Snowy Christmas (10 page)

"Isn't it a bit soon after…" There was
nothing in the world she'd rather do than marry Marcus, but she'd
only known him a month, and he'd just finalized his divorce.

"I parted from Gabriella over two years ago,
and we weren't a normal married couple for at least a year before
that." He took the ring out of the box and held it out. "I've been
alone for so long, Emily. I love you. I want to be with you
forever."

"In that case, my answer is yes, a thousand
times yes." She pulled off her gloves, framed his dear face between
her hands, and pressed her lips to his, putting all her love into
the kiss to let him know he wasn't alone anymore.

After the kiss, he grinned, the expression as
much relief as pleasure. "Whew. For a moment there, I thought you
were going to turn me down."

She stretched out the fingers of her left
hand, and he slipped the ring on for her.

"Oh my. It's stunning. And it fits
perfectly."

"I borrowed one of your rings from your room
to get the size. That guy this morning wasn't a financial advisor;
he was a representative from the jewelry shop we visited in London.
When we were there last week, I saw the engagement rings and knew
that's what I had to give you for Christmas. But I wanted it to be
a surprise."

"It's a wonderful surprise, the best one
ever."

Marcus sat beside her on the bench again and
pulled her onto his lap. They cuddled and kissed, then they raced
back to Rosemoor Hall, running with the dogs barking excitedly at
their feet.

When they returned from their walk, Marcus went
straight to his office to call his lawyers. He rarely pursued
people through the courts; his philosophy was to live and let live.
He liked to resolve issues himself amicably, but Emily's situation
with Vicente was different. He wanted the book thrown at that
guy.

While Emily sent his lawyers an e-mail giving
all the details she had about Vicente with a scan of the loan
letter attached, Marcus talked to the senior partner at the law
firm.

"I want this pursued vigorously," he said.
"Report it to the Spanish police right away and encourage them to
take action. It's my fiancé he's targeted. I want it resolved as
soon as possible. Please e-mail me daily progress reports." He
ended the call, satisfied that action would be swift and sustained
until the problem was resolved.

Emily gazed at him uncertainly when he put
down the phone. "What did they say?"

"It's being taken care of. Nothing for you to
worry about, love. Let's have some lunch. I'm starving."

While Emily made them some sandwiches, he
went to his bedroom to change his muddy trousers. He glanced at the
door to make sure it was closed before pulling out his mobile phone
to make another call. His old school friend Simon was the local
vicar, and he answered on the second ring.

"Good afternoon. It's Marcus. I have
something important to ask you." He explained he'd just become
engaged to Emily. "You don't have a problem with us marrying in the
church, do you?" He knew that being divorced could be an issue with
a church wedding.

"We consider it on a case-by-case basis, and
in your case, I'm happy to marry you again. I'm relieved that
you're free of Gabriella and able to find happiness again, although
that's off the record."

Simon knew what Marcus had gone through
during his marriage. They'd had a few late-night discussions at the
vicarage with a bottle of good malt whiskey while Marcus tried to
make sense of his life.

Five minutes later, Marcus ended the call,
smiling. He went to the kitchen and stepped up behind Emily where
she worked at the kitchen counter. Wrapping his arms around her
waist, he pulled her soft, warm body against him and inhaled the
sweet smell of her hair.

"How are you doing, sweetheart?"

"Better now you're here. The sandwiches are
nearly ready."

His heart pinched at the thought of how
Vicente had used her. She was so kind and softhearted, and the jerk
had taken advantage of that. He loved Emily so much. He would make
sure she didn't worry about this latest problem.

"I think we should crack open a bottle of
bubbly." He grabbed her hand and pulled her, laughing, out of his
apartment and down the stairs to the cellar door. Rosemoor Hall
only had two small rooms below ground level. They remained at a
constant temperature all year round and were used to store the
wine.

He negotiated the narrow steps, turning to
help Emily down. They walked between wooden racks of pinot noir,
merlot, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, and many other red, white, and
rosé wines to the shelves that held the champagne. He crouched and
pulled out a bottle of his favorite, wiped off the label, and held
it up.

