Annie, thank you,” Ashleigh said with absolute sincerity as she admired the intricately embroidered pink and yellow roses.  “I will treasure them always, and of course, whenever I look at them I will be reminded of you.”

Twenty minutes later, as she sat in the parlor waiting to exchange gifts with the family, Ashleigh clutched one of the handkerchiefs Annie had given her in her right hand, rubbing her thumb across the soft linen in nervous agitation.  Belatedly, she had realized that her gift to Nicholas was still lying amongst the others.  Considering the horrible things he had said about her the day before, the last thing she wanted was for Nicholas to open the gift she had chosen for him with such thoughtfulness and care.  Unfortunately, she could hardly remove it without drawing Madeline’s notice.  She supposed it didn’t really matter, for even if she was able to remove it, she had nothing to replace it with, and it would surely seem odd to Madeline if she had nothing for Nicholas, when she had gifts for everyone else.

At present she and Madeline were seated on the settee awaiting the arrival of Brendon and Nicholas, who had gone down to the stable several minutes earlier to view the magnificent Arabian Brendon had purchased as a Christmas gift for his brother on his return voyage.  She knew Brendon was likely still furious with Nicholas, but the two men were obviously maintaining a false front in front of the staff, as well as for the sake of their grandmother.

As they waited, Ashleigh's eyes were once again drawn towards Nicholas’ package.  She had agonized for weeks over his gift, wondering what she could possibly get for a man who already had everything money could buy.  However, when she had seen the watch in the jeweler’s small shop, she had known it would be the perfect gift.  It was one of the most beautiful pieces of artistry and craftsmanship she had ever seen.  It was a gold pocket watch, upon which the artist had depicted
Sethe
Manor and its surrounding landscape.  Each and every detail had been painstakingly etched into the precious metal, and if one looked closely, even the stable was clearly discernible in the shadow of the grandiose house.

When she had expressed her interest in purchasing the magnificent piece, she had learned of its origin.  Apparently, many years ago when Nicholas’ father had been alive, the duke had commissioned the jeweler’s son, a very talented yet little know artisan to design the timepiece.  His son had worked on the watch for weeks, trying to design a piece as splendid as
Sethe
Manor itself.  Unfortunately, the duke had died before the timepiece was finished. 

As his son had only received a partial down payment and the watch wasn’t yet completed, he had returned the deposit to the duke’s estate, thinking he would complete the watch and then sell the piece elsewhere.  Sadly though, shortly after completing the project the young craftsman had developed pneumonia and had ultimately passed away several days later.  The jeweler, not having the heart to sell the watch after his son’s passing, had kept the piece, carrying it with him as a cherished reminder of his beloved son and occasionally displaying it in his shop.  It was a poignant tale and Ashleigh had understood his unwillingness to part with it.