Griffen offered his hand.
Ann placed her hand in his and followed him to the dance.
She knew it! Reed thought their marriage was a fixed thing. His presumptuous father, no doubt, had told him that her parents would be delighted to join their families through marriage.
Ann thanked God for her own kinder father. He’d allowed Olivia to have a say in her marriage. Ann expected no less for herself.
“Was it something I said?” Griffen teased from his position across from her. The music started, and Ann met him in the middle of the floor.
“Do ye ever feel as though there are mysteries afoot that concern ye, and ye can’t quite make it out?”
“Like a proposed match between ye and my cousin?”
Ann stopped mid-step.
Griffen grabbed her hand and yanked her to the next position.
“What have ye heard?”
“Nothing more unless ye count that there is hope for me as well with Miss Archer.”
“Ruby? Does she know?”
“No idea.”
Reed slipped out of the room while Ann danced with Jacob. She lost track of him and the number of sets after that.
Deep in the night, Ann finally slipped under the covers and gazed at the sky. She couldn’t blame Mr. Archer for wanting to set his affairs in order before he died, but goodness, what a mess. She lifted another prayer of thanks for her own father.
3
Despite the late night, Ann woke early Christmas morning. The crisp, sunny day filtered through lightly frosted window lights. Hoping to dine alone and escape with her carving, she hurried down to the dining room.
“An early riser, Miss Wright?” Reed stood.
“I find it is the best part of the day.” Ann selected eggs and ham from the sideboard and sat in the seat she’d occupied during dinner last night.
“Since ye are here so early, I wonder if ye would do me the honor of a walk this morning.”
Ann’s stomach bounced to her knees and back again as she cast her mind for an excuse. Her ability to be blunt appeared not to be a spontaneous thing. No matter. Although she’d hoped to spend the morning in the barn carving, there was no time like the present. Her parents were determined to stay the full twelve days of Christmas. Her only recourse was Reed’s Aunt Clementine’s advice. Ann’d tell him how it was and they could both survive the holidays unscathed. “I’d be delighted.”
Never one for collywobbles, her stomach righted itself as she worked through her plans. She downed her meal as daintily as she could and followed him into the hall. She had left her warmest, emerald green, woolen cloak and work basket in the hall in preparation for her trip to the barn. He gathered her cloak and held it open before she could retrieve it herself. Ann slipped into the sphere of his arms and quickly exited before he could do more than drop the thing onto her shoulders. She slipped her carving basket over her wrist.
“Right this way.” He crooked an arm.
“I am sure I can manage the steps.”
He smiled, and her stomach flipped again. My stars. She hoped he wouldn’t be sending too many of those her way.
“Miss Wright, I should very much like to explain what ye saw yesterday.”
“No explanation is required. This is yer home, and ye may run it as ye see fit. And since ye brought it up—in a manner of speaking—I should like to discuss something of the utmost importance.”
He looked bewildered, but kept silent as he led them down the steps to a brick walkway that went around the house.
“Surely ye have surmised that our parents hope for a match between us.”
He had the good grace to stop and look at her as if he were surprised.
“Oh, yes,” she continued. “I have spoken to my mother about this, and since her response was entirely unsatisfactory, I find I must resort to yer aunt’s advice.”
“To be blunt?”
“Precisely.”
“Go on.”
She brought her hands together and interlaced her fingers. “I will not marry ye, Mr. Archer.”
He came to a stop in front of the small row of buildings that housed all the manufacturing on which a grand estate depended. Kitchen, laundry, dairy, smoke house, and storehouse among others, each had its own square building sitting in neat little rows.
Heat rose in Ann’s cheeks. After all, he hadn’t actually asked her for her hand. Oh, well. She breathed deep. In for a penny, in for a pound. “Yer display yesterday—while completely within yer rights, of course—is a prime example of why we will not suit.”
He drew his hands behind his back.
“I am not usually as blunt as yer aunt recommends, but I am a woman who requires a certain amount of freedom and respect. I do not believe ye are capable of that. Therefore, I propose that, since we are stuck with each other these twelve days, we use the opportunity to show our parents that we are definitely not suited.” Ann caught his gaze as she finished and waited for his response.
He stood silent for an eternity. A breath of air lifted a curl of his brown hair in a gentle caress. “There is someone I want ye to meet.”
