by Candace Camp
“So he stole the baby from his mother, then someone stole it from him, and then that someone abandoned the child in the manger of an empty church?”
Thea made a face. “Well, if you put it that way …” She shrugged. “I am not sure we are ever going to understand what happened with Matthew.”
“You may be right.” Gabriel wiped the baby’s mouth and stood up, putting him to his shoulder and patting his back. He strolled over to the window as he talked. “But I intend to make certain that no one has a chance to steal him again.”
“I will keep him with me in my room every night from now on. And I will make sure that not only is the door to our house locked, but also the door to my bedchamber.”
“I shall have one of my men standing watch at night, as well. Not that one you bullied so easily. Peter, I think; he seems made of sterner stuff.”
“A guard? Really, Gabriel, that won’t be necessary, surely.”
He shot her a hard look. “Do not fight me on this, Thea. I will not leave you and Matthew exposed to danger. What I would prefer is to be there myself to make sure nothing happens, but obviously that is not a possibility. And even if I take Matthew to the Priory with me, it would still leave you vulnerable.” His face was a study in frustration. “The only thing I can do to protect you both is to put one of my servants there at night, and I will do so.”
Ordinarily his peremptory tone would have been enough to make Thea argue, but she could see how much he disliked his comparative lack of power in this situation, so she only nodded her head. Rising, she went over to where he stood in front of the window, and he looped an arm around her shoulders, tucking her against his side. For a long moment they stood silently, gazing out at the snowy scene in front of them. Gabriel bent and kissed the top of her head. “I think I would prefer to stay right here instead of going home, frankly.”
Thea smiled and rubbed her head against him. “It seems much more pleasant. But I fear we could not stay here forever. For one thing, we are getting low on milk.”
“I think it comes from that goat out back.”
Thea tilted her head back to look at him skeptically. “And are you planning to try to milk that goat?”
He looked offended. “You think I could not?”
Thea laughed. “I am wiser than to offer you such a challenge.” She returned to her contemplation of the snow outside. She understood what Gabriel meant. It would be wonderful to stay here together, alone except for Matthew. She could smile at Gabriel whenever she wanted or reach out to touch his arm without worrying about what someone observing them might think. There were no rules here or gossip or other people, only the sweet excitement of his hands and mouth on her, the indescribable fulfillment as he plunged to his peak within her.
Unconsciously she let out a little sigh. Gabriel leaned down to whisper in her ear. “We could celebrate our very own Christmas here, you know.”
She cast a teasing glance up at him. “Indeed?” She glanced around. “Here?”
“Of course. We have everything we need.”
“Oh, really? And what do we have of Christmas?”
“First, and most important, we have the best present that either of us could have received.” He held Matthew out to her. “We found Matthew.”
Thea laughed and reached out to take the baby. “That is true enough.”
“But it is only the beginning.” Gabriel went over to the fireplace and dug amongst the wood piled beside it, pulling out the largest of the logs. Brandishing it triumphantly, he said, “We have the Yule log.”
“Oh, and the Yule candles.” Thea pointed to a low, fat candle sitting on a saucer on the counter.
“Indeed. And … we also have a feast.”
“A feast?”
“Of course.” Gabriel offered Thea his arm in his most courtly manner and escorted her back to the table, where he pulled out a chair for her with a flourish.
He went into the pantry, returning with a chunk of wrapped cheese and the piece of roast beef. He added the bread to the table and stepped back, his hands behind his back.
“My. What more could we ask?”
“Dessert.” He brought his hand out from behind his back, presenting, with a flourish, a faintly withered apple.
Thea laughed. “It is a feast indeed.”
She realized that she was hungry, and they both tucked into the food with a hearty appetite. It tasted, she thought, as good as any meal she had ever had. Whether it was her hunger which made it so or the company in which she ate, she knew that she would never forget the meal.
Afterward, she put Matthew down to play on the floor a little distance from the fireplace. Gabriel sat in the armchair beside the fire and pulled Thea into his lap. She leaned against his chest and watched the baby play. Gabriel’s arms were wrapped around her and his head rested on hers. She felt cocooned in his warmth, his heartbeat steady and reassuring beneath her ear. Now and then he trailed his fingers down her arm or stroked his hand along her hip, and at his touch, heat blossomed. She was amazed to think that desire could rise up in her yet again.
“I think,” she said, “that I must be a wanton.”
His laughter rumbled in his chest. “I am very glad for that.” He nuzzled her neck, sending bright little shivers running through her.
“A lady should not feel this way. I am sure of it.”
“What way is that?” He slid his thumb up her arm.
“All fizzy and warm whenever you touch me.”
“Ah. And what about when I do this?” He slipped his hand down her front, his finger circling her nipple.
“It makes me wonder when I can put Matthew down for a nap.”
He chuckled, but she could feel the swift, pulsing response of his desire beneath her.
“And that,” she added, shifting on his lap and feeling him leap beneath her again, “makes me think all sorts of sinful things.”
“Mm. I like the way your mind works.” He bent his head for a long, thorough kiss.
Finally Thea broke their kiss. “We must not. Not in front of the baby.”
