A Christmas Wedding Wager (23 page)

'Are you coming out on the ice, Emma? I promise not to tease you any more.'

'Give me a moment.' Emma practised a few steps, felt her legs going and flailed her arms, but she didn't fall. She took a cautious step forward, and then another. The ice began to glide under her feet. 'I think my feet remember more than I give them credit for.'

'Do you need some assistance? I may not be Jack Stanton, but I reckon I can help hold you up.'

'Very amusing, Lucy.'

Lucy started to skate back towards Emma, stopped, and then gestured towards the centre, where Lottie stood surrounded by her admirers. She had a particularly mischievous look on her face. 'Oh, dear, Lottie has not given up the idea, despite Henry's warning. She is insistent on this pairing-off game.'

'Come and join us, Emma.' Lottie skated over. 'I am searching for another single lady, and I am sure one of the officers wouldn't mind being paired with you. It is quite harmless fun.

Lieutenant Ludlow assures me that he is willing to be your gallant.'

'I shall pass. Not steady enough on my feet.'

'There is that. I shall just have to have two gallants, then.' Lottie gave a toss of her head and skated away.

'She skates very close to the edge, does my sister-in-law,' Lucy said with a pained expression, as Lottie laughingly grabbed onto the lieutenant's arm. 'She'll bring down scandal on us all if she continues in this manner. And then what will happen to her marriage prospects?'

'There are worse things than remaining single.'

'Sometimes, Emma Harrison,' Lucy said, shaking her head, 'I think you quite like playing at being the old spinster. And...'

'And what?'

'And at other times I am sure of it,' Lucy called as she skated away with firm strokes. Her blue eyes danced. 'Catch me if you dare.'

Emma laughed. Out here on the ice the years melted away. It was as if they were young girls again, with few responsibilities, instead of being in their mid-twenties.

'You will regret those words, Lucy Charlton!'

'Make me!' Lucy put her hands on her hips. 'You have not the stamina you once had, old maid Emma Harrison.'

'Neither your teasing nor Lottie's attempts to organise games will ruin the day for me.' Emma gestured out towards where the snow sparkled 'I plan to skate, skate, skate, until the sun goes behind the clouds or I become too cold. But on my own terms. It is how I live my life.'

'That's the Emma I know and love.' Lucy looked over her shoulder towards where a great deal of shrieking was coming from. 'I see one of my boys is getting into problems with his nurse. I did tell him no snowball fights. Sometimes I think he takes after his father, and at other times I am sure he does.'

'Go on. I will be here when you come back.' Emma waved Lucy away and watched her confidently skate over to where her little boy was looking mutinous. Emma watched for a little while, and then turned her attention to skating. She tentatively took a few more steps, found her rhythm and began to skate faster, her feet barely skimming the ice. The cold bit her cheeks as she remembered the soaring feeling. It had been far too many years. She circled around and decided to try to skate backwards, as she had been able to do once.

'Be careful, Miss Harrison.' Iron arms caught her and an imperious voice resounded in her ear. 'I would not want to be responsible for you receiving an injury.'

Emma froze, pulled firmly away from the restraining hands, and turned to face Dr Milburn.

She fought to contain her revulsion at his arrogant expression.

Nothing had been proved. Jack's friend had not yet given his report. There was still a chance that Jack was mistaken and her father was truly ill.

'Dr Milburn, how pleasant it is to see you.' Emma forced her voice to be polite as she tried to peer over his shoulder to where Lucy ministered to her son.

'You are looking sprightly, if I might say so, Miss Harrison. And your father...is he here?'

'My father finds the cold difficult.' Emma took a deep breath. 'I was sorry that the servants over-reacted the other night. Thankfully, it proved a false alarm. My father is fully recovered now.'

'I am pleased to hear it. I feared the worst when Stanton barred my entry.' Dr Milburn's face assumed a sanctimonious expression. 'It does my heart good to know your father's health improves. In these sorts of cases there is no telling how long such patients will last. It is in God's hands.'

'He has recovered.' Emma swallowed. She had to fight against being too cynical. Nothing had been proved. It could all be coincidence. She had to believe that somehow this had been a mistake. She gave a light laugh. 'But I am surprised to see you here in this party.'

'Do you think me too old and staid for such doings?' His smile did not reach his dead eyes. 'I am but a few years older than Jack Stanton. We knew each other as young men. Did he ever say?'

