The Joy of Christmas Present: Sweet Regency Romance (A Dickens of a Christmas Book 2)

by L G Rollins

  Truly? “Don’t you think you’re overreacting just a little?”

  “Most likely.” He ran a hand over the back of his neck. “You are right; he hasn’t done anything that . . . now, hold on.” Fredrick shook a finger toward his sister and Topper.

  Helena turned and looked down at the couple just in time to see them slip into the maze.

  “No gentleman would lead a lady into such a secluded place as that when it was only the two of them,” Fredrick said, his tone quickly turning sharp. He took hold of Helena’s hand and began pulling her toward the downhill path which led to the maze’s entrance. “This is just the sort of thing I have been expecting.”

  The maze quickly rose up on Helena’s left. In no more than half a dozen steps, she could no longer see the tops of the hedges. “Surely they only mean to go for a short stroll.” It was steadily growing too cold to do more than that. “You don’t need my help in ascertaining your sister’s safety.”

  He gave her hand a squeeze. “Of course I do. I can’t very well go in alone. It’ll look like I’m following after them with no other intention than to spy.”

  “That is your only intention,” Helena said, dryly.

  “Didn’t you ever hear that appearances are everything? With us walking together, it will look like we, too, are simply taking a stroll.”

  “Only worried about propriety when it concerns your sister, hmm?” Helena asked, even as panic built in her chest.

  The hedges were ever so tall now. Was it just her, or was it much colder here than nearer the house? “Everyone will be heading back indoors soon. Why not wait for them until then?”

  He pulled her through the towering entrance. “You clearly have never been a brother before.”

  Helena’s heart beat so loudly, she could hear it pulsing. “Clearly.” It was all she could manage to say.

  Which was utter foolishness. There was no reason for her to be nervous or shaking. She was walking through a perfectly respectable hedge maze—not at all like the one in her nightmares. There were no incorporeal spirits casting long dark shadows. The path was well cared for, and not a blade of grass cut at her ankles or pulled at her skirts.

  Fredrick continued speaking. Helena tried to listen, but she was needing most of her attention to keep her breathing steady. This would only be a short walk. Surely they would find Christina and Topper soon. Then it would only be a quick turn around, and they’d be out within minutes.

  A twig snapped somewhere behind them. Helena spun around, but the path was empty.

  “Come, I think they must have gone this way.” Fredrick pulled her further into the maze.

  She could always tell him she didn’t wish to continue—but what excuse would she give? That she was childish? That she was scared because of a bad dream? No, she was far too mature to fall to pieces over—

  “You take that path, and I’ll take this one,” Fredrick said.

  “What? We’re splitting up?” Helena could hear the panic in her own voice. If she didn’t take control of her emotions immediately, she wouldn’t have to explain to Fredrick that she was a bit of an imbecile. He’d figure it all out on his own.

  “Don’t go far,” he said, already letting go of her and walking away. “Just check around either corner and come right back here.”

  He strode off without looking back.

  Helena glanced around her. The sun was setting and only tinges of pink and orange could be seen above a few of the hedges. They needed to find Christina and Topper and leave as soon as possible, otherwise, they risked being caught out in the dark. A chill ran down her spine at the thought.

  Helena hurried forward. She could do this. She could ignore her tight stomach and racing heart. She would stay focused. Find Christina. Locate Topper.

  And, later, she’d corner Fredrick and ring a peal over his head for dragging her in here.

  Fredrick turned a corner. They couldn’t have gotten far. He and Helena were only a few minutes behind Christina and Topper. Then again, if he’d taken a wrong turn near the entrance, it might be quite a while still before he found them. Blasted maze.

  If Topper so much as gave him a single reason to think he might have less than honorable intentions—

  Soft voices made him slow his step. It certainly sounded like Christina speaking, but he wasn’t close enough to tell for sure, let alone make out any of the words. Fredrick tread carefully; he’d wanted to make sure his sister was safe but wasn’t eager to announce his presence.

