Her Silent Knight: A Christmas Regency Romance (Belles of Christmas: Frost Fair Book 1)

by Ashtyn Newbold

  Stop, Selina, she scolded herself. He had been quite respectful in agreeing to keep her secret. There was no reason she should dread his presence in the home. He was kind and good, if not a little irksome in his opinions. He deserved to enjoy a lovely Christmastide. They needn’t spend any time together outside of Mama’s planned activities. She could still go about her life as usual. Breakfast at ten, reading by the fire until taking tea with Mama and the occasional visitor in the early afternoon, and then a solo visit to Miss Brisbane’s. Well, at least her mother thought Selina visited Miss Brisbane.

  In truth, Selina and Noah had made a habit of meeting outside his father’s office during that time, when his father was away on calls. He always entertained her with the most exciting conversation. And now they had a marriage to make arrangements for.

  She nearly sighed. Nothing could interfere with her happiness now. She was secretly engaged. Not even the Frost Fair was as thrilling as that.

  “Well, now that we are all together again, shall we explore more of the fair?” Mama asked. “I never did purchase my souvenir. After I do, I should be pleased to return home and ready the house for your arrival, Sir Edmund.”

  Selina exchanged a glance with Edmund, who gave a polite smile. He was enjoying this far too much. Mama walked ahead on the ice, surprisingly unafraid, even after seeing Selina and Edmund’s fall.

  When Mama was several paces away, Edmund leaned closer to Selina, speaking in a whisper. “Let us hope Mr. Skinner did not see that.”

  He didn’t even need to explain what that was. Selina’s face still burned at the thought of their fall. Edmund smiled, and the expression was still just as surprising as it had been the first time she had seen it.

  She eyed him with suspicion. “I believe you wish he had seen it.”

  His eyes rounded innocently as he extended his arm to her. “Why would I wish for that?”

  Edmund couldn’t pretend he was now supporting her match with Noah. There was something very wrong with his smirk. Not even Christmastide could make a serious boy like Edmund smile so much.

  Not a boy, she reminded herself. Though when she took his heavily muscled arm, she doubted she would ever need to remind herself again. She wanted to ask why he disliked Noah so much, but she didn’t want Edmund to think she was doubting her suitor. She wasn’t. Noah had proven himself trustworthy in their time spent together.

  Edmund, however, had not.

  His dark lashes fluttered and his gaze dropped to hers, but she looked away fast. The less of his face she saw, the better, for it had become far too handsome.

  Chapter 4

  Rubbing his finger across the smudge on Grandmother’s silver elephant statue did not serve to clean it. Edmund slid it across the table with a sigh. She would have never allowed it to be left so dirty.

  He glanced up at the portrait of his grandparents that hung above the sofa in the drawing room. Grandmother, so regal, even with that no-nonsense glint in her eye. After being left a widow, she had only softened for a small group of people. Edmund had been privileged to be one of them.

  The house was empty and quiet. Without her humming, he could hear the clock ticking. The chair in which she had always sat was still sunken slightly in the middle. The sight brought a weak smile to Edmund’s face. Though he would have much preferred to see the chair occupied, at least she had left her mark upon it.

  He glanced at the elephant statue on the side table one more time. She had traveled to India after her husband’s death, and she had never ceased to tell Edmund tales of all her adventures there. They had shared a love of the grand animals, and he had been especially fascinated by elephants as a child.

  He would have taken the statue from the side table as a way to remember his Grandmother, but there was a slight problem. He hadn’t received word of her will.

  The story Grandmother was most fond of was how she had purchased her London home with her own money, and that she could give it, along with her entire fortune, to whomever she chose. It did induce her grandchildren to behave a little better while they were visiting. Edmund’s older brother had inherited their family home, and Grandmother had not been as fond of her granddaughters as her grandsons. So that left Edmund as a very likely beneficiary.

  But he had heard nothing. There was much the severe weather had delayed in London, but he had assumed he would have heard from Grandmother’s solicitor by now.

