Marry Christmas (Zebra Historical Romance) by Jane Goodger Read Free Book Online Page B

wedding. He squeezed her hand as if he knew what she was thinking and needed to give her strength.
    Elizabeth’s heart wrenched, but she smiled and was glad when her father looked relieved.
    “Chin up, eh, Elizabeth?” he said.
    She almost gave in to tears, but smiled brilliantly in stead just knowing he understood.
    Once she’d read Henry’s note, she’d completely dreaded this ball, for she would have to suffer the company of the duke. Oh, she knew she was being unfair and catty, but she did not care. She could think of him only as “the duke” for that is how she’d thought of him for weeks now. If he did not exist, if her mother had not attended that particular art gallery on that particular day, she would most likely be walking arm in arm with Henry right now.
    The orchestra was set up in the Wedgewood room off the ballroom to give more room for dancing, though this early no one was dancing yet. From the corner of her eye, Elizabeth spotted her dearest friend hurrying over to her. Margaret Pierce, fondly called Maggie by her friends, stopped in front of her, beaming her excitement.
    “You may make your escape now, Father,” Elizabeth said, leaning up to kiss her father’s cheek.
    “Your mother is somewhere about,” he said, pretending to look around for her. Elizabeth knew he wanted more than anything to join the men in the billiard room where whiskey and cigars were not only approved, they were mandatory.
    “Where is he?” Maggie gushed when her father had left.
    “Who?” Elizabeth truly did not know whether her friend was talking about Henry or the duke.
    “The duke, silly. And I hear he brought an earl with him and they were both at the Casino this morning. Mother wouldn’t let me go because I was sneezing even though I insisted I wasn’t sick and that it was very likely the roses she’s placed in every corner of our home was causing me to sneeze. Really, I would have felt much better had she let me attend the Casino instead of being confined with all those roses breathing on me. And then I could have met your duke and his friend the earl.” All this said with hardly a breath. It was so good to see Maggie after her absolutely dismal summer. “Well, is he here yet?”
    Elizabeth laughed. “I don’t know.”
    Maggie made a quick pout. “Oh.” Then her face sprang into a smile. “But they are coming, are they not? My mother insisted they were and that’s why I’ve squeezed into this dress. How do I look, by the way?” Maggie twirled about, causing her beautiful butter-yellow dress to twirl with her. Very few people could successfully wear yellow, and Maggie, with her dark curls and striking brown eyes, was showing off the dress in spades.
    “It’s beautiful. And you know it,” Elizabeth said, feeling rather like an old dog watching a puppy play around it.
    “And you look…” Maggie paused, her eyes filling with tears. She was like that, laughing one minute, capable of tears the next. “You look like a duchess.”
    Elizabeth made a face.
    “You do,” Maggie insisted. “Oh. Don’t you want to?”
    “Not particularly,” she said, looking down at the deep blue satin gown, which showed a disconcerting amount of cleavage. It was not a dress for an unmarried nine teen-year-old girl, but her mother had insisted that a duke would want a duchess, not a girl. She felt incredibly conspicuous standing next to Maggie.
    Maggie’s eyes swept up to her hair. “How long did that take?” she said in wonder.
    Elizabeth laughed. Her mother had found a French woman who could accomplish the most intricate hair-styles imaginable. And her hair, which was wavy and thick and nearly impossible to control, had always been the most difficult aspect of her toilet. A tiara, sparkling with diamonds, perched atop it all. “Two hours,” Elizabeth said, groaning.
    Maggie brought a hand up to her own simple style and grimaced. “Ten minutes.”
    “I think you look lovely,” Elizabeth said