Colin
ON CHRISTMASEve morning, Colin grabbed a mug of coffee from the kitchen and headed to the side door that led to the courtyard and the cottage.He opened it to find Jewel on the other side, about to enter.
Both of them startled, then laughed.He went past her and outdoors.
She turned to face him.“Papa, are you leaving?”she asked incredulously.“Breakfast starts at nine.Which is now.”
“You know I never eat breakfast.”He raised the mug of coffee.“This is all I want.I’m off to take a bath.”
Beyond the open door, Elspeth, Diana, and Rebecca could be seen making their way to the dining room from their sleeping quarters in the library.
“The whole family will be at breakfast!”Jewel protested, gesturing toward the girls.“You don’t have to eat.You can just sit and drink your coffee and talk.”
“We have three days together,” he said reasonably.“A single breakfast isn’t that important.”
Seven assorted sons and nephews clattered down the stairs.
Jewel frowned at him.“Mama will think that’s rude.”
“I’ve already told her what I’m doing, and she doesn’t seem to mind.I’m looking forward to some peace in my chamber.I’ll catch up with everyone after you’ve eaten,” he added and headed for the cottage.
Or at least he hoped Jewelthoughthe’d headed to the cottage.
Instead, once she’d closed the side door, he went around the house to the front door and into the entrance hall.There, he sipped the coffee while covertly watching everyone else make their way to breakfast.
Violet and Ford came downstairs next.Kendra’s twins came in through the side door, Amy trailing in after them.The noise level rose in the rapidly filling dining room as Cait and Jason came down and joined everyone at the table.
He lingered a while longer, waiting to see if Kendra and Trick would show up.When minutes passed and they didn’t, he chuckled to himself, returned the empty mug to the kitchen, and headed up the stairs.
Which was how he managed to get to Ford’s top-floor laboratory undetected.But the door was locked.Again.
With a sigh, he parked himself in the corridor until a young housemaid came along.
“Can I help you, my lord?”
“I was hoping to get into Lord Lakefield’s laboratory.But it’s locked.”
“He often keeps it locked, especially when there are guests in the house.He claims things in there are dangerous.We’re not even allowed to clean it.”She eyed him speculatively.“Are you wanting something in the laboratory?”
“I was hoping I might find a tool or two, so I can fix a loose hinge in my room.I think what I need is pliers.Very strong pliers,” he added under his breath.
“Oh, you’ll find tools in the household office, my lord.I have a key for that.”She beckoned him to follow her.“Right over here—” She stopped and turned.“Although surely you’d rather have a footman fix it?”
“Surely they’re all busy serving breakfast?I don’t mind fixing it myself,” he assured her, then flashed her a disarming smile.
He watched a blush creep into her cheeks and congratulated himself as she let him into the office.After all these years, he could still dazzle an unsuspecting girl.
If only he were still able to dazzle his wife.
Fixing his marriage was much more important than fixing anything in the cottage—orunfixing something in the cottage, which was what he was actually planning.
His prank was progressing brilliantly, which was fun.
However, he was rapidly discovering it wasn’t fun enough to offset the mounting trouble in his life.
He had yet to figure out what was making Jewel so dispirited.Hugh still wanted to go off to war.And though he’d been wracking his brain for what felt like forever, he couldn’t find a way to make things right for both Amy and Aidan.
Long ago, he’d once had to choose between Amy and his estate.Did he now have to choose between Amy and his son?Or was the choice between his son and his honor?
