Page 13 of An Earl's Christmas Seduction
He wondered what she would think at seeing him so accosted, and he pulled back, not wanting Constance to think she had the right to monopolize him for the evening.
“I just need to greet a few… late arrivals,” he said.
Constance raised her eyebrows, but she shrugged, turning to talk to Edmund, who was standing on his own by the door. Nicholas felt relieved. He did not want to be rude, but Constance could be overbearing, and his attentions were still drawn to Amelia, even as he recalled how close he was to disaster. She was beautiful, dressed in the peacock blue gown, the locket around her neck.
“A lover, perhaps,”he thought to himself, for he had realized just how little he knew of his guest.
She had lost her betrothed at sea. It is a tragedy for one so young. But a beautiful creature like Amelia was surely not without attention, even in her grief. Nicholas wondered whether her continued mourning precluded romantic advancements as he watched Edgar and Hugh approach her.
“They’ll fight over her if given half a chance,”he thought to himself, for the twins had a habit of falling for the same woman, and falling out spectacularly over it, too.
He approached the party standing by the drawing room window. His cousins, Amelia, and the twins looked up when he got to them, and Amelia caught Nicholas’ eye, smiling at him as he put his hand on Hugh’s shoulder.
“Don’t believe a word they tell you,” he said, and the twins laughed.
“We were suggesting the odds of us being stranded here until the new year,” Edgar said, and Nicholas smiled.
“And would you mind that?” he asked, still with his gaze fixed on Amelia, who smiled.
“Not if the company’s good,” Hugh said, raising his eyebrows.
Nicholas smiled. It was going to be a lively few days, even if the purpose of the gathering was not realized. But looking around him, he felt certain one or more of the guests knew the truth, even if they did not realize it. His father had kept up a lively correspondence with several of those gathered and their parents. It seemed unbelievable to think no one knew anything about Nicholas’ origins.
“Well… we must make sure it is, mustn’t we? Have you tried the posset? Eggnog is what my father used to call it. It’s a mixture of brandy, egg yolks, and cream, sweetened and seasoned with nutmeg. I find it too much, but on a cold night, perhaps it might be to your liking,” Nicholas said.
There was a pleasant atmosphere in the room, with lively conversations taking place in every corner. The fire was burning brightly, and dozens of candles were lit, illuminating the room with a warm glow.
It was Nicholas’ favorite room in the house, the walls lined with books and portraits, including one of his father, hanging above the mantelpiece. Nicholas hoped the sight of the former earl might bring back memories for some of the guests, many of whom had not been to Ashworth House since before the time of Nicholas’ inheritance.
“It sounds delicious,” Amelia said.
“I’ll get a glass for you,” Hugh said, and his brother immediately said the same, the two of them tussling with one another as they hurried towards the refreshment table.
Nicholas smiled.
“I trust you’ve settled in well?” he said, addressing Amelia, who nodded.
“It’s a wonderful house. You’ve made us very welcome,” she said, glancing at her mother, who was deep in conversation with Nicholas’ aunt.
“I’m glad. It’s my pleasure to have you here. Clara and Isobel told me a great deal about you in their letters,” Nicholas replied, his gaze resting on the locket around her neck.
His cousins had mentioned a former lover, a naval captain lost at sea, but that did not mean she was not now otherwise promised. He feared as much, for he could not imagine one of the prettiest women he had ever laid eyes on was without romantic attention. Amelia smiled.
“Then you’ll know I’m glad to be away from London,” she said, and Nicholas nodded.
“And I hope you’ll find our little gathering a conducive distraction,” he said, cursing himself for his own shortcomings when it came to talking to the fairer sex.
But Amelia could not have been more pleasant company, as the evening continued, Nicholas found himself unable to tear himself away from her, entirely caught up in the possibility of the romantic thoughts he had so surprised himself with, and which he could only hope she might reciprocate.
Chapter 6
The eggnog was thoroughly unpleasant, but Amelia forced it down out of politeness, feeling unable to refuse it in front of her host. The concoction of egg yolks, cream, and brandy was not to her taste. She had preferred the mulled wine, but dutifully drank it, hoping to find some excuse to pour it into a nearby potted plant at the first opportunity.
“Tell us, Lady Amelia, are you familiar with the London theater scene? We’re often at the opera house in Covent Garden. We sawThe Fairy Queenjust last month. Have you seen it? One of Monteverdi’s finest, don’t you think?” Hugh said.
Amelia raised her eyebrows. The twin brothers introduced themselves the moment she stepped into the drawing room with her mother. They had been insatiable in their attentions, vying for her affection, and seeking to outdo one another at every turn.
“I think you mean, Purcell,” she said, and the two brothers looked at one another.
