The Snow Leopard's Christmas Surprise

by Emilia Hartley

  Elizabeth’s heart was racing as she tried to catch her breath. Matthew held her tightly against him, though he seemed thoroughly unable to move. “Oh, my love,” she whispered, her breath a caress against his cheek, “you are my own heart.” A soft kiss on her breast was his answer. “I do not wish to ruin the moment, darling, but we must move.”

  Matthew chuckled against her. “You were not quiet,” he agreed, “for which I am extremely grateful.”

  “It is you I should be thankful for,” she exclaimed, completely unabashed, though her cheeks did turn a lovely shade of crimson. “I don’t believe you have brought me three times in a row before.”

  “It has been too long.”

  “Indeed. I believe I screamed my pleasure without thinking of discretion.”

  A devilish grin crossed his face and he crushed his mouth to hers. “Next time, you will scream my name.”

  Delighted, Elizabeth could not stop herself from grinning as they untangled from one another and adjusted their clothing. Her shift was completely unsalvageable, but she found she didn’t mind. Shimmying out of it, she stashed it in the hedge. “Our little secret,” she declared wickedly and earned herself another kiss.

  “Must you go?” Matthew asked, tucking her curls back into place. “We could slip away to your bedroom and I could have you for the rest of the night.”

  Her lips curved sadly. “I wish that were an option. But I have been away too long, and at this point, I shall be missed.” Elizabeth cupped his cheek in her hand. “Come to me tomorrow night. I shall leave the window open.”

  “And what if Dabney places you under his spell again?”

  “I have no doubt that he will,” she said darkly. “But we broke it this time. We shall break it again. Do not give up on me, my love.” She kissed him softly, wishing she could stop the sorrow from overtaking her. What if he could not break the spell? “Tomorrow night,” she said again. “Promise me.”

  Matthew pressed his lips to hers one last time. “I promise.”

  The room was still crowded when Elizabeth rejoined the party. The music was lively and the guests were engorging themselves on rich delicacies and fine spirits. Nobody seemed to notice her re-entrance. Good, she thought, searching the room for her betrothed. If anyone had discovered them, there would have been rumors and childish gossip behind gloved hands. Yet, no covert glances were thrown her way.

  “There you are, darling,” Lord Dabney greeted her, his eyes roving up and down her body as if searching for something. “Did you have a nice walk? You seem flushed.”

  “Just the cold,” she replied sweetly, plucking a grape from a passing tray. She beamed at him. “I believe I walked nearly the entire length of the gardens.”

  Dabney stared shrewdly at her for a moment and Elizabeth had to tell herself not to squirm. Matthew had still not rejoined the party, and for that she was grateful. This was not the first time she had thought Lord Dabney could read her mind, yet to her relief, he smiled and handed her a glass.

  “Have a drink, my dear,” he instructed, tipping it up to her mouth. “It will put some warmth back into your skin.”

  Obedient, Elizabeth emptied the glass of its contents and gazed lovingly into Dabney’s pleased eyes. All thoughts of Matthew were forgotten.

  CHAPTER 7

  Two hundred years later, Ellie woke with a start, tears streaming down her cheeks. The dream had felt so real. She found she was almost embarrassed to think about the love made between Matthew and Elizabeth. That is, until she remembered the similarities to her experience with Matt the day before. Maybe she should invite him over for a walk in the garden.

  Slightly shocked at her own forwardness, Ellie smiled, wiped her tears away and climbed out of bed. She couldn’t wait to see him again. She dressed in a white blouse and soft gray slacks, tugging her curls back into a loose tail. She knew she had to go about her day, but her skin was still warm and glowing where Dream Matthew had touched Elizabeth. She could still feel it as if he were touching her. Oh, what she wouldn’t give for a lover like that. Ellie blushed, her entire body flushing as scarlet as her hair.

  There was no need to be embarrassed, she scolded herself. It wasn’t as though she were a prude or anything. She had taken lovers before. And yet, she had never been with a man as talented at pleasure as Matt…or Matthew. Dream or reality, she had never been satisfied so many times in a row.

  And boy, was she glad no one could read her mind right now. She would be mortified if her scandalous thoughts were known. Sweet, shy, Ellie Fitzgerald. No one would believe she was capable of such thoughts. She couldn’t stop the giggle that escaped her lips. Oh, how wrong they were.

