Jane dipped into a graceful curtsy and rose, offering her hand to the man. “He’s a very clever man, my nephew,” the dowager added, pride filling her voice.
Lord Needles took Jane’s hand in his, his large fingers grasping hers ever so gently as he kissed her knuckles.
“Oh, but I’m sure he is,” Jane said, watching Lord Needles as he released her hand and straightened. “An arborist, is that correct, Lord Needles?”
Jane’s mother speared her with a nervous look.
“I meant botany. That is, you’re a botanist,” Jane recovered, smiling brightly at Lord Needles. “Plants, not trees.”
Her mother’s lips twisted with exasperation.
Lord Needles laughed, his low chuckle eliciting a relieved grin from Jane. “It is a true pleasure to meet you, Miss Merriweather. And yes, I study plants, not trees, though I like trees well enough. What about you?”
Jane thought for a moment before answering. “Do you know, I believe I like both equally. Not knowing all that much about either outside of their beauty, both supply ample opportunity for reflection. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Lord Needles considered her answer—as did the rest of their party. Learning whether the man was marriageable would be impossible as long as they entertained an invested crowd.
“You’re quite clever, Miss Merriweather. And correct,” Lord Needles replied, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes.
“It is true enough, Lord Needles,” Jane’s mother offered. “Her tutors all claimed she was by far the brightest pupil they’d ever had the good fortune to teach.”
Lady Merriweather gestured at Jane, much as Farmer Doyle had done with his prized pig at last year’s Autumn Fair.
“And thirsty,” Jane blurted out, belatedly smiling in apology. “That is to say, Lord Needles, would you be so kind as to accompany me to the refreshments?”
Jane’s mother didn’t bother with subtlety. Instead, she grasped her daughter’s wrist and held on. “Jane, dear, we’ve only just met Lord Needles. Do you mean to drag him away already?”
Jane loved her mother. Even adored her at times. But the woman had very little confidence in Jane’s ability to attract and retain a suitor. Rightly so, some would say. But still, it grated on Jane’s nerves.
As did Lucas’s silence. He had yet to say a word to recommend Jane—in a subtle yet effective way, of course. He was rather good at that type of thing, and she was relying on him, as unfortunately it was a skill Lady Merriweather would never perfect. Jane supposed the short span of time between now and when they’d made Lord Needle’s acquaintance—a mere two minutes ago— should be considered.
Even allowing for that, Lucas’s presence was irksome. Irritating. Distracting.
Jane most desperately needed to focus on her future, not the past.
“Yes, Mother, I do,” Jane answered, arching one brow at Lord Needles and inviting him to follow. “Only for a little while. I’ll return him shortly.”
He bowed to the ladies and offered Jane his arm. “To the punch, Miss Merriweather.”
Jane looped her arm through his and set off at a determined pace. Next to her, Lord Needle’s frame felt comforting, reliable, welcome.
“I admire a woman who doesn’t dawdle,” he commented, smiling down at Jane.
She purposely slowed, embarrassed by her impatience. “I apologize, Lord Needles.”
“I wasn’t being facetious, Miss Merriweather,” he replied earnestly, releasing her arm as they stopped in front of the table. “You have a mind and you use it rather than hiding it away. That is to be commended.”
He procured two glasses of punch then looked about the lively room. “Where shall we sit?”
“Did you mean what you just said, Lord Needles? About a woman having a mind and using it?” Jane asked, searching his face for any evidence of dishonesty.
“Perhaps the most important thing to know about me, Miss Merriweather, is that I always mean what I say. Otherwise, what is the point in saying anything at all?”
Jane stared at him, waiting for a subtle curve to lift his upper lip or a tick to begin in his left eye. Nothing. The man appeared to be telling the truth.
“Very well, then,” she said, continuing to watch him. “I believe we’ve need of a touch more privacy. Come, let us retire to the settee near the pianoforte.”
Jane didn’t wait for the man to respond, but instead headed for the corner, dodging her mother’s frustrated glare and Lady Pearson’s encouraging smile along the way.
