The Yuletide Countess: Harriet's Traditional Regency Romance (14 page)

In a far
shorter period of time than if she had managed on her own, Harriet emerged from
her room and descended the stairs to the main floor. She had chosen a long sleeved
dress of finely woven green wool, with a black velvet bodice and jet beading
trimming the cuffs and hem. She wore with it a black velvet cap that resembled
a turban, which sported a green ribbon also embroidered in black, and she was
pleased to think that she complemented the decorations of the castle perfectly.
There was no one in the great hall, so she ventured into the drawing room,
hoping to find Isobel there. As she paused in the doorway, she heard footsteps
behind her, and turned to see Lord Glencairn approaching.

“There you
are, Miss Walcott,” he said. “How are you this afternoon?”

“Is it
afternoon?” asked Harriet. “I had no idea it was so late. I feel dreadfully
spoiled, lying abed until all hours.”

“You deserve
to rest as long as you choose,” said the earl. “But I am glad to see you, for I
hoped you might help me with a task.”

“A task?”
asked Harriet. “How may I assist you?”

“On Christmas
Eve the Earl of Glencairn takes food and sweetmeats to his tenants,” said his
lordship. “I have a carriage outside loaded with provisions, and I hope you
will assist me in my chore. Many of my tenants have children, and I thought you
might enjoy meeting them, while I know that your charming manner and pleasant
conversation will make everything go more smoothly.”

“I would be
honored to accompany you,” said Harriet. “It sounds like a charming custom. Let
me fetch my cloak and we can be on our way.”

“I hoped you
would agree,” said Lord Glencairn. “So, I took the liberty of having Janet
bring your cloak down, Miss Walcott, as well as your bonnet and muff. Indeed, I
think we have everything we need.”

Within minutes
Harriet was wrapped so securely in her outdoor garments that barely the tip of
her nose showed, and Lord Glencairn escorted her to the carriage, handing her
into it, and then following her and seating himself across from her. He made
sure she had a heated brick beneath her feet, and tucked a blanket gently
around her, to ward off the chill, then rapped on the wall to tell the coachman
to proceed.

As the carriage
pulled away, Francis and Isobel emerged into the hall from a side room, and
stood looking after them through a window.

“Do you
suppose that Harriet believed him?” asked Francis.

Isobel smiled
and took his hand in hers. “I have no doubt at all that she did. Harriet is
guileless, and believes the best of everyone. And it’s a harmless fabrication;
perhaps there is no tradition at Glencairn of taking food to the tenants, but
it is a pleasant enough thought, and they will no doubt be happy for it.”

“If she does
agree to marry him, it will become a tradition, for she will not be likely to
forget it next year!” said Francis.

“I do hope she
will agree to marry him,” said Isobel. “And, if they only knew, so would
Glencairn’s tenants!”

In the
carriage Harriet glanced around, taking in hamper after hamper seemingly
stuffed to the brim with hams and sausage, wine and sweetmeats. “How generous
you are, my lord,” she said.

“Nonsense,”
said Glencairn. “My wealth is built on the work my tenants do, and I pride
myself on being fair to them. Such a small thing as this is the very least I
can do to thank them for a year’s labor.”

“Not everyone
is wise enough to know that,” replied Harriet.

“I hope that I
am wise enough to see what is in front of my face!” exclaimed the earl. “I have
been foolishly blind from time to time, but I mean to do better in the future.”

“I wonder that
Sophy and Douglas do not go with you,” said Harriet.

“They are busy
today, but soon Douglas should accompany me, I suppose,” said Lord Glencairn. “He
will be the earl someday.”

“Oh, not for
many years,” said Harriet. “He will have plenty of time to learn how to manage
the estate.”

“Well, I hope
that I have many years ahead of me,” said Glencairn. “I look forward to seeing
Douglas and Sophy grown, with their own families, and their children coming
here at Yuletide.”

“It’s a lovely
thought,” said Harriet. “Christmas at Glencairn—what a delightful time you have
shown me, my lord.”

“And the day
is not nearly over, with Christmas Day yet to come!” said the earl. He looked
out the window. “Ah, here is the first cottage.”

The coachman
swung up outside a trim cottage, and Lord Glencairn assisted Harriet out of the
coach, and then selected a hamper. He pounded on the door with great good
humor, and gave a hearty shout of ‘Merry Christmas’ when the door opened.

“My lord?”
said the famer who had opened the door, his face showing surprise.

“I have come
to wish you a happy Christmas, and best wishes for the new year,” said the earl
cheerfully. He handed the hamper over to the astonished farmer, who hesitated
only a moment.