Gabriel cast a look at Matthew, who was busily clanking a wooden spoon against an overturned pot. “I don’t think he will notice.”
“I will know,” she replied unarguably. “I am not that wanton.”
He grinned at her wickedly. “Then I shall endeavor to make you more so.”
She felt herself blushing a little at the look in his eyes, and he chuckled, running a finger along her cheek. “I love to see your blush. I should like to do a great many more things to bring that color to your cheeks.”
“Gabriel!” Thea could not keep from adding a moment later, “What things?”
He roared with laughter and gave her a hard, swift kiss. “I will be happy to show you, once Matthew goes to sleep.” He looked toward the baby again. Matthew had lost his spoon with a wild wave of his hand, and he let out a little bellow, reaching out and making grasping motions. Gabriel sighed. “Somehow I am not hopeful that he is going to sleep anytime soon.”
“True. Perhaps we had best talk about something else.”
“Tell me about Christmas in Chesley.”
“Truly?” Thea looked up at him.
He nodded. “What do you like the best?”
“The morris dancers,” she answered promptly.
“The morris dancers? I thought that was a spring event in villages.”
She nodded. “It is. But they do it here on Christmas Day, as well. Do they not in your village?”
“I am usually in London. I remember them from the spring when I was little, back on the estate. But I do not think they are about as much as they are in the Cotswolds.”
“We are not a people prone to change.” Thea sighed, and after a moment, she said in a sad voice, “We should go back.”
“I know.” He sounded no more happy about it than she.
“Everyone will wonder where we are if we are both gone at Christmas. It will be a terrible scandal.”
Thea nodded and turned away, unwilling to let him see the tears that sprang to her eyes. She knew that they should go, but she did not want to. She wished—foolishly, she knew, for it would be her reputation more than Gabriel’s that would be damaged by a scandal—that Gabriel had not acquiesced so easily, that he had tried to deny her assertion or argue it away or cajole her into staying.
To take her mind off the possibility of leaving, she went about the cabin, straightening up and putting the food back into the pantry. She glanced out the window and saw Gabriel walking through the snow toward the road, leading the two unharnessed horses. They passed out of her sight, and she returned to her work. There was little enough to do after that, though the baby began to fuss and she occupied herself for a little while in picking him up and walking about, patting and soothing him. When she felt him grow heavier in her arms, she knew that he had fallen asleep.
“Couldn’t you have chosen to do that earlier?” she murmured to him, then laid him down in his little bed, tucking his blanket in around him.
Gabriel came in a few minutes later. She held up her hand in warning, pointing to the sleeping baby. He nodded and came closer, taking her arm and leading her into the bedroom. Closing the door, he turned to her.
“I broke a trail with the horses to the road. That should make it easier for the curricle to pass through. The worst thing would be to break one of its wheels and leave us stranded on the road.”
“Will we be able to make it?”
He grimaced. “If there were nothing else involved, I would say we should wait another day. If I did only what I wanted, I would wait another week.” He came closer, reaching up a hand to cup her cheek. “But you are right. Your reputation will suffer if we wait. Just last night and today, perhaps we will be able to keep it secret. But if you are gone Christmas Day, I fear everyone will notice. And I have little faith in a vicar’s ability to tell everyone a satisfactory lie.”
Thea gave a rueful smile. “If you knew Daniel better, you would have even less faith in his lying.”
“I will not have you hurt by village gossip. I think we can probably make it to Chesley. We did not come as far as it seemed last night. It took us over two hours, but I think we will be able to make it back in less time without the wind and falling snow. When I reached the road, it was clear that there had been traffic on it—a wagon or coach, perhaps more than that. It will not be as difficult on the road as it will be up to it. If we can make it there, we should be fine.”
Thea nodded. “Very well. We are ready to go. All I have to do is put another blanket on top of Matthew.”
“Wait.” He reached out to cup her neck, a devilish grin spreading across his face. “We have something to do before we go.”
A thrill ran out through all Thea’s nerves. She cast a teasing glance up at him. “Really? And what is that?”
“Yes, really.” He plucked the spectacles from her face. “I will show you.”
Fourteen
They made love sweetly this time, stoking the fires of their passion until they finally burned too hot to be denied and swept them to a shattering paroxysm of pleasure. But the sun was moving inexorably in the sky, so, reluctantly, they left their bed. While Gabriel went out to harness the team, Thea rose and dressed, plaiting her recalcitrant hair into two long braids and tying them with a piece of ribbon she cut from her petticoat. A look in the mirror told her that her hair still looked anything but orderly, but she comforted herself with the thought that no one would be able to see it once she pulled on her knit cap and the hood of her cloak. She folded one of the extra blankets she’d brought and tucked it around the sleeping Matthew, then wrapped up the remainder of the bread, just in case he grew hungry on the trip.
She cast a last look around the place, feeling the treacherous sting of tears in her eyes. She told herself it was nonsensical to feel this way over a nondescript little cottage that they had been forced to stay in because of bad weather. It was in no way a romantic trysting place, and she was not the sort to be foolishly romantic, anyway. But she knew, with a tug in her chest, that the night she had spent here had been the most wonderful time of her life.
