Page 130 of Three Weeks with a Princess
Hiding a smile, she nodded at the correspondence on his desk. “You received a letter from your mother, did you not? Is she enjoying herself?”
“I believe she’s is in her element. It was a brilliant idea on Gillian’s part to invite the old girl to the Leverton family pile in Wiltshire for the Christmas season. It sounds like my mother and the dowager duchess are as thick as thieves, and Mama is most impressed with the distinguished nature of the guests.”
Lia set her teacup down on the desk. “It was quite selfless of Gillian to invite her, given that she and your mother are not the best of friends.”
“I have a feeling Gillian will talk Mama into accepting the new reality by the end of her stay,” Jack said. “Your cousin is a force of nature when she sets her mind to something.”
As predicted, Lady John had been infuriated by the news of Jack’s betrothal to Lia, and there had been a towering row. Fortunately, Lady Anne had intervened, stoutly coming to Lia’s defense. Dominic and Leverton had also made a show of support by calling on Lady John to tell her that they would be assisting the Lendale family and helping to secure Stonefell’s future.
Just as importantly, Lia had been able to persuade her mother to send a letter of apology to Lady John, expressing regret for past insults and bad behavior. Of course, Lia had been forced to stand over her mother’s shoulder and all but write the letter herself. Lady John had never acknowledged receiving it, but she had grudgingly admitted to Jack that, as a good Christian, she supposed she must try to forgive such a fallen, unfortunate woman.
For now, it was the best they could hope to expect from Jack’s mother. Lady John had not attended their small wedding at Leverton House, nor had she yet written to Lia to welcome her into the family. Jack was annoyed, but Lia had counseled patience. There had been too much pain and heartache in the past for her ladyship to suddenly express such generosity of spirit.
“I’m just happy you and your mother are speaking to each other,” she said. “I was terrified she’d never forgive you.”
“Not to worry, sweetheart. She loves me and she’ll come to love you.”
Lia doubted that, but she’d be content if Lady John at least deigned to visit Stonefell someday.
“I hope you don’t mind that we had such a quiet Christmas,” she said. “I know you missed your family and friends.”
“Nonsense. This is exactly where I wanted to be. Besides, we had your family.”
She smiled. “Yes, it’s splendid that Dominic and Chloe are able to spend the holiday season with us. I’d been missing little Dom, too.”
“I wasn’t,” Jack said wryly.
When she poked him in the knee, he laughed. “I’m joking. He’s an engaging little scamp.”
“He’s a darling, although I’m very sorry he cast up his accounts on your new coat. If it’s any consolation, he did the same to me only this morning.”
Those unfortunate incidents aside, it had been a truly delightful holiday with the Hunters. And for the first time in her life, Lia’s grandmother had been able to fully spend Christmas at Stonefell. Granny had gone a bit teary, still missing Uncle Arthur, but she’d also been bursting with pride to see Lia presiding over the festivities as the new Marchioness of Lendale.
“Little Dom is rather like a drunken sailor at this stage, isn’t he?” Jack said. “My valet immediately took to his bed when he viewed the extent of the damage.”
“Now you’re just being foolish.”
“I am.” He nodded toward the door. “Has everyone else gone up to bed?”
“I think so. Dominic walked Granny back to the cottage and Chloe retired a half hour ago.”
“Good, because I have another present. I wanted us to be alone when I gave it to you.”
“Jack, you shouldn’t be spending so much money on me,” she protested. “You’ve already given me too much.”
His gifts included beautiful riding boots, buttery-soft leather gloves, a fur muff, and several books. Rarely a week went by that her husband didn’t give her a present—mostly small, intimate gifts like a new kerchief or sweets from the local confectionary. He said he was making up for all the years when he hadn’t been able to spoil her.
“Not true, but in any case, you deserve to be spoiled,” he said, silencing her protest with a kiss. “For years you took care of everyone else. Now it’s time for me to take care of you.”
He retrieved a small velvet pouch that had been sitting on his desk, opened it, and tipped a delicate gold bracelet into the palm of his hand. When he took her wrist and fastened the bracelet around it, she saw it had a medallion attached to the chain.
“Is that—” Her throat went tight.
“Happy Christmas, my love,” he said, bending down to give her a sweet, lingering kiss. “Thank you for bringing me safely home.”
“Oh, Jack,” she whispered. “It’s the Roman coin I gave you that Christmas, just before you went off to war.”
The coin had been polished to a high gleam and set within filigreed gold. It was elegant and beautiful and the most wonderful gift she’d ever received.
