A Christmas Bride Part 24

"What is it?" Theodora asked, not willing to be left out of the conversation.

"It seems that Felix did not confine his letter-writing enterprise to that single note in Serenity's ap.r.o.n pocket." Timothy's smile grew strained. "He had started a letter to Serenity's father in London to let Sir Philip think that nothing was amiss with his daughter, so Sir Philip would not come seeking her and ruin my cousin's plans for his revenge and obtaining his ambitions for both himself and his father."

"What revenge?" Theodora's eyes gleamed with excitement.

The earl tapped her nose. "You and Timothy have been reading too many novels. There is no revenge." His intent gaze warned the rest of them that what he was about to say would be what was shared with the rest of the Polite World. "Felix is simply choosing to try some new things beyond the walls of Cheyney Park."

"Way beyond." Timothy grinned. "In India, to be exact."

"India?" Lord Brookindale's mouth worked as it had by the door, and Serenity realized he was trying not to laugh now, as he had been then. The laugh escaped in an explosion of mirth. "An excellent choice, my boy. Absolutely excellent. Some discipline and appreciation for a Yorks.h.i.+re winter will be good for him."

Theodora tugged on Serenity's dress. "So are you staying?"

"What are you waiting for, my boy?" grumbled the earl.

"Waiting for?" asked Timothy with a wink at Serenity.

"Ask her to marry you before I ask her myself."

"You would ask her to marry me?"

Grandfather chuckled, sounding so much like Timothy that Serenity wanted to hug them both. "No, you widgeon, I would ask her to marry me. I am determined to have such an intelligent la.s.s in this family. Any woman who can see through your cousin and through you and-" he wagged a finger at her-"and almost through me is a prize indeed. So what are you waiting for?"

"I believe I am waiting to decide whether I should ask Serenity or Helen to be my wife."

"Papa would be distressed if you call me anything but Helen when he is about, for I was named for his mother." Serenity's eyes widened as another bit of her past fell into place. "You have to own, Timothy, that things have not been the least bit serene since we began all this."

He folded her hands in his and dropped to one knee. "I believe I shall solve the whole of this by asking you to become Lady Cheyney. Then no one will have a problem in deciding how to address you."

"You will call me Lady Cheyney?"

"I shall call you my beloved wife, if you will only say yes."

She drew one hand out of his and tousled his hair. "Yes," she whispered.

As he stood, Theodora wrinkled her nose. "You are not going to do something disgusting like kiss her, are you?"

"I am afraid so," Timothy replied with a laugh as he gathered Serenity into his arms. His voice lowered to a husky whisper, "Again and again and again."

About the Author.

Jo Ann Ferguson is a lifelong storyteller and the author of numerous romantic novels. She also writes as Jo Ann Brown and Mary Jo Kim. A former US Army officer, she has served as the president of the national board of the Romance Writers of America and taught creative writing at Brown University. She currently lives in Nevada with her family, which includes one very spoiled cat.

All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fict.i.tiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright 2000 by Jo Ann Ferguson.

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