Page 84 of An Earl's Christmas Seduction
But it seemed her mother had no objections to the match, and now the last barrier to their happiness had been lifted. They could tell the world, and Amelia threw her arms around her mother and kissed her.
“Oh, mother… thank you… you don’t know what this means to me,” she exclaimed, and her mother smiled.
“I think I do, Amelia. But we must be practical, too. You can’t remain here at Ashworth House, alone with the earl.Thatwould certainly cause a scandal. No, we’ll return home to London, and when spring arrives, you can come back to Ashworth House, perhaps with Clara and Isobel,” she said.
Again, Amelia kissed her mother, clutching her hands in hers, as tears of joy ran down her cheeks.
“I’ve never felt so happy, mother,” she said, and her mother smiled.
“And I’m so glad to see you looking happy, Amelia. I never thought… well, after everything that happened with Rupert, I feared you’d be forever bound by your sorrows. But you’ve found happiness again, and for that, I can only be thankful. But you must tell the others, too. We must all celebrate this happy match,” she said, and now she ushered Amelia out into the hallway, where they found Nichola waiting for them.
He looked nervous, as though fearing the baroness was about to put a dampener over their future prospects. But Amelia smiled at him and slipped her hand into his.
“It’s all right,” she whispered, as her mother patted Nicholas on the arm.
“Your mother… I suppose you’ve got a lot of questions about her. But really, you only need to know one thing; she was the dearest of creatures. She was… utterly perfect,” she said, and Nicholas smiled.
“Am I like her?” he asked, and Amelia’s mother smiled.
“Oh, yes. You reminded me of her the moment I set eyes on you. And that’s the reason why… well, why I’m so happy for you both,” she said, and Nicholas breathed a sigh of relief.
Amelia put her arms around him, resting her head on his chest, and he kissed her on the forehead.
“And what happens next?” he asked, as Amelia’s mother walked off towards the drawing room, where the sound of the viscount’s voice could still be heard, ordering the others about.
“We’ll go back to London, but I’ll return in the spring with Clara or Isobel to chaperone me,” Amelia replied, but Nicholas shook his head.
“I can’t bear the thought of seeing you leave. No, I’ll come up to London. I can stay at my club and have the house opened up. Then we can see one another as often as we like. I don’t want a day to pass without finding myself in your company, Amelia,” he said, and Amelia smiled.
She could not have been happier at his words. The thought of his accompanying her to London, of their spending their days together, of a new year and a new beginning, filled her with an indescribable joy. She wanted to tell everyone, even as Nicholas now counseled, they should wait for the right moment.
“Tonight?” she asked, and he nodded.
“We could even steal the viscount’s thunder,” he said, and Amelia laughed.
“Oh, let’s not be cruel. But… well… I’m sure everyone will be delighted to hear our news,” she said, and Nicholas kissed her on the forehead once again.
“I know they will, and I don’t think we’ll be the only ones with happy news to share,” he replied.
They spent a pleasant day together, and after an afternoon spent playing parlor games in the drawing room, the guests dispersed to dress for the evening.
“A masquerade,” Hugh said, but Nicholas shook his head.
“I don’t think so. I, for one, have had quite enough of being hidden behind a mask,” he replied.
As Amelia made her way upstairs to change, her mind was filled with the happy events of the day. She and Nicholas had decided on their next steps. He would come to London, and they would spend the rest of the winter season in one another’s company, before announcing their betrothal in the spring.
“Followed by the wedding itself,” he had whispered.
But tonight, they would announce their courtship, even as Amelia felt certain it would come as a surprise to no one. As she made her way to her bedroom, she heard giggling coming from an open door along the landing, and Isobel and Harry now appeared, arm in arm. They were breathless, as though having just given in to a passionate exchange. Isobel blushed.
“Oh… I didn’t realize anyone else had come up,” she said, and Amelia smiled.
“I’m just going to get changed for the evening,” she said, and Isobel and Harry glanced at one another and laughed.
“I think it’s catching, isn’t it?” Harry said, raising his eyebrows, and Amelia blushed.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” but she could not keep herself from laughing, as Isobel and Harry hurried off hand in hand along the corridor.
