Abby saw her back to her room, then went to seek her own bed. As Holly lay in the dark, she tried to reason away the events of the night concerning Lord Thornton. He had been out of his wits, certainly.
Added to that, he was a rogue, as Ash had reminded her. If he’d been in full possession of his senses, Viscount Thornton would never seriously pay court to his friend’s sister.
No matter that his kisses kept said sister awake until the first light of dawn sifted through the curtains, as pale and soft as new fallen snow.
CHAPTER 6
After breakfast, Holly went to check on Lord Thornton. She wasn’t the least surprised to see Ash dozing away in the chair he’d claimed. The viscount seemed deeply asleep, as well. And if she paused a moment, studying the long line of Lord Thornton’s nose and the way his dark hair fell over his forehead, well, there was no one to take note of it.
Quietly, she shut the bedroom door and went in search of the footmen who’d accompanied the gentlemen to Knavesmire Wood. She’d a promise to fulfill, after all. And a tree to deliver to North Yorkshire.
And a kiss to stop thinking about, she reminded herself sternly.
Unfortunately, the cartman Lord Thornton had hired to transport the tree had returned to York after bringing the viscount to Hartley House. Neither of the footmen know where to find the fellow.
“Do you at least know where the tree is?” she asked, admitting to some exasperation.
“Why, in the wood, milady,” the younger footman said. “Unless someone’s dragged it off for firewood. Make a lovely Yule log, it would.”
“More like a half dozen,” the other man said. “T’was a beast of a fir tree. Nearly killed his lordship, it did. Good thing the viscount was so quick on his feet.”
“Might you go and fetch it?” she asked.
The two men traded uncomfortable glances.
“Would he…want it here, milady?” the younger asked.
“I hardly think it poses a danger any longer,” she said tartly. “We have a cart, don’t we?”
Reluctantly, the footmen agreed to go fetch the fallen tree, no matter how murderous. Holly wasn’t certain how, or even if, she’d manage to send the evergreen from Hartley House up to Dovington, but first things first.
She returned to the breakfast room for a fresh cup of tea, and discovered her brother and sister there. Rose was brightly quizzing Ash about the events of the night, while he hunched over his tea and responded with grunts.
“Oh, Holly, thank goodness,” her sister said, turning to her. “Ash won’t tell me anything. He’s such a bear when he hasn’t gotten enough sleep. What happened with Lord Thornton? Did he really collapse in the hallway, raving about the Christmas tree?”
“More or less.” Holly brought her cup of black tea from the sideboard and settled beside her sister.
“I can’t believe I slept through it!” Rose raised her hands in a dramatic gesture. “I miss all the fun.”
“Hauling a half-conscious man down the hall is no one’s idea of fun,” Ash said, then stretched his shoulders and groaned. “I think I strained something.”
“Is he improved?” Holly asked, ignoring their brother’s transparent attempt at sympathy.
Ash plopped a cube of sugar into his teacup. “He’s lucid, at any rate—which is more than I can say for myself. Sorry if he gave you a scare in the night.”
“It’s no matter.” She hurriedly took a sip of her own tea to hide her sudden blush. “Do you happen to know the address of the cartman he hired?”
Ash shot her a look. “You’re not on about that blasted tree, are you? First he was moaning about it for half an hour in the middle of the night, and now I have to endure more?”
“Did it really almost crush you?” Rose laced her fingers under her chin and stared at Ash. “The servants are saying Lord Thornton saved your life. How does it feel, to have almost died?”
“Wretched,” their brother said, but Holly suspected his ill humor had more to do with lack of sleep than escaping imminent death.
According to the footmen, Ash hadn’t even realized he was about to have a large evergreen land on him when Lord Thornton pushed him out of the way.
“It was quite heroic of the viscount,” Rose continued, a dreamy look in her eyes.
“Does this mean you’re throwing over your baron and setting your cap for Lord Thornton?” Holly couldn’t keep the bite from her voice.
