His Christmas Match (A Gentleman's Guide to Once Upon a Time) (10 page)

She grabbed a dress and pulled in
front of her body shielding his view as her face turned a lovely shade of
crimson.
 
Noah’s own face heated, and he
wasn’t sure if it was from his own embarrassment at gawking at her or the
sudden lust filling his body.
 
He turned
away and stepped toward the door. “My apologies.”
 
He didn’t wait for an answer and stepped out
into the hall and closed the door.

Noah leaned back against the
wall, tilted back his head, closed his eyes, and sighed. He should have never
seen Miss Valentine in such a state of undress. It was a vision he would not
likely ever forget. Hopefully, she never learned just how much the light material
revealed to him or how hot desire shot through his body.

Eight

Rosalind’s hands shook as she
buttoned her dress.
 
As she was without
assistance at the moment, she had chosen one with front closures. Why hadn’t
she dressed earlier, as soon as she was out of bed, or at least as soon as she
had Penelope settled after she drank her tea? Why had she waited until after
she had eaten from the tray that had been delivered?

Her face was still warm, and she
wasn’t sure she would ever overcome the embarrassment of Lord Felding seeing
her unclothed. Goodness, what must he think?

Why had he barged in here in such
a manner?
 
Didn’t he know she and
Penelope were sharing a chamber? Did he often rush into his sisters’ rooms
without permission?

She would certainly be more
careful in the future and change behind a screen, but it never occurred to her
that anyone would simply walk into the room.

Rosalind glanced to the bed.
 
Penelope’s eyes were closed, and she assumed
the young woman was asleep. Thank goodness Penelope hadn’t witnessed her
embarrassment.

Rosalind’s heart hadn’t yet
calmed, and her pulse rioted in her veins.
 
She must gain control so Felding didn’t witness how overwrought she was
from the experience.
 
Her appearance had
to be perfect before she opened the door to let Lord Felding in. Rosalind
walked to the mirror and nearly groaned.
 
He could not have seen her in a worst state. Not only had she been clad
only in her shift, but she had not yet brushed her hair.
 
It fell in a mass of tangled curls about her
head. What must he think of her being in such disrepair so late in the day?

With a stifled curse, she drew
the brush through her hair ripping through the more stubborn knots until she
regained some measure of neatness. With a few quick twist and available pens,
her hair was neatly knotted at the back of her neck.
 
After a deep breath, Rosalind stepped back
and appraised her appearance. All was what it should be. Now if she could only
forget Felding had seen her a few moments earlier, her world could go on.
Unfortunately, she wasn’t sure she would ever forget the incident nor the look
on his face.
 
She had never seen a
gentlemen more shocked in her life. His mouth had opened, eyes widened, and
eyebrows rose.
 
Was he disturbed, angry,
or simply surprised?
 
She tried to read
his expression, but her own thoughts were too jumbled at the shock. She hadn’t
even reacted quickly enough to pull the dress in front of her to cover her
body.
 
What must he have thought of her
standing there reacting too late to keep him from viewing her for far longer
than she should have allowed?

She would never forget and could
only hope he did.

Rosalind smoothed her skirts once
last time and walked slowly toward the door willing her hands to stop
shaking.
 
She opened it to find him leaning
against the wall.

Felding opened his eyes and
lurched forward. “Please accept my apologies,” he began. “It completely slipped
my mind that you and Penelope are sharing a chamber.
 
When I heard she was ill, I rushed up here
not pausing to consider.” He stopped and looked at her. His light blue eyes
bore into her. “I am terribly sorry. Can you forgive me?”

He was as embarrassed as she
which calmed Rosalind a bit. “Of course.”
 
She stood back so he could enter the room. “Lady Meadows has sent for a
doctor.”

“Yes. She told me,” Felding
answered as he moved to the bed and studied his sister. He gently placed a hand
against her cheek.
 
Penelope opened her
eyes and offered a weak smile.
 
“Don’t
frown,” she chastised.

“I’m concerned.”

“It’s simply a fever,” she
answered in a whisper. “I am feeling a bit better after the willow bark tea
Rosalind gave me.”

“I’ll feel better after Doctor
Harper has examined you.”

“There is no reason to worry,”
Penelope insisted. “I am sure that after I sleep for a bit I will feel just the
thing.”

Rosalind seriously doubted that
would happy though she agreed Penelope should sleep. “Perhaps Dr. Harper could
give her a sleeping drought so she could get the rest she needed to overcome
the illness,” Rosalind suggested to Felding.

“Is there anything I can get for
you?” Felding asked.

“Nothing,” Penelope sighed.
 
“Go enjoy your day.”
 
She narrowed her eyes on him. “Don’t you have
a lady to court?”

Rosalind’s heart tightened. She
had forgotten for a short time that Felding was intent on courting Lady
Jillian.
 
She wished she could have
forgotten for a bit longer.

“Your health is much more
important,” Felding insisted.

“Noah, go. I will be fine.”

He glanced back at Rosalind
wearing a worried frown on his face. “I will stay with her. Why don’t you join
the others?”

Rosalind straightened and came
forward. “It is I who will stay, Lord Felding,” she insisted. “I am here to see
to your sister’s needs.” A smile pulled at her lips. “It is what you hired me
for.”

“Not to be her nurse. Simply a
companion.”

“Stop. Both of you,” Penelope
moaned from the bed.
 
“Go, Noah.
 
I would much rather have Rosalind help with
my current need and not you.”
 
She pushed
the covers down her body.

“Are you going to be ill?”
Felding asked anxiously.

“No,” Penelope sighed. “But I do
need to use the necessary.”

