twas the night after christmas by sabrina jeffries (excerpt)

7/31/2019 'Twas the Night After Christmas by Sabrina Jeffries (Excerpt)

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http://www.sabrinajeffries.com/books/twas-the-night-after-christmas/


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3

Pierce paced the bedchamber, badly shaken by the sight o hismother. Great God, but shed aged. When had she gone gray? She

hadnt been that way at the uneral two years ago.

Actually, back then shed worn a hat and veil that covered

her hair and her ace, and hed barely spared her a glance anyway.I hed stayed to see her without them, would he have noticed

the gray? Or the crows-eet around her eyes and the thin lines

around her lips? Because hed noticed them today, and theyd

unsettled him. She was getting older. He should have expected

it, but he hadnt.

And he certainly hadnt expected her ace to light up when she

saw him. It brought the past sharply into his mind. All those years

o nothing, no word, no hint that she cared . . . Why, he couldnt


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SABRINA JEFFRIES40

even remember the last time shed looked on him so kindly.

How dared she do it now? Where had she been all those

damned years at Harrow, when Manton was knocking himaround? When the boys had taunted him or his asthma, beore

hed grown out o it and begun standing up or himsel?

How many Christmases had he lain in bed praying that this

would be the one when she came sweeping in to kiss him on the

orehead and make it all better? As mothers ought to do. As the

other boys mothers routinely did.

He loosened his cravat, trying to catch his breath. It wasnt a

return o his asthma that plagued him but the weight o the past

on his chest. Te literal smello the past.

Te dower house had actually been his rst home. Father

began building the grand mansion that was now Montcli Manor

when Pierce was ourteen, so Pierce hadnt even been inside it

until ater his athers death. Tiswas his childhood homethats

why he had put Mother here, so he would never have to stay in it

himsel and suer reminders o all that hed lost at age eight.

One o those reminders was the smell o Mothers avorite

plum pudding being steamed. Shed always specied that certainspices be used, and thats why the house now reeked o cloves and

lemon peel. It would choke him or certain. He should never have

come.

He wouldnthave come i not or the impudent Mrs. Stuart.

Te audacity o the woman to lie to him! And to Mother, too,

apparently, since Mother had looked perplexed by his assumption

that she was dying. Meanwhile, her companion, the conniving

baggage, had looked guilty.


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Twas the Night After Christmas 41

But even i Mother hadnt known o Mrs. Stuarts letter to him,

she somehow had to be complicit. Probably shed spun enough

tales about her sons poor treatment o her to make Mrs. Stuarttake it upon hersel to right the wrong. Clearly Mother had done

an excellent job o hiding her true nature around Mrs. Stuart,

who seemed willing to risk losing her livelihood just to make her

scheming charge happy. And she oughtto lose her livelihoodhe

should have her dismissed at once or her impertinence.

Yet in his mind he kept seeing the shock on her ace when

hed entered. Apparently, he hadnt done a very good job o hiding

his panic over the idea o Mother dying. What had the damned

woman thoughtthat he was some monster with no soul?

Probably. Ater hed announced he was leaving, shed certainly

glared at him as i he were. Insolent chit! No telling what his

mother had said to secure the young widows sympathies.

Whatever it was, it wouldnt be the truththat once hed

turned old enough to be passed o to some relative, Mother had

deliberately cut him out o her lie. And now that he had inher-

ited everything, she was suddenly eager to pay attention to the son

shed ignored or years.o hell with that! He was notgoing to yield, no matter how

gray Mother looked, and no matter what some ofcious compan-

ion with a penchant or meddling

A knock at the door interrupted his pacing. What? he

barked.

I have your tray, my lord, a muted voice said rom beyond

the door.

Hed orgotten entirely about that. Set it down and go away!


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SABRINA JEFFRIES42

A moment o silence ensued. Ten the same voice said, I

cant.

Oh, or the love o God . . . He strode to the door andswung it open, then halted.

Tere beore him stood the very woman whod brought him

here under alse pretenses. Itsyou, he spat.

Tough she blinked at the venom in his voice, she stood her

ground. May I please come in, my lord?

He considered slamming the door in her ace, but a deeply

ingrained sense o gentlemanly behavior prevented him. Besides,

he wanted to hear what she had to say or hersel.

With a curt nod, he stood aside to let her pass, taking the

opportunity to get a good look at her. He still couldnt believe

she was so young. She couldnt be more than twenty-ve, ar too

young to be a widowora paid companion.