  The voices grew even quieter. Was he moving the wrong direction? He could have sworn they’d been coming from just up ahead. The path Fredrick was on came to a T. He poked his head out slowly. Nothing to the left. He swung to the right.

  Topper and Christina stood only a few paces away, facing one another. Fredrick slipped up close to the hedge, careful to stay hidden. Christina would kill him if she ever found out he was spying on her, but he couldn’t, in good conscience, walk away. This was the best compromise he could come up with. If she ever did find out, she’d just have to come to understand as much.

  “I got you something,” Topper said. He reached into a pocket and pulled out a small, rectangular box.

  A gift? That was rather forward. One black mark against Topper.

  Christina took hold of it, her smile radiant, and pulled open the lid. “Oh, it’s lovely!”

  Topper reached inside the box, drawing out a long chain with something small dangling from the center. Moving around behind Christina, he secured the necklace about her neck.

  Christina pressed the charm closer to her with a gloved hand. “I love it.”

  Fredrick opened and closed a fist—he wished he could fidget, but doing so would risk making too much noise. Watching something that was clearly meant to be private was quickly becoming most uncomfortable for him. Part of him felt he truly ought to move away, while another part of him protested, saying this was just the sort of thing a cad would do before forcing himself on an unsuspecting woman.

  Neither part was strong enough to overwhelm the other, and Fredrick found himself rooted to the spot.

  Topper placed his hands on Christina’s shoulders and whispered something too low for Fredrick to hear. Whatever it was, it put Christina to the blush—another black mark—but it also made her smile, so he had not said anything that had caused his sister alarm.

  Topper moved back around and faced Christina once more. Perhaps it was just as well Fredrick should make his presence known now. He’d given the gift; there was nothing more for Topper to do—nothing honorable, anyway.

  Fredrick lifted a foot, ready to step out and appear all nonchalant, as though he’d only accidentally come across them.

  “Do you truly like it?” Topper asked.

  Christina placed a hand against the necklace and nodded.

  “Good, because it’s actually half of a matched set.” Topper took hold of Christina’s hand and dropped to one knee, pulling out a golden ring.

  Fredrick pulled back once more.

  “Christina, my sweet,” Topper spoke loud enough for Fredrick to hear this time, “I came here only in the hopes of finding a bit of holiday cheer, a bit of enjoyment. But instead, I found something far better. I found you. Never have I known such beauty or such kindness. Please, I cannot leave without knowing you share my love. Please say you’ll marry me.”

  “Yes,” Christina said enthusiastically. “Yes, with all my heart.”

  Topper stood and pulled Christina close, kissing her.

  Fredrick stepped away from the corner. Never had he heard a more sincere statement than the one Topper had just uttered. Helena had been right all along. Topper had been honorable in his attentions. The crunch of footfalls alerted him that Topper and Christina were walking his way. Fredrick ducked down a side path and allowed them to pass him. They walked by, her arms wrapped around his, large smiles on both their faces and eyes which only saw one another.

  What a bumbling, overprotective fool he’d been. At least
his vigilance hadn’t caused any harm or embarrassment. Being careful to remain unseen, Fredrick followed them through the maze and back toward the entrance. Although, once he told everything to Helena, he very well might become the brunt of more than one joke.

  Helena reached a turnoff. She took a few steps down the path to the right, but she could neither see nor hear anyone in that direction. Turning around, she searched a different path off the other way. Still no luck. She closed her eyes momentarily, even as her breathing sped up.

  Gracious, but the high hedge walls felt ever so much more intimidating when alone. Fredrick was certainly going to hear from her about this. Let him follow her anywhere he so chose, but next time she wasn’t going to be party to it.

  Helena paused in the middle of the path. This wasn’t Fredrick’s fault. She’d willingly followed him in here. Christina was her friend, too, and she also wished to ascertain that Christina was safe.

  Moreover, this was nothing but a hedge maze. Anyone with sense would simply keep their wits about them and find their way out. They wouldn’t shake or tremble. But she was. She took hold of her skirt and hurried forward, willing her breathing to remain calm.

