“And you know this because you saw her when she was on her own, am I right?” Luke asked.
“My father was not a comfortable man. When I was young, I especially found it difficult to gain his favor. I would—” Judith dropped her gaze, her hands going cold at the memory. “—hidefrom him in her room while she worked on mending. She would tell me about her childhood in China.”
“I understand.”
At his soft words, Judith glanced up and found him staring at the fireplace.
“My father loved my mother, but he had a bit of a wild streak,” Luke said, still not looking at Judith. “His father had forced him to go into the family business, but he hated it. Even though he had a wife and a son he was responsible for, my father took risks. The last one he accepted was a challenge to race a particularly dangerous route. His horse stepped in a rabbit hole, and they both went down. He broke his neck.”
She was struck by a sense of camaraderie with him and said, “My father is a different kind of risk-taker. He broke my mother’s heart and destroyed our family’s reputation.”
“I knowyou’repaying the price,” Luke said, his voice soft and commiserating.
“Just as you did at the hands of your stepfather.” When he winced, she regretted mentioning the man. Doris and Maude always spoke so lovingly of their father, but Judith had always thought he sounded like two different men, one the kind and loving father of the sisters and the other the cold and heartless one who had disowned Luke. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have mentioned him.”
“I assume your brother told you about my situation.” The bitterness in Luke’s voice carried the same taste as the one she had for her father.
“You, at least, can claim no blood connection.” Judith smiled, trying to lighten the mood.
“There is that.” Luke gave a dark chuckle.
“I apologize for taking out my frustrations on you upon your arrival.” She sighed. “It wasn’t ladylike and proves me the worst hypocrite.”
Luke leaned forward and gave her a measured gaze. “Everyone’s a hypocrite. We can’t help it.”
“How so?” Judith straightened, prepared to argue.
“Because all of us have personal ethics we fail to live up to from time to time. One of mine is to be a patient man. When I lose my temper—which happens too often—I’m a hypocrite.” Luke rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s one of many things in my life I’m forever working to improve. Some days I’m better than others, but I’d rather be a struggling hypocrite than a man with no morals.”
Judith stared at him. Luke’s words spoke to her like nothing had since the disclosure of her father’s criminal behavior.
“I didn’t mean to render you speechless. That’s quite an accomplishment, if I do say so myself.” He winked at her, lifting the mood, and she smiled.
“You, sir, are a tease.” She picked up her lap desk again. “Now, I’ve made a list of the events the society decided to include and tried to spread out a mixture of the manly events with the cultured ones.”
“Because a manly event can’t also be a cultured one?” he asked dryly.
“That was not what I said.” He arched a brow, and Judith gave a soft laugh. “But thatwaswhat I meant. I apologize. Now tell me if you like the order.” She handed him the sheet of paper.
They spent the next half-hour going over the list, with Luke making several recommendations for moving events around.
“My biggest concern is I don’t like the idea of a rowdy activity just prior to the Christmas story which Doris’s scholars will perform.”
“I’m going to be an angel, Uncle Luke” Lydia cried, skipping into the parlor in her dressing gown. The exuberant five-year-old threw herself into his arms for a hug.
“I’m Mary,” Florence said, with an air of superiority expected from a big sister, even one who was only a year older. She was more circumspect in the way she hugged him, but squealed just as loudly as Lydia had, when he tickled her.
Judith glanced at Marshall and Doris who’d followed the girls into the parlor. A twinge of jealousy at the happiness of the new family stung Judith, but she pushed it away. Luke might have to battle to keep control of his temper, but she had to fight the envy that continued to plague her. She liked his comment about being a struggling hypocrite. The obvious happiness of both Maude and Doris took nothing from Judith, and she truly did not resent them.
Judith simply wished she would have a family of her own someday. She could only hope that, when enough time had passed, some man—a decent man—could look beyond the black mark on her family name. It would take someone very high in society, indeed, who could weather undamaged the stain she’d bring.
“Mama Doris is going to show us how to make pine Christmas wreaths tomorrow to go with the tree,” Lydia said, jumping from Luke’s lap. “It makes the house smell so good.”
“That reminds me,” Luke said. “Have you already put up your tree? We’ve always put ours up on Christmas Eve, but Frances insisted on doing it a few days ago. I’m afraid it’ll burn the house down.”
“We put our tree up yesterday. We won’t use candles until Christmas Eve,” Doris said. “Judith is quite clever in the way she strings cranberries.”
“Really?” Luke glanced at her expectantly. “I’d like to see.”