Color stole into his cheeks, and
Felding backed toward the door.
 
“I shall
leave you then.”
 
He bolted from the room
closing the door behind him.

“I knew that would get him to
leave,” Penelope chuckled lightly as Rosalind came to help her stand and led
her to the chamber pot behind the screen.

* * *

Noah paced in the parlor waiting
for Doctor Harper to return downstairs.
 
The man had been up there nearly half an hour.
 
Certainly he had a diagnosis and decided on
the proper treatment.
 

Around him, the guests were
getting ready for sledding.
 
Meadows had
sleighs available, and the horses were being harnessed to each.
 
Though it still snowed, it wasn’t coming down
as heavy as it had earlier.
 
A sled ride
with Lady Jillian would be pleasant if he wasn’t so worried about Penelope.

What if her condition was worse
than she or Miss Valentine believed? What if she became more ill? What if she
developed a cough or worse?

“Is Lady Penelope very ill?” Lady
Jillian asked.

“She does not seem concerned.” He
pushed his fingers through his hair in frustration. “Miss Valentine is worried,
but not nearly as much as I.”

Lady Jillian linked her arm
through his and pulled Noah further into the room. “What did the doctor tell
you?”

“He hasn’t come back down.” Noah
glanced back toward the stairs. “Why is he taking so long?”

“These things take time,” she
smiled sympathetically. “Why don’t you have a cup of tea? I am sure he will be
down shortly.”

Noah blew out a frustrated breath
but allowed Lady Jillian to pull him further into the room and toward the tea
cart.

“Lord Felding prefers a dash of
milk and no sugar,” Lady Jillian instructed the servant.

He stared down at her. How did
Lady Jillian know how he preferred his tea unless she had been paying attention
yesterday?
 
He hadn’t anticipated her
show of concern, and now she was seeing to his comfort as a wife would.
 
It was an unexpected comfort.

The maid prepared the cup as
instructed and handed it to Noah.
 
He
sipped and let his attention wander toward the entry once again.
 
Why hadn’t the doctor come down yet?

“Come,” Lady Jillian linked her
arm with his again, “let’s sit by the entry so you can see the doctor the
moment he emerges from upstairs.”

Once again, Noah allowed Lady
Jillian to lead him across the room. She chose two chairs beneath a front
window which also gave a clear view of the stairs and landing on the second
floor.
 
He tried to relax and enjoy his
tea but knew he would be unable to do so until someone told him that Penelope
would recover.

He knew he shouldn’t worry, but
he couldn’t help himself. He could not recall Penelope ever being ill. Not even
as a child.
 
The fact that she was now
was of serious concern.
 

“Thank you for coming out, Doctor
Harper.”
 
Lady Meadows’ voice trailed
down the stairs before Noah saw either her or the doctor. He came to his feet
and walked to the foyer.

“What is wrong with my sister?”
he demanded.
 

“It is simply an ague,” Doctor
Harper assured him.

“Ague?” Lady Jillian asked coming
up beside Noah. “Is it serious?”

“I suspected Lady Penelope will
be herself in a day or two.
 
These things
usually disappear as quickly as they come.”

Relief shot through Noah, and he
felt the tension leave his shoulders.
 

“Keep her comfortable, feed her
broth and tea, and I’ve left medicine to help her sleep.”

“Thank you, Doctor Harper.” Noah
shook the man’s hand before Lady Meadows led him to the door.”

Noah turned to Lady Jillian. “If
you will excuse me, I would like to check on my sister.”

“Of course.” She smiled sweetly.

“Please encourage Miss Valentine
to come down,” Lady Meadows called after him.
 
“She insists on remaining by your sister’s side.”

“How very kind of her,” Lady
Jillian murmured beneath her breath, but Noah still heard.
 
He was taken aback for a moment by what he
perceived to be as the lady’s dry tone and forced smile.

He must be mistaken.
 
Just moments ago Lady Jillian was showing him
kindness and concern with regard to Penelope.

When he reached the door to
Penelope’s chamber, Noah knocked and waited for Miss Valentine to answer.
 
He didn’t want to walk in on something he
should not as he had earlier, and he wished he could get the vision out of his
mind.
 
It was easy not to think of how
Miss Valentine looked, standing in only her shift, while worried about his
sister.
 
Now that Noah knew Penelope only
needed rest, Miss Valentine was once again in the forefront of his thoughts
with her thin shift and disheveled hair as if she had just been tumbled.

He closed his eyes and groaned.
He should not be thinking of Miss Valentine in such a manner. She was a vicar’s
niece and sister of a friend.
 
She had
already been ruined because others choose to believe the worst, and he was no
better for lusting after her.

But how could a man not lust
after such curves and beauty? He would have to be dead.

The door opened, and Miss
Valentine’s questioning eyes appeared before him.
  
They were so deep, so blue, and this was the
second time he was arrested by their intensity.
 
Had she always been so serious? Her auburn eyebrows arched as if waiting
for him to speak, and her lips parted slightly.
 
Why had he never noticed their fullness before? Or the delicate line of
her jaw?
 
In addition to the body of a
goddess, Miss Valentine had very kissable lips.

“Would you like to come in?”

Noah jerked his gaze from her
mouth to her eyes. “Yes.”

She stood back and pulled the
door further open.
 
“Penelope is sleeping
at the moment.”

He strolled to the bed and looked
down at his sister. She lay curled on her side just as she had done as a
child.
 
Dark eyelashes feathered her
cheeks, and her breathing was even and unlabored.
 
There was a slight blush to her cheeks, but
they were no longer red with fever.