  Breakfast was on the table when Ellie walked into the dining room. The staff had prepared a full meal. Eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes, gravy, and toast. A heaping plate of pancakes sat in the middle of the spread next to a glass container of syrup.

  Ellie’s stomach grumbled and she smiled sheepishly up at Reginald as he entered the room. “Good morning, ma’am,” he greeted her, pulling a chair out and beckoning her forward. “I do hope you’re hungry. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and I do say you will need it to keep a sharp mind about you. I can’t imagine any of this has been easy for you.” She appreciated how warm and kind his voice was. He almost reminded her of her father. If her father was a butler, that is.

  Obedient as always, Ellie sat down and placed her napkin in her lap. “This looks wonderful, Reginald, thank you.”

  “My pleasure my lady. If you need anything, all you must do is ask.”

  Ellie bit her lip. “Reginald?” she called before he had reached the door. “May I ask you something?”

  “Certainly.”

  Taking a deep breath, Ellie forced herself to be brave enough to ask the question she was dying to know the answer to. “What was my mother like?”

  To her pleasure, Reginald’s lips curved in a warm smile. “Ah, sweet Anne. She was a beauty, that one. And a handful. Couldn’t trust her around the tarts, that’s for sure, ma’am. She had a liking for them. I was very sorry to hear that she passed.”

  Ellie glanced down at her lap, hoping he couldn’t see the grief in her eyes. “Yes. Cancer. It was awful.”

  “You were young then, if I remember.”

  “Thirteen.”

  “Ah. Tragic. However, if I may?” He pointed to a chair.

  Delighted, Ellie nodded. “Oh, yes! Please.”

  Reginald bowed before taking a seat. “If you like, I could regale you of your mother’s childhood, entertain you while you eat.”

  “That would be wonderful,” she said, beaming. He spent the next twenty minutes speaking of her mother’s childhood, telling her stories of innocent mischief; sweets stolen for the kitchen, linens taken and turned into forts. His fondness for her was evident. For the first time in thirteen years, Ellie felt close to her mother again. She had never dreamed that to be possible.

  “Why did she leave?” she asked the butler, hoping it would be to find adventure or to chase true love.

  Yet, Reginald’s features became gloomy and sad, as if he had dreaded this very question. “I’m afraid, ma’am, that she had no choice. You see, she became involved with a man. Nobody could say who. And at first, she seemed captivated; utterly in love. There were hearts in her eyes when she talked about him, and a skip in her step whenever she went off to meet him. She was barely over twenty, and everybody, myself included, was thrilled to see her so happy.

  “Everybody, that is, except your grandmother.”

  Ellie frowned. “Why?”

  One line creased Reginald’s brow. “Madam Hargrove believed the young man to be after Anne’s fortune and inheritance. It caused quite the row between your mother and grandmother, I assure you. They didn’t speak for nearly a month. And when Anne became engaged to her mysterious suitor, Madam Hargrove threatened to cut her off.

  “As you can imagine, this did not go over so well with Anne. She believed herself to be
in love with this man. So much so, that she ran away with him, though she wasn’t gone terribly long.

  “The young mistress returned to Hargrove House within a fortnight, thoroughly heartbroken. She spent days in her room, crying; completely inconsolable. Nobody could reach her, not even your grandmother.

  “Finally, after nearly a week, the suitor came to call. Anne refused to see him. There was much shouting, if I remember correctly, and he only left when Madam Hargrove threatened to set the dogs on him and call the authorities. As it turned out, Madam had been right. The young man was only after Anne’s fortune. When she no longer had access to the Hargrove inheritance, he became cruel and violent. Anne only managed to escape back home with her life.

  “For days, there was no more mention of her suitor. Anne became more herself, little by little, and, as the days passed, the haunted look left her eyes. But the man was not gone for long.

  “Gifts began showing up wherever she would go; roses, trinkets, sweets. They would find her at the house, at church, even at University. And each time, Anne would grow more and more frightened, until finally, she convinced her mother she needed to leave, and fled to the Americas. He had driven her from everything she loved; her home, her family. All for the love of her money.

