The Rebellious Rake (The Notorious Nightingales #4)

CHAPTER ONE

The loud crash from somewhere inside the house had Ram groaning. Beside him, Flora simply lifted a pillow and lowered it over her head.

“Merry Christmas, my sweet.” Raising it, he pulled her into his arms. “Mayhem is about to rain down on our household from below.”

“Merry Christmas, my love,” Flora mumbled.

This woman had filled all his cold spaces with love and then given him four children who’d finished the job. They argued, they loved, but more than anything, she gave him something he’d never thought he needed. Stability, by being a constant in his life. Ram often wondered how he would have existed if Flora hadn’t stepped into it.

“I love you,” he said, kissing her softly. “Thank you for choosing me.”

Her eyes were sleepy, and this was the Flora look he loved best. When her guard was down, and she didn’t have all her wits in order yet.

“I did not realize there was a choice.”

“Baggage.” He kissed her soundly.

“Samantha is refusing to wait to open the presents!” The thud of a small fist followed these words on the bedroom door. “I can’t hold her off much longer. Make haste please, Mother and Father!”

“Open the door, Henry,” Flora said, moving out of Ram’s arms to sit up.

The bedroom door opened slowly, and there appeared their eldest child and Curidah, who bounded forward and onto the bed to lick his people thoroughly.

“Gah,” Flora said, batting him away as he pushed his hairy muzzle into her face.

“I wonder if he will ever tire of that. Every morning when we wake, it is the same,” Henry said.

The oldest of their brood at nine. He was watching the dog’s antics. Earnest, with Ram’s hair, and Flora’s eyes, he took his role as eldest Hellion seriously. Ram had told him repeatedly it was not his job to raise his three siblings, it was his parents, but he still felt it necessary to keep them in line.

“Merry Christmas, Henry and Curidah,” Ram said. “And I doubt he will change now, as he has been that way for many years.”

Their son wore a blue dressing gown and slippers. His hair stood up at the back, and just looking at this small person he’d helped create, Ram felt so much love.

“And to you, Father.”

Getting out of bed, Ram hugged his son close. The little arms went around his neck and hugged him back.

“Now, you kiss your mother and go back downstairs. In the kitchen, there is a tray of fruit mince pies. You can all have one of those, and we will join you shortly.”

Releasing his son, he hurried to his mother and pecked her cheek. Flora hugged him, and then he was gone, the lure of food too great to resist.

“Up you get, Mrs. Hellion. We have gifts to give.”

Washing and dressing, they were soon on their way down the stairs; the noise increasing as they drew closer to the parlor.

Opening the door, Ram found his four children all seated on a sofa, looking sweet and innocent, which he knew was a facade. His children took after their surname. The scent of the large Christmas tree, heavily laden with decorations, filled the room.

“Papa!” The youngest was first to reach him. At three, she was a force of nature and had complete control over the entire household.

“Merry Christmas, Lilly.” Picking her up, he kissed her cheek, and then made a foul sound into her neck, which she loved. Handing her to Flora, he reached for the next Hellion.

“Merry Christmas, Samantha.” He hugged the second of this progeny.

“Merry Christmas James,” lastly came his third born.

“Can we have our gifts now?” James asked when he released him.

“I don’t see why not,” Ram said

“Excellent idea,” Flora added.

They tore paper, exclaimed over gifts, and Ramsey thought he’d never tire of moments like this.

Life in Crabbett Close was not what he’d ever expected it to look like, but he and his family would live nowhere else.

“Is that carol singing?” Ram asked as he sipped his second cup of tea for the day, while admiring a rather fine scarf Flora had got him.

“Yes!” Lilly jumped up and down. “I want to see.”

“Well then, let us dress and venture out,” Flora said. “We are congregating to sing, play games and eat early this year, as families have other places to go.”

“First, I need to give your mother her gift,” Ram said.

“Why are you always last to give mother her gift?” Henry glared at him.

“I like to make a statement, son. You know that.” He handed the box to Flora.

Still the most beautiful woman he knew. She was his other half. The reason he could be the man he was, and the father to his children. She’d helped him grow, as he’d helped her.

Flora opened it slowly; to annoy her children, all were voicing their displeasure by hurrying her along loudly.

“Ram, it’s beautiful!” She took out the necklace he’d found one day while walking along Bond Street.

“An angel, for my angel,” he said, taking it from her. He then fastened the gold chain around her neck. The angel was gold also, with small sapphire eyes and wings made of pearls.

She sniffed loudly, as he’d known she would. Flora now wept often and freely, especially when she was happy.

“Right, now get up those stairs and wrap up warm,” he said. “It’s frigid out there.”

As the Hellion’s put on multiple layers of clothing, with scarfs covering their noses and hats pulled low, the singing became louder, indicating that the Crabbett Close carolers were nearing their house.

Opening the front door, he hustled his brood outside. Ice cold air slapped them in the face, making blink several times. Looking skyward, he felt a few flakes of snow land on his nose.

“Ooooh, Mavis has sparkly ornaments hanging from her ears!” Samantha said, clapping her gloved hands together.

Ramsey walked out to the road as the carolers reached them.

“Why is Uncle Alex with them?” Henry asked.

“One never really knows why Uncle Alex does anything,” Flora said.

“Amen to that, my love.”