They stowed the baby in his basket on the floorboard between them, the heavy lap robe across their laps hanging over his basket like a roof. Thea stuffed the other blanket between them in an attempt to cut off as much of the draft from the baby as was possible.
As Gabriel had predicted, the drive to the road was difficult, the snow still deep even after the horses had trampled it down, and Thea spent most of the time with her hands curled into fists, tensely waiting for the crack of a wheel hitting a hidden rock or rut. They had to stop once and get out to push when one of the wheels got stuck, but they persevered, finally reaching the road. Here a passing wagon or coach had created ruts and a more beaten-down path, and they were able to move more freely. Gabriel drove carefully for fear of hitting an icy patch, but they did not encounter any problems beyond Matthew’s awakening and fussing at being left in his basket.
The trip was almost eerily quiet, and they passed no one on the way. The snow-covered trees and bushes were beautiful, broken only now and then by the darting flight of a bird. It was easy to feel as if they were alone in this pristine world. When, just as the last sliver of sun was passing over the horizon, the curricle approached the familiar grounds of the church and vicarage, Thea felt a distinct stab of disappointment. Her normal life was about to continue, the idyllic moment of time with Gabriel gone.
Gabriel helped Thea, who was now carrying the baby, down from the vehicle and carried the baby’s basket into the house. Thea stepped into the kitchen and was at once engulfed in warmth and light and the wonderful aroma of spices. Lolly was sitting curled up on the hearth of the great fireplace, and she leaped to her feet with a loud whoop when she saw Thea.
“Oh, miss! The baby! You found him!” She rushed forward, and Thea handed Matthew over to her.
“Yes, and he seems to be all right, but I am sure he is in need of both food and a new set of clothes.”
“Yes, miss, this is wonderful! I’m so happy!” Lolly jiggled the baby, kissing him all over his face and making him giggle. She practically danced out of the room, taking Matthew upstairs to change.
Thea turned to Gabriel. She smiled, forcing down the sudden onslaught of sadness. It wasn’t as if he were going away forever, she told herself. She would see him again, no doubt soon. But she could not help but think how very different it would now be.
He reached out to take her hands and looked down at her, frowning. “Blast. I cannot even give you a proper good-bye for fear your brother or someone will pop in at any moment.” He cast a wary eye at the door into the rest of the house, then bent to give her a quick kiss. “Oh, the devil with it.” He pulled her into his arms for a deeper and much more satisfying kiss.
At last he released her. “I must get home. I cannot leave my team out there any longer.”
“No. You should not. They deserve a nice warm stable and a good meal of oats.”
“They shall get it, no worry there. And I shall doubtless receive a proper scolding from my head groom.”
He hesitated, giving her hand a last squeeze, then turned abruptly and walked away. At the door, he pivoted back, saying, “I shall send a man over as soon as I get to the house.”
Thea nodded, and he was gone. She let out a sigh and began to pull off her cloak and gloves.
“Thea!” The door opened and Daniel walked in. “Thank goodness you are back. I could not believe it this morning when Lolly gave me your note. Really, Thea, what were you thinking?”
“I was thinking about Matthew’s safety.”
“Who?”
“Matthew. The baby. Really, Daniel, you cannot be that forgetful.”
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��No, of course not, it’s just—I don’t know, things are all at sixes and sevens since you took up that child.”
“What things?” she asked, reminding herself to be patient. Daniel was not an unkind man; he simply got fussy when his world fell out of its proper little order.
“I have been trying to write my sermon for tomorrow.” He gave her an aggrieved look. “I searched all over for your suggestions, but I couldn’t find them.”
“I didn’t have time this week, Daniel, but I am sure you were quite able to write the Christmas sermon without my help.”
“Yes, of course, that is exactly what I have been doing today. But then there were all those people who kept coming by for food.”
“We always give food to the poor on Christmas Eve.”
“Yes, I know, but you take care of that. I am sure they all wondered where you were.”
“What did you tell them?”
“I told them you were feeling under the weather, but that is not the point. I had to lie to them.”
“I know you dislike lying, and I am very grateful, believe me.” She paused, hoping that her brother would ask about Matthew, but when he did not, she said somewhat tartly, “We found the baby and brought him back. He seems to have not suffered from his ordeal.”
“I see. Well, that is good.” Daniel’s voice showed a lack of conviction in his words. He started to say more, but at that moment Lolly came back into the kitchen, carrying Matthew.
“Here, I’ll hold him while you get his supper ready,” Thea offered, taking the baby and settling him on her hip with an ease of practice that had her brother frowning.
A knock sounded at the back door, and Daniel said crossly, “Now who in the world can that be? I thought the poor were all gone.”
“Ah, but ‘the poor are with us always,’ are they not?” Thea reminded him with a grin, and went to open the door, preparing herself to look ill. Given the state of her hair, she suspected that a visitor could easily believe that she had just arisen from her sickbed.
But when she pulled open the door and saw the tall, blond man on the doorstep, she knew she would not have to pretend anything. “Lord Rawdon, come in.”