A Berkshire Christmas

by S. White

  “What ...”

  Simon held up his hand. “Please, let me finish. Two years ago, my mother forced me into a bargain.

  Well, not forced exactly. I had my reasons for agreeing. She gave me two years to find a woman to marry or at least be betrothed. It is now two years later and I am neither wed nor betrothed.”

  “My lord, I may have lived in the country for the last few years, but I do read the papers. I believed you are betrothed to Clarissa Barrington. Your choice of brides leaves much to be desired.” Kathleen had to smile at the look on Simon's face.

  “Why? What do you know?”

  “Not much. Clarissa and I attended the same school. She … Let me just say she is not a person I would like to call a friend.”

  “I see. I believe you are right in your assessment of Clarissa's character. Two days ago, our engagement was called off. I attended a ball and found her in something of a compromising position with another gentleman.”

  Kathleen's hand flew to her mouth to keep from laughing. “Oh dear.”

  “I only asked the woman because time was running short and I did not want to disappoint my mother. I never expected her to accept.” Simon finished his wine and pour another. “My heart was not involved in my decision to either ask her to marry me or to end the engagement. I will not made to look the foot.”

  Kathleen couldn’t help her smile. “I see. Perhaps it was all a misunderstanding.”

  “I know what I saw, Miss Richards. I still have the problem of my mother. She knows of my engagement to Clarissa and I must say she was less than pleased. She has heard of Clarissa's reputation even in Berkshire.” Simon paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. “Which brings me to my proposition.”

  Simon took a deep breath and then continued. “I would like you to pose as my betrothed for the duration of my stay with my family. Just until boxing day. After that, I will find you a position. Possibly as a lady's companion.”

  ❄Chapter Twelve ❄

  Kathleen was silent for the longest time. Simon was on pins and needles waiting for her reply. “This proposition isn't what I expected to hear from you. I shouldn't consider it, yet the idea is intriguing.”

  “I promise to do my best to secure you employment after the new year. I know of several older ladies who would welcome someone like you as their companion. Besides, wouldn't it be nice to spend the Holidays with a real family instead of being alone in a room somewhere.”

  “I still have a question. What will you tell your family about your change of betrothed? They are expecting Clarissa and they get me.” Kathleen had to smile at that thought.

  Simon was silent for a moment. “I will just say Clarissa and I did not suit and that I found the woman I have been searching. My true love.”

  “Your mother would believe such a Banbury Tale?”

  “Knowing me, yes. What do you say? You will be helping me out and I promise to secure a position for you after the Holidays.”

  After a moment's thought, she answered. “All right. I will do it. I don't know why, but I do trust you.”

  Simon grinned. “Excellent. I am sure you will not regret it.”

  “I can only hope but if this situation makes me uncomfortable I will leave even if I have to walk to the nearest posting house.”

  “You wouldn’t have to walk. I will have my driver convey you and purchase your ticket to London or anywhere else.” Simon hoped it wouldn't come to that. He didn't want her to ever leave him.

  What if she doesn't fall in love with me? I have only a few days!

  They finished their meal in a companionable silence before Simon escorted Kathleen to his carriage. He handed his driver her small portmanteau and he stowed in the boot. Simon helped Kathleen into the carriage and then joined her. Rogers was the last to enter the carriage.

  Simon's driver made sure there were steaming hot bricks at their feet, and Simon placed a warm throw across Kathleen's lap.

  She was surprised at the great care he took to ensure her comfort, but Kathleen shouldn't have been. She was doing him a great favor.

  ❄

  The slow rocking of the coach eventually had Kathleen's eyes closing. Soon, she was leaning against the side of the carriage in an awkward position.

  Simon moved across the carriage to sit beside her. He pulled her closer to him. Simon placed his arm around her so she could use his shoulder as a pillow. Kathleen snuggled in Simon's arms with a contented smile on her face.

  I think I am in heaven! My fondest Christmas wish has finally come true!

  Rogers gave his employer a frown and started to say something.

  “Well, out with it, Rogers. You disapprove,” Simon guessed from his Valet's stiff posture.

  “It is not my place, my lord.”

  Come now, Rogers. That has never stopped you before.”

  “What happens to her when Christmas is over? Does she go back to being a simple governess? Or will you turn her into your mistress?”

  “When in all the years you have known me, have I ever kept a mistress?” Simon glanced down at the sleeping woman in his arms. “I hope this woman marries me by the end of the Holiday,” he said in a soft voice.

  Three hours later, the carriage turned down the long drive to Audley Manor. Simon removed his arm from around Kathleen's shoulders but still allowed her to sleep against his arm.

  It would be another half an hour before the driver pulled the carriage to a stop under the Georgian portico.

  Simon gently awakened Kathleen. She looked at the man beside her with blurry eyes. It was then she realized Simon was sitting beside her with her head resting on his shoulder.

  Her face turned bright red. “I beg your pardon, my lord. I did not mean to fall asleep and certainly not use you as my pillow.”