  Helena stepped down another path but still could not find anyone. Rubbing her hands over either arm, she turned and hurried back toward where Fredrick had unceremoniously abandoned her.

  Only, he wasn’t there. An early night wind rustled the topmost leaves of the hedges around her, wailing high above her head. The chill of the wind was blocked by the walls around her, but she could still feel the temperature dropping. A harsh shiver shook her. Where was Fredrick?

  Her skin crawled and she rubbed furiously at her arms. There were no spooks here. No spooks. No spooks.

  Helena turned slowly around—but, wait. This wasn’t the same spot he’d left her. Helena went cold. She hurried down the path she’d just come. But nothing here looked familiar. Or it did—it all looked the same. Blast. Helena wrapped her arms tightly against her stomach but couldn’t stop shaking.

  The last rays of the sun were quickly disappearing. Her throat felt as though it was closing off. She wasn’t safe here. She couldn’t stay. She rushed down one path and then around a corner. This path looked exactly like the one behind her. Just like the one before that, too. No matter how many paths she took, she couldn’t find her way back to where Fredrick had left her. She couldn’t find the entrance.

  There was no way out.

  As she groped her away around the maze, the sky overhead turned orange, then pink, then purple, and finally a dark black. Helena couldn’t stop shivering. Her teeth chattered so loudly, they seemed to pound against her head.

  It was as though no matter how many turns she made, how many paths she took, she always ended up exactly where she started. It was just like her nightmare. In complete darkness, she urged her feet to continue walking.

  Her foot snagged on something and she stumbled forward, her right shoulder colliding into the hedge. Sticks and twigs pricked and scraped against her, sending shots of immobilizing pain across her whole form.

  Helena struggled to breathe against the ache as she dropped to one knee. She couldn’t breathe. She lifted a hand to her throat but found nothing there. Still, no matter how much she tried, she couldn’t seem to draw in enough air.

  She couldn’t feel her feet, and her hands moved as though awkward clubs.

  But she couldn’t stay.

  She wasn’t safe.

  She had to keep trying to get up . . . had to escape.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  As they reached the entrance to the maze, Topper slowed his step and turned toward Christina. “Let me go see if I can find your brother.” He kissed her forehead. “We’ll talk more tonight.”

  Christina nodded her agreement. They walked out of the maze, Topper turning one way and Christina another. Fredrick held back a bit. With Topper looking for him now, he needed to be doubly sure he wasn’t spotted leaving the maze.

  And where was Helena? He’d felt certain he would have caught sight of her as he made his way out. Christina and Topper had been most helpful, though unknowingly so, and walked directly by the spot where he and Helena had split. She hadn’t been there. Had she already given up on finding Christina and left? She had seemed rather put out at him for dragging her into the maze. All the more so because she’d already been upset with him.

  Fredrick peeked out from the hedge maze. No one was looking toward the entrance. He quickly stepped out and hurried after Christina, putting as much distance between himself and the entrance as possible.

  His sister joined a group of women. Just past Christina, Fredrick caught sight of a dark blue pelisse. So Helena had come out of the maze already. His steps slowed. He ached to walk up to her and tell her all he’d seen. But it wouldn’t be wise.

  A footman walked up to Fredrick. “Pardon me, sir, but Lady Chapman has requested everyone return to the house. Dinner is about to be served.”

  Fredrick glanced toward the sky. The sun’s rays were all but gone. Soon it would be dark. “Yes, of course.” They’d stayed outside far longer than any of them had originally planned.

  The footman moved on to inform the other guests. Alone, Fredrick slowly made his way back toward the house. No doubt, Topper would be wanting to speak with him, possibly even before they all sat down to dinner. Wouldn’t Helena crow over his head when she learned how right she had been?

  Fredrick reached the house before the women did. Standing just inside the back parlor doors, he watched their approach. With their heads bent close to one another, they seemed far too occupied to walk quickly at all.

  “Excuse me, Lord Chapman.”