She rounded the pianoforte and took a seat on the end of the settee, smoothing her skirts hastily as Lord Needles sat down.
“Were you in fact thirsty? Or did I carry the punch all this way for nothing?” he asked with amused politeness, offering her one of the glasses.
Jane accepted the offered cup and smiled conspiratorially. “Actually, I was. Quite thirsty, indeed.” She sipped her punch delicately.
“As am I,” Lord Needles replied, taking a drink from his glass. “Inquests will do that to a person.”
Jane choked on the fruity drink but managed to swallow the punch before spraying it all over the front of the man. “Yes, I suppose they do.”
She watched Lord Needles empty his glass and waited for a passing footman to take it before she spoke again. “We’re being completely frank, then?”
He settled back against the settee and crossed his ankles. “Completely,” he assured her, sincerity in his voice, honesty in his eyes.
“In that case, tell me, Lord Needles, why are you in want of a wife?”
He laughed out loud, filling the space between them with a deep, musical burst of joy. “Miss Merriweather, you are delightful.”
Jane smiled widely, truly appreciative of the compliment. “And you haven’t answered my question.”
He rested one arm across the back of the settee and tapped his fingers against the blue and white silk covered cushions. “No, I haven’t,” he answered, then cleared his throat. “You no doubt are aware that I am a widower. It has been five years since my wife passed away, during which time I’ve busied myself with travel and my passion for botany. But I desire a family—and companionship. And my estate requires my attention.”
“And what of the women I feel sure have hunted you to ground in London?” Jane asked, pausing to sip her punch. “None of them were able to offer you such things?”
Lord Needles captured her attention with a somber stare. “In a manner of speaking. You see, I cannot abide a silly woman. My wife was one of the most intelligent individuals.…” He paused, offering Jane a small, sad smile. “I must apologize. My aunt assured me eligible young women would wish to know as little about my wife as possible.”
“You loved her very much, didn’t you?” Jane asked softly, sorry for the obvious pain her question had caused him.
He reached out and rested his fingers on her shoulder. “I did. Does that make me weak?”
“Quite the opposite, in my opinion,” Jane assured him, reaching up to lay her hand over his, if only for a moment. “Love—real love—is only for the strong. Honestly, I don’t know that it’s for me … at least not now. Not in my position.”
She removed her hand and rested it in her lap, almost shocked by her statement.
“And what position do you speak of, Miss Merriweather?” Lord Needles asked, resuming the rhythmic tapping of his fingers against the settee.
Jane suddenly felt shy. Or embarrassed. Or both. It was one thing to know your circumstances. And quite another to put it into words.
She folded her hands together, twining the fingers tightly one about the other. “Well, it’s rather simple. You see, my father, a dear and well-meaning man, is hopeless when it comes to managing our estate. There is no more money to be squandered, which puts us in a rather difficult position. And so I must marry a man with both the funds and the inclination to ride to my rescue, as it were.”
“Quite a responsibility for a young woman,” Lord Needles answered gently.
Jane r
aised her head, wanting nothing more than to agree with him, but fearing doing so would be far too indulgent.
“Yes, well, we all suffer our own unique challenges, don’t we, Lord Needles?”
“That we do,” he replied, understanding in his eyes.
Chapter 4
Lucas’s twin nieces ran past, their impossibly high voices joined together in a rousing chorus of excited squeals.
Jane allowed herself to settle back into the settee and take in the party. A comfortable silence descended over Lord Needles and her, as it would between a pair of old friends.
The lord was rather enjoyable company. Much the same as Robby, or even Reginald.
Jane pursed her lips at the comparison, pondering a swift mental image of Lord Needles standing next to the donkey.
Well, she reflected, it went without saying they looked nothing alike. One was a man. The other, an ass.
But that wasn’t the point, was it? She added herself to the duo, her hand ruffling the donkey’s wiry mane while she smiled contentedly up at Lord Needles.