“Thank you, my
lord! Please, come in, and allow me to introduce you to my family.” He glanced
curiously at Harriet as they crossed the threshold.

“This is my
guest, Miss Walcott, who has kindly agreed to assist me,” said Glencairn. “Miss
Walcott, my tenant, Jim McDonald.”

“I’m very
pleased to meet you,” said Harriet politely.

Inside a
surprised woman and three children turned from the fire to gaze at them, and
then there was a flurry of introductions, as Jim turned the hamper over to his
wife. She gave a cry of delight, and hastened to the hearth to unpack it.
Harriet went with her, and took almost as much delight as the farmer’s wife in
inspecting the ham, tin of tea, and cheese it contained. The children crowded
around, and before many minutes had passed Harriet had struck up a conversation
with them, and knew their names, ages, and favorite games. She might have
stayed an hour, had not the earl laid a hand on her shoulder.

“We have many
more homes to visit, Miss Walcott,” he said. “Shall we leave the McDonalds to
their festivities?

“Oh, yes
indeed,” answered Harriet. With a quiet smile she said good-bye to the farmer
and his family, and they re-entered the carriage.

“What a
beautiful family,” she remarked as they pulled away from the cottage.

“They do seem
very happy,” said Glencairn.

Harriet
nodded. “It is so kind of you to think of them,” she said. “We are so fortunate
to have all we can wish for, and if we can share that with others, it does much
good.”

Glencairn
smiled. “I’m not sure I have all I wish for, Miss Walcott, but I am indeed a
lucky man. And I am working on obtaining that which I truly want.”

Harriet gave
him a quizzical look, but soon forgot the question that hovered on her lips as they
pulled up to another cottage. The next hours passed in a rush as they went from
home to home. Harriet had soon endeared herself to the crofters and their
wives, and had memorized the name of a score of children by the time they
returned to the castle, happy but tired.

Glencairn
escorted her into the hall and divested her of her cloak. She took off her
bonnet and glanced a moment in the mirror, straightening her slightly tumbled
curls. She saw that her cheeks were becomingly flushed from the cold, and turned
away with a little smile on her face. Lord Glencairn offered his arm.

“What do you
wish to do now, Miss Walcott?” he asked.

“I am
famished,” said Harriet. “I have been handing food to others for hours now and
eating none myself! And I fear that the cowslip wine the last farmer served to
us has quite gone to my head!”

“Then it is a
good thing that I ordered a luncheon to be served upon our return,” said Lord
Glencairn. He ushered her into the dining room, where a selection of cold meats
and bread were laid out, with small cakes and ratafia as well. Two pairs of
guilty eyes looked up at them, as it seemed that Douglas and Sophy had
discovered the meal before their father’s return.

“Fie,
children,” said the earl, though there was no anger in his voice. “That meal
was for Miss Walcott after all her assistance to me.”

Sophy,
distressed, opened her mouth to apologize, and Harriet swept over to hug her.

“There is no
harm done, my lord. There is enough food here to feed ten, and I will surely
not go wanting.” She seated herself next to Sophy and speared a slice of meat
with a fork, eagerly lifting it to her plate.

Harriet
pleaded weariness after her exertions, and retired to the Long Gallery after
lunch to read for a bit, then went to her room for the luxury of a nap. Lord
Glencairn had promised them dinner with several local families joining them,
along with dancing in the drawing room afterwards and she wanted to enjoy the
evening.

Arising
refreshed an hour later, she rang the bell and Janet soon appeared. They spent
some time cheerfully discussing which gown Harriet should wear, and when she
finally emerged from her room, dressed in a heavy sky blue silk, open over a
petticoat of pale grey figured velvet, she was more than pleased with her appearance.
She made her way to the drawing room, where Glencairn, Francis, and Isobel
awaited her. To her delight she saw that Sophy, Douglas and Catherine were also
present.

“How wonderful
to see the children here,” she said to Lord Glencairn when he greeted her.

“It is
Christmas, after all,” he said. “They are old enough to join in the
festivities, and it would be a pity for Miss Dalburn not to be present, for I
know she is a friend of yours, and she has few opportunities in her busy life
to enjoy an evening party.”

“I must go say
hello,” she said, and moved across the room to Catherine’s side.

“How glad I am
you came down,” said Catherine. “I felt a bit odd with only Lord Glencairn and
Lord and Lady Francis here. Will you help me keep an eye on the children this
evening? I want their father to be proud of them.”