  “Your grandmother was devastated. Anne was her only daughter and she hated to see her go, but she knew it was the only way to stop the man’s advances. She spoke to Anne through letters, though, sadly, she never saw her daughter again.”

  Ellie, who had sat enraptured as the butler spoke, wiped the tears from her eyes. “That’s terrible.”

  “Ay, ma’am,” Reginald agreed gravely, “it is. Yet, Madam Hargrove believed it to be the only way to give her beloved daughter a safe and happy life.”

  “And you don’t know who he was?”

  The butler shook his head. “I’m afraid not, ma’am. Your grandmother knew, I believe. I only saw him once, myself. Though I did learn later that he was, in fact, a Dabney.”

  Ellie sputtered into her tea. “Dabney? As in Lord James Dabney?” Why was that not surprising?

  Slightly alarmed at her reaction, Reginald nodded. “Yes, ma’am. An elder cousin to the Lord Dabney that stopped by here yesterday, I believe.”

  Ellie felt her heart begin to race. So many connections. Herself, Elizabeth, now her mother. The connection between the Hargroves and the Dabneys couldn’t be a coincidence. Could it? “Reginald,” she said slowly, trying to decide whether to ask or not, “was my mother ever involved with the McKinnon’s?”

  To her surprise, Reginald laughed. “The McKinnon’s, why yes, dear girl. Anne and Meredith McKinnon were the best of friends. Nigh inseparable. In fact, I believe her nephew is the historian at the St. Margaret’s Museum you visited yesterday.” If she wasn’t mistaken, there was a bit of a mischievous twinkle in the old butler’s eye.

  Ellie blushed with embarrassment. “Oh. Well, yes, I did meet him for a moment or two. As a matter of fact, he agreed to help me look up some history about the family during the Regency Era. I hope to use it on my dissertation.” Rising, she pushed back from the table. “Speaking of my dissertation, may I use the library for my research? I’m sure the Hargroves have some wonderful information about that period.”

  “Of course, ma’am,” he said, standing as well. “Hargrove House belongs to you, as does everything within her walls.”

  “Great.” Reaching for his hand, she clasped it between both of her own. “Thank you, Reginald. You make a lovely breakfast companion.” Leaning in, she brushed a kiss over his cheek, pleased to see the old butler’s cheeks turn rosy pink. “Would you be so kind as to show me the library?”

  CHAPTER 8

  Ellie spent the remainder of the day in the vast library of Hargrove House, surrounded by books filled with every kind of history she could imagine. She discovered that Elizabeth Hargrove’s father was a second-generation brewer who went into business with Dabney Vineyards after the union of Elizabeth and the young Lord Dabney, though something went terribly wrong with the first shipment right after Elizabeth’s death. The venture ended, as did any friendly interaction between the Dabney’s and the Hargroves. From what she could tell, it seemed Baron Hargrove blamed Lord Dabney for his daughter’s untimely death, even refusing to let Dabney raise his daughter as his own. Accusations of witchcraft and sorcery abounded, and the scandal was the talk of Dover for years to come. Not long after, the Dabney wine empire crumbled and the family was left destitute, leaving the disgraced members of the Dabney line no choice but to move elsewhere. Except for Lord Dabney, himself, that is.

  “But why would he stay?” Ellie wondered aloud, nibbling on the biscuit Eileen, the head housekeeper, had brought to her moments before. “What was left for him and why did his descendants keep coming around Hargrove House?”

  A soft knock came at the library door, moments before the pretty young maid, Sarah, walked in. She curtsied shyly to Ellie, who immediately felt out of place. They treated her like she was royalty here, and indeed, she felt anything but.

  “Yes, Sarah?” she asked kindly, hoping not to frighten the poor thing.

  Sarah nearly squeaked, but somehow managed to speak. “You have a visitor, Miss,” she said quietly.

  Ellie glanced down at her watch in shock. “Oh! Is it five o’clock already? Matt must think I’m such a flake. He called only two hours ago, to let me know he was stopping by. Thank you, Sarah.” Gathering up her things into a neat pile, Ellie hurriedly straightened her outfit and patted at her hair before following the maid to the foyer once more.

