Mistletoe Mischief

'Feel?' Her eyes remained closed, but her brows drew together. What a strange question to ask, she thought. She was quite all right; he was the one who had been set upon by footpads.

'I think thou dost not recall what thy vile cousin did to thee.'

Memory returned with a rush, and with a gasp she opened her eyes. Firelight danced in the hearth, and a candle glowed on the little table, where the mistletoe and book still lay. She could see Rollo sitting on the edge of the bed as he held her hand, but he was only faint again now, not clear and strong as he had been in 1666. 'Why is it dark?' she asked. 'How long have I been in bed like this?'

'It is almost midnight and still Sunday, mistress. Laudanum has been administered by a strange eastern fellow, and thou hast been asleep since thy encounter with the maggot March at the summerhouse. But we are all assured that thou wilt be as fit as a fiddle in a day or so.' He hesitated. 'Megan, dost thou recall anything that happened during thy sleep?'

'Yes. I saw Belle's funeral and what happened to your wedding ring,' she replied.

'Even if Sir Greville had not told Lady Evangeline she must go to the church, I would still have shown thee my story, for I wish it to be known. I have not broken any rules, Mistress Megan, for I have already told thee that all shades are at liberty to speak to those who are unconscious. On Christmas Day I will be reunited with my beloved Belle.'

'I pray so, Master Witherspoon.'

'Rollo, please, for I have been most forward with thy given name.'

She smiled, but then remembered the locket, and her father's likeness. 'Rollo, Lady Evangeline keeps a portrait of my father in her locket…'

'Indeed so, Megan. She hath confessed that she loved thy sire greatly, but bowed to her own father's wishes and ended the matter.'

Megan's eyes cleared with relief. 'So it was over before my parents were married?'

'Oh, certes, Megan, thou must not fear otherwise! There was nothing there should not have been; thy sire did not forget his marriage vows, any more than I have forgotten my vow to my beloved Belle. 'Twas enduring love that drove Lady Evangeline to seek thee out when she learned thy parents had both passed on so cruelly, and thy beastly kinsman had ejected thee without a groat to thy name. She wished to take thee into her home as the child she had never had, but feared thy resentment at such presumptuousness.''

'How could I possibly resent someone who has been so very kind to me? Someone who brought Sir Greville into my life…'

'Ah, yes, Sir Greville.' The specter cleared his throat. 'That stout fellow is in a veritable lather of anxiety over you. He loves thee dearly, Megan, and hath much to tell thee concerning the exceedingly appropriate humiliation that is now the lot of thy cousin and thy other tormentor, Ralph Strickland.'

Megan stared up at him. 'Ralph Strickland? I-I don't understand…'

Rollo got up from the bed. 'Sir Greville should tell thee all himself. I will see that he comes directly.' He left her.

A few moments later Greville came quickly into the room. He paused for a second or so in the doorway, his anxious eyes resting upon her as if he had feared never to see her again. Then he came to sit on the bed, in order to take her hands, but she sat up to put her arms around his neck, and he held her close.

'Oh, my dearest, dearest Megan, I love you so very much,' he whispered, sinking his fingers sensuously into her hair.

'And I love you, Greville, with all my heart,' she whispered back.

His arms tightened around her.

Chapter 34

Carol singers came to the door of Radcliffe House on Christmas Eve. Their faces were rosy in the light from their lanterns as they sang 'Deck the halls with boughs of holly.' More snow had fallen since Sunday, and snowflakes drifted in through the open door. Mrs. Fosdyke had baked spiced biscuits and prepared a silver bowl of mulled wine in which floated clove-pricked oranges, and all the servants were present, except Edward, who had been summarily dismissed the moment Evangeline was acquainted with his dealings with Oliver. Evangeline stood with Sir Jocelyn at the foot of the stairs, and Rupert with Chloe, but of Greville and Megan there was no sign because they were standing in the shadows at the top of the stairs.

It was the first time Megan had been allowed out of bed, and Evangeline had forbidden her to come down. She was in her nightgown, with Evangeline's capacious red plaid shawl over her shoulders and Greville's steadying arm around her waist. Her hair was unpinned, and there was little color in her cheeks, because the effects of the sheikh's laudanum had not quite worn off, but otherwise she was on the mend. If anyone had told her only a week ago that she would be so happy by Christmas Eve, she would have branded them quite mad. But there was bliss in her heart now, and a contentment that she had never dreamed would be hers again. It was so good to have Greville's arm around her, and to know that he loved her as she loved him.

Suddenly he plucked some mistletoe from the greenery twined over the banisters, and held it above her head.

'A kiss, my darling,' he whispered, and she raised her lips to his just as the carol singing ended and applause broke out in the hall below.

Rollo watched them from the shadows, and smiled. ' 'It was a lover and his lass, With a hey, and a ho and a hey nonino…' ' he murmured, then sighed. 'Oh, Belle, Belle, could it be that by this time tomorrow thou wilt be in these aching arms once more? I pray it be so. I pray it hard indeed.' Turning, he walked away, and Megan drew back from Greville's lips as she heard the spectral footsteps.

It was Christmas Day, the sun was shining, and Yuletide greetings were on everyone's lips as the jubilant bells of St. Nicholas's rang out as permitted on this one day of the year, for on every other day the church bells of England were a warning of French invasion. The congregation dispersed at the end of morning service.

As the worshippers departed, the small party from Radcliffe House-Evangeline, Greville, Megan, and Rollo- waited in the carriage in Church Street. Rollo was detectable only by the indentation he made in the seat, and he was all of a fidget because the moment he had been seeking for so long had arrived at last. Evangeline was stylish in emerald-green, and Greville wore his greatcoat. Megan was snug in her new cloak, her feet warmed by a heated brick wrapped in cloth, her hands plunged deep into a cozy muff. She had a little more color today, and felt much better.

The bells continued to peal for ten long minutes, but then fell silent, and as the bell ringers left as well, everyone alighted from the carriage. The church was quiet and so cold that their breath was clearly visible as Greville led them down the aisle toward Belle Bevington's memorial. But when they were only a third of the way, everything suddenly went dark, as if the sun had been extinguished. Evangeline's breath caught uneasily as the dim light of an old-fashioned horn lantern glimmered from behind them, and they turned to see Rollo approaching. He was as clear and real as he had been in Megan's dream.

They all parted instinctively for him to pass, and then they saw Belle. She held an oval vizard mask to her face, and wore a chestnut velvet gown with a divided skirt that revealed a richly laced pink brocade petticoat beneath. Her hair was very dark, and worn in a knot on top of her head, with wispy tendrils around her face and long ringlets over her ears. Three rows of pearls adorned her throat, and diamonds flashed on her fingers as she lowered the vizard to reveal her breathtakingly beautiful face. Her eyes were as blue as forget-me-nots, and there was a small black butterfly patch at the corner of her mouth. Her expression was adoring as she held out her cupped hand to Rollo. In her palm lay the lost betrothal ring. He put the lantern on the floor, then took the ring and slipped it on his finger. Belle stepped into his arms, and as their lips met once more the sunlight of Christmas Day 1806 returned. The ghosts had gone, but the lantern remained where Rollo had left it.

Evangeline's cheeks were wet with tears, and she shook her head as Greville went to her. 'No, leave me. I'll be all right, these are tears of happiness. I-I’ll just walk on my own in the churchyard for a while, if you don't mind.' She bent to retrieve the lantern, then left the church.