Ah, she thought with satisfaction, there it was. A fast-won familiarity and comfort. So effortless, Jane wondered if she wasn’t simply being lazy.
She glanced at the man. He looked as content as she, putting her concern to rest as he watched the party with obvious pleasure.
Lady Mumford settled at the pianoforte, her fingers nimble as she began the opening chords of a Scottish air. Miss Lucinda St. Cyr joined her to turn the pages of the music and lend her lilting soprano to the familiar words. The sweet seasonal tune reminded Jane that she’d failed to tell Lord Needles one last important detail to her story.
“Oh, and, though I’m sure you’ve been made aware, I was engaged for all of two weeks, before my fiancé ran off to Gretna Green with someone else.”
“Lord McKee?”
Jane felt her cheeks grow hot with embarrassment. “You know him?”
“Incomparable idiot, that one,” Lord Needles answered assuredly. “You are far better off without him.”
“Do you know, Lord Needles, you are quite delightful yourself,” Jane declared, swallowing the last of her punch.
“We make quite a pair, you and I,” Lord Needles replied with a friendly nod before standing. “And I believe you would agree.”
Jane realized with no small measure of surprise that she did.
“Now I am off to secure a second glass of punch. May I bring one for you as well?”
He really was quite perfect in every possible way. It was as if the Lord God Almighty’s helping hand had swooped down from heaven above to arrange their meeting. Jane would be a fool to muck up this match.
If she squinted her eyes, Jane could almost imagine Lord Needles floating in a bank of celestial clouds—
“Miss Merriweather?”
Jane startled.
Right. Punch.
“That would be lovely, Lord Needles, thank you.” She smiled politely as he bowed before her, then turned toward the refreshment table.
A swell of excitement near the drawing room doors drew Jane’s attention. A small crowd had gathered, blocking her view. She rose and hastily made her way toward the commotion, realizing as she reached the edge of the throng that the Yule log was making its way into the house.
Jane could not remember a time when she’d failed to be present at Cavanaugh House for this most festive tradition. Cox, the butler, directed four burly young footmen as they held tight to the ropes wrapped around the large log. Someone in the gathering offered up a joyous “Huzzah!” and the others joined in for three more shouts as the log was carefully carried through the doorway and across the room to the expansive fireplace.
Jane stood back as everyone followed the Yule log. She lingered on the threshold to savor the cool, crisp scents of snow and pine that still filled the foyer down below.
She closed her eyes and breathed in the seasonal scent, memories of Christmas in years past piling one upon the other in her brain until a mantle of sweet sentimentality made her smile.
“You’re reveling in Christmases past, aren’t you?”
Startled, Jane opened her eyes. Lucas stood in front of her, his warm gaze fixed on hers, his broad masculine form much too close. “How did you know?” she asked, bemused by his sudden appearance.
“Because you’d never ignore the opportunity to indulge in sentimentality, that’s why,” he answered, grinning down at her. “Speaking of which, you know which tree that is, don’t you?”
Jane playfully pushed Lucas away, needing space from his rightness, if that was even a word. And largeness. And handsomeness. In other words, from him. “No. Tell me.”
Lucas nodded with clear regret. “Old Tom.”
“Oh.” Jane’s smile drooped wistfully. Even the delicious mixture of brisk December air and the scent of pine could not lessen the stab of sadness.
As children, Jane and Lucas had taken it upon themselves to name many of the trees that stood in the forest on Cavanaugh lands. Old Tom had been a particular favorite for his many strong branches and excellent cover from nosy nannies and overbearing parents.
“Matthew told me after the tree had been felled. Otherwise, I would have insisted they choose another,” Lucas explained. “I’m sorry, Jane. I truly am.”
“I know you are,” she replied, rather more softly than she’d intended. She tore her gaze from Lucas’s understanding eyes and looked for Lord Needles.
Lucas followed her searching gaze. “Well, tell me, then. Is he ‘marriage material,’ as I’ve heard my mother call him?”
“I’m sorry?”
