Merry Misrule - St. Clair, Ellie Page 0,10

look at the door. His father’s study was large, yes, but there was hardly enough seating for the lot of them. Caroline didn’t appear to require a chair, however, as she remained rooted in her place near the door.

Elijah finally turned to look at her, more out of curiosity to see if she had changed her dress. She had. And she was accompanied by their brother, Alexander, who took in the scene with an expression of interest on his face, so very like Elijah’s own reflection.

“What is the matter with you, Eli?” Caroline asked, staring at him hotly with her arms folded over her chest. “That was not well done of you.”

“I think we should talk about this later,” he murmured, not wanting to bring any further ire upon her. If she truly was carrying on with the footman, he would prefer to handle it his own way, without his brother and his father interfering, for he knew they would only make things worse, forcing Caroline right into the footman’s arms.

“You were rude,” she said, holding her chin high, “and I think you should apologize.”

“To the footman?” he asked, raising his brows. “I can hardly see why. While I should not have said anything, it is still his job to place the soup on the table and not on your lap.”

“Elijah, you, out of anyone, should know to be nicer.”

“I should, should I?”

“Yes. You must have served with all kinds of men!” she exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. “Did everyone not bleed the same?”

“I… I suppose so,” he said with a shrug, although much of his time in the war was kind of hazy, if he was being honest. She had a point, though. Although, as officers, the gentlemen were less likely to be killed.

“There isn’t actually anything happening between you and the footman, is there, darling?” their mother asked, her words nonchalant, although if Elijah knew her as well as he thought he did, he suspected there was an underlying hint of reproach and question there.

“No, of course not,” Caroline said, although her eyes flashed for a moment with a knowing that Elijah wondered about, but she looked off at the secretaire in the corner too quickly for him to make anything of it.

“What do you think of Lord Cristobel?” Baxter asked, leaning toward his sister, and Elijah wondered if she didn’t shudder slightly.

“Why does it matter?”

“He is interested in you.”

“He is not!” Caroline exclaimed, as though she hadn’t thought much on the fact that the single viscount had been invited to their Christmas party.

“He is.” Baxter nodded, grinning now. “And he would like to be the recipient of your affections by the end of Christmastide.”

“You’re joking,” Caroline said, her hands on her hips now, as Alexander’s eyes followed the conversation with interest.

“I’m not,” Baxter said with a smug smile. “We said we would help him, did we not, Ophelia dear?”

“We did,” she confirmed with a nod of her head. “It would be quite the match.”

“It would,” his father chimed in. “I asked Baxter to find a potential match for you Caroline, and he thought Lord Cristobel would be a fine choice. I agree.”

“I never asked for you to do so!”

“No, you didn’t. But it’s time.”

“I never should have come in here,” Caroline said with a toss of her head. “Family meetings — at least in this family — are always a mistake.”

And with that, she was out the door, pulling it smartly shut behind her.

Elijah sighed as he rose and followed her. What a Christmas homecoming this was turning out to be.

Chapter 5

“Is this how you imagined your Christmas visit here with us?” Caroline asked Joanna wryly the next day as they stepped out the front door of the manor, drawing their cloaks tightly around themselves as the wind did its best to toss them away. Fortunately it had brought warm air today, and Joanna wouldn’t have to worry about the cold that always seemed to invade beneath her skin.

“No,” Joanna admitted with a sigh, “but then, the last time I was here, we were girls. We thought that one look from a young man meant he was in love.”

They laughed at that as they skipped down the steps to meet the rest of the party. They were going for a walk through the family’s grounds, although there wasn’t much to see now that most of the greenery had browned and a layer of snow covered everything. There was, however, a small lake nearby and a