  Topper had found him at last. “Yes?”

  “I wondered if I might have a word with you.”

  He could string the man along or just give in immediately. One sounded far more fun, the other far safer, assuming Topper would most likely repeat their conversation to Christina after the matter was settled.

  “It is a matter of some delicacy.”

  The women drew nearer, and the one wearing the dark blue turned her face toward him. It wasn’t Helena. Instead, it was Lady Andrews. And now that Fredrick looked closer, he couldn’t imagine why he’d thought her to be Helena in the first place. The cut of the pelisse was different, and the woman’s height was wrong.

  “Perhaps,” Topper continued in his silence, “we might remove to—”

  Fredrick put a hand on his shoulder stopping him. “Have you seen Helena?”

  Topper’s mouth shut with a snap. Then his brow creased. “I saw Miss Spencer earlier today, but I can’t say I’ve seen her lately.”

  Blast. Fredrick flung the door open and hurried back out toward the group of women walking his way.

  “Where is Helena?” he asked the group at large.

  The women glanced about at each other and shook their heads. A few said things like, “I thought she returned to the house already,” or “I haven’t seen her.”

  Fredrick pushed past them. The night was upon them. The clear sky stretched out over the top of the hedge maze. She had to still be in there. Hang him. Spinning, he turned back toward the house. Topper watched him from the doorway.

  “Helena is lost in the maze.”

  Miss Wynn let out a tsk. “I am sure she will return to the house soon. It isn’t even snowing tonight.”

  “No,” Lord Forbes said, his voice as flat as ever. “It’s worse. The sky is clear.”

  Lord Forbes was correct. A clear sky was far more dangerous than a cloudy one, for at least clouds kept the temperature from dropping too low. On a winter night when the sky was clear, all living things were in danger of freezing.

  “Gather the men,” Fredrick said.

  Topper jumped into action, but Fredrick didn’t hang around waiting to see who was willing to join the search. He turned and hurried toward the maze.

  “Helena!” Fredrick called for the dozenth time. Hang him and his own irrationality. He
should not have followed Christina and Topper in here. Even more so, he should not have left Miss Spencer.

  This was why he should never have become an earl. This was why his father never should have died and left such responsibilities to him. He’d only been trying his best to watch over his sister, and now he’d placed Helena in very real danger. The night was deucedly cold. A person could die unsheltered on a night like this. He couldn’t feel his feet, and he was wearing thick boots. What must Helena’s feet feel like by now?

  He called again but still heard no answer. How big was this cursed maze? Somewhere, far off, he heard another man call for her. He’d crossed paths with Lord Forbes once and Mr. Andrews twice. No one had seen a trace of Helena. He hadn’t heard any other voices besides his own for far too long.

  Curse him for dragging her in here.

  He had to find her.

  “Helena!” he called out again, feeling as much as seeing his way down the path and around a corner. “Helena!”

  He took two steps, then paused. In the moonlight, he could barely make out a small form huddled near the base of the hedge.

  “Helena?”

  The lump on the ground moaned and shifted about slightly. Fredrick hurried forward and dropped to his knees. The pebbles of the path bit hard. Why did everything hurt so much more when one was freezing?

  He reached out, his hand resting against her shoulder. It was Helena, all right.

  She stirred but didn’t open her eyes. He couldn’t see her well enough to assess her by the color of her skin or lips. But if he had to guess, he would assume they were both far too blue.

  He gave her a gentle shake. “Helena. You have to get up. We have to get you out of here.”

  She squirmed slightly and let out another groan, her eyes still not opening.

  “Come on,” Fredrick said, slipping an arm beneath her and lifting her into a sitting position. She was lethargic and wholly unresponsive.

  She didn’t lift her head; instead, it swung back and forth. He needed to get her warm. Keeping one arm around her, else he was certain she’d collapse, he shrugged one arm out of his greatcoat. Switching her to his other arm, he shrugged the rest of the way out. Lud, but it was frigid. Fredrick draped the coat about her shoulders and tucked her close to his side.