  Turning his back on the statue, he took a deep breath. As much as he would have liked to, he was not spending Christmastide with Grandmother this year, or ever again. He was spending it with the Ellises, and they were expecting him that afternoon. Tomorrow was the first St. Thomas’s Day in years that Grandmother hadn’t used her status as a widow to receive gifts from all her neighbors.

  He checked his pocket watch. There was still time to stop by the solicitor’s office on his way to inquire about any arrangements Grandmother might have made with Mr. Skinner before her death. Thankfully, the elder Mr. Skinner was much more agreeable than his son. And trustworthy.

  How did Selina not see her suitor for what he was? Even if Skinner did have true feelings for her, what was she thinking courting a man so far beneath her station? As beautiful as she was, she could have her pick of men. She was barely out in society; she hadn’t even tried to find a different match. How could she call what she felt for Skinner love if she didn’t have anything else to compare it to? He shushed his thoughts. All they had done was cause him frustration.

  When the last of the belongings he had brought to London were packed, he took the coach across town, shivering slightly as he sat inside. The roads were covered in thick ice, so the coach moved much slower than usual. The bursting of water pipes had caused the abundance of ice on the roads. Edmund had heard a rumor that a man had been challenged to skate from Long Acre to St. James’s Park in five minutes and had completed the task. It seemed the entirety of London, and not just the River Thames, had been fully frosted over.

  When the coach finally stopped in front of Skinner’s office, Edmund stepped carefully down to the road, sliding his feet rather than stepping to avoid another fall. A brisk, cold wind blew at his hat, and he barely stopped it from falling as he stepped through the door.

  A tall clerk with greying hair stepped out of a nearby door to greet him.

  “I wish to speak with Mr. Skinner,” Edmund said. “Is he available?”

  The clerk shook his head. “I’m afraid not.” He eyed the door behind Edmund, which had failed to close all the way. Edmund could hardly feel his own hands and feet, so he certainly hadn’t felt the chill that had likely begun spreading in the warm office.

  He reached back to close the door before regarding the clerk again. “Does he have a moment this afternoon to speak with me? I have just a few brief questions.”

  The clerk’s thin lips were stiff and straight. “No, I’m afraid he will be out of his office for quite some time now. He left a fortnight ago, shortly before the frost set in. The roads won’t be safe to travel for weeks. I extend the sincerest of apologies on his behalf for the delay in service. Please take his card and return when the snow has begun to melt.”

  Edmund frowned. “Could I write to him with my question? It is a simple one pertaining to my grandmother, Mrs. Sharp’s, will.”

  “You could, indeed, but even the mail is quite slow. Mr. Skinner has left much of his work to his son in his absence, who should be able to assist you on simple matters. Shall I send him down to speak with you?”

  Before Edmund had a chance to refuse, the younger Mr. Skinner’s voice, deep and grating, met his ears from down the hallway. It seemed he had been listening for the opportune moment to present himself. “Sir Edmund, how do you do?”

  Edmund turned, hiding his grimace at the sight of Skinner and his over-confident stride. How much did Selina not know about him? Did she know he was known among men for his gambling and known among women for his rakish behavior? How many rumors had escaped Selina’s ears in her sh
ort time out in society? That could have been why she was Mr. Skinner’s target. She hadn’t yet been advised to run away as fast as she could.

  “I am well, and you?” Edmund squared his shoulders, keeping his words polite, but with great effort.

  Skinner looked upward and let out a contented sigh. “Quite.” His gaze shifted to Edmund again. “Come to my office and I will try to assist you with any questions you have regarding your grandmother’s will.”

  Edmund almost refused but stopped himself. He did have several questions for Mr. Skinner, none of which had anything to do with the will.

  Edmund followed him to a doorway down the hall, taking the armchair in front of the solicitor’s desk, which was extremely cluttered, likely due to its current occupant. Skinner slumped down in the seat behind the desk which he had positioned to partially face the large hearth. Warmth radiated from the fire, filling the room with a little too much heat to be comfortable. Edmund’s fingers uncurled from his palms.