Emma fought to keep her face pleasant. 'Not too old. I had merely wondered about your patients. I thought they would have first call on your time.'

'Thankfully they, like your father, are being healthy at the moment. I must take my pleasures while I can, Miss Harrison. My bag is in my carriage in case I am required.' He touched his hand to his hat. 'I do like to think ahead. When I was a boy, I used to skate on the rivers all day. It appears such a perfect day for this type of innocent pleasure.'

'Yes, I agree.' Emma bit her lip. She had no wish to spend any more time than absolutely necessary in this man's company.

'Perhaps you will do me the honour of skating with me for a short while?'

Emma saw with relief that Lucy had finished with her son. 'I am sorry, but I promised Mrs Charlton...'

'Maybe later, then?'

'If it does not turn too cold.'

His eyes narrowed, and Emma's breath caught in her throat. A cold wind blew around her.

She willed him to go.

'I hear your overseer has left Newcastle, Miss Harrison.' He cleared his throat. 'Do you know when he plans to return?'

'Mr Stanton did not tell me. Was there any particular reason?' She tilted her head to one side.

'There was a business opportunity I wanted to discuss with him, that is all. Henry Charlton was saying that he might be amenable.'

'I will be sure to tell him you were enquiring after him.'

'You do that. And, Miss Harrison, pray do be careful. I have no wish to see any harm come to you.'

'I always am.' Emma skated away with forceful strokes, trying to ignore the sudden chill that went down her spine.

'Once more around the pond and I am finished,' Emma remarked. 'My legs are positively shattered.'

'You have kept going far longer than I thought,' Lucy replied. 'It is pleasant to have a skating companion who is older than five. Henry used to skate when we were courting, but these days he is far too busy.'

'My nose is getting very cold, and I lost feeling in the tips of my toes aeons ago.'

'Come and have a cup of Mother Charlton's lamb's wool punch. She reckons it is more potent than the insipid drink they served at the St Nicholas ball.'

Emma began to move forward, towards where the Charltons had set up their punch bowl.

'Watch out! Watch your back! Man out of control!'

Emma felt a bump from behind, and then she fell onto the cold ice. Lay there with a heavy weight on her back. She struggled to breathe, to move.

'Terribly sorry. I didn't see the good doctor, and I appear to have careened off in the wrong direction. High spirits and all that,' Lieutenant Ludlow said, holding out his hand. 'No harm done, what?'

'Nothing worse than a bruised elbow.' Emma started to lever herself off the ice and sat back down again. 'My ankle is slightly twisted. The new strap did not give as much as I thought it would.'

'You are as pale as a ghost.' Ludlow's face creased. 'I will get the sawbones for you. Put you to rights. I can't have a pretty thing like you blaming me for a sprain.'

'No, no, I am fine.' Emma attempted to smile but knew it was probably more of a wince. 'It is my injured pride, nothing more.'

'I must insist, Miss Harrison.' The Lieutenant helped her to stand. 'Dr Milburn! Dr Milburn! I need your assistance and some of your marvellous tonic for this woman. In avoiding you I ended up colliding with this good lady instead. She is rather shaken.'

'Not the tonic,' Emma protested, scrambling to her feet. 'I have no need of the tonic.'

'Shouldn't we let the doctor be the judge of that?' Lieutenant Ludlow replied. 'He's the one qualified in medicine.'

'Yes, Emma, you must be cautious,' Lucy said. 'Here is Dr Milburn.'

Emma bit her lip and forced her head up. She would refuse to take the tonic, but what if Jack was wrong? She did not want to be responsible for ruining Dr Milburn's reputation.

'What appears to be the trouble?'

'Miss Harrison and I were involved in a collision. I believe she needs some of your excellent tonic. She looks a bit piqued.'

'Not the tonic,' Emma said hastily, and then stopped, glancing from Dr Milburn to the Lieutenant and back again. 'I don't want to...I am not ill.'

'She does indeed look pale.' Dr Milburn's eyes glittered like a snake's. Emma wondered if he had noticed her hesitation. 'But I don't think she requires my tonic...yet.'

'What does she need?' Ludlow asked. 'I certainly did not intend any harm. It felt as if I was pushed from behind just after I passed you, Doctor. What can I do to make amends?'

