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‘Then, why keep me here—?’ Tess broke off as his in

Tess seemed flustered to be presented with a Kashmir shawl from his mother and a fan from Marie Her oeetht, Daisy’s doll was instantly seized and sucked and Dorcas expressed delight with her parcel of novels The floor was soon streith sheets of torn paper and tangled ribbons and Noel was in kitten heaven, chasing i heap

When was Matthew going to get to his own gift to Tess? She had retreated as far into the corner of the sofa as possible, the tension crackling off her until he felt as though a thunderstorht with a fresh plunge into pessi at her

‘For Miss Ellery!’ Matthew produced a rectangular package with a flourish and peered at the label ‘With Christmas wishes from Alex’

‘Thank you’ Tess’s s her lip when Matthew turned away

‘Open it,’ Alex urged as she sat thereno effort to untie the knots

It was almost the last parcel She seemed to realise that all eyes were on her and scrabbled at the wrappings with uncharacteristic clumsiness The lid came off the box and she pushed back the tissue paper and lifted out the contents

‘A doll? Alexander, you’ve addressed a present for the baby to Miss Ellery,’ his h

‘No,’ Tess said before he could speak ‘No, he hasn’t’ Her hands were shaking as she held the stiff wooden figure with its froth of blue skirts and painted black hair ‘It has senti I told Lord Weybourn about A memory from my childhood Thank you’ She turned to hi with tears

‘Tess,’ he said softly, taking the doll fro it back in its box to give her a moment to recover ‘I never meant to make you cry’

‘It was a lovely thought’ Her hand on his was steady now, but he could feel the pulse haers around her wrist ‘And I know you do not mean to make me cry’

It was not the doll that she referred to, he knew, as she set the box firmly on her knee and looked back at Matthew and the others with a determined smile He had made her cry, even if she would not allow him to see it, even if she acquitted his

‘One last package, and it is for Alex,’ Matthew announced, handing over a small carved box

Alex took it, puzzled There was no wrapping, no label, just old dark oak rubbed s He opened it and stared ‘This is the Moreland signet ring, the seal’

When he looked up his father atching hiers twisted and craer I would rather give it to you now than have you take it from my dead hand If you will stay, take on the business of the estate, then you will need it, Alexander’

He found he could not speak Beside hi sound, perilously like a sob Alex tugged his own signet off,onto his finger It fitted easily Looking down, he saw his grandfather’s hand, his father’s, and he found he could speak ‘Thank you, Father Of course I will stay’

For a ht his mother would weep and, to his horror, his father, also Then the door swung open, there was a scrabbling of claws on the polished wood, Noel shot up his leg and onto his shoulder and Ja in front of hi hound puppy on the end of it ‘Sorry, me lord, only I couldn’t stop her’

The pup rolled over onto her back, waving huge paws and ungainly legs in the air She grinned upside down at hi with excitement, a ludicrous pink satin bow tied to her collar

‘What the blazes is this?’

‘Your Christmas present frohter, probably hysterical ‘Her name’s Ophelia’