It Happened One Christmas

by Kaitlin O'Riley

  “It’s an engagement ring. I thought you should have one.”

  “Oh, Henry, it’s beautiful. Thank you.” She had never possessed a ring before.

  “Put it on.”

  She slipped the delicate ring over her trembling finger.

  It was entirely too large and slid around her finger in a ridiculous manner.

  “I told the jeweler I thought it too large. You have such slender fingers.” He shook his head in disappointment. “We shall go back and have him size it properly for you,” he said, attempting to be positive.

  “Yes, just as soon as we can,” she agreed, placing the pretty ring back in the box. While she had been away in Brighton kissing a veritable stranger, Henry had planned a party for her and bought her a lovely ring. Feeling perfectly wretched, she handed the ring box to Henry and he placed it in his pocket.

  The door to the study swung open and her younger sister Paulette stuck her blond head in, staring at them. “There you are! We’ve been looking for you two! Everyone is wondering where you had gone off to.”

  Henry rose from the sofa and helped Lisette to her feet. “We were just coming to rejoin the party.”

  Paulette eyed them with skepticism. “Of course you were.”

  Lisette smoothed her hair nervously. “We shall be there in a moment, Paulette.”

  After her sister closed the door, Lisette faced Henry. “Thank you for everything, Henry, for the party, for the ring. I am most happy to be home again and with you.”

  He placed a light kiss on her cheek. “You make me very happy, Lisette.” He took her arm and led her back to the party.

  13

  And So It Continued Both Day and Night

  Wednesday, December 10, 1873

  Lisette sat at the breakfast table early the next morning, anxiously waiting for her brother-in-law to enter the dining room. She hoped Lucien would come to breakfast before her sisters arrived so she had an opportunity to talk to him in private. She and Lucien often breakfasted together, for they were both early risers. That morning she made sure she was in the dining room first.

  She had barely slept the night before. Wracked with guilt over her behavior with Quinton Roxbury and overwhelmed by Henry’s sudden demonstrations of love, she lay awake most of the night.

  “Good morning, Lisette,” Lucien said as he went to the buffet and piled his china plate high with scrambled eggs, ham, and toast.

  Lisette smiled broadly, relieved to see her brother-in-law alone. “Good morning.”

  “Did you enjoy your engagement celebration last night?” he asked, taking a seat across the table from her. A footman poured him some coffee.

  “Yes, thank you again for everything.” She stalled for a bit of time. “How is Colette feeling this morning?”

  “She is still sleeping. I didn’t have the heart to wake her after such a late night. This baby is making her more tired than I recall her being with Phillip.”

  “That is because she didn’t have an active little boy to care for when she was carrying the first time,” Lisette pointed out as gently as she could. Honestly, could the man not figure that out for himself? Lucien was a good husband and an unfailingly kind brother-in-law. She genuinely liked him and had grown to love him over the years, but sometimes she had her doubts about the common sense of men in general.

  “Ah, yes.” He nodded in agreement, his handsome face a bit sheepish in expression. “That makes sense.”

  “I spoke to Colette before I left for Brighton. Lucien, she needs to let Rose help her more often. She’s exhausting herself.”

  “You know I agree with you, but your sister is very stubborn. However, I think once the baby arrives, she will have no choice but to let Rose help her.”

  “I hope so,” Lisette murmured.

  Lucien continued to eat his breakfast and she bided her time. Paulette would be down before long. She had promised to help Paulette at the bookshop later that day. Because Colette was so far along in her pregnancy and unable to work in the shop and Yvette was no help whatsoever, Lisette had agreed to assist Paulette during the Christmas season instead of only teaching the errand boys and shop girls as she usually did a few days a week. She had to talk to Lucien before Paulette came in.

  “Lucien,” she began, feeling nervous, “I was wondering if I could ask you something.”

  “Of course,” he said, scooping up eggs with his fork.