"To madam's taste?"

"Absolutely."

"How about we have one each?" He pulled out a
second bottle and she laughed, the joyous sound easing his fear
that she was worrying.

Back in the kitchen, Marcus popped the cork
on the first bottle and filled two crystal flutes with golden
liquid, fizzing with bubbles.

"Congratulations to us."

She echoed his sentiment, bumping her glass
against his before taking a sip.

"Are you going to tell your family we're
engaged?" she asked.

"Tomorrow. Today is our day to celebrate
together—just the two of us."

Outside, red and gold streaks crept along the
horizon as the sun fell and twilight darkened the sky. Inside,
Marcus held Emily close, dancing slowly to a soulful tune. Most of
the champagne was gone, and he felt warm and fuzzy. He kissed
Emily, dreamy and happy.

"This is what love should be like," he said,
marveling at how wonderful it could be with that one special
person. She'd transformed his life in such a short time. He kissed
the soft skin beneath her ear that made her go all wriggly and
tickly. "You're beautiful and perfect," he whispered in her
ear.

"You're seeing me through a champagne
haze."

"Maybe, but to me you're still beautiful and
perfect. How would you like to get married at the end of
January?"

"In a month's time?"

"Yes." He grinned at her startled
expression.

"What about all the arrangements? It takes
ages to sort everything out."

"Relax. We have plenty of time. My family
will help. We'll announce our engagement on Christmas Day."

She snuggled close to him, her breath warm
against his neck as she trailed kisses on his jaw. "I'll be
counting the days. I can't wait to be Mrs. Bramwell and know you're
mine forever."

• • •

Emily and Shelly wheeled the big old serving trolley
laden with the turkey, covered dishes of vegetables, and gravy
boats along the kitchen corridor towards the great hall. They
chuckled together at the discordant tune of the squeaky wheels.

"This takes me back." Shelly patted the
trolley affectionately. "The last time I pushed this, I was still
in school. I'm sure the wheels didn't squeak then. Marcus's mother
would never have allowed it."

The great hall welcomed them with the
pleasant fragrance of wood smoke and mulled wine. The dogs lay in a
lazy huddle on the mat in front of the fire, and the rest of the
family stood around the Christmas tree chatting, glasses in their
hands.

"Come and get it," Shelly called.

Emily had planned to announce, "Dinner is
served," as it sounded more elegant, but Shelly didn't stand on
ceremony.

"Wonderful. I'm starving," Marcus said. "The
smell of that turkey roasting has been making my stomach growl for
hours."

They all took their seats at the old oak
table that normally stood against the wall at the end of the great
hall. It weighed a ton, and had taken everyone to pull it away from
the wall so they could sit on both sides.

Marcus sat at the head of the table with
Emily on one side and Jonathan on the other. She couldn't wait to
put on the diamond engagement ring in her dress pocket. All
morning, she'd kept touching the bump it made to be sure it was
still there.

After Marcus carved the turkey and the pork,
the vegetable dishes were passed around the table. Emily slipped
off her shoes and rubbed her nylon-clad toes on Marcus's ankle,
smiling as his lips twitched and he cast her a knowing sideways
glance. His brown eyes twinkled in the Christmas lights, and she
bubbled inside with pleasure and excitement.

He'd so quickly become the center of her
world. The idea she'd lived so long without him seemed
incomprehensible now, and when they'd finished their first course,
everyone would know they were to be married.

Emily chatted with her grandma and Ned,
trying to behave normally, when all she could think about was
finishing the food on her plate so she could put on her ring and
wear it proudly, instead of hiding it away.

Isabelle banged her spoon on the tray of her
high chair, sending bits of turkey and vegetable flying. While
Vicky wiped up and picked the bits out of poor Chloe's hair,
Jennifer rubbed her huge baby bump and smiled. "Better get used to
this, Chloe. It'll be happening a lot soon."

Once the empty plates had been gathered up,
Marcus laid his hand over Emily's, the message in his eyes clear.
It was time. She fished the engagement ring from her pocket and
slipped it on under the table. Marcus stood, and she moved to his
side.