  “It was an interesting coincidence to see you at the Frost Fair yesterday,” Skinner said in an offhand voice. “You seemed quite familiar with Miss Ellis.”

  “Not as familiar as you did,” Edmund said.

  Skinner froze for a moment before laughing, propping his elbows on the table. “What did your fanciful imagination manage to deduce from what you observed at the fair?”

  “Miss Ellis told me you are courting her in secret.”

  “She told you, or you made that assumption?”

  “Both.”

  Skinner sighed, a flash of irritation in his eyes. “She told you, despite our agreement not to tell anyone. Women are always far too eager when they have an opportunity of marriage before them.” He smiled, but the irritation still lingered in his expression. Edmund’s suspicions only intensified. Skinner did not love Selina. The only things he loved were money and brandy. Which again begged the question: why was he courting her at all?

  “Surely Miss Ellis could find another opportunity of marriage, should it present itself.” Edmund kept his gaze fixed on Skinner. “Why has she set her sights on you?”

  “I have always possessed the skill of attracting women.” Skinner locked his fingers together with a smile.

  “Why have you chosen to marry her? Wouldn’t you seek an heiress if you are so skilled?” Edmund watched for any sign of dismay in Skinner’s expression, for any sign that he was appalled at the suggestion, but he wasn’t. He seemed . . . amused instead.

  “She is a very attractive young woman, and that is all that drew me to her at first. Then I came to find myself very much in love with her. Even without her money, I would be smitten.”

  “I do not believe you.”

  Skinner laughed under his breath. “I do not need you to believe me. I need you to promise that you will keep our secret.”

  “Miss Ellis has already asked that much of me, and for her, I will oblige.”

  Skinner chuckled again, straightening a stack of papers on his desk.

  Edmund sat back against his chair for a brief moment before Skinner’s words caught up to him. His spine straightened. “Even without her money?”

  “Pardon me?”

  “You said you would be smitten even without Miss Ellis’s money.” Edmund frowned. “Selina does not have a dowry.”

  “There are certain things you discover as you peruse the files on your father’s desk, Sir Edmund. Miss Ellis’s mother may not have been able to afford an inheritance for her daughter, but her childless uncle and aunt in Cheshire certainly have. Mrs. Ellis has been aware of this for months but is waiting to tell her daughter as a way to usher in the new year with good fortune.” He chuckled. “Once Selina learns of her fortune, she will never realize I already knew. And I daresay I have stolen enough of her heart that she would not care even if she did.”

  Edmund crossed his arms, shaking his head. It all made sense now. An heiress would suspect a fortune hunter in an instant when pursued by Skinner. But a naive young woman with a fortune unbeknownst to her? The perfect target.

  “You know I cannot keep your intentions from her,” Edmund warned. “She deserves to know.”

  Skinner seemed unaffected by Edmund’s words, picking up a paper from his stack before Edmund could see the front. “I also found this document, which appears to be the last will and testament of Frederica Hester Sharp. Does that name sound familiar?”

  Edmund stiffened as Mr. Skinner turned abruptly in his chair toward the hearth. In one motion, he thrust his arm out and hovered Edmund’s grandmother’s will dangerously close to the flames.

  Edmund stood, afraid to make another move with the corner of the paper so close to catching fire. One flick of Skinner’s wrist and it would be gone forever.

  Skinner’s eyes darted between Edmund and the flames. “If you tell Selina—or anyone else—any detail of our conversation today, I will burn this document. If she expresses any doubts to me about my motivations or changes her mind about marrying me, and I discover you were responsible, you will never see this will again.” Skinner moved the paper impossibly closer to the flames. “Stay out of business that is not your own, and I will do the same.” Skinner nodded toward the paper, his expression growing serious.

