“But it’s possible he won’t die before you,” Holly offered optimistically.
“Everybody dies, Holly,” Noelle answered. “And if I die before him and if he loves me, then I’ve left him to endure all that pain alone. No, love isn’t worth the risk.”
“He doesn’t love you either, then?” Eve asked.
Noelle wasn’t exactly unaffected by all of this. Was it possible she felt more for this bedraggled Blitzencreek fellow then she was letting on?
“No.” But she looked none too happy at the admission. “He does not love me.” She glanced from Holly to Eve. “He does not.”
“He’s only making this offer because you saved his life?” This did not seem like a good circumstance to bind oneself to another person for life. “Because if that’s the case, he could come to resent you and I wouldn’t relish such a marriage as that either, even if I didn’t care about a love match.”
“Wait a minute, I thought Mr. Clark saved his life.” Holly looked between her two sisters, confusion knitting her brow.
“No, it was me.” Noelle avoided Eve’s question. “I couldn’t sleep again, and I was watching out the window.”
Eve had suspected as much, but she frowned, unwilling to signal her approval of her sister going out into a blizzard, alone, in the middle of the night! Even if it had been the compassionate thing to do…
“He is a baron,” Noelle said into the silence. “He’ll be needing an heir.”
More silence.
“And he said he thought that he and I—that he thought he would like—”
“He wants to bed you, doesn’t he?” Holly asked.
After her own afternoon tryst, Eve could hardly be shocked at Holly’s question. Red flushed Noelle’s cheeks and Eve did her best to think of anything but Nick’s hands…
“I rather got that impression. Yes. But after doing… that, we would go our separate ways—aside from occasionally having to come together for the sake of the child.” Noelle was obviously forcing herself to sound cheerful. “I would not only be a baroness but a woman of means. Both of you could have a proper Season in London, more than one, I imagine, if you like. And perhaps marrying one of his daughters to a lord might perk Father up a little…”
“Do you like him?” Holly blurted out.
“I do. But I can’t allow myself to feel anything more than that. Because—”
“Father.” Ah, yes. Eve sighed. So many of their ideas about love had been twisted by their father. It was as though he’d lost the will to live now that their mother was gone.
“Lord Blitzencreek is somewhat handsome.” Holly grimaced “If you like that sort.”
“He’s positively dashing!” The dreamy look on Noelle’s face was more than a little worrisome. “I doubt I’ve ever seen such lovely lashes on a man, and his eyes are an extraordinary blue. When he smiles, the most adorable little dimple appears right here…” Good Lord, Noelle had already fallen for the man. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“You speak as though you’re half in love with him already.” Eve couldn’t help remembering the excitement she’d felt from that first moment she’d caught Nicholas watching her.
“It is only because he had been so kind. After we are wed, I imagine that these…”
“Butterflies?” Holly inserted.
“Yes. These butterflies will go away. And after the consummating business, we shall remain friends, just as Wollstonecraft suggests. It’s exactly like she recommends, actually.”
“You wish to marry him then?” Eve knew when to cut her losses. It seemed that the Bailey girls would be going through more changes than they’d bargained for. Because if Noelle married this Blitzencreek fellow, she would be going away from them.
Eve glanced at Holly, who was so lovely and delightful, and knew in her heart that it wouldn’t be long before some gentleman won Holly’s heart as well.
“Marriage is forever, and forever is a very long time,” Holly stated solemnly.
That night at dinner, what they managed to salvage of it, that was, Eve’s concern for Noelle diminished considerably. Lord Blitzencreek seemed to be a decent sort, and he seemed to genuinely care for Noelle.
Eve hoped that was enough.
Long after Blitzencreek bid everyone farewell, however, Eve still hadn’t heard a word from Nicholas. She rolled over in her bed restlessly. Had she really expected that after having failed to open the letters for over a year that upon finally discovering their existence, he would sprint to her side right off and declare his love?
She turned over again and punched her pillow. What if he didn’t even read them?
He will read them. Of course, he would. And then she worried over Noelle and Lord Blitzencreek.
After tossing for hours, Eve gave up on sleep altogether, donned a simple day dress in the dark of early dawn, and tiptoed down the stairs to the kitchen.
She would bake.
She would make bread and perhaps some preserves and most importantly of all, she would make pies.
“Oh, Mama,” she whispered as she added wood to the stove and then moved around the room, lighting a few sconces. “I thought I loved him.” As a child, she’d spent hours with her mother, cutting apples, stirring the simmering sauce, and then rolling out the dough. Doing so now, she could almost imagine her mother standing beside her.
Even so, hours later she was no closer to having any answers. Her time hadn’t been spent in vain, however, as the kitchen was heavy with the aroma of spices, and they wouldn’t need to bake any bread for days.
She wiped a bead of sweat off her forehead and then wiped her hands on her apron when her aunt peeked inside.
“My, but you have been busy!” The feathers in Aunt Winifred’s hair bounced as she examined the counters laden with cooling breads and pies. “Mr. Kringle sent a missive round saying he has eggs and a nice cut of beef for us. Shall I take a pie and a few of these lovely loaves across?” Her aunt didn’t wait for an
