She rolled her shoulders and lifted her pelisse and bonnet from the rack. Like her gown, there was only one of each. Jonathan had already seen them both any number of times. It was a good thing she wasn’t trying to impress him.
Before she could lose her nerve, she flung open the door.
He looked magnificent as always. Shiny black boots. Formal black knee breeches. Perfectly tailored overcoat. Floppy brown hair that fell boyishly over his pale forehead. Strong jaw and firm lips. Sapphire eyes that sparkled wickedly, as though he knew very well how handsome he looked, and enjoyed catching her peeking.
“I brought you something.” He pulled his hand out from behind his back.
Angelica stared at the item dangling from his fingers. It was not some romantic trinket, but rather an ordinary beige bonnet she could have sworn came from the same local milliner that had sold her hers. In fact...
“That bonnet looks exactly like mine,” she said, her voice tight with suspicion.
“Itisexactly like yours,” he replied cheerfully. “With one big difference: this one is from me.” He placed her old bonnet back on the rack and tied the new one beneath her chin. “You hate making clothing decisions. I wanted to give you a gift that didn’t add to your worries. There.” He stepped back and admired her with satisfaction.
She pressed her fingers to her chest as though her touch could calm her racing heart. It was a perfect gift. Something new to let her know he was thinking of her, without trying to change her in the least. He liked her just as she was, and wanted to be certain she knew it.
He offered his arm.
She held on tighter than necessary, as though she could imprint the memory of him into each of her fingertips, to keep for later.
He doffed his hat and ducked beneath the brim of her new-old bonnet to steal a quick kiss before escorting her outside and up the snow-packed road to the castle.
They were not alone. Though the air was cold, the atmosphere was festive. Most of Cressmouth regularly turned out for the community’s myriad Christmas activities, but the assembly was a particular favorite. Food, drink, music, dancing... and this year, thanks to Noelle, the village’s first annual indoor tree decorating. With luck, the custom would catch on.
Volunteers like Jonathan had been out all afternoon, clearing the walking path to the castle. The snow had finally stopped that morning, but it would be days before the roads between neighboring villages were clear enough for travel.
It no longer felt like she and Jonathan were stuck together because of bad weather. It felt more like they’d been drawn together by good luck.
After handing off their outerwear to one of the castle’s many attendants, Angelica expected to have to introduce Jonathan to most of the villagers.
She should not have been surprised to discover he’d met all of them already. If the castle pond hadn’t frozen over, he probably would have introduced himself to every fish and swan.
The ballroom was stunning. During the renovation period after Mr. Marlowe purchased the castle, he had converted the austere bare-wood ceilings into lush, Elizabethan-style decorative white plaster. Instead of heraldic beasts or family crests, the frieze pattern incorporated Christmastide motifs like sprigs of holly.
The silk-covered walls were of rich emerald green, and decorated with countless bright sconces that complemented the dazzling crystal chandeliers overhead.
Angelica knew from experience that the wooden floor would have been freshly waxed and dusted, but with half of the village already in attendance, all she could see was a sea of sharp gentlemen in formal black suits and waves of beautiful ladies in their best Yuletide gowns.
By the time they made their way up to the ballroom dais where Noelle had stationed an enormous evergreen, it was time for the grand unveiling.
Not that the tree was hidden from view. The boughs were covered in flickering candles as well as tantalizing bags of sweetmeats and other little treats.
Noelle clapped her hands together. The roar of conversations lowered to a soft rumble.
“Thank you so much for coming to Cressmouth’s annual grand Yuletide ball. I also want to thank the Skeffington family for providing our beautiful tree, Mr. Bauer for providing countless packages of treats, and Miss Angelica Parker for graciously agreeing to personally design the crowning touches. Even though she had no time to do so, she managed the impossible.” Noelle grinned at Angelica.
Angelica grinned back. She’d been skeptical of an indoor tree, but it looked like Noelle was the one who had made a miracle. The festive display was gorgeous.
“Without further ado,” Noelle announced, “we present... holly that lasts forever!”
The sound of flutes and clarinets filled the ballroom as ten lads marched through the open doors in pairs, playing a rousing rendition of “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”
On the dais, they exchanged their instruments for Angelica’s bejeweled gold creations. They displayed the glittering red-berried adornments to the crowd, to oohs and aahs. The lads took turns dragging a wooden stool about to find the perfect tall branch upon which to affix each adornment.
“The tree looks incredible,” she whispered to Jonathan.
“Thanks to you,” he whispered back. “I hope you’re as proud of you as I am.”
“Angelica!” called a voice.