  Heat climbed Edmund’s neck, and he curled his fists. He had been right about Skinner. He was manipulative and cunning, and love was the last thing he would ever give. All he did was take. And he had taken poor Selina’s heart with no intention of truly giving his in return . . . at least not without a steep price.

  Edmund’s determination to protect Selina rose as he took a step away from the desk. “I won’t say a word.” His voice was hard.

  “Good. Then I will keep this will safe until my father’s return.” Skinner slipped the document back into his stack before gesturing at the door behind Edmund. “I wish you a good day.”

  Edmund didn’t wish Skinner the same as he walked out the door. He had never been so eager to step outside in the frigid weather than he was now.

  Anger pulsed through his veins as he climbed back into the coach. What Skinner didn’t know was that Edmund was going to be the Ellises’ guest over the next several weeks, and Edmund planned to keep him unaware of that fact. No one would be closer to Selina than Edmund. Skinner didn’t know that Edmund could keep silent and still stop Selina from marrying him at the same time. All it would take was a little creativity.

  Chapter 5

  “Might I ask where you are you going?”

  The question came from behind as Selina grasped the front door handle. Drat. Drat, drat, drat. She turned around with an innocent expression, her heart beating fast against her ribs. As expected, Edmund stood with one elbow leaning against the banister, a deep arch in his right eyebrow.

  “I visit my dear friend Miss Brisbane at this time every day.” She smiled to reassure him before turning back toward the door.

  Four clicks of Edmund’s boots sounded on the marble floor. She scowled and whirled to face him just as he reached for the door handle. She froze, trapped between Edmund and the door. She assumed he would move, given their sudden proximity, but he stayed still, tipping his head down to look at her with no small measure of suspicion. “I happen to know Mrs. Brisbane has a cold and is not accepting visitors in her house until she recovers.” His voice was deep and certain, his eyes cutting into Selina like two shards of ice.

  “I-I am an exception. I am always welcome.” Selina tipped her head up, exuding all the confidence she could. In reality, she was not aware of an illness in the Brisbane household, and she hadn’t visited Miss Brisbane in weeks.

  Good heavens, why wouldn’t Edmund back up a step? Her heart pounded at his closeness and her palms began to perspire in her gloves. She hadn’t put on all this heavy wool just to stand inside, trapped between Edmund and the door.

  “Would a young lady wear rouge on her lips to visit a female friend?” Edmund’s gaze flitted to her lips for a brief moment before meeting her gaze again with that blasted arched
eyebrow.

  Selina’s cheeks heated even more. How inappropriate could his questions be? Infuriating man! Simply because their families were friends and they had known each other as children did not mean he could behave so . . . comfortably around her, asking questions that were none of his concern.

  “A lady always tries to look her best.” Selina leveled him with her gaze. “And behave in a manner that is proper.” Her words were pointed at him but didn’t seem to have the desired effect. If anything, he moved closer, peeling back her facade—it seemed—with his gaze.

  “Is sneaking away to have a tête-a-tête with a man considered proper behavior?”

  “I already told you, I am visiting Miss Brisbane.” Selina felt a pang of guilt at her lies. She might have told him the truth if he hadn’t been so accusatory and condescending. When had he decided to act as if she were his ward? Her father had died just before she was born. She had already made it to the age of eighteen without needing to be protected, so why did Edmund think he could do so now?

  After a long moment, he seemed to relent, stepping back. Selina exhaled, unsettled by her reaction to him. The space between them was still small, but at least there was space.

  “Considering the circumstances in the Brisbane household,” he said, “I think it is best that you stay away. The fact that you are leaving at all makes me wonder . . . have you forgotten about this?” Edmund held up a sheet of foolscap, and the extravagant hand was immediately recognizable as her mother’s.

  Oh, yes. The list.

  Shortly after Edmund had arrived the afternoon before, Mama had presented both him and Selina with a copy of what she called The Ellis Christmastide List. On it was row after row of activities she had planned for the next three weeks with dates and times, including the one Edmund’s finger hovered next to as he presented the paper to Selina.