  “Last week, a gentleman called upon you to discuss a building project,” she stated in as casual a voice as she could manage. “Mr. Quinton Roxbury.”

  Lucien nodded. “Yes, he came to see me to ask if I would invest in his venture. Are you acquainted with him, Lisette?”

  “Yes and no,” she responded hesitantly, unsure just how much information to divulge. What if Lucien became suspicious about her association with Quinton Roxbury? She would be mortified if her brother-in-law found out that she had been kissing the man in Brighton. “That is . . . We met accidentally as he left Devon House that afternoon he was here to see you and then by chance again the next day we happened to be in the same compartment on the train to Brighton. He then explained to me about his project to build houses for the poor and how he had approached you to be a contributor to his endeavor.”

  Lucien sipped his coffee and eyed her with keen interest. “And what did you think of his idea?”

  “Oh, I think it’s wonderful!” she said with more enthusiasm than she had intended. “I agreed with him wholeheartedly. No one can be a productive member of society living amidst the filth and squalor of a tenement with no way to stay clean or healthy. People need to live in real homes in order to have hope of a better life. He spoke so eloquently about it, he quite convinced me.”

  “I can see that,” Lucien uttered dryly, raising an eyebrow.

  “Mr. Roxbury and I spoke at great length about it on the train.” She paused before asking, “What did you think of his plan, Lucien?”

  “It certainly has its merits.”

  “Are you going to help him then?”

  “I’m seriously considering it. Why do you ask?”

  “I promised him I would put in a good word for him with you.”

  “Consider your word taken,” he said with a smile.

  “What is your interest in Mr. Roxbury, Lisette?”

  “I’ve no interest in Mr. Roxbury!” she protested, perhaps a little too vigorously. “I merely wished to help a good cause.”

  “That is very commendable of you.”

  She thought she detected a slight note of sarcasm in his voice. “Thank you.” Lisette hesitated but could not help asking, “How well do you know Mr. Roxbury?”

  “I know of him well enough, I just don’t know him personally, if that’s what you are asking. His brother John is the Earl of Kingston and I believe there are other brothers as well. Roxbury is a talented designer. I’ve seen some of his work and it is very impressive for a man not yet thirty. The new town house that Lord Hartwell built in Saint James’s Square was designed by Roxbury and it has caused a high demand for his services. There was an article in The Times a week or two ago about the new museum he crafted. He’s making quite a name for himself.”

  “Then you are going to help him?” she asked with excitement. She had no idea that Quinton was so well respected and could not help a sudden burst of pride in learning of his success. And more than anything, she wanted his new project to succeed.

  “Most likely, but there are a few points I need clarified first. He is coming by to see me later this afternoon to discuss some terms.”

  Lisette’s heart thudded and almost stopped at the news. She hadn’t expected to see Quinton again and had quite resigned herself to that fact. Now he was coming to her home that very day.

  “Here? He’s coming here?” Her voice squeaked.

  Lucien regarded her with an odd expression, but before he could respond, Paulette entered the dining room. Paulette, who never missed a word anyone ever said.

  “Who is co
ming here?” Paulette questioned eagerly as she took a plate from the buffet.

  “No one you know,” Lisette said at the exact same moment Lucien said, “Just a business associate.”

  With her long blond hair braided tightly behind her head, eighteen-year-old Paulette sniffed with an injured air, a bit put off by their dismissal of her. “Well, if you don’t want me to know, then fine.”

  Lisette silently blessed her brother-in-law for not saying Quinton Roxbury’s name aloud and instantly forgave him for his obtuseness in understanding his wife’s exhausted state earlier. Lucien was more insightful than she gave him credit for.

  “Not everything concerns you, Miss Nosy,” Lucien teased her younger sister.

  Paulette stuck her tongue out at him and turned away to fill her plate. He and Paulette had always enjoyed a playful and teasing camaraderie from the day they met in the shop.

  “So you are helping out at the bookshop today, Lisette?” Lucien asked, skillfully changing the subject to one that would prompt Paulette to lose interest in the mysterious business associate.

