surrounded her. It wasn’t just his need for her assistance that she sensed. It felt as if he needed more from her—much more.
“I will.” His lips were so close that she scarcely dared to breathe.
“Be sure to bring plenty of mistletoe with which to deck the house, I pray, for I hope to be doing a good deal of this.”
Then finally, in answer to all her hopes and dreams, he kissed her.
Chapter Eight
It was Christmas Day, and Julia couldn’t believe her good fortune. Admittedly, she’d worked hard for it, but as they all sat down to dine, she knew her efforts had been worthwhile. Their goose was safe and waddling around in the enclosed back garden. Master Farrar’s pigeons had been captured and turned into a raised pie, and Myall had bought a capon, which Helena served up in a green sauce. Buttered worts, plum pudding, and Christmas pies completed the feast.
In deference to Myall’s father, no wine was served, but mulled “lambswool” was available in large quantities—Myall had provided the ale, sugar, and spices, and one of the crab-apple trees in the garden still had fruit clinging to its branches.
When the meal was done, the company left the table and retired to the front parlor where a blaze roared cheerfully in the fireplace.
Julia glanced around the room with satisfaction, certain that no one could fault her handiwork. That morning, she, Hal, and Myall had set to with a will; dusting, sweeping, and polishing all the woodwork with beeswax until it shone like dark gold. They’d done the same thing with the dining hall, the kitchen, the entranceway, and the staircase. Her garlands and wreaths were now hung about the place, and the stairway was swathed in bunches of evergreen ivy harvested from the garden walls.
She’d even found time to make a kissing bough. Her hope was that Sir Aidan and Helena might plight their troth beneath it, as it would bring good luck to their union. But mayhap it was too soon to expect any announcement of a betrothal. Sir Aidan had only just met Master Farrar, and no one could be certain, at present, how the latter gentleman was going to behave, or what he might let slip. Concealing his absentmindedness, penny-pinching, and total abandonment of the family business was paramount—at least until Sir Aidan was firmly on the hook.
Although—given the heated glances that Julia saw him exchange with Helena—it looked as if he were already smitten. If his feelings blossomed into true love, he’d surely not let any obstacles stand in his way. Especially since he now knew how admirable a cook the lady was.
Julia’s musings were abruptly cut off by the sound of a ruckus outside. A man’s yelp was accompanied by the beating of wings and much honking and hissing.
“Someone’s trying to steal Meggy!” Hal, who’d claimed and named the goose, had gone pale. “Fetch your sword, Master Myall!” he commanded, before dashing out of the room.
Grabbing up the poker, Julia hurried after him, terrified the boy might be running into danger. Only a desperate man climbed a high brick wall and attempted to steal a goose, and such a man would doubtless be armed. A small boy would be no match for him, no matter how angry or quick on his feet.
“Get behind me—all of you.” Myall forged a path to the kitchen door and chased out into the overgrown garden, brandishing his sword. But when Julia caught up with him, he lowered his arm, then rocked back on his heels and let out a gale of laughter.
“Yonder Meggy has proven her true worth!” he exclaimed, catching Hal by the collar before he could surge forward to do battle.
Julia peered around Myall’s shoulder. A stranger was running erratically around the garden, while the goose pursued him, hissing and pecking. The man looked utterly terrified and kept jumping at different sections of the wall, in the hope of scaling it. His high-crowned hat had fallen off in the chase, and his cloak kept catching on brambles.
It appeared that no swords, pokers, or small, angry boys were required to deter the intruder from his purpose. All that was needed was an irate goose. Julia held her breath as the man made a desperate leap at an espaliered apple tree and used its branches to scramble up the wall. She heard him thump down on the other side, and the sound of running footsteps dwindling into the distance.
For a moment, everyone was too stunned to speak. Myall