“Lord Needles, Jane,” Lucas explained. “That is who we are looking for, is it not?”
There it was, his rightness bothering Jane yet again. “Well, yes.”
“Yes we are looking for Lord Needles? Or yes the man is marriage material?”
“Both,” Jane bit out, realizing as she did that she meant it. “Yes, both. Do you know, I quite like the man.”
From the corner of her eye, Jane saw Lucas look at her as if he was about to say something. Then he turned his attention back to the crowd, finally uttering, “Are you surprised?”
“Honestly? Yes,” Jane answered, facing Lucas. “You know the man was just as likely to be a pompous, pea-brained, rotten-toothed, doddering old fool. But he’s not. Not even close—in fact, he’s almost perfect.”
“Then I am exceedingly happy for you, Jane,” Lucas said, though she could have sworn the kindness of his words did not show in his eyes.
“Still, there is no point in tempting fate.” He pointed up toward the ceiling to where a mistletoe ball hung jauntily from a red satin ribbon. “A kiss is required, or else.”
Jane looked at him skeptically. “Or else what? I never have quite understood the danger involved.”
“Oh, grievous tidings for those who refuse,” Lucas answered, shaking his finger. “Grievous tidings, indeed.”
Jane considered his response. She certainly could not afford grievous tidings. Not now.
“Seems a rather silly tradition, wouldn’t you agree?” she asked, desperate to avoid Lucas’s lips on hers.
“Tell that to the Picts … Or the Vikings. One or the other. You could tempt fate, I suppose.…”
Flashes of longboats carrying marauding savages filled Jane’s mind. “Perhaps a small peck.” She then closed her eyes and waited.
She felt his breath first, warm puffs of sweet air tantalizing her upper lip. Impatience swept through her and she focused again on marauding Vikings.
She squeezed her eyelids tight as Lucas’s body brushed hers, the wool of his coat rubbing against the bodice of her silk gown.
The friction heated her lungs and she bit back a rising tide of panic, her breathing becoming staccato beats of harried energy.
His finger slowly slid from the tip of her chin to just beneath it and he tipped her head up, trailing along the edge of her jaw to rest in the hollow just beneath her earlobe. He hesitated, tort
uously drawing a semicircle on the heated skin, before removing his hand entirely.
Jane swallowed hard.
The Picts were of Scottish descent, found mainly in eastern and northern Scotland. Or was it southern Scotland?
Her skin prickled with indescribable heat, fiery wisps of hedonistic flame licking at her limbs.
No, it was most definitely northern.
Jane reached out with one hand, a sudden dizziness beginning to spin in her head. Her fingers landed upon Lucas’s chest and she quickly pulled them back, a gasp escaping her lips.
The flames licked hungrily, burning beneath the skin between her breasts and legs.
Lucas touched his lips to hers. Firm, but exquisitely soft, his mouth molded against hers as if made for this very moment.
Was it the Norse who built funeral pyres for their dead? Jane felt flushed. Warm. So, so warm.
He set a sultry pace, the many strong and skilled muscles in his face seemingly intent upon her destruction.
Jane wanted more. Her tongue teased the seam of his mouth to open. The apex between her thighs thrummed with need.
Lucas broke off the kiss.
Jane’s eyes flew open and she frantically searched for something—anything—that would make sense.
“Happy Christmas, Jane,” Lucas murmured.
She struggled to maintain her balance as her mind sorted out where she was, her body responding to the sudden sense of desertion with small, imperceptible spasms in her heated muscles.
“And to you, Lucas,” Jane mumbled, amazed she was able to say anything at all.
Chapter 5
Christmas Day
* * *
He knew he shouldn’t have done it, but Lucas had given Jane something to think about with his kiss. At least, he thought he had. She’d been prattling on about how nearly perfect Lord Needles was. And he’d needed to make her stop.
Lucas stared straight ahead at Vicar Jones, seeing the man’s lips move but hearing nothing of the Christmas morning service. His entire mental attention was focused on the pew behind him, where Jane and her parents sat.
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