His Christmas Match (A Gentleman's Guide to Once Upon a Time) (33 page)

Anticipation
bloomed. “Do you really think so?”
 
Rosalind didn’t want to get her hopes up, but it had been years since
they were all together on Christmas.

“I
am certain,” Penelope said as they reached the top of the stairs.
 

Rosalind
looked down and paused. Felding stood in the center of the foyer with Lady
Jillian and Broadridge.
 
They were the
last people she wanted to see.

“I
would love to visit your family,” Lady Jillian gushed. “As I will be living
there, it would be nice to see my future home.”

Thank
goodness she would reside in the Sandlin household in the future. It was hours
from Felding’s.

“I
don’t see why we can’t stop off for a few days on our way home,” Broadridge
agreed.
 
“It will give us a nice break in
the travel, and we be home for the festivities Mother has planned.”

They
were going to Felding’s now?
 
At least
Rosalind was returning to the Sandlins, and hopefully Lady Jillian and
Broadridge would be gone by the time the Sandlin’s traveled to Felding’s.

Lady
Jillian linked her arm with Felding’s and drew him out the door. “Do say you
will ride in our carriage?”

Rosalind
didn’t hear his response as she and Penelope descended the stairs though she
hoped he was cooped up with Lady Jillian and her brother because she wasn’t
certain she could bare to be in a carriage with him for so long. It would hurt
too much to be so close and know he was meant for another.

“Poor
Noah,” Penelope said once they were settled against the squabs.
 
Demetrius had taken the seat across from him
and the carriage lurched forward. “I think he would rather ride with the driver
than be inside with her.”

Rosalind
shot her a look. “They are to be married.”

Penelope
leaned in. “Not if he has any say.”

“I
don’t understand.” Rosalind glanced from Penelope to Demetrius and back again.
“Lady Jillian practically announced it to everyone yesterday.”

Demetrius
snorted and turned to look out the window.

“Noah
will not tell me, or anyone, the details or the reasons, but she is basically
blackmailing him.”

Rosalind
gasped. “Blackmail? Whatever could Felding have done that she could use against
him?”

“I
don’t know,” Penelope shrugged.
 
“He will
not say.”

Rosalind
bit her bottom lip and stared out at the passing countryside.
 
She had known Felding most of her life. He
was a good gentleman kind and trustworthy. Whatever could he have done?

* * *

Noah’s
head was pounding by the time they stopped for a late meal, and he was ready to
throttle both Broadridge and Lady Jillian.
 
He had never met two more self-involved and selfish people in his life.
If they had stopped as often as those two had wished, they wouldn’t reach his
home until Christmas. Instead, he insisted they continue. He wanted this trip over
with quickly and only need to spend one night at an inn.

He
stretched as his feet struck the ground.
 
Though His Grace’s coach was the most comfortable conveyance he had ever
traveled in, the tension of his current situation and being imprisoned with those
two had led to his current headache and tight muscles.
 
Hopefully by the time they stopped for the
evening, the inn would have enough available rooms so that he did not have to
share with anyone.
 
Right now, all he
wanted was peace and quiet and a bottle of brandy.

Lady
Jillian stood in the center of the courtyard and glared back at him. “Are you
coming, Felding?”

He
bit back a curse and sauntered over and allowed her to link her arm with his
and direct him inside the posting inn for a meal. The carriage holding
Rosalind, Penelope, and Demetrius just arrived, and as much as he wished to see
Rosalind, it was best if he kept his distance. At least until he was free of
Lady Jillian.
 

Noah
glanced back over his shoulder as the ladies emerged from the carriage.
Rosalind was pale her face drawn. What must she think of him?
 
He had kissed her, asked to call on her, and
then his betrothal to another was announced. And, if Demetrius could be
believed, she had been in love with him since she was still in the schoolroom.
 
If he was Rosalind, he would be experiencing
the biggest betrayal of his life.
 
Hopefully she would understand once she learned the truth, which he had
forbidden Demetrius from telling her, until it was all over, and only if he was
able to extract himself from the betrothal.
 

Lady
Jillian tugged on his arm, and Noah focused back on the door looming before
them. It was best Rosalind didn’t know. If he ended up being forced into
marriage to the lady on his arm, Rosalind would only know guilt. He was rather
she was hurt and angry at him and carry on with her life even if she came to
hate him.
 

The
public room was full to almost overflowing.
 
They had stopped so late in the day, Noah assumed it would not be busy.

“I
apologize, Lord Broadridge, but we have only a small private room remaining.”

“We
will take it,” Broadridge announced.

The
owner turned and wove his way through the patrons and tables to a door on the
opposite wall.
 
The three of them stepped
inside. “There is only room for four,” he said apologetically.

“There
are six in our party,” Noah said.
 
Though
he could tell that even four would be a close fit in this space once everyone
was seated around the table.
 

“Mr.
Valentine and his sister can dine in the common room,” Lady Jillian suggested.
“It isn’t as if they are family.”

“There
is no room out there either,” Noah ground out. If Demetrius and Rosalind were
to be sequestered, he would join them.

“I
do have a small table at the back,” the owner offered glancing between Noah and
Lady Jillian.

“How
many does it seat,” he barked.

“Two
or three,” the man shrugged.

“See.”

Lady
Jillian’s smiled made his teeth ache.

“They
will be perfectly fine out there.” She gestured to the crowd. “Where they
belong,” she leaned in and whispered.