  “Please, call me Simon. After all, we are betrothed.” Simon grinned down at her. “I am sure you are very tired after all you have been through today.”

  “Still, I beg your pardon.”

  “Consider it forgotten.” Never! “We have arrived, my dear Kathleen.”

  The Manor's massive doors opened. The butler stood shivering on the steps. His brother, John, followed the butler outside.

  Simon's driver jumped from the box and let down the step.

  Rogers was the first to emerge from the coach. Simon followed but turned to help Kathleen.

  John ran down the steps, slipping and sliding all the way. He surprised his brother by pulling Simon into a bear hug. “I have missed you, brother.”

  When he released him, John eyed Kathleen. “Greetings, brother. This must be Clarissa, your betrothed.”

  Kathleen's face heated up bowing her head to hid the flush.

  Simon cleared his throat. “Actually, John, Clarissa and I found we did not suit. Fortunately, I found the love of my life. Brother, meet Kathleen Richards. Kathleen, my brother, John.”

  John's jaw dropped in surprise and then grinned. “Mother is going to love this.”

  Simon grinned. “Shut up, John. Just go tell mother that I have arrived.”

  John practically skipped to the door which their butler was holding open despite the freezing temperatures. The short path to the door looked slippery. John skidded once before regaining his balance.

  Simon took Kathleen’s arm and guided her toward the door and what awaited within.

  ❄Chapter Thirteen ❄

  Simon escorted Kathleen into the house with John leading the way. He led them up the stairs to the first-floor drawing room. John opened the doors with a flourish.

  The heat from the fireplace hit Kathleen with a welcoming warmth. Just the short trip from the carriage to the door caused her feet to feel like two blocks of ice. Her woolen gloves did little to keep her fingers from the cold.

  The Dowager Countess sat in a winged-chair in front of the fireplace. A servant had just added several more logs to the fire. She was staring into the flames. She turned her head when she heard the door open and John entered.

&nb
sp; “Look who has finally arrived, Mama?”

  The Countess rose to her feet when she saw Simon and then a pretty dark-haired woman on his arm. Her brows knitted in confusion. This young woman didn't fit the description of Clarissa Barrington. Her friends in London has described in detail everything they knew about the woman and none of it was good.

  Simon smiled at his mother as he moved around John. Kathleen tried to remove her hand from his jacket sleeve, but he wasn't having any of it.

  “Mother, I want you to meet my betrothed, Kathleen Richards.” Simon smiled down at the woman on his arm with love in his eyes.

  The Countess smiled when she saw the look in her eldest son's eyes. “I thought ...”

  “I know, Mama. My engagement to Clarissa Barrington was a mistake and it is over. Fortunately, I found the love of my life again and she has agreed to wed me.”

  “Welcome, Kathleen. Come closer to the fire. You both must be frozen to the bone.”

  Simon moved Kathleen closer to the soothing warmth of the fireplace. He could see the questions in his mother's eyes, but he was grateful she didn't voice them in front of Kathleen. She would get him alone at some point and question him as only a mother could.

  “Are we the last to arrive?” Simon was sure they probably were. He had always put off his arrival home for the Holidays for as long as possible.

  This year, he gave thanks for it. If he had left London even an hour earlier than he did, Simon would not be standing in his mother's drawing room with Kathleen on his arm.

  “Your Uncle James arrived last night. I believe he is still abed. The journey tired him. My brother is not as young as he used to be,” the Countess said. “Caroline, her husband, Neil, and their three children arrived yesterday.”

  “So we have a full house?”

  “Yes. I had a letter from my sister, Evelyn, this morning. She will be arriving from Italy by Boxing Day.” The Countess paused a moment. “Where are my manners. I should ring for refreshments.”

  “Never mind tea, Mama.” Simon was surprised about his Aunt Evelyn's arrival. “I have not seen Aunt Evelyn for at least … fifteen years. I thought she would stay in Italy for the rest of her life. What brings her to England?”

  “Yes, well, she does have a motive to her madness. When she returns to Italy, she wishes to take me with her. Now that I am a widow, there is nothing keeping me in England.”

  Simon was shocked at the idea of his mother deserting her family but tried not to let it show. “No. Just your children and grandchildren. What of Emily. She is not yet wed and refuses a London Season.”

  “I agree. Emily's unmarried state is a problem. But why am I keeping the two of you standing here freezing? I will have Clive show Kathleen to her room. I have put her in the room next to yours.”

  Kathleen stood at the fire warming her hands and feet. She listened to the conversation between mother and son. It was clear they loved each other very much and Simon would do anything to make his mother happy. Even a pretend engagement to a stranger.

  The Countess rang for the butler. The door opened quickly and Clive appeared. “Please, show my son's betrothed to her room. I wish to speak with my son for a moment.”

  “Very good, my lady.” Clive bowed.

  The Countess smiled at Kathleen. “I will see you at supper, my dear.”

