They always went from youngest to oldest.
Aidan’s soft smile reassured his mother that for now he was putting their disagreement behind him.Her heart sang with joy.“I choose the coin,” he said, picking the only charm he hadn’t made himself.
“A fortune in the offing,” Amy murmured, wondering if her youngest was hoping some unexpected fortune might save him from his destiny.But that was silly, because the meanings were for the lucky people who found the charms in their portion on Christmas Eve, not for whoever stirred them into the pudding.“Make a wish,” she reminded him, handing him the long wooden spoon.“And stir from east to west, to honor the Magi and their journey in that direction.”
As he dropped the coin into the batter, Aidan closed his eyes.“I wish…” he whispered, stirring the mixture fiercely.
Amy feared he wished he wouldn’t have to become a jeweler’s apprentice.But she kept that to herself and turned to her other son.“Hugh?”
Hugh chose the anchor, which symbolized safe harbor.“I wish…”
Amy had no idea what he was wishing.But she hoped it was for a long and fruitful life.Andnotfor a chance to go off to war.“Jewel?”
“I choose the wishbone,” Jewel declared.“For good luck for all of us!”
Amy had been hoping Jewel would choose the ring, a sign of marriage.So she chose the ring for herself, wishing her only daughter would soon find the love of her life.
“Colin?”
“All that’s left is the thimble,” he complained.“What on earth does that signify again?”
“A life of blessedness,” Amy reminded him.
And as he stirred the thimble into the plum pudding, she couldn’t help thinking they indeed lived a life of blessedness.Whatever troubles they had, they were blessed.
All five of them.
Three
Kendra
A month later
Very early Friday, December 23
Amberley House
AT TWO HOURSpast midnight, the Duchess of Amberley was wrapping the last of her gifts when she finally gave up hoping the duke would arrive home in time for Christmas.
Kendra tied the final ribbon with a sigh.In twenty years of marriage, she and her husband—Patrick, though she called him Trick—had never spent her favorite holiday apart.But Trick had been summoned to Scotland, where his father was dying, and Kendra hadn’t been able to go with him, because the twins were ill and she had been loath to leave them.
More than two months later, all four of their children were healthy, but Trick still hadn’t returned.
Oh, he’d sent messages.One after another, full of excellent excuses.His father lived longer than expected—that had been a good thing, giving the two of them precious extra time together.When Hamish finally passed on, the wake lasted a week.After that, Trick’s brother Niall had needed his help to settle their father’s affairs, and then a big storm hit, keeping him from leaving.
Nine long weeks.Kendra missed Trick’s smile.She missed his companionship.She missed his quick wit.
But most of all, she missed Trick in her bed.
God, did she miss Trick in her bed.
“Your grace?Are you all right?”
“Oh!”Kendra whirled to see her lady’s maid in the doorway.“You scared me.Goodness, Margaret, we’re leaving for Lakefield first thing in the morning.What are you doing up at this hour?”
“Waiting for you to go to bed, your grace,” the young woman said through a yawn.“Pray pardon.I’m not as sleepy as I appear.”
“Of course you’re sleepy.”The poor girl looked exhausted, her russet hair drooping along with her shoulders.“There’s no need for you to wait up for me.Icanundress myself, you know.”