'Besides skating with more care?' Milburn said. 'You nearly knocked me down as well.'

'But what does she require?' Ludlow persisted.

'She needs a cup of Mrs Charlton's excellent hot punch. It is guaranteed to put the roses back in her cheeks.'

Emma released her breath, felt her lungs fill with cold air. Silently she offered up a prayer.

Punch, and not tonic. 'A cup of punch would be lovely.'

'I will get it for you, Miss Harrison.' Dr Milburn gave a low bow and skated off.

Emma allowed Lucy and Lieutenant Ludlow to help her over to the side. She sat on a long bench and shivered slightly.

'Are you positive that you suffered no injury, Miss Harrison?' Lieutenant Ludlow asked again. He hovered over her in a possessive manner. A lock of fair hair fell over his forehead, making him look barely out of his teens. 'I do not know what came over me. High spirits.'

'I think it is merely because I have stopped skating.' She shivered as a bitter wind swept across the pond. 'After I have had my cup of punch no doubt I will feel better.'

'I have arrived just in time.' Dr Milburn pressed a steaming cup into Emma's hand. 'As requested, my dear Miss Harrison, your punch. I trust it will be as the doctor ordered.'

His laughter sounded hollow to Emma's ears, and did nothing to dispel her unease, but the soldier appeared amused by the quip. She was seeing shadows where there were none. Had to be. She had known Dr Milburn for years, and he had been most attentive to her mama in her last days.

She lifted the cup and took a tentative sip, choked, and resisted the temptation to spit it out.

'Thank you, Doctor. You have been most kind,' Lucy said. 'Now, drink it all up, Emma.'

'It will do you good, Miss Harrison.'

'I will in a little while. Just sitting is quite pleasant. I had not realised quite how tired I was.'

Emma eyed the cup. She planned on pouring away the liquid once everyone had left her alone. It tasted foul. She had no idea what Mrs Charlton used in the celebrated punch, but she seriously wondered about people's tastebuds.

'I must insist, Miss Harrison. You need warming up. Drink it. I shall stand here watching until you do.' He gave a laugh, but she noticed his eyes had an intent look about them, much like a cat watching a mouse hole.

'It is a little warm for my tongue. I shall leave it to cool--' she began.

'Emma, do be sensible and do as Dr Milburn says,' Lucy implored. 'I want my partner back on the ice. You are wasting the daylight. I have never known you to be missish.'

Emma gritted her teeth. She wanted to be rid of the doctor and his stare. She made a face and forced the liquid down her throat, nearly gagging as she did so. She wiped her hand across her mouth. 'There--are you both satisfied?'

'Hugely satisfied,' Dr Milburn replied. His face assumed a very smug expression.

'I shall just take a turn around the ice,' Emma said. She wanted to get away from the doctor, and the prickly feeling that she had at the back of her neck. Something was not right. But it was probably an over-active imagination.

She set out with fast strokes, feeling the wind against her cheeks. It had turned much colder during the time she had been in the hut. Fewer skaters were on the ice. Emma started to go faster, turned a corner, and a wave of dizziness hit her. She shook her head to clear it.

In the distance, a broad-shouldered figure appeared, watching the skaters. His hands were behind his back, and his face shadowed, but Emma's blood gave a sudden leap. Jack! She started towards him. He wavered slightly. But she dug in, head held high. Every stroke of the blade seemed harder. Emma swallowed and redoubled her efforts, but when she got there he had vanished.

'Miss Harrison.' Dr Milburn's voice echoed in her brain. Emma squinted, managed to see straight. She put a hand to her face. As suddenly as the strange sensation had started, it ended, leaving her clear-headed, if a bit giddy. 'Are you sure you are all right?'

'I thought...That is...' Emma tried to explain the strange sensation that had filled her, filled her and then vanished. She readjusted her hood. 'It was nothing.'

'Perhaps the fall you took was greater than you imagined.' Dr Milburn gave a small bow.

'Allow me to escort you home.'

Every nerve screamed a warning. Dr Milburn's features swam in front of her, fading in and out. Emma attempted to concentrate. 'I don't think I want that. I really don't want that.'

She knew she sounded like a petulant child, but it made no difference.

'Nonsense,' Dr Milburn said. 'You need to return home before anything else happens to you.

Look at you. You hardly know what you are saying. I must insist.'