A Season for Christmas (Desire and Discipline #3)

Chapter 5

5

Catherine

Looking over her packed bags, Catherine put her fingers to her temples and tried not to feel as if she was making a terrible mistake. It was not an easy feeling to shake. Despite the thought she’d given her decision—and the many thoughts she’d had since she’d made it—it still felt impulsive. Rash. Risky.

All things she did not consider herself.

But it was also exciting.

For the first time in a long time, she felt truly alive. She was doing something rather than sitting and watching as life passed her by. The most alive she felt was normally at Society of Sin events, and even those had become passé in the past year or so.

Today, her blood hummed, her breath came a little faster, and she did not dread the interminable drag of time before supper. She felt energized. Hopeful. And at the same time, anxious over those emotions.

“Is that everything, my lady?” Watson asked, coming up beside her and casting an eye over the bags .

“I believe so. Thank you.” Catherine let out her breath. “Mr. North should be arriving soon.”

Off to the side, her lady’s maid, Anna, stood with her hands folded in front of her, her eyes alight with anticipation. Unlike her employer, she was excited about the trip without a hint of hesitation. Catherine felt a little pang of guilt. She was probably not the most exciting lady to work for. She did not travel often, she was not as social as many other ladies, and she rarely wore out her gowns—though she did make sure Anna was kept well clothed regardless of her own unchanging wardrobe.

Of course, Anna did not know there was also a mission to be undertaken on this trip.

The maid looked out the window at the sound of a horse’s whinny, and from the way her dark eyes widened, Catherine knew who it was before Anna said a word.

“He’s here, my lady!” The younger woman sounded breathless. “And he looks so dashing.”

Immediately curious, Catherine made her way over to the window closest to her to look out at the scene on the street. There were two large carriages—one for her to ride in and one for their luggage, as it was going to be a long stay—but Samuel was in neither of them. No, he was atop a horse beside them, looking as dashing as Anna had exclaimed him to be.

Dark breeches hugged his legs, his long forest green coat set off nicely by the darker color. Atop his head was a brown fur hat that looked very warm and was nearly the same color as his hair. He had a good seat, his back straight, shoulders wide, as his stallion pranced in place.

The geldings pulling the carriage closest to him eyed the stallion suspiciously.

Catherine smoothed her hands down over her gown. Traveling made for long days, and she had chosen her clothing for comfort… but she had also picked out her favorite colors. Today was a deep red that gave some extra color to her lips and cheeks and picked up some of the hints of red in her dark hair. Her pelisse was an even deeper shade of red, trimmed with a green that nearly matched Samuel’s coat.

Not something she had done on purpose, yet there was a part of her that was pleased at how well they would look together. Which was not at all the point because they were not together.

That was when she realized one of her hands had drifted up to pat her hair, checking for stray tendrils. Immediately, she snatched her hand down. Of course, she wanted Samuel to find her attractive. They had not discussed the explorations he wanted to engage in on this trip, not since that private discussion in Camden’s library, but she would not assume he had changed his mind since then.

Though part of her was afraid he had.

Either way, she would be making the trip and doing a service for her country.

Was it too much to ask for a little something for herself as well?

Over the past day, as she’d rushed to pack her things and prepare for the trip, she’d had more than one fantasy about what it would be like to have Samuel under her lash… under her. She pressed her thighs together and gave her head a little shake, as if doing so could shake the image from her mind.

Dismounting, Samuel handed off the reins of his horse to her footman, who rushed out from the sideyard to greet him. Already, Watson was ordering her assembled footmen to gather up her suitcases. Only one would be going in the carriage she was riding in, as well as a bag for Anna; the others would all go in the luggage carriage, which would go on ahead of them so when they arrived at Clarence House, their things would be ready and waiting for them.

Watson opened the door as Samuel approached, and Catherine took another deep breath, lifting her chin and brushing her skirts down again before facing him. Thankfully, no one was paying attention to her. The footmen were lifting their burdens and moving toward the door, Watson was greeting Samuel, and Anna was watching the man with stars in her eyes.

Catherine could not blame her for the reaction. She was feeling a little starry-eyed herself, though she did her best to suppress it. Samuel was already cocky enough; no point in giving him another reason to be.

He moved to the side, giving the footmen room to go past him and out the door, turning to Catherine with a wide smile.

“My lady.” He strode forward, bowing in front of her and taking her hand so he could kiss the back of it. Her skin tingled where his lips landed, and she felt heat flush through her as he squeezed the tips of her fingers.

“Mr. North. You are precisely on time.”

“I do my best.” He flashed a smile at her. “The carriage has more than enough room for all of us, but I plan to ride Herod for the morning, so he’ll be more amenable to following the carriage in the afternoon. You and Anna should be comfortable throughout the day.”

“I see.” She glanced at the window. “You are not bringing a man with you?”

Samuel shook his head. “I have no need of one, and if I do, Gregory will provide.”

Catherine was not surprised Samuel eschewed having a personal manservant. While he now had the wealth for one, he’d been raised to do things for himself. She certainly had not, though she made it a point of pride to do as much for herself as she could. There were certain things that were difficult on her own, though, that having a lady’s maid made things far easier.

He glanced over at the suddenly empty foyer.

“It looks like we should be ready to be on our way.” He smiled at her, and it was only then she realized he had not released his hold on her hand. “Shall we?”

Ignoring Anna’s big, curious eyes, Catherine nodded her head. It was going to be a very interesting trip.

Samuel

The day passed far faster than he would have expected. He’d planned on riding Herod to Clarence and had told Gregory that he’d be bringing the stallion as his friend had an interest in possibly pairing him with one or more of his mares, but with Catherine in the carriage, he’d almost regretted that decision. Still, once Herod had gotten to do some runs during the morning, he’d more than settled enough to be hitched behind the carriage for the afternoon.