  “Yes, she is,” Paulette said, taking a seat beside her sister and answering for her. “We have so much to do today! We are expecting a large delivery of Christmas cards this morning and I expect we will be quite busy.”

  “Christmas cards?” Lucien asked, his brows rose in question. “This is something new?”

  “Yes, they are becoming very popular and I predict we are going to sell out rather quickly,” Paulette answered with great confidence. “Oh, and wait until you see them! They are quite beautiful. Anyone would be happy to receive such a Christmas greeting.”

  Paulette was very proud of the fact that she had added a rather extensive line of fine stationery and writing instruments to their inventory at the shop. It had proven to be a very successful business venture that Colette had begun two years before and Paulette had taken over and expanded upon. For someone so young, Paulette showed a remarkable talent and business sense that, in conjunction with a little guidance from Lucien, had tripled the sales at Hamilton’s Book Shoppe.

  Even though they no longer needed the bookshop to support them financially as they once did, because of Colette’s marriage to Lucien, Lisette’s sisters loved the shop too much to sell it to someone else. Colette and Paulette still oversaw the general day-to-day operation of the business and made all the major decisions, but they had also hired help to assist them. While Lisette had never had quite the passion for the bookshop that Colette and Paulette did, she did not detest working there as Juliette had. Lisette actually enjoyed being in the shop from time to time, and she especially liked working there during Christmastime. Helping people choose Christmas gifts made her happy.

  Lisette had also taken over the education of their workers. Anyone employed by Hamilton’s, from the young errand boys to the shop girls, had to read and have a sound literature background. Since they tended to hire those needing assistance in that area, they provided the lessons. This tradition had sprung from Colette’s idea of exchanging employment for lessons in reading when she had no money for wages. The first errand boy she hired was illiterate and so she taught him his letters and in return he delivered books for her. Now that the shop was doing so well, they could afford to pay their employees a more than fair wage and they gave them an education. Lisette had loved teaching the younger ones how to read, and that had become her area of expertise at Hamilton’s Book Shoppe.

  “The Christmas cards are a wonderful idea,” Paulette, filled with pride, stated again.

  “I cannot wait to see them,” Lisette said, although her pulse was still racing at the possibility of seeing Quinton Roxbury later that day.

  14

  Let Nothing You Dismay

  Later that day the little bells above the door of Hamilton’s Book Shoppe jingled cheerily as Lady Emmeline Tarleton entered with careful steps. She took a deep breath and looked around the store with observant eyes.

  “Good afternoon and welcome to Hamilton’s. May I help you?” The voice of a pretty blond-haired woman asked from behind a neat counter.

  Good Heavens! Was that her?

  But no. This couldn’t possibly be Quinton’s mistress! She was entirely too young. Why, she was still a girl! She’d probably not even had her coming-out yet. As pretty as she was, she couldn’t imagine Quinton involved with someone barely out of the schoolroom. Emmeline sighed in relief.

  “I’m not quite sure what I’m looking for,” Emmeline stated in all honesty. She still was not certain she was doing the right thing by coming to the shop in the first place. When she had made discreet inquiries about Lisette Hamilton, all she had learned was that a Hamilton sister had married the Earl of Waverly and done exceedingly well for a girl of little consequence and that her family owned a bookshop. So while out shopping this afternoon, she had decided to stop by and see for herself. “Do you mind if I look around for bit?”

  “Not at all,” the girl said graciously. “If you have any questions, please let me know.”

  “Thank you.” Surprised to see a female in business, and one so young, for she couldn’t be more than seventeen, Emmeline didn’t know what kind of conclusion to draw.

