“I have something for you as well,” he said.
“I told you not to get me anything.”
“I didn’t—precisely. And you may decide whether you would like it now or wait until Christmas for it.”
“Now, if you’re so determined on it,”her traitorous heart wanted to say, still afraid of what fraught feelings the day might invoke. But she heard herself say, “I’ll wait until Christmas.”
Kendrick followed her into the hall, where she handed him the missive that had arrived the day before. His eyes flew up at the return address. He broke it open and scanned its contents before laughing. “You will have to add another two to the guest list, sweetheart,” he said, handing it to her. She read it curiously.
Dear Kendrick,
What do you mean,MARRIED? Good God, man, it’s not even been two months since we last saw you. Who on earth could you have met? What, did Etienne tell you, “Thou art sad; get thee a wife, get thee a wife”?
Ophelia and Iaren’t even married yet, though we will be by the time you read this. We have been in Ireland, Ophelia learning much from the Ossory werewolves. Ophelia has come to terms with raw meat on the full moon and getting furrier than she would like, though she still has moments that take her aback. However, she wishes to spend Christmas with her human friend Marie-Claire in Yorkshire and marry there. So, your letter arrived at precisely the right time.
When you receive this, we shall be en route to Yorkshire—or Ophelia and the menagerie will. I will be packed away with a book in a very large steamer trunk, counting the minutes. Time goes on crutches till love hath all his rites. But Ophelia was delighted to hear that you have married, and she wishes to be at Addie and Etienne’s ceremony in a few weeks, anyway, so we will hie to London for the new year after the holidays. Thank you for the invitation.
And I mean that sincerely. Receiving your letter made me realize what a lot of baggage I was holding on to concerning London and the Ossuary. I will never regret turning down any sort of leadership—I do not have the temperament for that—but I am impressed and gladder than I can say that you are righting the ship. And I think Ophelia will be glad to know more female friends besides Addie.
We will arrive in London on the 28th if the trains run on time. Or Ophelia will. I will be safely ensconced in the aforementioned trunk.
Your friend,
Salem
“These are the friends you told me about. Our first proper houseguests,” Genevieve said with some surprise. “What menagerie does he speak of?”
“Ophelia has a dog and three cats that I assume she’ll be bringing.”
“Oh. And they don’t mind vampires?”
“They’re warming to them.”
“Well, Wulfric will have some company. Perhaps it will keep him from being naughty. Sally was very cross with him for besmirching the dining room rug. Let me tell Sally that we will need a room cleaned—preferably one fully furnished?—”
“That can wait a bit. For right now…” He trailed off.
Genevieve asked, “What is it?”
“You’re under the kissing bough, mum!” Hannah exclaimed, clapping her hands.
Genevieve turned to find the children in the doorway, flanked by Sally and Elspeth, all with mischievous smiles on their faces. She looked up. Sure enough, there was a sprig of mistletoe hanging above them in the archway.
“When did that get there?” she asked.
“Never mind that; you’ve got to kiss—those are the rules!” Elspeth smirked.
“How do you know?”
“Robbie and I tested it. It’s ironclad,” she said virtuously.
“Mysterious are the ways of the kissing bough,” Kendrick said, his eyes twinkling.
“And you love a mystery,” Genevieve said.
He grinned down at her as he pulled her close. “That I do.”
As he pressed a kiss to her mouth, all the children cheered, and Genevieve remembered what it was like to be warm.
