While his parents were away during the Civil War, his childhood Christmases had been celebrated with naught but his siblings and a few servants.Those had been rather quiet, yet still enjoyable.He’d spent most of his young adult life at King Charles II’s court, in exile on the Continent—while those Christmases had been filled with false gaiety, he recalled them as pleasant nonetheless.And the many Christmases since he’d wed Amy…all of those he remembered as blissful (whether they’d actually been blissful or not).
ButthisChristmas, his daughter, Jewel, who was usually so high-spirited, had quite suddenly become withdrawn.He wished he could figure out why.
Worse, his older son, Hugh, was all too eager to go off to war.Which he didn’t need to figure out—he suspected he might have felt the same at Hugh’s age, after all—but he did need to thwart.
Even worse, his younger son, Aidan, was rebelling.Which Colin figured was his main problem.
Because, worst of all, thanks to Aidan, he and Amy weren’t seeing eye to eye.
Which was absolutely miserable.
It seemed to him that the whole family’s mood had been steadily deteriorating in the weeks since Stir-Up Sunday.Vexingdid not even begin to describe the tension in their carriage as they made their way to his younger brother’s house for what was supposed to be a festive holiday.
He decided to break the sullen silence by tackling the simplest issue first.In fact, he thought with an unexpected flash of insight, he actually might know the reason Jewel’s state of mind had plummeted yesterday.
“Your new blue gown is lovely,” he told her from across the carriage’s cabin, secretly thinking it matched her all-too-blue disposition.“But you seem pensive.I’m very sorry you lost your maid.”Lydia had been with Jewel since childhood, transitioning from nursemaid to lady’s maid.“As soon as we get back, we’ll find you another one.”
“I care not that Lydia left,” Jewel said.When she saw his look of surprise, she added, “That is, of course I care, but I understand that she must look after her mother now.”
“Then why are you brooding?”
Jewel’s glare made it clear that had been the wrong thing to say.
“I’m sorry,” he recanted and tried again.“Why have you been so quiet?”
“Leave her alone,” Amy said.“Girls brood some times of the month.”
Jewel let out an indignant huff.“Very well,” she snapped, “it’s Lydia.Gads.”
It was dim inside the carriage, but not so dim that Colin couldn’t tell Jewel had turned red.Which was no wonder, given her mother’s insensitive comment.Amy wasn’t usually so short-tempered.She must be even more upset with him than he’d thought.
Bloody hell.
“Are we there yet?”Aidan asked.
“Does itlooklike we’re there?”Sitting between her two brothers, Jewel gestured out the carriage window, somehow managing to continue looking peeved yet also grateful to be on another subject.“Snowy fields and more fields.Snowy hills.Do you see a river, dear brother?Lakefield is on the Thames.”
“Patience,” Colin counseled his youngest.“We’ve been on the road less than an hour.”
“Patience isn’t his strong point,” Hugh said.
Aidan leaned across his sister to scowl at his older brother.
“Aidan is patient at a jeweler’s bench,” their mother disagreed.“Endlessly patient, getting every detail right.Which is why he will do a wonderful job of bringing Goldsmith & Sons back to life.”
“I’m a Chase!”Aidan exploded.“I’m not a Goldsmith, so there will be no Goldsmith & Sons!Let me out of here!”He banged on the ceiling of the carriage, and it ground to a halt.
The moment it stopped, he threw open the door and jumped out.
“Aidan!”Amy started after him.
“Sit.”His hand on her shoulder, Colin stuck his head out the door to have a look, then ducked back inside.“The coachman made room for him up front.He’s wearing a heavy cloak.He’ll be fine.Let him ride there and calm down.”He reseated himself beside her as the carriage began moving again.“Why do you have to keep pushing him?”
“Because it’s important to me.Because you promised.”
It had been a mistake to make that promise, Colin knew now.A mistake to promise another man’s life away, even if that other man was his as-yet-unconceived son.But a Chase promise was not given lightly—nor was it ever broken.
He sighed.“We’ve been talking about this for months now.Can you let it go for Christmas?Just for Christmas?”
