Snowflakes and Scandals

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Frederick whistled when he was happy. He strolled into the breakfast room the next morning, an hour earlier than usual, whistling a tune that wouldn’t leave his mind. By his side was Minerva Chase, who’d been easily convinced not to hide herself away anymore.

After a second, equally passionate early-morning romp, they had gone their separate ways to change into fresh clothing, and then met again in her secret room to conspire to make their marriage happen as soon as possible.

Frederick would be forever grateful for that hidden room where, unobserved by others, he’d discovered his perfect match in his best friend’s sister. There would be no paid employment, no exile to Cornwall, either. Where they would live would be up to them.

Minerva was pensive this morning and staring out at the falling snow. “Not long until Christmas. The days have been flying by.”

“Yes, it is just a few days more. But I’d rather be nowhere else,” he promised. He also did a quick calculation. “Oh, and it’s exactly seven days today, and with luck, I lost the bet to your brother, too.”

She turned to face him. “Any regrets?”

He flashed her the twenty pounds he’d stuffed into his pocket when he’d changed before meeting with her. “Ready to pay what I owe and claim what is mine.”

“I thought he might be here by now.”

“I hope he’s still with a certain lady, as I longed to be this morning,” he murmured for her ears alone. Frederick wished he could spend the whole day with Minerva. But there was much to do in preparation for their marriage…and it was more discreet to have no one discover the truth until he’d had a few choice words with Minnie’s stupid brother.

He could not believe Chase considered Minerva undesirable to other men. What a colossal fool he was to think every woman had to meet the man they would eventually marry in their first season.

Frederick had not been in London that year. He’d like to think he’d have swept Minerva off her feet if he had been. But he’d had to wait until the right moment. That time was now.

He ordered a hearty breakfast and noticed Minerva asked for nearly the same. “Worked up an appetite last night, did you, my sweet?”

“I gather you always do?”

He winked but heard someone coming, and he could say no more about how he planned to work up a further appetite later, when they could be alone again.

Heavy footsteps pounded into the room. “Minerva, there’s a foot of snow in the drawing room. Someone left a blasted window open, and now there’s a cat inside my house again!”

Frederick worked hard to keep his face impassive.

“It will be attended to,” Minnie assured her brother.

“Do it now before the carpet is ruined,” Humphrey barked.

Minerva started to stand, but Frederick caught her hand and held her still. He glared at his friend, soon to be his brother-in-law. “Your sister and I were enjoying a lovely breakfast together, Chase. Any servant can attend to the problems you have for your estate from now on.”

“Keeping house is her responsibility,” Chase argued.

“And yours is to treat her with the respect she deserves. That includes allowing her the peace to finish a meal at the house party she’s organized beautifully for you. It is not to make her feel utterly unwanted.”

Chase stared at him as if Frederick had grown two heads. “What was that you said?”

“Oh, you heard me. I dare say I shall always complain most heartily when you belittle the merit of the woman I happen to love,” he promised. He turned to Minerva. “Might I have the pleasure of hearing you play the pianoforte this morning, my dear? I know you said you only play for yourself or family, but might a future husband have the pleasure, too?”

Her glance darted to her brother, and then she smiled shyly. “Of course, I will play anything for you, Frederick.”

“Good. And we had better track down our darling little kitten. I lost track of the scamp this morning. Could be anywhere by now. We must calm him down enough before I take you away with us when we marry. I shouldn’t like him to run off, or leave him here.”

Chase began to sputter, but what could he really say about a man, his friend, declaring he would marry his spinster sister because he loved her?

Frederick glanced at him and shrugged. “I’m afraid I broke the sister rule rather badly, my dear boy. You don’t mind if I take your sister off your hands, do you? I will find her rather hard to live without.”

Chase finally pulled his thoughts together enough to speak. “You want to marry my sister? Marry Minnie?”

“Of course I do. If you’d not been such an idiot and given her a second season, we might have been married with children already.”

“And cats,” Minerva threw out.

“At least a dozen of those,” he promised, with another wink for his future wife.

“But what about our wager? Two nights ago, he was flirting with another woman!”

“But not last night. Last night, he was busy kissing me,” Minerva told him, and then dug into her breakfast plate a servant brought in, a slight blush forming on her cheeks.

Frederick held in a laugh. He had done far more than kiss her. He received his plate and threw the money across the table at Chase. “That reminds me. Here you go. Your winnings. Well done.”

Chase pushed the money back toward him, scowling. “I didn’t win.”

Frederick gaped and slowly took the money back from his friend. But as he watched Chase’s face color with discomfort, he had to wonder what happened. A failed bedding would explain Humphrey’s sour mood this morning…or was it something else? “Well, I did not try to win, and never intended to.”

Minerva sat forward and frowned. “But who spent the night in her bed? The servants say she had company.”

Chase’s face slowly turned red. “I would like to know that, too.”

Frederick threw a glance toward Minerva, suggesting they should drop the subject. His only concern was for his and Minnie’s future now. Twenty pounds would buy the special license and flowers for his bride. “Well, I have all the thrills I need right here with you, my dear.”

“Hard to believe she’d have you,” Chase muttered, frowning as he looked them over. “Never in my life would I have imagined my friend and m’sister. ’Tis a miracle.”

Frederick nodded. “Yes, a Christmas miracle indeed. Now, my love, when do we start decorating your brother’s house in earnest, and what do you need me to do to help? I plan to make this the best holiday ever.”

“It already is,” Minnie promised, reaching for his hand, and then his face to kiss him, while they both ignored the sounds her brother made as he spluttered about propriety and spoiling his breakfast.