  “Thank you, my lady.”

  Simon was forced to release Kathleen's hand. He watched her walk away until the door closed.

  Mother and son eyed each other for a moment. It was Beatrice Audley who spoke first. “So Simon, what is this about and what happened to Clarissa Barrington?”

  His mother's silences made Simon nervous. His eyes moved towards the Liquor table before his feet did. He poured himself a hefty glass of brandy and then he rejoined his mother.

  Simon cleared his throat. “I suppose you are wondering about Clarissa and Kathleen.”

  ❄Chapter Fourteen ❄

  Something was not right here, but Beatrice couldn't put her finger on it. There was the question Clarissa Barrington. She had to presume the engagement was broken.

  “Mother, Clarissa Barrington ...”

  The dowager Countess harrumphed before she said. “I don't give a fiddler's stick about Clarissa Barrington. The things I have heard about that woman would make a … nevermind.” She sighed. “Would you care to explain, Simon?”

  “Not really.”

  “Simon!”

  “Oh, very well. I broke the engagement when I found Clarissa in the arms of another man. I know it was not gentlemanly of me to break the betrothal, but I can not marry that woman.”

  Simon didn't want to explain to his mother the entire circumstances surrounding his engagement to Clarissa Barrington. It would make him look the fool. He didn't like that feeling.

  “And Kathleen? What of her?”

  “I love her, Mama. I know it sounds like I am deranged because I only met her this morning, but she is the woman I have been searching for.”

  Simon didn't want to elaborate on his two-year search for Kathleen. It would make him look like an idiot as well as a fool and he didn't like that feeling either.

  “I see.” his mother fell silent for a moment. “Then … we will just have to see you wed before the Holidays are over. Fortunately, your uncle is here and he can officiate.”

  Simon smiled. “I would like nothing more, Mama, but Kathleen would have to agree to be my Countess, but I don't see that happening.”

  “We will see, Simon, we will see.”

  ❄

  Simon found himself in his study. There was something he had to do before dinner. His ever efficient servants had lit a fire in the fireplace.

  He knew what he had to do but just the trip from the drawing room to his study made his bones ache with the cold. He stood in front of the roaring flames for a few minutes to warm his hands.

  This room hadn't changed in the last year. The book in the bookcases were still arranged neatly, but he didn't expect anything less. The only one to ever pull a book off the shelved was his sister, Emily.

  Simon glanced up at the portrait hanging above the fireplace. It was done many years ago when his father was alive. His family was complete then. His father stood behind a chair where his mother sat with a tiny Emily on her lap. Simon and John stood beside their father. Caroline leaned against their mother's chair. It was a picture of a happy family. He wanted one like it when he married Kathleen.

  Even though Kathleen was in his house, that goal seemed further away than ever. Simon turned away from the fireplace. He needed to accomplish what he set out to do before dinner.

  A small painting of his favorite horse hung on the wall above the table containing cut-glass bottles of liquor; from brandy to sherry. He was tempted to pour himself a glass of brandy but instead, he removed the painting to reveal a safe. Simon reached into his pocket for a key. He opened the safe and removed a box.

  Simon took the box to the desk and sat down. He stared at it for a moment before he lifted the lid. The box contained the family jewels dating back several centuries. He poked through the box looking for something he knew was there. Simon found it at the bottom. He lifted a ring box and opened it. A large emerald surrounded by diamonds winked back at him.

  “Perfect. Just perfect.”

  Simon shut the lid and placed it in his pocket before he returned the box of jewelry to the safe. He had replaced the painting when the door opened. John poked his head in and stepped inside.

  “Do you ever knock, brother?” Simon settled in his chair behind the desk.

  John grinned. “I was not sure where to find you.”

  His younger brother walked across the study to sit in a chair across from Simon.

  “Where else would I be, John?”

  “With your betrothed,” John answered.

  “I am sure she is sleeping. It had been a long journey for her.”

  “Are you going to tell me what is going on? First, we hear you are engaged to a
woman named Clarissa Barrington. By the way, Mother was not too pleased about that. Then you show up here with a different betrothed.”

  John rose from his chair to pour himself a drink. He didn't offer his brother one.

  Simon sighed. “It is a long story, John.”

  “We have time before dinner. So give, brother.”

  “Very well. It started two year ago in London. It was the day before I was to leave for Berkshire or rather the evening before. I had decided to attend one last Christmas ball, but I was late.”

  “And? This had better be good.” John finished his drink and moved to the edge of his seat.

  “Oh, it is.” Simon removed the dancing slipper from his inside breast pocket. “It was a night which changed my life.”

  ❄Chapter Fifteen ❄

  A maid showed Kate to a very large bedchamber. The walls were a light blue with white trim around the doors, windows, and wainscoting. She had always considered blue to be a masculine color, but this room was very feminine. It was light and airy. It was also very warm. A fire roared in the large fireplace set between two windows.