Tomorrow, after a day of travel, he should be even more even-tempered from the very beginning.

During the afternoon he and Catherine had not been able to talk of anything of consequence, not with her lady’s maid present. The young woman’s suspicions were already roused, and she did her best to be silent and discreet while he and Catherine conversed. Mostly, he told them stories of his travels overseas, the places he’d seen and the adventures he’d had. He only embellished a few, enjoying Catherine’s reactions as he told her about lions in Africa and the huge whale that had decided to play with one of the ships he was on.

In return, she updated him on some of their mutual acquaintances he’d lost touch with while he was moving about the world rather than spending time in London. He got the impression she had not personally kept up with them, either, other than in a superficial way. She seemed… lonely. He was glad she had made friends with Priscilla because that group of ladies was clearly prepared to welcome her into their fold.

By the time they reached the Partridge and Pear Tree, the inn he’d planned on staying at for the evening, he was feeling more than a little frustrated at being in such close confines with her yet having to remain on entirely proper behavior. Though she’d had an audience for the flogging she’d administered at the Society of Sin, that was very different from an amorous interaction in a carriage with her lady’s maid pressed against her hip.

Besides, an audience was not something that had ever appealed to him.

He kept his hands to himself, no matter how he fantasized about touching her. Tasting her. All the improper things he could do to her if only they were alone.

“Welcome, Mr. North, so good to see you again,” Innkeeper Klaus greeted Samuel with his slight German accent. Coming up to the carriage as Samuel descended, the rotund man wiped his hands on the apron he wore round his ample waist. He fair beamed with goodwill and cheerfulness. With his rosy cheeks and white hair, dressed in dark red under his apron, he was the very picture of holiday cheer.

“Klaus.” Samuel smiled at the other man, reaching out to shake his hand in greeting. “Good to see you again. Did you get the runner I sent?”

“Yes, yes, we have rooms for you and your lady,” Klaus said, grinning even wider. Samuel did not bother to correct him. “Not to worry. Ah, and this must be she.”

Samuel turned, reaching out his hand to help Catherine down the steps. She smiled at Klaus as she stepped down into the courtyard, her gaze darting around to take in the scenery before landing back on the innkeeper.

“Lady Catherine, this is Mr. Nicholas Klaus, our host for the evening. Klaus, this is my long-time friend, Lady Catherine Cross.” He let his hand linger around hers for a moment before dropping it.

“My lady, welcome to the Patridge and Pear Tree,” Klaus said with a slight bow, ducking his head. “We’ll bring your things right in and get you settled. Please, follow me this way to your rooms.”

As he turned, he waved his hand, and a multitude of inn workers, all dressed in green, descended.

The inn was decorated for the holiday with boughs of evergreen over every mantle, bows hanging from the windows, and the scent of spiced wine filling the air once they walked inside. There was a roaring fire in the hearth, and the tables were about half full of patrons, mostly men, though a few women were sprinkled throughout. At a quick glance, Samuel was certain Catherine was the highest-ranking person in the room, though she did not put on any airs as they walked through.

Unlike her parents, she had never been one to turn up her nose at those of lower rank.

“You can come down for supper, or I can have it delivered to your room,” Klaus said, leading the way to the stairs. “The fires have already been lit, so you should be nice and warm. If you need anything laundered, we can do that this evening and have it back to you by tomorrow morning.”

“We plan to get an early start,” Samuel replied. “We have at least another day and a half of travel.”

“Mmm.” Klaus nodded, but his expression sobered. “Old Maude says there’s a storm coming in tonight.”

“Really? But the skies were completely clear,” Catherine said, sounding both surprised and a little apprehensive.

“I’ve never known Old Maude to be wrong, but there’s always a first time,” Klaus replied as they mounted the stairs, the sounds from the common room fading away as they moved to the upper hallway. The closed doors meant there was no light from the outside, but gas sconces flickered along the walls, somehow making the hall seem warmly cozy rather than dark and creepy.

“Here you are, my lady,” Klaus said, coming up to one of the doors. He opened it, then handed her the key before pushing the door open so she could precede him into the room. Her lady’s maid scurried in behind her, turning to look about the room. “I’ll send up one of the maids to turn the bed down for you when you are ready. Would you like a hot bath as well?”

“No, thank you.” Catherine turned around to smile at him. The drapes were open, leaving her backlit against the fading light of day coming in through the windows, her figure clearly outlined by the dimming sunlight. “This is a lovely room.”

It truly was, which was one of the reasons Samuel had chosen the Pear and the Partridge. They had some of the best rooms he’d found on all his travels. Her room was exquisitely feminine, unlike the rooms Klaus had provided him with in the past, with blue and cream stripes decorating the walls, light wood furniture carved with decorative curves, and a deep rose bedspread and matching canopy and drapes on the bed. The curtains had blue and pink flowers adorning them and were secured to the sides of the window with ivory cord.

“Of course. The room for your ladies’ maid is through that door,” Klaus said, pointing to one of the doors on the right. “And the washroom is through the other.”

Anna immediately went to open the door to her room, making a soft sound of happiness at what she found there.

“Your bags will be up momentarily.” Klaus grinned cheerfully, taking his leave of the room. Samuel cast one last longing glance at Catherine before Klaus had him moving down the hallway, just one door over. “And this is your room.”

Not one Samuel had stayed in previously, but as he followed Klaus into the room and took it all in, he realized why the man had put him there. He had not been able to see it from his view into Catherine’s room because the door had blocked his view of the left of her room. Now, he could clearly see the door adjoining the two spaces.

He waited until Klaus had handed over the key and exited the room before he went to check.

And he smiled because the adjoining door was unlocked.

Bless, Klaus.