His Christmas Match (A Gentleman's Guide to Once Upon a Time) (25 page)

He
stifled the chuckle at what he imagined her reaction would be. “Did you sleep
well?”

“Yes,
I did.” She took a sip of her tea. “I can’t imagine how some of the ladies are
resting having to share a room with another. It simply shouldn’t be done.”

Noah
arched an eyebrow. “You are not required to share?”

Her
chin notched up. “Of course not.
 
Lady
Meadows understood that after we arrived.”

Each
of the gentlemen had a chamber to themselves unless they were with their
wife.
 
Lord Meadows insisted that if
anyone were to share because of the added guests.
it
would be the women since his wife had insisted on inviting them. As far as Noah
knew, Lady Jillian was the only female exempt from having to share a chamber.
“I am sure the others don’t mind. My sister doesn’t.”

Lady
Jillian glanced around the room and then leaned in. “It isn’t fair that she
should have to share with Miss Valentine.”

“Why
is that?” Noah asked quietly.

“Your
sister is a lady, and Miss Valentine is her servant.”

Noah
stiffened.
 
“Miss Valentine is a friend
of the family,” he corrected her.

Lady
Jillian patted his arm as if he were a child. “Yes, but she is still a servant
in Lady Sandlin’s home. Miss Valentine should remember her place and have been
put with the servants.”

Noah
gently removed Lady Jillian’s hand from his sleeve. “Miss Valentine is exactly
where she should be.”

She
gave him a sympathetic smile. “You are too kind, Lord Felding. I hope you don’t
regret your friendships in the end.”

What
the blazes did she mean by that statement?

Demetrius
entered the room, and Noah watched as he filled his plate and then joined them
taking the seat on the other side of Noah. “Good morning, Lady Jillian,
Felding,” he greeted.

Lady
Jillian sniffed and stiffened only giving Demetrius the briefest nod before she
turned her attention to the plate of food before her.

“What
are the plans for this afternoon,” Demetrius asked tearing into the eggs on his
plate.

“More
parlor games,” Noah responded.
 
“And
possibly ice skating. Meadows is going to check the lake to see if it is solid
enough.”

Demetrius
nodded and swallowed.
 
“I haven’t been ice
skating in ages.”

Noah
turned to Lady Jillian.
 
“Do you enjoy
skating?”

“No,”
she answered coldly.
 

Could
he hope that the lake was frozen enough, and she would decide to remain
behind?
 
Would Rosalind’s ankle be healed
enough to skate? It would be a shame if she couldn’t enjoy the activity.

“Have
you spoken with your sister this morning?” Noah asked Demetrius. “How is her
ankle?”

“She
and Lady Penelope had a tray delivered to the room. Rosalind is going to rest
it for a little longer before she comes downstairs.”

At
least she didn’t plan on remaining in the chamber all day. Had she, Noah’s day
would have surely been ruined.

* * *

“Are
you sure you should be up and around and that your ankle is not paining
you?”
 
Penelope pressed with concern.

“I
won’t be running in the snow, but I can walk,” Rosalind assured her.
 

Rosalind
had wanted to leave their chamber earlier, but it was Penelope who insisted she
remain and had a breakfast tray delivered to them.
 
Penelope then went about arranging baths for
both of them, choosing what dress they would each wear that day, and set about
arranging Rosalind’s hair. It was an enjoyable morning spent reminiscing about
their childhood and giggling like school girls. Now they were ready to join the
others.
 

Rosalind
glanced in the mirror one last time struck by the difference in her.
 
The light blue gown hugged to her as if it
had been fashioned for her and not Lady Sandlin.
 
Penelope had found a way to arrange
Rosalind’s hair so the curls not only cascaded down her back, but held as
well.
 
As long as she stepped gingerly,
her ankle should not pain her too much.

“Shall
we?” Penelope asked by the open door.

“Yes,
we shall.” Rosalind met her grin and preceded her out of the room.

A
servant directed them to the music room where the guests had gathered. Were
there going to be more performances?
 

As
they entered, Rosalind noticed that everyone was seated in one of the chairs
arranged in an uneven circle throughout with the exception of Lady Meadows who
stood in the center of the room with Lady Lavins.
 
Lord Meadows placed two chairs in the circle
with the others when he noted their entrance.
 

“I
am so glad you could join us.” Lady Meadows beamed and came forward.
 

“Is
Lady Lavins going to perform?” Penelope asked.

“No,”
Lady Meadows answered. “We are going to play Move-All. Lady Lavins is going to
call out to the players.”

Rosalind
took a step back. Though she was moving about well enough, she didn’t think her
ankle could withstand this game of jumping from a seat and trying to find
another before all were claimed.
 
“I
don’t think I should participate.”

Lady
Meadows bit her lip for a moment. “Is your ankle still giving you pain?”

“It
is a bit tender, and I can walk well enough, but I am afraid the game would
task it. “

“Perhaps
we should play something else,” Lady Meadows offered with sympathy.

“No,”
Rosalind quickly answered. “I don’t mind watching. I truly don’t.”

“If
you are certain.”

“Of
course,” Rosalind assured her.
 
She
glanced about the room. “I will sit at the piano.”

“Lovely,”
Lady Meadows beamed and then turned to the other guests as Lord Meadows removed
one of the chairs he had placed in the circle earlier. Lady Meadows moved to
stand between two occupied chairs, and Rosalind found a place on the bench behind
the piano.
 
“When Lady Lavins calls out
‘move all’, you must all leave your seat and find another.
 
Whoever is left standing is out of the game
until we have only two players left.”

