Page 50 of How the Duke Saved Christmas

He nodded toward the French doors that opened onto the wrought iron balcony. “Better go see what that is.”

All four jumped to their feet and raced to the doors, flung them open, and charged outside onto the balcony. From where Clara sat on the chair he’d carefully positioned that afternoon to give her the best view, she and Michael could both see out the doors and onto the lawn below, where a group of villagers approached the house through the snow by lamplight. Ringing hand bells, the group raised their voices in song as they came caroling through the night toward the manor house.

Clara whispered, “Another surprise, Uncle Michael?”

He shrugged. “What Christmas Eve would be complete without carols?”

Then he joined in with the carols and encouraged the children and Clara to do the same. The house filled with the joyful sounds of singing, especially Clara’s lilting voice.

When the first song ended to the ringing roar of hand bells, the children ran back into the drawing room.

“Can we go outside and sing with them?” Margaret entreated as she clasped Michael’s hand. “Oh, please, Uncle Michael!”

“I have a better idea than that.” He lifted Bennie onto his shoulders and twirled the laughing boy in a circle. “Sled rides!”

The children squealed with excitement.

“Go downstairs. You can join in for a few songs and help Eads hand out treats to the carolers,” he instructed. “Then have Miss Pritchard bundle you up in your warmest coats and mittens, and you can ride with the carolers back into the village on the sleds.”

More cheers burst out, followed by jumping up and down and calls to their governess to bring their coats.

He set Bennie onto his feet. “Then we’ll all meet up at the church for midnight service!”

Their excited shouts dulled into grumbles and disappointed groans.

“When we come back from church,” Clara put in to cheer them back up, “it will be Christmas day, and we can carol to the animals in the barns to celebrate. Won’t that be lovely?”

Her plan put the bounce back into their steps as they raced out of the room and downstairs to the front door, where Eads and Mrs. Hansen were waiting with baskets of biscuits and trays of hot cider to hand out to the villagers.

A quiet silence settled over the drawing room. Michael sank into a nearby chair and kicked out his long legs. “Do you hear that?”

She cocked her head to listen. “I don’t hear anything.”

“Exactly. Peace and quiet…” He laid back his head and closed his eyes. “This ismyfavorite Christmas present.”

“They’ll be back in a few hours, you know.”

He blew out a long-suffering sigh and grumbled, “Christmas never lasts long enough.”

She laughed at his teasing. Perhaps she was no longer upset with him. His heart took hope in that, especially since he was looking forward to giving her a special Christmas gift tonight when the moment was right.

“You should come to midnight services with us,” he tossed out casually, despite the thumping of his pulse that underscored how audacious that suggestion was.

Her laughter died. “I don’t think so. It’s so late already, and today was very long and tiring for me.”

Excuses, excuses…So many that they’d become second nature to her. That was another thing about her leg he planned on changing. “Vicar Davidson always does a short sermon on Christmas Eve so he can crawl into his own bed as soon as possible. Besides, if you’re tired,” he added with a grin, “you can catch up on your sleep during the sermon.”

The scolding look she sent him would have done a governess proud. “Michael, I don’t think—”

“And then it’s right to bed for you as soon as we arrive home, if you’d like. I’m certain the children will be so worn out and sleepy they’ll need to be carried up to their beds. They won’t keep you awake to carol to the animals.”

She chewed her bottom lip. “It isn’t that…”

“Besides, you have to attend. The children need a good role model for how to behave.”

“They have you.”

“As I said, they need agoodrole model.” Despite the teasing banter between them, he felt her unease, and he knew the real reason why she didn’t want to attend services. He persuaded softly, “If we leave right now, we can take the sleigh and arrive at the church early enough to slip through the side door and into our pew before anyone else enters. No one will see you carried inside. I promise you.”