“No
worry, Felding,” Demetrius clapped him on the back. “Rosalind and I would
prefer it out here.” He glared at Lady Jillian. “The company is more pleasant.”

Before
Noah could argue, Demetrius led Rosalind to the one empty table at the back of
the room. Noah turned to who he assumed was the owner of the inn. “Make sure
they are served when we are. I will settle the accounting before we leave.”

The
man nodded and quit the room closing the door behind him.
 
Lady Jillian waited beside a seat. Instead of
pulling the chair out for her, he saw to Penelope first.
 
Broadridge rushed to his sister’s side so she
was not left standing.

Lady
Jillian’s eyes narrowed for a moment, and Noah simply looked away. Soon, very
soon, she would be out of his life. He just needed to find a way to make it
happen.

A
bottle of wine was delivered and food quickly followed. Noah said nothing and
let Lady Jillian prattle on with her brother offering his thoughts as it had
been for the entire trip.
 
Penelope was
equally quiet and picked at the food on her plate.
 
She didn’t like this anymore than he, and
Noah was just as certain she was considering ideas to rid them of Lady Jillian
as often as he.

When
they finally emerged from the never-ending meal, Noah found Demetrius and Rosalind
standing in the courtyard.
 
Upon seeing
them, Rosalind turned away and walked to the carriage.

“Penelope,
you must ride with us,” Lady Jillian called rather loudly and linked her arm
with Noah’s sister. “We are practically sisters, and I insist we become
friends.”

The
only indication that Rosalind had heard was a slight pause in her step and
tightening of her shoulders.

“A
word, Felding,” Demetrius nodded to the side of the building.

“I’ll
be with you in a moment, Lady Jillian.”
 
He turned and sauntered to Demetrius and stopped. They waited until Lady
Jillian, Penelope, and Broadridge had entered the coach.

“This
is not right,” he ground out.

“It
is until I can find a way to break her hold,” Noah said.
 

“You
do not need to protect my family.
 
Rosalind
is miserable. Have you looked at her?” Demetrius gestured to the carriage she
had disappeared into.

Noah
winced. “I hate that she is hurt, but this is for the best.” He looked
Demetrius in the eye.
 
“You will not tell
her.
 
I would rather Rosalind hate me
than suffer the guilt if I find myself married to that woman.”

“She
has a right to know,” Demetrius roared.

“That
is my decision,” Noah insisted.

“She
is my sister,” Demetrius shouted back before striding for the carriage. After
entering it, he slammed the door before the footman could close it properly.

Noah
marched to the coach cursing under his breath.
 
Demetrius had better not say a word to Rosalind, or everything would be
ruined.

Twenty-Eight

Rosalind
stared at her brother. He had been brooding since they first entered the
carriage at the Meadows’ estate.
 
He
spoke little while they ate, and now he had just had an argument with Felding.
She tried to hear what the two were saying, but they were too far away.
 

This
was not at all like her brother. She had seen Demetrius angry before, but never
to this extreme.

“What
is wrong?”

“Nothing,”
he bit out and turned toward the window.

“What
did you and Felding just argue about?”

He
focused on her; his jaw clinched and anger lit his eyes. For a moment, she
thought he was going to tell her. But, he simply shook his head and returned to
glaring out the window.
 

The
carriage pulled away from the coaching inn.
 
Demetrius sighed and let his head fall back against the squabs.

“Tell
me,” Rosalind insisted. “If it is serious enough to put you in this state then
I should know.”

Demetrius
lifted his head, and his eyes bore into hers. “He ordered me not to tell you.”

“Who?
Felding?”

“Yes,”
he ground out.

What
would Felding not want her to know?
 
“What right does he have to tell you not to share something with me? I
am your sister.”
 
She was affronted that
Felding was giving orders to her brother when he was the one who quickly
discarded what they briefly shared to become betrothed to another unless he still
wished for her to be a part of his life.
 
That is, the non-respectable position if what she had earlier assumed
was correct.

Anger
began to build, and Rosalind grasped onto it.
 
It was a much healthier emotion than self-pity.
 
“I demand you tell me. He has no right to
tell either of us what to do.”

The
corner of Demetrius’s mouth quirked.
 
Slowly he began to nod and leaned forward.
 
“Until he can find a way out of the soon to
be betrothal, Felding must do what Lady Jillian demands.”

Felding
had been catering to her needs allowing her to order him about though he
certainly did not seem happy. In fact, ever since he had marched into Meadow’s
home from outside yesterday, he had practically been glowering. Not that she
had seen him the evening before, but it was certainly Felding’s disposition
today. “Why?” she finally asked.

“Because
she is blackmailing him.”

“That
is the second time blackmail has been mentioned. What could she possibly have
on him?” Rosalind was exasperated.
 
Tired
of the guessing of what everyone was alluding to.

“It
isn’t anything Felding has done,” Demetrius said. The smile fell from his face,
and his eyes grew hard. “Lady Jillian is blackmailing Felding with her
knowledge of us.”

Rosalind
stilled.
 
“What knowledge?” she asked
slowly. Surely she didn’t know the truth.

By
the time Demetrius had finished telling her of the conversation between Lady
Jillian and Felding and her demands, she was shaking. Rosalind wasn’t sure if
it was from fear, anger, or a combination of both.
 

One
matter was for certain, she would not allow Felding to offer himself up as a
sacrifice for her and her family.
 
“You
explained that we anticipated that this may happen one day.”