Everyone
nodded in understanding and focused on Lady Lavins. Rosalind studied the group.
Lady Jillian was sitting next to Felding and Rosalind wondered how soon the
lady would forfeit by choosing to sit on Felding’s lap instead of a chair, as
was usually the case when a lady was smitten with a gentleman.

“Move
all,” Lady Lavins called out, and Rosalind watched the guests scramble from one
chair to the next.”

Sir
Lavins was the first to be eliminated but simply shrugged.
 

Lady
Jillian eyed Felding who she managed to find a seat next to once again.
 
He glanced at Lady Jillian through narrowed
eyes.

“Move
all.”

The
guests scrambled again, and this time it was Mr. Parker who lost his seat.
 
Once again Lady Jillian ended up sitting next
to Felding. How soon would she attempt to settle on his lap?

The
game continued a few more times until each of the married gentlemen lost.
 
From Rosalind’s view, none of them had made
much effort in obtaining a new seat and was not disappointed when they lost.
 
Lined up along the wall close to her watching
the game was Lord Meadows, Sir Lavins, Mr. Marius Parker, and Mr. Dillon
Chambers.
 
Rosalind wondered who would be
next.
 

“Move
all.”

The
guests stood, and Lord Meadows removed a seat as he had done since he lost his
seat.
 

Felding
settled into a chair beside two misses who had accompanied a brother.
 
Lady Jillian flopped into a chair, folded her
arms across her chest, and glared at the miss between her and Felding.

“Move
all.”

Felding
stood and Lady Jillian jumped from her seat moving after Felding. Everyone sat
quickly and he was about to settle into a chair when Lady Jillian rushed
forward in what most would assume was an attempt to get the last seat. Before
she could land on Felding’s lap, however, he slid from the chair, allowing Lady
Jillian to claim it.

Rosalind
covered her smile with her hand.
 
Penelope was correct. Felding did not wish to pursue Lady Jillian. Had
he, wouldn’t he have welcomed her on his lap. This game was often used for
courting couples to touch without scandal.

Lady
Jillian’s mouth popped open in surprise as Felding wandered across the room to
stand with the remaining gentlemen.

“Move
all,” Lady Lavins called out again.

Lady
Jillian jumped, looked around, and before she went in any one direction all of
the chairs had been taken.
 
She huffed
and crossed the room to stand beside Felding.

From
her vantage point, Rosalind could see the players as well as the others who
were out of the game. Though Lady Jillian kept sliding closer to Felding, he
barely acknowledged her.
 
With a pleased
smile, Rosalind focused on the remainder of the game which left Penelope and
Demetrius vying for the last seat.

Felding
wandered over to stand beside Rosalind. “This should be interesting,” he
laughed.

Rosalind
tilted back and smiled up at him. “Do you care to make a wager?”

The
skin crinkled around his eye with humor.
 
“I believe they are evenly matched though I don’t expect Demetrius would
give his seat up for my sister.”

Rosalind
arched an eyebrow.
 
“As you did for Lady
Jillian?”

Felding
leaned down. “There is only one miss in attendance I wish to have on my lap,”
he whispered in her ear.

Heat
stole into Rosalind’s cheeks, and she focused on the game.

“Move
all.”

Demetrius
stood as did Penelope, and Lord Meadows pulled a chair away. Demetrius launched
himself at the chair only a moment before Penelope who landed up on his
lap.
 
The two threw their heads back with
laughter as Penelope stood.

“That
makes you the winner, Mr. Valentine,” Lady Meadows said as she came forward
Lord Meadows by her side with a bottle of brandy which he handed to Demetrius.

“Thank
you,” Demetrius bowed with a flourish.

A
footman entered a moment later and spoke quietly to Lord Meadows who then
turned to the guests. “I have been assured that the lake is frozen enough for
staking.
 
Does anyone wish to
participate?”

The
guests moved forward in anticipation.

Lady
Jillian approached them. “Are you going to skate, Miss Valentine?”

“I
don’t think I should with my ankle.” As much as Rosalind wished to be on the
ice, she didn’t want to risk turning it again.
 

“And
you, Lord Felding?”

Felding
glanced at Rosalind but before he answered, Penelope did so for him. “Of course
my brother is going to skate. It is one of his favorite entertainments.”

Both
Felding and Rosalind stared at Penelope as if she had lost her mind. While
Felding did skate, on occasion, when they were children, they all knew he did
not like it as well as the others.

“Lovely,”
Lady Jillian exclaimed.
 
“I will see you
at the lake.” She turned to Rosalind. “It is a shame you must remain behind.”

Rosalind
gritted her teeth.
 
She just did not like
Lady Jillian, and it no longer had anything to do with jealousy.
 
“On the contrary,” Rosalind smiled. “I will
still watch the participants even though I will not be skating.”

Lady
Jillian’s smile fell for a moment. “Very well if that is what you wish.”

Broadridge
approached and offered his arm to Lady Jillian. “Shall we join the others?”

She
took it and nodded to Penelope, Rosalind, and finally Felding. “Don’t be long.”

Rosalind
watched as the brother and sister quit the room. Many of the guests had already
left or were in the process of leaving.
 
Felding wheeled on his sister. “Why did you tell her I enjoyed skating?”

Penelope
smiled mischievously. “I have my reasons.”

Twenty-One

Noah
pulled his sister aside once they reached the lake.
 
Many of the guests were strapping blades to
the bottom of their boots, and Rosalind was sitting on a large log
watching.
 
A fire had been built and
burned not far from her.