Page 64 of How the Duke Saved Christmas

“Ponies!” Aaron shouted.

With earsplitting shouts, they rushed forward into the stable where four Shetland ponies waited for them in the wide aisle, wearing blankets and large red bows. Each child’s name had been embroidered onto his or her pony’s blanket, although there was no mistaking from the size of the ponies that the larger two were for Margaret and Aaron, Bennie’s was mid-sized, and Susannah’s was the smallest of all.

“You scheming, manipulating…utterly wonderful man,” Clara murmured to Michael and kissed his cheek.

He grinned.

He set her down on the spindle bench in the aisle and knelt down beside her on his heels, holding her hand. Together, they smiled and laughed as they watched the children, who realized that Michael had mercilessly teased them last night about giving them ponies but also instantly forgave him.

Gordon and the young stable boy showed the children how to approach the ponies, stroke their soft muzzles, and brush them. Then a bucket of small apples suddenly appeared, and the children were shown how to place the treats flat on their outstretched palms to offer them to their ponies without being nipped.

When the pony took the apple from Margaret’s hand, she let out a burst of giggles that warmed through the stables and had all the horses sticking their heads out over their stall doors to watch.

Then, through the open door came a parade of footmen from the house, with Eads in the lead carrying a small Christmas tree, Thomas following with a little table to put it on, and more footmen behind bringing the presents from the children’s mother and father that they hadn’t yet opened.

Michael grinned and gestured for the table to be placed across the aisle from Clara so that she would have a front row seat to the excitement of the children opening their gifts. It was exactly that, too, although Susannah had to be convinced that her new pony—whom she’d promptly named Princess Charlotte, just like her doll—couldn’t help her unwrap the string and paper with its hooves.

“Convince her to name it something else, will you?” Michael murmured to Clara as the children tore into the presents in a flurry of discarded paper, string, and boxes.

Clara laughed at his consternation.

Outside, a commotion went up from the drive, and Michael pushed himself up to his full height and strode to the stable door to see what was going on. A messenger on a horse galloped up to the front of the house, only to be pointed toward the stables by the footman manning the door. The messenger spun the horse around and trotted toward the stable, then dismounted when he saw Michael.

“Sir.” He held out the letter. “A message for Lady Clara Marshall from the Earl of Camden, Raleigh Hall.”

Michael accepted it, then nodded toward the house. “Have the footman pay you a coin for your trouble and stay for a warm meal in the kitchen.” He frowned with concern as he glanced over his shoulder at Clara. “We’ll know by the time you’ve finished eating if Lady Clara has a return message.”

The man muttered his thanks with a tug to the front of his cap, then handed over his horse to the stable boy and hurried toward the house.

Michael held out the letter to her.

Clara’s fingers trembled as she took it, then broke the seal and unfolded it. Anthony’s bold, legible handwriting covered the page. She held her breath as she scanned it—

Relief poured over her.

“Marie had the baby,” she told Michael, beaming with happiness for her family. “It’s a girl! They’re both doing well, although Anthony barely came through it unscathed.”

Michael chuckled at his friend’s expense.

“They’ve named her Clara after me.” Her voice cracked around the knot of emotion lodging itself in her throat. “And they’ve asked you and me to be her godparents.”

“Of course I will. That’s wonderful news. I’m thrilled for them.”

So was Clara, yet the news squeezed at her heart. A beautiful new baby…she could never have that with Michael.

More proof that what they had shared last night could be nothing more than an isolated event. They had no future together.

“Anthony plans on leaving Raleigh tomorrow to return to Northbourne,” she added in a quiet voice. “He wants me home with the family by Twelfth Night.”

“So soon?” When she handed him the note, he read it quickly and knelt beside the bench again, bringing himself down to her eye level. “The children will be disappointed if you’re not here for the festivities.”

Susannah placed her doll on the back of her pony so it could go for a ride, and Margaret had already fashioned a decoration from a handful of hay to adorn her pony’s halter. Aaron sat in the middle of the aisle, lost in the science books his parents had given him, and Bennie was perched on the back of his pony, playing with his new collection of little wooden animals.

“I think they’ll be just fine,” she commented, her voice raspy. Howshewould be, though, was a different matter entirely. Her eyes stung at the thought of leaving. Only a few weeks ago she couldn’t wait to leave, but now…Dear God, how would she be able to ride away and never see Michael again?

Without a word, keeping his gaze forward on the children, he covered her hand with his. He gently caressed his thumb across her ring. The gesture was meant to comfort, she knew, but each caress only grew the desolation inside her.

Unable to bear it, she slipped her hand away.