Page 35 of The Widow’s Christmas Surprise

“The same way you have said. The evening before, all the children put out their shoes or stockings, and the good saint is supposed to come by in the night and fill them with candy or gold coins.” Mr. Granger exchanged a glance with his sister. “You remember that, don’t you, Bella?” He turned back to Maria, making tingles of excitement speed through her. “It also unofficially begins the Christmas season.”

“I must say, there is nothing whatsoever wrong with the giving of gold coins.” James Garrett spoke up for the first time. “When Anthony and I were small, December sixth was our favorite day of the year. We were always in pocket for the rest of the year.”

“But the stockings and coins sound like something that should have been done last night, my lord.” Cocking her head, Maria reluctantly turned her attention to Lord Kersey. “So how do you plan to celebrate this year?”

“Anthony came up with a grand idea.”

A chill sliced down Maria’s spine, making her shiver. Anything Lord Wetherby came up with probably forwarded his own aims.

“Usually we gather our greenery on Christmas Eve morning and decorate the house during the afternoon. This year, because we are expecting guests to begin arriving early next week for the house party, Anthony suggested we use Saint Nicholas Day to go gather evergreens so the house will be festive and fragrant for the party.” A twinkle in Lord Kersey’s eye told her he wasn’t quite through. “When we all return to the Hall, perhaps the good saint will have left presents for those who have been good this year.”

An excited chattering broke out around the room. Now might be a good time to ask Mr. Granger to arrange a time for them to talk.

Before she could engage him, however, Lord Wetherby leaned over her, making her jump, and whispered in her ear. “I think a day out in the fresh air will be rather stimulating, don’t you, Cousin?”

“The crisp air will certainly make for a pleasant walk in the woods, if we don’t tarry too long.” Maria rose, her breakfast untouched. “We wouldn’t want to contract a severe chill, would we?” She hurried to her room, bent on dressing more warmly. The outing did sound like fun, and since Mr. Granger apparently was to be a part of the festivities, she could likely manage to steal some time with him. She wanted badly to talk to him, to assure him of her interest. If they could wander away from the others, perhaps they could do more than just talk.

That was bad of her. She was technically still in mourning for her husband, and here she was looking forward to seeing another man. Well, it served Alan right. He’d seen other women—seen them and more—and while they were married too. He was now dead and so it was time for Maria to make up her own mind about men such as Mr. Granger.

Maria laced up her sturdy half-boots, little worn and very stylish. She added a warmer gown of dark brown merino wool, serviceable but elegant, and a pair of mittens. With her winter-weight pelisse, she should be quite warm enough. She ran down the stairs to the entry hall to find Miss Granger talking with Lady Kersey.

“Look, Lady Kersey.” So excited she could not stand still, Miss Granger danced on her tiptoes as she gazed around the room, her face a study in joy. She pointed to a line of stockings, all different sizes and colors, hanging from the fireplace mantel at the end of the hall. A tag with a person’s name was pinned to each stocking. “When we return from the woods, Lady Kersey swears there may be presents in these stockings.”

“In the spirit of Saint Nicholas’s feast day, I suggested the stockings as part of the fun today.” Lady Kersey smiled at Maria. She always seemed to genuinely wish to be of service to anyone in need. “It was always such fun to watch the boys digging through their stockings, looking for sweets and coins.”

“Oh, but it does sound like a tremendous amount of fun.” Squeezing the strings of her reticule, Miss Granger looked about the largish entry. Likely looking for her brother.

Where was Mr. Granger? Surreptitiously, Maria tried to spy him, but his handsome face and broad-shouldered frame were nowhere to be seen.

The front door opened and Mr. Granger strode in. “Ladies, gentlemen, your carriage awaits.” He laughed and ushered them out to the circle driveway where a shooting brake stood.

“Surely we could have taken the carriage, my dear.” Frowning, Lady Kersey confronted her husband.

“Part of the adventure, my lady,” he said as he escorted his wife and handed her into the rustic cart meant to take gentlemen out to the field for shooting.

Mr. James Garrett handed Jane and Miss Granger up and into the open cart. Maria then faced a terrible dilemma. She stood at the rear of the brake, Mr. Granger on one side, Lord Wetherby on the other. Both held hands out to assist her. Of course she wished to put her hand in Mr. Granger’s, but to snub his lordship would hardly be either considerate or canny if she wanted to keep her attraction to Mr. Granger a secret. In the end, she placed one hand in either of theirs and clambered aboard to sit by Jane. The gentlemen followed her quickly and the horses started.

“You are a regular Solomon, my dear,” Jane whispered. “Still, your preference is showing, if ever so slightly. Learn to school your eyes and you will be fine.”

That was a true criticism. Maria had always had a difficult time trying to shield her thoughts from showing on her face, one reason she was such a wretched card player. Anyone who paid a modicum of attention to her, knew her thoughts as well as if they could read them in a book.

“You must instruct me, my dear,” she whispered back. “No one conceals their thoughts better than you do. How do you do it?”

Her cousin chuckled. “An old trick, but not easy to accomplish. You must be able to spin gold out of nothing and do so with so much sincerity that people wish to believe what you say is true so much they refuse to accept the truth even when you tell it to them.”

“That does sound diff icult.” Maria sighed. “What is the next best way?”

“Tell the truth.” Jane made the statement glibly, but there was enough gravity to it that Maria could tell the advice was not lightly given. “You will always find that to be the safest and truest path.”

“And often the most difficult one, if I don’t miss my guess.”

Jane nodded. “I concede that point, but still you will find, honesty is the virtue that will stand you in good stead in the end.”

“What are you two ladies talking about that has made you gloomy?” Lord Wetherby stood and maneuvered himself over beside Maria.

Like a ball out of a pistol, Maria shot back, “The virtue of telling the truth before lies, my lord.”

“Good God, no wonder you are Friday-faced.” He raised his hands in mock horror. “I beg of you, turn your conversation to something merrier and in keeping with the season, or you shall both turn into a Krampus and punish us all.”