  She looked around the store and found it to be quite charming. Although not one for reading books in general, Emmeline had visited bookshops on occasion and had to admit that this one was the nicest she had ever seen. It was light and airy and very welcoming. Shoppers milled about, browsing through books that were attractively arranged on organized shelves and tables while elegant and tasteful signs hanging from ribbons indicated each subject area. Comfortable leather armchairs were situated in secluded nooks for quiet reading and perusing. There was even an area designated especially for children’s books, and a colorful rug covered the floor with small tables and chairs at just the perfect size for small readers. Another area was devoted to stationery, which was much more to Emmeline’s liking. There was a vast array of writing paper, calling cards, pens, and the like.

  Emmeline wandered through the aisles, impressed by the high quality and gracious atmosphere, and she wondered why she had not happened to shop there before. If she searched her memory, perhaps she had heard a friend or two mention a lovely shop off Bond Street but she’d most likely dismissed it owing to her lack of interest in books.

  Now she was enchanted, for she hadn’t seen anything like it. It was almost as if she had stepped into someone’s tastefully decorated home. The store was also decorated for Christmas with bright red ribbons and festoons of green garlands. She almost forgot the reason she had come.

  She made her way back to the front of the shop to the young woman. The girl was just wrapping up a book for a woman with a fur hat. Emmeline watched as the girl tied the package with dark green ribbon with startling efficiency.

  “I’m sure your son will enjoy this book, Mrs. Deane,” she said.

  “Thank you, Miss Hamilton,” the woman said. “I will return to pick up my calling cards next week.”

  Miss Hamilton. Emmeline’s heart quickened. The lady left the shop and Emmeline was face-to-face with the girl.

  “Is there anything in particular I can help you with?” she asked.

  Are you kissing my future husband? Emmeline wanted to ask but dared not. No, she knew that this was not the woman who had been seen with Quinton.

  “I’m . . . I’m not sure,” Emmeline began.

  “We have a lovely selection of Christmas cards that just arrived this morning. Would you care to see them?” she suggested brightly.

  Emmeline nodded in agreement as two shoppers came to the counter to pay for their purchases.

  The girl looked just beyond where Emmeline was standing. “Oh, Lisette, there you are! Would you please show this lady our new Christmas card selection?”

  Emmeline froze.

  “Yes, of course,” a lovely voice uttered from behind.

  “Won’t you follow me?”

  Slowly Emmeline turned to face her. Lisette Hamilto
n. Her heart plummeted to her feet. Oh God. This, this was the woman Quinton had been kissing in Brighton. There was not a doubt in Emmeline’s mind that a man would want to kiss this woman.

  She was incredibly beautiful. Although eerily similar in looks to the younger girl behind the counter, who was obviously her sister, Lisette appeared much more womanly. She stood shorter than herself, was more petite, and wore a well-cut gown of pale violet with darker velvet trim. She had rich auburn-, almost russet-, colored hair arranged fashionably atop her head with a few loose tendrils around her face and deep green eyes fringed with long dark lashes. She possessed a small, straight nose and a mouth that looked as if smiling came very easily. Her skin was creamy and undoubtedly soft. There was intelligence and humor in her expression and an unmistakable sweetness.

  Emmeline was stunned. She had not been entirely sure what she would discover on her little outing today, but she had expected to find an entirely different sort of woman. A woman far worldlier and far less innocent-looking . . .

  Lisette Hamilton gave her a pleasant smile. “Would you care to see the cards?”

  “Yes, of course,” Emmeline answered woodenly and followed behind as she was led to another counter with an attractive display of prettily designed Christmas cards.

  Any other time she would have been delighted to see such a collection of adorable and cheerful greeting cards of glowing, chubby-cheeked children and pastoral snowcovered scenes. But not now. Now she simply stood there with a false smile plastered on her face while Lisette Hamilton explained the different sizes, types, and prices of the cards that were available for purchase. Emmeline heard none of it.

  It suddenly occurred to her that this woman was not Quinton’s mistress. She was just not mistress material. Call it female intuition, but Emmeline did not believe that Lisette Hamilton was anyone’s mistress. There was too much of an air of morality or goodness or old-fashioned sweetness about her to think of her as a party to anything so sordid.