And ar too attractive, though he hated that he noticed. De-

spite what everyone thought o him, he did not run ater every

creature in petticoats. Hed gained his reputation as a rogue in

the years when he was determinedly embarrassing his amily, and

those days were waning.But the rogue in him wasnt dead, and it noticed that she had

the sort o voluptuous gure he ound attractive. She was a bit

short or his taste but her evocative eatures and the red curls she

wore scraped into a bun made up or that. Even with her spec-

tacles on, she had the look o a resh-aced country girleyes o

a athomless blue, a broad, sensual mouth, and a smattering o

reckles across ivory skin. Te odd mix o bluestocking and dairy-

maid appealed to him.


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She dressed well, too. Her gown o green erry velvet was out

o ashion and too sumptuous or her station, so since servants

clothes generally were castos rom their employers wardrobes, itmust once have been Mothers. Given that it t her like a glove,

she was obviously good with a needle.

Tat would serve her well in her nextpost, he thought sourly,

though he still hadnt decided i he would dismiss her.

As she set the tray down on a small table by the re, he

snapped, I suppose youve come to beg my pardon.

She aced him with a steady gaze. Actually, no.

What? he said, incredulous. You brought me racing here

rom London by lying about my mothers illness

I did not lie, she protested, though her cheeks grew ruddy.

Granted, she isnt ill in the conventional sense

Do enlighten me about the unconventional way to be ill. I

must have missed that lesson in school.

At his sarcasm, she tipped up her chin. Anyone can see that

she has been ill with missing you, her only amily.

He let out a harsh laugh. Has she indeed? I suppose shes

been shedding crocodile tears and weaving a sad story about howI ail to do my duty by her.

Mrs. Stuarts pretty blue eyes snapped beneath her spectacles.

On the contrary, whenever we discuss you, she excuses your re-

usal to visit or answer her letters, not to mention your wanton

disregard or

Her well-being? Does she complain o how I treat her?

Te ractious emale cast him a mutinous glare. No.

Tat surprised him, though he wasnt about to let on. Ten


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SABRINA JEFFRIES44

there you have it. He turned toward the writing desk, where sat

a decanter o brandy and a glass.

But Im not blind, the woman went on, to his astonish-ment. I see how your lack o attention wounds her, and I hear

her crying when she thinks no one is near. As your mother, she

deserves at least a modicum o attention rom you, yet you leave

her to pine.

My mother doesnt know the meaning o the wordpine. He

ought to ignore the image o his mother crying all alone. And i

shehas sent you

She doesnt know Im here. She didnt know I wrote that let-

ter. Actually, she, too, says I should stay out o it.

Despite his determination to hold rm against his mothers

tactics, that shook him. You should listen to her.

I cant. Te plaintive words tugged at something hed bur-

ied or countless years. I wouldnt be doing my duty to her i I

let her suer pain, whether at the hands o a stranger or those o

her own son. She strode up behind him, her voice heavy with

concern. You cant expect me to keep quiet when I should do

right by her.He whirled to x the woman with a cold glance, but he

couldnt escape her logic. Her loyalty was to his mother, and

shouldbe, even though he had hired her. Ater all, what good was

hiring a companion his mother couldnt trust?

Still, that didnt mean he had to let her manipulate him.

Doing right by her doesnt include lying to her amily. You said

she was dying.

No, I said you should come beore it was too late. She


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pushed her spectacles up. Im sorry i you interpreted the words

as meaning she might die any moment

Right, he said dryly. How could I have made such a leap?But I meant them. Concern urrowed her lightly reckled

brow. She needs you, and i you put o mending your relation-

ship with her, you will eventually regret it.

Bloody hell, the woman was stubborn. Tat isnt or you to

decide, madam. Crossing his arms over his chest, he stared her

down. Whatever you expected to accomplish with this stunt

hasnt come to pass, so you should quit trying while you still have

a post. I can easily dismiss you or your presumption.

Im aware o that.

Yet she held her chin rm and her shoulders squared. Hed

been right to term her indomitable without even having met

her. She was one determined woman.

But some things are worth risking all or, she added.

Mymother? A woman who didnt even care that her son was

alive until two years ago, when my ather died and she could no

longer depend on hislargesse?

Tat seemed to shake her. You think that this is aboutmoney?

O course! She married Father or money, and now that its

all under mycontrol, she suddenly needs me desperately.

