A Sprig of Mistletoe, page 16
“Happy Christmas!” George’s jovial baritone boomed as he came to stand behind her and laid his hands on her shoulders.
The children shouted. “’Appy Christmas, Sir George and Lady Catherine!”
Serenity flowed through her. “Now off to bed with you,” Kitty said. “We’ve got grand plans for tomorrow. Sir George has arranged for us to ride the train to Berkhamstead.”
Squeals of delight met their ears.
George clapped his hands. “And the sooner you are abed, the faster tomorrow will come.”
A jumble of footsteps padded across the floor as, one after another, the little tykes made their way to their rooms—girls to one side of the building, boys to the other. Kitty watched with a fullness never before known to her.
Tapers from the Tannenbaum glistened in the lantern light. From top to bottom, the yew was festooned with tinsel tassel and handmade ornaments crafted by the children’s own hands. The tree added color, texture, and merriment to Field Lane Ragged School, where poverty, hopelessness, and despair once held sway. Fortunately, she’d grown used to the heavy burden over the past year. Emboldened by her husband, Mr. Dickens, Miss Burdett-Coutts, and those who’d worked tirelessly to get Parliament to pass a Poor Law Union bill, she finally felt as if the pieces of her life had all fallen into place.
Ambrose had come to his senses. He’d proposed to Meg in the Frithsden Woods, so very near the same pond they all used to play around. How little they’d known then of the challenges they’d face as they grew older. And how unaware Kitty had been about Ambrose’s attempts to introduce Kitty and George. While she played matchmaker to Ambrose and Meg, her brother had been plotting the same by inviting George to Berkhamstead Place every year. Of course, he hadn’t counted on George’s refusals. But in the end, everything had worked out. They’d met on a train platform in a thrilling manner, and were now eager to celebrate Ambrose and Meg’s happy union, scheduled to take place after the New Year.
George came to stand beside Kitty. She glanced up at him, feeling inexplicably blessed. “My heart is full, Sir George.” She took his hand and guided him to the Tannenbaum. “I never thought I would say this . . .” She paused, allowing her words to sink in. “Consider it my gift to you . . .”
“You are the only gift I need,” he said, his eyes melting into hers. “But if you have a confession to make, I’m all ears.”
She caressed his face, smiling contentedly. “I am glad a little thief ran into me at Euston Station.”
He kissed the inside of her palm. “I have an admission to make, as well.” He chuckled as he looked into her eyes. A never-ending well of love gleamed back at him. “I fell in love with you the moment I allowed an urchin to escape the constable and watched you struggle to save his life.”
“You could have stopped him?” she gasped. “He could have been hurt. That poor child—”
“Shh.” He winked. “You’ll wake the children.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Do you really think they are already asleep on a night like this?”
“On Christmas?” He shook his head. “I know I don’t want to be.” He bent down on one knee before her and placed his hand on her swelling belly. “As soon as I saw you that day, I knew that you were just as your brother described, a woman who deserved the moon and the stars.”
“Look around us, George.” She covered his hands with hers. “Can you not see it?” She pointed to the silver stars the children had made for the Tannenbaum, the tinsel tassel, cornucopias, and bric-a-brac. “You have given me the world.” She led him to his feet, then stood on tiptoe to kiss his lips. “And a life with you . . . and our child.” She glanced down at her burgeoning middle. “Your mother would be proud of the man you have become.”
“I pray that is so.” He kissed her softly. “Perhaps she is smiling down on us.”
Brotherly love, a chance rescue, Christmas festivities, and a book titled A Christmas Carol had irrevocably changed their lives. Kitty was married and soon to be a mother. She was part of an eclectic group determined to develop properties, laws, and schools to help the disadvantaged, a collaboration that included Miss Burdett-Coutts and Charles Dickens himself.
