by Cheryl Bolen
Still wearing her green velvet, Annabelle strolled into her bedchamber early the following morning. "Forgive me, Marie, for alarming you, but as you can see I am blindingly, spectacularly well."
"Do not tell me that pitchfork has seduced you!"
In fact, he had. "That pitch-, er, rake who isn't a rake, will be my husband before the week is out, and I shall be Mrs. Woodruff." Just saying the name sent a bubbling sensation spiraling through her.
Marie's eyes narrowed. "One cannot believe promises made by men being . . . amorous."
"Your fault my judgment?"
Marie thought about this for a moment, then crossed the chamber and threw her arms around her mistress. "No. My mistress is possessed of excellent judgment. I wish you and your future husband every happiness. This man, he is most fortunate."
Annabelle danced around her bedchamber, shaking her head. "I am the fortunate one."
A smile finally brightened the maid's face. "Does mademoiselle wish to wear the red velvet to church this morning?"
"That will be wonderful. Everything's wonderful."
Marie took the dress from the linen press. "Your Mr. Woodthing will love seeing this on you."
"Mr. Woodruff. My Mr. Woodruff."
* * *
If only the Birmingham brothers could be as happy as she was this beautiful morning, Annabelle thought after the Christmas service as they were driving home in their sleigh beneath blue skies. Spencer put his arm around her, drawing her close to him. This is where she always wanted to be.
Spencer's eyes sparkled as he regarded her. "You look beautiful this morning, Anna."
"I do believe love must be blind, my dearest love. I do not deserve such happiness."
He kissed her cheek. "You deserve every happiness."
When she looked at Emma and Adam opposite, it saddened her to see Adam looking off into the wood, a look of distress on his face.
That the Birminghams' sister had not reached Camden Hall by Christmas was most upsetting. Any number of things could have prevented them from arriving, and none of them were good.At Camden Hall their Christmas supper awaited. They gathered around the table, and no one mentioned the three empty place settings that had been laid for Lord and Lady Agar and the Birminghams' mother. A servant lifted the salver to reveal the fat Christmas goose. Steam lifted away, filling the dinner room with the fowl's comforting aroma. She and Spencer clasped hands.
She felt guilty for being so blissfully happy when it was obvious the Birmingham brothers were worried about their mother and Lady Agar.Dishes were passed along the table and duly scooped into fine porcelain plates. Nick poured wine, and they all took glasses and awaited his toast.
From outdoors, the pounding of horse hooves echoed. Nick leapt from his chair and raced to the window. "They're here! It's Agar's coach." Then, as if he still feared something might have happened to his cherished sister, he eagerly watched. His brothers rushed to stand beside him."Mama looks in good health," William said.
"And Verity!" Adam exclaimed. "She looks like her old self, does she not?"
"She does," Nick said. He turned back to his wife, and they shared a warm smile.
"I knew she was all right," Lady Fiona said. "Now what of my brother? Does he look healthy?"
"He does."
A moment later the chamber was filled with the newcomers. Verity--Lady Agar--did look like a lovely version of Nick or Adam. She was dressed to perfection in a beautifully sewn white velvet frock and held a babe who looked exceedingly well fed--and well loved.
"My dear husband has been worried sick about you," Lady Fiona said to Lady Agar as she embraced her.
Lady Agar turned to Nick, who had just hugged their mother, a stern-looking little woman who looked nothing like the dark members of the family. "You had reason to worry. Our coach got stranded in a Yorkshire snowstorm, but we were fortunate to be able to take shelter at an inn until the storm weakened."
Lord Agar looked adoringly at his lady. "My wife was determined make it to Camden Hall for Christmas Day."
Nick gave her a big bear hug. "And so you did."
"Are you hungry?" Lady Fiona asked her elder brother.
"We are famished," Lord Agar said."We saved places at the Christmas table for you."
After everyone took their seats, Nick tapped at his wine glass with a fork. All eyes turned to the head of the table. His shimmering gaze flicked to his wife. "Fiona and I wish to share with our family our stupendous news."
The room grew so quiet, distant noises from the kitchen below could be heard.
"By this time next year we shall have a babe of our making," he said.
A flurry of felicitations filled the chamber.Nick lifted his wine glass, his loving gaze on his wife. "Let us all give thanks for this, the best Christmas ever."
It was, indeed, Annabelle's best Christmas ever. It was looking as if the second half of her life was to be as wonderful as the first. How could one person be so blessed?
She and Spencer tapped their glasses together.
"To us," he whispered.
The End
Dear Reader,
Thank you for reading A Birmingham Family Christmas. If you would like to keep up with my new releases and other writing news, you can subscribe to my occasional newsletter here.
