My Merry Marquess (Wallflower's Christmas Wish #3) - Annabelle Anders Page 0,24

he had before.

This is fun!

By the time he’d drawn the sleigh up to the bakery, snow was falling again, and heavy clouds hung in the sky. Her feet and fingers were cold through and through, but she was so very happy they had gone.

Taking hold of both her hands, he tugged her to stand beside him. When he drew her closer than was necessarily proper, she didn’t care the slightest.

“I’m not ready to send you back to your aunt’s yet.” He flicked his gaze toward the inn. “But I don’t suppose it’s proper for me to take you back to my chamber unchaperoned.”

Eve touched a fingertip to her lips. Her reputation would be in tatters if anyone had witnessed her visit yesterday. And today, she assumed that her aunt would be expecting her back shortly.

Drawing on courage she hadn’t thought she’d need, she took a deep breath. “Would you care to join us for tea? I can’t guarantee Cook will provide us with anything edible, but as you well know, we have plenty of pie.”

He readily agreed and then placed the sleigh up against the building that housed the bakery. He’d met her aunt in the square yesterday, but Eve hadn’t admitted to their prior acquaintance. And there was no chance in Hades that Noelle and Holly wouldn’t demand some sort of explanation.

Eve straightened her back.

There was nothing wrong with him meeting her family. He was merely a former acquaintance. Her sisters and aunt need never know about her past and how she’d humiliated herself over him.

She watched Nicholas and admitted to herself that she wasn’t prepared to part with him for the day either. Warmth filled her heart the moment before a bitterly cold wind blew right through her coat and dress. It was almost as though the winter weather was warning her not to get used to his affection.

She was being quite fanciful now.

But the unsettled feeling refused to be shaken. A very wise voice inside of her, reminiscent of her mother’s, taunted that shouldn’t get used to this feeling. Being happy was an illusion—a trap.

Thinking any of it was real would only make everything that much worse when bad things happened again.

Chapter 7

“I’m here, Eve!” a voice cried from across from the square just as Nick turned to escort Eve back to her aunt’s for tea.

Eve stopped and waved at the approaching horse and sleigh just as Dash pulled the reins to bring the festive contraption to a halt.

“Did Aunt send you looking for me? She ought to realize by now that I am quite safe with Dash,” a dark-haired young lady said to Eve.

“Of course, you were, Noelle. Good day, Lord Blitzencreek.” Eve stiffened and dropped Nick’s arm abruptly as she greeted the arriving couple. Nick wondered at her change in demeanor as he stepped forward to assist Eve’s sister down to the snow-covered road.

“There’s no need for you to escort my sister home after all, my lord. Brr! I’m positively freezing! And starving! What have you done to your hand, Eve?”

Shiny droplets of blood were dripping from Eve’s mitten.

“I cut it in the kitchen, earlier. I must have reopened it when I fell.” She made an introductory gesture, but Nick noticed that she was slightly paler than she’d been a moment before. “Lord Merriweather, have you met my sister Noelle?”

“Lady Noelle.” Nick bowed.

“Thank you for your assistance, My Lord.” But all of the girl’s attention was on Eve. “You poor thing. Oooh. Let’s get you back to Aunt’s house. Surely, Mr. Clark will have a salve to put on it.” She took a moment to send a vibrant smile in Dash’s direction. “Thank you for the lovely day, My Lord.”

Nick willed Eve to meet his eyes, but she was staring at the drops of blood that had fallen on the snow. She did not correct her sister’s assumption and explain that she’d invited him for tea. With the arrival of her sister, it seemed, his invitation was to be revoked.

Was she embarrassed by him, or was it something else? Or was it simply the sight of her own blood?

It was his own fault. He berated himself for not checking her hand after she’d fallen.

“Thank you, Lord Merriweather.” Eve finally glanced up and sent him a half-smile as her sister dragged her away. The level of disappointment he felt at being denied more time with her startled him. “The skating was most enjoyable.”

“I’ll take this around to the stable lads and meet you inside.” Dash spoke