Her gaze locked with his. I her eelings are as alse as you

think, why does she have a chest ull o your school drawings and

papers? Why does she read to me your childhood letters, point-

ing out your witty turns o phrase and clever observations? She

stepped nearer. Why does she keep a miniature o you by her bed?


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SABRINA JEFFRIES46

Her descriptions beat at the stone wall hed built against his

mother. But he couldnt believe them. He wouldntbelieve them.

He wouldnt let Mother hurt him again.Clearly Mother had ashioned Mrs. Stuart as a weapon to get

what she wanted. Te young widow might not even know she was

being used, but that didnt change a damned thing.

He moved close enough to intimidate. Shes trying to enlist

you as an ally in her scheme. And she knows it wont work unless

she can convince you that she is slighted and put upon.

Mrs. Stuart blinked. Obviously, it was the rst time shed con-

sidered the possibility that she was being taken in. Youre wrong,

she whispered, though she didnt seem quite so certain. Shes not

like that.

Youve known her or six months, he ground out. Ive

known her my entire lie. Or at least the part o my lie that she

He broke o beore he could reveal the mortiying truth

that his parents thought so little o him theyd cut him out o their

lives. It was none o her aair, no matter what she thought. He

didnt have to explain himsel to some paid companion, damn it!

Besides, as meddlesome as Mrs. Stuart had proven to be, sheclearly had Mothers best interests at heart. He didnt want to dis-

miss the woman, and he saw no reason to poison her against his

mother. He just wanted her to stop making trouble.

He orced some calmness into his tone. By now youve prob-

ably gathered that matters between me and my mother arent as

clear as you think. So I will orget how ar youve overstepped your

bounds, i youll agree to keep your opinions to yoursel and stay

out o my relationship with her in uture.


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Tough she swallowed hard, she continued to meet his gaze.

I dont know i I can do that, my lord.

Oh, or Gods sake . . . He dragged his hand over his ace.He was tired and hungry and annoyed. Te bloody woman was a

plague! What do you want rom me, damn it, short o attaching

my mother to my side with a tether?

Te image made her start, then give a little smile. It took him

by surprise. Until that moment, shed lived up to his impression o

a sel-righteous bluestocking, but a sense o humor lurked inside

the indomitable Mrs. Stuart. And somehow hed tickled it.

You neednt go to such an extreme, she said, her eyes twin-

kling beneath the spectacles. Ten she turned earnest again. But

i you could stay here with your mother until Christmas

No. He remembered only too well his last Christmas at

home. Te one that he hadnt realized was to behis last Christmas

at home. Tats impossible.

He turned away. Perhaps he shoulddismiss the woman.

But she ollowed him as he headed or the brandy. You

wouldnt have to spend much time with her, just have the oc-

casional meal with her. Te slightest attention rom you wouldmake her happy.

You think so, do you? Pouring himsel a healthy portion o

brandy, he downed it in one swallow. I ever a woman could drive

a man to drink, it was Mrs. Stuart.

I am sure o it. You could stay at Montcli Manor as you

always do, but even i you merely came to dinner with us every

night

Youre not going to let this go, are you? He set down the


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SABRINA JEFFRIES48

glass and aced her with a scowl. Youll keep plaguing me until I

do as you ask or you orce me to send you packing.

Tat seemed to give her pause, but only or a moment. Iwould o course preer that you notsend me packing. But I must

speak what I know to be true, sir. Her voice sotened. And now

that Ive met you, I believe that you have more o a heart than you

let on.

He snorted. Do you, indeed?

Ten perhaps it was time he dispelled that ridiculous notion.

And in doing so, perhaps he could dissuade her rom meddling

and tormenting him to death, without his having to dismiss her

and go to the trouble o hiring another, who might not be as

reliable.

He stalked orward, deliberately crowding her space, orc-

ing her to either back up or stand her ground. Not surprisingly,

she did the latter, which put him toe to toe with her, looming

over her.

I tell you what, Mrs. Stuart, he drawled. Im already stay-

ing here at the dower house until tomorrow. So Ill attend dinner

tonight with you and my mother and try to be civil. But in ex-change, Ill expect some compensation ater she retires.

Her gaze turned wary. What sort o compensation?

Entertainment. Te kind I would normally receive in Lon-

don. He let his gaze trail leisurely down her body in a way that

should illustrate exactly what he was pretending to demand o

her. And I will expectyou to provide it.


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twas the night after christmas by sabrina jeffries (excerpt)

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