“I think he is
always pleased with them,” said Harriet, watching as the earl beamed at his
children, who were gathered around a table spread with cakes, their eyes wide.
“But yes, their high spirits may get the better of them tonight. After all, it
is a party and that is to be expected.”

The butler
entered and paused in the door to announce Sir Colin and Lady Leithly. They
were quickly followed by other local gentry, who crowded into the room, their voices
raised in greetings and laughter.

“A very pretty
scene,” observed Harriet.

“It is
indeed,” said Catherine quietly. Harriet turned to look at her friend, and was
surprised to see that she was blushing. She followed her gaze, and saw a tall,
red-haired gentleman had entered the room. He was dressed well, if not in the
pink of fashion, and, while he was a bit gangly, his face was pleasant and
open, and his blue eyes reflected a thoughtful nature.

“That is Mr.
Beattie, the curate from Kilfarclas is it not?” asked Harriet.

“It is,” said
Catherine.

“I did
remember him correctly,” Harriet said, giving her a sideways look.

Harriet
regarded Catherine more closely, and then glanced again at Mr. Beattie, who was
clearly making his way across the room to them. She gave a little crow of
delight.

“Catherine! He
is certainly interested in you.”

The governess
turned even pinker. “Hush, Harriet, you must not say such things. Mr. Beattie
and I have found we have similar taste in literature, and, on occasion when I
have a half-day, we take a walk and discuss our interests.”

Harriet
clasped her hands together. “Then he is courting you!” she exclaimed.

Catherine
looked around anxiously, but no one appeared to be listening to her. “We have
not spoken of anything yet, for as I told you, he has no expectations, and his
income simply cannot support a family,” she said cautiously.

“Oh, but I can
see that you care for each other on your face—and on his!” said Harriet. “I am
so very happy for you.”

“Hush, do not
say anything in front of him!” protested Catherine.

“As though I
would,” Harriet replied.

Mr. Beattie
had reached them, and greeted Catherine with evident relief. “Miss Dalburn, I
am so glad to find you here. I feared I would find no sensible conversation
this entire night.”

“Thank you,
Mr. Beattie,” said Catherine. She turned to Harriet. “May I present Mr. Beattie
to you, Miss Walcott?”

“I am so
pleased to meet you,” said Harriet as Mr. Beattie bowed politely over her hand.
“I somehow missed making your acquaintance this past summer.”

“I regret that
as well,” said the curate. “Miss Dalburn has sung your praises to me, and I can
only be glad that she has such a good friend.”

“We have found
many things we share in common,” agreed Harriet. “It is rare to feel that
particular closeness and I missed her dreadfully when I returned to London.”

“I missed you
as well,” said Catherine.

Harriet looked
from Mr. Beattie to Catherine and smiled. “If you will excuse me, I believe
Sophy is eating too many cakes. I would not want her to be unable to eat
dinner, or, far worse, become ill.”

“I should go
to her,” said Catherine, looking across the room to where Sophy stood, a cake
in her hand.

“Not at all,”
said Harriet. “Please allow me to do this. You deserve some time without the
children. I, on the other hand, am so seldom near them that even telling them
not to gorge themselves is a treat!”

She moved
away, glad to give Catherine and Mr. Beattie some moments alone, and was
pleased when she glanced back to see them talking happily, their heads close
together. What a wonderful occurrence, she reflected. Happiness came into one’s
life when one least expected it.

She swooped
down upon Sophy and wrested the cake away, and then convinced the girl to
stroll about the room with her, in the hope that this might induce the sweets
she had eaten to settle a bit before dinner. As they walked, dinner was
announced and the party repaired to the dining room for a magnificent repast.
Harriet found herself seated between Lord Leithly and Mr. Beattie, and enjoyed
the conversation, discovering that the curate had a lively wit.

After dinner
the ladies repaired to the drawing room, but were soon joined by the gentlemen.

“For what is
port when there is dancing to be done?” asked Lord Glencairn. Musicians trooped
into the room and set up in a corner, as servants rolled the carpets back.

“May I have
this first dance, Miss Walcott?” the earl asked of Harriet.

“I can
scarcely think of dancing, after all the lovely food I have eaten!” she
exclaimed. “But is also seems a pity to pass up a dance with such an excellent
partner.”

“I take that
as a yes,” said Lord Glencairn, offering his arm, and they joined the set that
was forming. Harriet was delighted to see that Catherine and Mr. Beattie and
Francis and Isobel were dancing as well, and when the fiddlers struck up, she
performed her part with enthusiasm.