According to Papa, permanence would come, and with the Egerton name attached to Sir George Richard Egerton-Clere, Baronet, so would respectability. Further, in a private house off Gray’s Inn Road, men named Locke, Moulton, Morrison, and Starey had achieved their goal of bringing the Poor Law Union to Town. Two hundred teachers had joined their endeavor, and the London City Mission now had twenty schools to house them.
“I don’t know how I became such a lucky man, Kitty.” His deep voice filled with emotion.
“I do,” she teased. “You befriended my brother.”
“He befriended me,” he reminded her with a chuckle, “and not without a struggle. If it wasn’t for him—”
“My father would have ended up paying someone else to take me off his hands?”
“Don’t,” he said, in response to her poor attempt at humor.
His touch was featherlight against her skin, the sensation a stark reminder that their lives could have taken a darker turn. Her dowry had been large at thirty thousand pounds. Papa could have bartered her off to someone grand, but he’d shelved those plans when she convinced him that George was a good man. As a result, Papa’s acceptance of George’s origins and the scandals attached to the Clere name improved over the past year, and her husband was a welcome member of the Egerton family. He had even gone so far as to hyphenate his last name to Egerton-Clere for their children’s sakes.
“Never belittle yourself to me.” Her heart lurched as his tender gaze penetrated her soul. “I love you, Kitty. I always will.”
“And I love you, my darling,” she admitted as he took her into his arms.
“Happy Christmas,” he said against her ear.
She glanced up only to discover that the sly rogue had positioned them under the mistletoe. “Happy Christmas,” she replied. She picked off a sprig of berries. “You know what this means, don’t you?”
“I do.” The very air between them electrified. “Kiss me,” he said. “Every day and every night.”
“Gladly.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and searched his eyes.
Their lips met, and a heady euphoria swept through Kitty, creating a passionate storm inside her that would never be calmed. She kissed George back, not caring if they were spotted by one of the children or the missionaries who worked in the building.
“God bless you,” he said before breaking away to kiss her forehead, her cheeks, and lips. “God bless us.”
“Every—” she placed his hand on her belly “—one.”
Thank you so much for reading A Sprig of Mistletoe, Miracle Express #6! I hope you enjoyed my Victorian Christmas book. Don’t forget to check out the other books in the Miracle Express Series, written by a variety of historical romance authors listed below.
Miracle Express Series
Winter Rose: Darkest #1 by Leona Bushman
Taming My Christmas Rogue: Taming the Duke’s Heart #2 by Tammy Andresen
A Christmas Promise #3 by Aileen Fish
Seducing an Heiress on a Train: A Victorian Christmas Romance #4 by Lauren Smith
On the Wings of a Winter Heart #5 by Rebecca Lovell
A Sprig of Mistletoe #6 by Katherine Bone
Spying on Christmas #7 by Leona Bushman
Loving an American Spy #8 by Dawn Brower
The Witch’s Christmas Wish #9 by Rebecca Lovell
How to Kiss a Debutante: Marsden Descendants #10 by Dawn Brower
Reviews are excellent ways for readers to find books, but did you know that you can recommend books on BookBub too? You can find me on BookBub here.
And if you enjoy reading historical romance, I’ve got two Regency series available: The Nelson’s Tea Series, and the Regent’s Revenge Series. You’ll also find one contemporary book on my list.
Interested in knowing when my next book will be available? Sign up for Katherine’s Rogues, Rebels & Rakes E-Newsletter.
About the Author
Katherine Bone has always had an adventurous streak, and a passion for art and history enhanced by treks to forts, castles, battlegrounds, and cathedrals as an Army brat. Throughout her teens, she devoured romance novels and began writing poetry, beaming with pride when one of her haikus made it into the yearbook. Art school followed, and, in the middle of a college whirlwind, a friend introduced her to a handsome Army Officer who stole her heart. Eight moves, four children, and a lifetime of memories later, Katherine has finally lived in one place long enough to put down roots. She’s also found the time to chase a lifelong dream—writing happily-ever-afters with a dash of adventure.
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Katherine Bone, A Sprig of Mistletoe