The conversation around the table faltered as
everyone looked up.

"I'm delighted to tell you that Emily has
agreed to be my wife," Marcus said.

Chloe squealed. "Wow. Fantastic." She dashed
around the table and hugged them both. Then everyone was on their
feet, all offering their congratulations at once.

"Oh, darling. How wonderful." Emily's grandma
hugged her, and she held the old woman tightly, remembering the
years she'd lived with her after her dad joined the army and her
parents moved away. She hadn't always been the easiest teen to live
with, and her grandma had been patient and loving. Now she would be
in Rosemoor to look after her grandma as she grew older.

"You're full of surprises," Ned said, kissing
her cheek.

"Welcome to the family." Vicky grinned and
hugged her, and examined her ring. "It's beautiful. Jon and I were
only saying yesterday how well you and Marcus get along together,
and wondering what the future held."

Emily liked Vicky. They were already friends,
and it was wonderful they would be family now. She accepted a hug
and kiss from Jonathan and Owen, and then stretched around
Jennifer's huge belly to accept a hug from her.

"Have you set a date?" Shelly asked after
they'd embraced.

"The first of February is the earliest the
vicar can make it," Marcus said.

There was a beat of surprised silence.

"In five weeks?" Vicky said, eyebrows
raised.

Marcus nodded.

Vicky slipped her arm through Emily's. "We
girls have some intensive wedding-dress shopping to do, then."

"You do realize we'll have a screaming baby
boy by the first of February?" Owen said.

"Owen Bramwell, our baby will not be a
screamer." Jennifer batted Owen on the arm.

"It's going to be a boy, then?" Jonathan
said.

"Owen's hopeful." Jennifer rubbed the place
she'd hit Owen, and leaned her head on his shoulder. He put his arm
around his wife and kissed her.

Marcus pulled the celebratory bottles of
champagne from the cupboard where they'd hidden them, and Emily
lined up a row of crystal flutes. The cork popped, and Marcus
sloshed foaming liquid into the glasses to be passed out. Even
Chloe had one.

Raising his glass, Marcus said, "To my
beautiful fiancée and her little abandoned dog. I'm so happy I
stopped that evening to help her rescue Snowy. Peggy and I would be
lost without them."

"To Emily and Snowy and Marcus and Peggy,"
everyone chorused.

Champagne fizzed on Emily's tongue, and tears
of happiness tickled her eyes. Marcus kissed her temple and she
leaned into him, slipping her arm around his waist.

She hadn't known it was possible to be this
happy. She was going to marry the most wonderful man in the world.
This was a Christmas she would never forget.

On her wedding day, Emily woke alone in Marcus's bed.
He'd stayed with Jonathan at the gatehouse last night, and it
seemed strange to be in his apartment without him—or their
apartment, she reminded herself with a little buzz of excitement.
She had moved all her things up here from the housekeeper's
apartment at Christmastime. Rosemoor Hall really was her home
now.

She rolled over and hugged Snow White, who'd
snuggled close to her during the night and now lay with her head on
Marcus's pillow. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her wedding
dress in its cover hanging on the wardrobe door, and gave a little
squeal of excitement and bounced in bed. Her stunning dress had
cost a small fortune. She'd fallen in love with it, and Marcus had
told her to buy it if it was her favorite.

Emily threw back the covers and pulled open
the curtains. Overnight the garden had transformed into a winter
wonderland, the walls, shrubs, and lawn shrouded in a layer of
snow. It was enough to decorate the garden, but hopefully, not
enough to make the roads impassable.

"Come on, Snowy. Let's investigate." She
pulled on her robe and ran downstairs, then pushed her feet into
Wellington boots and stepped outside. She and Snow White ran
through the pristine, powdery snow, leaving trails.

While she was kicking snow for her dog to
chase, Vicky drove up. Emily ran back to the parking area. "Oh my.
Is it ten already?"

"It is. The hairdresser and beautician will
be here in an hour, and I have treats." Vicky held open the bags
she carried to reveal chocolates and bottles of champagne and
orange juice.