“Oof!”he said good-naturedly.He was entirely too busy planning a prank to pay her any mind.
It had come to him in a single bolt of inspiration, conceived upon hearing the words“When will this family learn patience?” spoken so very impatiently.The mere concept had lifted his spirits immensely.
Given the way things were going, he sorely needed some fun, and this stunt was going to be more than fun.
It was going to be hilarious.
DINNERfeatured salmon pie, capon in orange sauce, stewed cucumbers, turnip pudding, and apple tart.Colin cleaned his plate without tasting much of anything.He was completely focused on plotting his prank.
It was going to bemorethan hilarious.
He couldn’t wait to get started.
After the meal, when the family lit the Yule Log, it seemed to take much longer than ever before in his memory.Just getting twenty-one people out of the dining room and gathered by the fireplace proved to be an exercise in patience.Kendra couldn’t locate the brand, necessitating a search.By the time it appeared, three of the youngsters had wandered off and needed to be fetched.Then the log, which was damp, took an absurd amount of time to set ablaze.And when did their little family ceremony become so lengthy and elaborate?
Colin wanted to punch a wall.
Once the Yule Log was lit, it took another eternity to organize everyone to play hot-cockles, a simple game where a blindfolded family member tried to guess who tapped him on the back.To avoid arousing suspicion, Colin cheerfully participated through five rounds, considering himself a veritable model of self-restraint.
Finally, his turn arrived.As Ford’s son Nicky tied the blindfold over his eyes, Colin mentally crossed his fingers, hoping this would be his chance.Before too long, someone tapped him on the back.Her rose scent was the giveaway that allowed him to identify her immediately.
“Amy!”he crowed, grabbing her and pulling her down to his lap.
She giggled.
Pleased that she’d chosen him, he whipped off his mask.“I’ll be back,” he whispered, feeling a combination of glee and relief as he got to his feet and set her aside.“I have a special surprise for you.”
Her grin made his heart swell.Never mind that he didn’t have a surprise already planned.He’d needed an excuse to get away, and he’d find a surprise before he returned.
Leaving the circle, he plucked his cloak off a peg on the wall.
“Where are you going?”Jason asked.
“To the cottage, because my wife deserves an early Christmas gift.”He headed toward the side door.“I won’t be long.”
Free at last, he hurried across the courtyard to the cottage and upstairs to Kendra’s chamber, hoping her maid would be inside.
Well, actually, hoping her maid would be at Lakefield at all.With four families in residence at once, Violet had requested they all bring minimum staff only, as there simply wasn’t room for three full sets of extra servants.He and Amy had brought his valet, Benchley, but not her lady’s maid.
When he opened the door, he was pleased to see Kendra’s maid inside as he’d hoped.Small and slight, she wore a simple brown dress over a long-sleeved linen shift.In the midst of reading a book, she gasped and jumped up from where she was seated at the dressing table.“My apologies, my lord.I think your chamber is next door?”
“Indeed, it is.But it is you I wish to see, Miss…?”
“Margaret.”Still holding her book, she tucked a stray lock of russet hair back under her cap.“What can I do for you, Lord Greystone?”
He wondered how she knew who he was, but supposed Kendra had told her.Or perhaps knowing such things was simply a part of her job.
“I’m hoping you’ll be willing to help me play a prank on my sister.”
Her blue eyes widened.“I cannot play a prank on my mistress!I mean…my apologies, my lord, but I cannot do that.”
“Are you certain?”Gauging her interest, he walked a little closer.“I would never harm my sister—what I have in mind is just for fun.Would five pounds make the prospect more palatable?”
“No!Absolutely not!I owe everything to her grace.And his grace.”She swallowed hard, evidently tempted by five pounds but determined to resist.“I grew up at Caldwell Manor.”
“Did you, now?”Caldwell Manor was Trick’s orphanage.“I trust you were treated well there?”
“Extremely well.I was five when they took me in.”Her chin went up.“It was the luckiest day of my life.”