Brazen Brides Series
If you enjoyed A Birmingham Family Christmas(Book 5 in the series), you might like to check out the other installments in the Brazen Brides series:
Counterfeit Countess (Book 1)
His Golden Ring (Book 2)
Oh What A (Wedding) Night (Book 3)
Miss Hastings’ Excellent London Adventure (Book 4)
Counterfeit Countess
“Readers who like their Regencies spiced with danger and desire will love Bolen's humorous and sexy romance”—Booklist
How can Edward, the Earl of Warwick, get rid of the beautiful woman who comes barreling into his house with no less than fourteen trunks, a younger sister, a maid, and a very large cat? The imposter claims to be Lady Warwick.
Under orders from his superior at the Foreign Office, Edward can't get rid of her because her late husband held the clue to the identity of England's greatest traitor, a clue they must get. But how can Edward be with Maggie, the lovely counterfeit countess, day in and day out—and still keep his pledge to wed another? Available at Amazon.com.
His Golden Ring
Holt Medallion 2006, Best Historical Romance
“Who can resist a marriage of convenience between a couple who have nothing in common—but passion!”—Eloisa James, New York Times Bestselling author
The past year has been most unkind to Lady Fiona Hollingsworth. First, the man she has been promised to for half her life (Edward, Earl Warwick, hero of Counterfeit Countess) broke her heart by marrying another. Then her beloved father died, leaving his financial affairs in shambles. And now her eldest brother has been abducted by Spanish outlaws who demand an exorbitant ransom to ensure his safe return. Desperate to save her brother, Fiona remembers a chance meeting with the handsome Nicholas Birmingham, the richest stockbroker in all of England, a man shunned by her brother. She casts her pride aside and goes to Nicholas, but all she has to offer as collateral is . . . herself. Available at Amazon.com.
Oh What A (Wedding) Night
As Lady Sophia Beresford (recently Lady Finkel) passes through the gates of her new bridegroom’s country estate and he begins to whisper in her ear of the delights that await her in his bed, Lady Sophia realizes she has made a most dreadful mistake. There’s only one thing to do. She must bolt.
The bride-on-the-run is rescued by the exceedingly handsome William Birmingham who thinks she’s a woman named Isadore, and though he’s the richest man in England, she mistakes him for a common (but well-to-do) criminal. Since she’d rather be dead than wed to Finkel, Sophia pretends to be Isadore and take her chances with the provocative Mr. Birmingham. But how could she have known that her ruse would bring the gallant Mr.
Birmingham into such peril from the wicked man she married? And how could she have known her enigmatic rescuer would ignite passions she’d never known she possessed? Available at Amazon.com.
Miss Hastings’ Excellent London Adventure
Having never left Upper Barrington in her twenty years, orphan Miss Emma Hastings is overjoyed when the uncle she's never met invites her to come live with him in London. Everything about living in the Capital lures her. She doesn't even mind sharing her seat in the mail coach with a gargantuan man whose belly rests on his lap. Even when her uncle fails to meet her at the posting inn in London, she's too exhilarated over the city's sights and sounds to be worried. After many hours pass and her uncle does not collect her, she determines to lug her trunk behind her as she struggles through London's streets at night to find her uncle's home.
Spurned by his mistress and vowing to never love again, Adam Birmingham, whose family is the richest in Britain, decides to get very drunk. As he's staggering home, he takes pity on a very small young lady who's lugging a very large trunk behind her. In the rain. Her destination is the home of his next-door neighbor, but no one answers the bell. Adam is compelled to ask the young woman to spend the night at his home. Promptly after showing her the chamber in which she'll sleep, Adam passes out on her chaise. It's not until the following morning he remembers that the lady's uncle has died.
When Adam learns that Emma cannot return to Upper Barrington and that she has nowhere to go, he offers marriage to the hysterical lady. His heart is so shattered, he will never love again. Why not make this helpless orphan happy? Soon after they wed, they become convinced that someone has forged her uncle's will--and likely murdered her uncle. Their resolve to bring the murderer to justice jeopardizes Emma's life. Knowing she's in danger brings out Adam's protective instincts--and something far deeper, something he'd thought to never feel again. . .
Available at Amazon.com.
Win a $50 Gift Certificate
I hope you enjoyed A Birmingham Family Christmas. If you did, would you please consider posting a review by the book's listing at Goodreads and/or Amazon. If you do, please email me at [email protected] and I will enter your name in my quarterly drawings for a $50 Amazon gift certificate. Each time you review one of my books, let me know, and you will get another entry.Thank you from Cheryl Bolen