Page 3 of A Christmas Temptation for the Duke
What Alison intended to do instead was use this time to scour the markets and find the perfect present for each of her stepsiblings.
She couldn’t even say if they meant to do the same for her. Likely, they did not. But Alison only ever wanted the best for those she cared about, and regardless of how they treated her, she intended to treat them as any sister would her siblings. And maybe then they would accept her as one of their own.
It took fifteen minutes of searching before Alison finally came upon what she knew would be her first purchase.
She found it at a stall which was so small and non-descript that she very nEarly walked right by without stopping. But it caught her eye, she came to a sudden halt, pulled her coat tighter as the cool breeze struck her, and beamed because the second that she saw said future-purchase she just knew that it would be perfect for little Winnie.
And what was this perfect gift? It was a music box.
“Oh, this is…” Alison’s eyes lit up as she came closer. The music box was painted pure white and decorated with hand-crafted inlays of woodland animals. “… gorgeous. Excuse me!” She caught the eye of the seller, an old lady who wore so many coats and shawls that she was rounder than she was taller.
“Yes, dear?” the old lady shuffled toward her.
“How much is this music box?” Alison asked.
“Oh-ho!” The old lady’s eyes lit up. “You have quite the eye – that is the last one. A most popular item, I do say. I have sold five today already, and each sold is sure to find a place of worship and adoration in the eyes of the buyer. Yes, they are.”
Alison’s smile grew with a sense of accomplishment. “How much did you say?”
“For you, dear, because I like your smile…” The old lady considered. “One pound, and that is you robbing me.”
Alison sucked through her teeth, caught off guard by the cost. As the daughter of an Earl, money wasn’t exactly tight… but she did not usually spend without consideration. The music box was truly beautiful, however, and she just knew how much Winnie would love it.
“You have a deal!” Alison nodded to herself, and then she got about fingering through her purse as she counted out the money owed. “And here we are – oh!”
It was just as Alison looked up from her purse, coins in hand, that she spied a rogue gloved hand reaching around her and snatching up the music box which she was right now in the middle of purchasing.
“How much for the music box?” a deep voice asked.
“Oh!” Alison started. “Excuse me, but I am acquiring that.” She followed the hand up the arm and to the body that it sprung from. And as she did, her eyes widened because the frame of the speaker was large and thick and towering so that she felt the sudden need to take a step back. “If you do not mind,” she added weakly.
“Is that so?”
Her neck craned up so that she found the speaker’s face, and that was when her mouth dropped open before she could help herself. And as it did, her heart began to race.
His face was like something one might see carved from stone, all sharp lines of perfect symmetry with a jutting jaw like an anvil. A heavy brow. Full lips. Brown hair that was wild and tousled in the wind. But it was his eyes that had her gaping, dark brown and serious like a storm in winter. He held those eyes on her. There was no humor behind them, and Alison had to fight the urge to apologize and run for the hills.
“I – it is…” She stammered, shaking her mind clear because she found it hard to focus under the intensity of his stare. “I was just about to pay for it, in fact.”
“You were?”
“I was.” A firm nod to confirm the matter.
Alison figured that would be the end of it. She did, after all, have the coins in her hand, and the old lady had verified that she was its buyer. Surely, any man would see the situation and realize that by rights the proper thing to do was apologize and leave her be.
“But you have not purchased it yet,” the man said.
Alison blinked in surprise. “I… well, no. Not yet, but I was just about –”
“So, it is still for sale.” He raised a dismissive eyebrow at her and turned to the seller as he held out the music box clutched in a large pair of hands. “How much?”
“Ah…” The old lady looked between the two. “I was just saying… one pound is the asking price.”
“Seems fair.” The man put the music box down and reached for his own purse.
“Now, wait a moment!” Alison attempted to stand up to the would-be thief. “I have just told you that I was intent on purchasing this music box. Surely, you realize that it is mine by rights?”
“Rights?” The man frowned at her. “And what rights are those, exactly? The item is for sale, and I wish to buy it.”