  It wasn’t Matt waiting for her, however. It was Dabney. He stood across the room by the door, clutching a large bouquet of red roses, looking thoroughly guilty. It was like a punch to the gut for Ellie. She knew she would probably end up seeing him again, though she hoped it wouldn’t be so soon.

  “Thank you, Sarah,” she said quietly, dismissing the maid. “That will be all.” She had tried to keep her voice steady, but found it was shaking slightly. Damn. “Hello, Lord Dabney,” Ellie greeted her guest. “What a lovely surprise. I must say, I wasn’t expecting to see you again after yesterday.”

  James had the good grace to look embarrassed and guilty. “That’s why I’m here, I’m afraid. I owe you quite an apology. My behavior yesterday evening was, I’m ashamed to say, reprehensible. There is no excuse for it.” He held out the flowers and offered her a charming smile. She took them reluctantly. As she went to move away, James caught her hand. “I am so sorry, Ellie. I promise you, it won’t happen again.”

  It took everything she had not to pull away, but somehow, she managed to stay in place. Ellie swallowed hard, hoping it wasn’t audible. “Thank you,” she replied, rather rigidly. “I appreciate the gesture.” Unable to help it, she breathed in the sweet aroma of the flowers. She had always loved roses. It really was sweet of him to bring them. “These are beautiful. I’m just going to slip into the kitchen and put these in water.” She forced a smile. “I’ll be right back.”

  Walking into the kitchen, she sniffed the roses again, the scent bringing with it a sense of serenity and forgiveness. He hadn’t really grabbed her arm that hard, she conceded. Maybe it was as he said, and his feelings just got away from him. He was sorry. He had said so himself. And he brought her such beautiful flowers. She buried her face in the blooms again. Maybe the connection between their families was just a coincidence. The altercation between Lord Dabney and Elizabeth had happened over two hundred years ago, after all. Maybe her mother hadn’t been afraid of him at all, and had instead fallen for somebody else. Her father had spent some time in England before they got married. Maybe they had met sooner than she’d initially thought, and her father, not Dabney, was the reason Anne had left Dover.

  She located a vase in a cupboard and filled it with water. Finding some scissors, Ellie cut the stems at an angle before arranging the roses in the vase, inhaling the aroma one last time. She was being silly. There was nothing dangerous about Lord Dabney;
not this one, or any Dabney in the past. And he was handsome and charming. Probably an even better lover than Matt was. Could she be brazen enough to find out? There was no rule saying she couldn’t take two lovers, was there? Of course, it wasn’t exactly well thought of, but she and Matt had made no promises to each other that weren’t business related, and James really was sorry for the way he’d lashed out. There was certainly no harm in letting him take her on a date and seeing where things went, now was there?

  “James?” Ellie called as she entered the foyer again, pleased to see him waiting for her. She reached out a hand to him, which he took immediately. “I would like to thank you for coming here today. I know it couldn’t have been easy.” As she spoke, Ellie’s mind became a bit cloudy. Why was she thanking him for apologizing? James moved closer, taking both of her hands in his, until there was less than a foot between them. Ellie found it harder to think than ever.

  “I truly am sorry, Ellie,” he purred, and she was delighted to find he still smelled like the roses. “Please, permit me to take you to dinner.” He moved a bit closer. “Possibly a private walk in the garden.” Closer. Leaning down he whispered against her ear, his breath caressing her cheek. “We could lay together beneath the stars.”

  His proximity was intoxicating. Ellie closed her eyes, letting his hands roam up her arms, around her shoulders and down her back. One finger lightly traced the curve of her behind and she shivered in his embrace. She couldn’t breathe. Her heart was racing and she wanted to stay and run at the same time. All she could feel was James’s fingers against her skin as they untucked her blouse from her slacks. The pads of his thumbs played promising circles over the bare skin of her hips, trailing fire where they touched. Ellie’s breath caught in her throat. Unable to stop herself, she slipped her hands beneath his jacket and gripped his shirt for balance. He was hardly touching her, and yet, it felt like he was consuming her. The teasing brush of lips against her neck was agony, but she couldn’t help but revel in the act. No one had ever toyed with her like this. She wanted to drown in him, to let him whisk her away to whatever dark corner they could find and allow him to take her for as long as he wanted, however he wanted.