Candlelit Christmas Kisses: Captain Moorcroft's Christmas Bride / Governess Under the Mistletoe. Anne Herries

You’ll rue the day you allowed her to stay.’

      ‘What has she done?’

      ‘I’m not one to tell tales, miss, you know me—but she’s been hanging around with James the gardener. A girl like that … Well, stands to reason he’s only after one—’ Betty broke off and blushed. ‘I shouldn’t have said that, Miss Selina.’

      ‘No, you shouldn’t,’ Selina said. ‘Unless she causes trouble, I shan’t send her away, Betty. Nanny cares for her, and she keeps her in line. I’ll give Nanny a hint about James and she can warn Sadie to be careful.’

      Selina had caught only glimpses of Sadie, for the girl seemed to avoid the family. Once or twice she’d caught her peering in at the window when she’d been talking to Cook in the kitchens, and she’d seen her running across the lawns at the back of the house on two occasions, but otherwise Selina would hardly have known she was there had Nanny not told her.

      Selina frowned as she thought of the beautiful wild girl who was not quite a part of their household. She was a law unto herself, dreamy, and apt to walk off in the middle of a task, so Cook said, and then come back a day later expecting to start again where she’d left it. Selina wasn’t sure whether she was a little simple or just wild and contrary, but she had caused no trouble thus far.

      Indeed, everything had been going very well. They had begun to receive one or two callers—just the vicar and some of their nearest neighbours—and she was thinking of having an afternoon when she would invite ladies to call for refreshments. They had met others when they attended church on Sundays, and everyone seemed friendly and a little curious about the family at Banford Hall. So far two gentlemen had ridden over to ask if they could be of any help. Both were gentlemen farmers, men of independent means, but they had country manners and lacked the town polish that she and her sisters had been used to in their friends. Neither was quite what Selina hoped for as a suitor for her sister.

      ‘Miss Searles …’

      ‘Yes, Trent …’ Selina was brought back from her reverie by the elderly butler’s arrival. ‘Is there something I can do for you?’

      ‘A letter has arrived marked as urgent. I thought I should bring it to you at once.’

      ‘An urgent letter?’ Selina looked at him in surprise and some consternation. She took the small envelope from the salver and glanced at the writing. ‘It is from Mr Breck …’ Opening it swiftly, she gave a little gasp of shock and turned pale. ‘Yes, it is important, Trent. Thank you for drawing it to my attention. Do you know where Miss Amy is, by any chance?’

      ‘She is in the small parlour, miss. Shall I tell her you wish to see her?’

      ‘No, I shall go to her,’ Selina said. ‘Please excuse me.’

      Leaving the butler staring after her in a puzzled manner, Selina walked swiftly to the parlour they had made their own. She was fortunate to find Amy at her sewing. Their younger sister was, of course, in the library, which was her favourite place at any time of day.

      ‘I am not sure what to make of this,’ she said, and handed Amy the letter. ‘Mr Breck says we are to remain here for the moment, but I am not sure how we can.’

      Amy read the letter and looked at her in consternation. ‘He says the earl is expected in England any day now. Oh, Selina, after all our hard work—and just when we were beginning to make friends.’

      ‘Apparently the earl does not intend to live here for the moment. It seems he will make his home in London—and he is thinking of pulling down the house and building a new place.’

      ‘Oh, how could he?’ Amy stared at her in genuine distress. ‘This house is so beautiful and has so much history.’

      ‘It is also draughty, and if all the rooms were opened up would require a small army of servants. We have worked hard ourselves, Amy. Betty could never have managed it alone.’ Selina looked ruefully at her hands. ‘I shall have to wear lace gloves when we have visitors, for my hands are a disgrace.’

      ‘And now he will come and take it all away from us and destroy everything we’ve done.’ Amy’s eyes glittered angrily. ‘It is so unfair, Selina.’

      ‘Life is often unfair,’ Selina said, and sighed. ‘Do you remember when Mama took me to Bath seven years ago? I was just sixteen then, and she needed to take the waters for her health.’

      ‘Yes. I remember you seemed very quiet when you returned.’ Amy frowned. ‘I don’t see what … Sorry, please continue, Selina.’

      ‘There was a man—a captain in the army. He was so handsome, and he was about to depart for Spain. He and his friends were at an assembly that Mama and I attended. My card was filled before he arrived, but he … he cut in and started to flirt with me. I felt as if I were in a dream, Amy. He said such things to me—told me I was an angel straight from heaven … so beautiful that I made his heart weep. He took me out into the garden and kissed me, told me that he adored me and that one day he would come back for me. I’m not certain what he meant, but I think he was a little squiffy, because the next day he passed Mama and I as we walked to the pump room and did not even glance my way. I suppose that he was merely flirting with me …’

      ‘How perfectly horrid of him,’ Amy said, outraged for her sister. ‘What happened after that? Did you tell him he was not a gentleman?’

      ‘I did not have a chance. I learned from a lady whose house we visited that Robert Moorcroft and his friends had departed for Spain, where they were to join Wellington—or Wellesley, as he was then known—on campaign.’

      ‘So he was merely flirting with you and drunk on the eve of leaving for war?’ Amy frowned. ‘I should have been angry with him for taking advantage.’

      ‘No, I wasn’t angry.’ Selina smiled. ‘I was young and foolish. I should not have gone into the garden with him that night. Mama had warned me about allowing gentlemen to take advantage … But I liked him so much, and it all seemed so romantic. I was carried away on a tide of pleasure and I forgot Mama’s warnings. Of course I know now he was just flirting with me—but somehow I have never been able to forget him.’

      ‘Is that why you do not wish to marry for money?’

      ‘I suppose it may be,’ Selina replied. ‘I shall not say he broke my heart, for he did not—but he spoiled me for others. I have not been able to see any other man in the same light.’

      ‘Yes, I understand that,’ Amy said. ‘Is he the reason why you took this position?’

      ‘In a way. Since I have no real desire to marry, I thought this would be a way out of our difficulties. But if the earl returns and no longer requires my services …’

      Amy frowned. ‘What are we to do? You were thinking of inviting our neighbours to a Christmas Eve party. Shall we still be here, or must we look for another home?’

      ‘Mr Breck insists that we must stay as we are for the moment. He will speak to the earl when he sees him and ask if we may stay on until he is ready to demolish the house.’

      ‘Who is going to demolish the house?’ Millie asked, coming in at that moment. She had a book in hand, and had obviously been immersed in it until that moment. ‘What are you whispering about? Why does no one ever tell me anything?’

      ‘The earl is returning to England. He intends to live in London for the moment, but apparently he wishes to pull this house down and build a new one in its place.’

      ‘He can’t,’ Millie wailed. ‘Oh, I hate him. I’ve just got to like being here. Men are horrid. I wish they would all go to war and get killed so we could live as we please.’

      ‘Millie! That isn’t nice,’ Selina admonished. ‘The earl is not concerned with us for the time being, so we may carry on as we wish. Mr Breck is coming down next week to have a look at what we’ve done and make a check on a few things I pointed out to him. He may know more of the earl’s intentions