“Here, here. I’m sure we already know that I won,” Razana, one of Luke’s sisters, claimed.
“You mean you won second to me?” Ariella, a second sister, announced.
“You two,” laughed Ariella, the third sister. “Of course, I came in first.”
“Not with that prop you used,” Razana retorted.
“Girls,” Alissa said, smiling at her daughters’ playfulness. “May I declare the winner now?”
The three clamped their mouths shut, but not before grinning at each other.
“Without knowing who made which snowmen, we had several guests go look at each one. By unanimous decision, the winners are my son and Her Grace, the Duchess of Somersby.”
A smattering of applause scattered across the room as Luke and Margaret heeded Alissa’s gesture to make their way toward her.
“Congratulations you two, on a very creative snowman. The judges were taken by the wooden heart.”
“I can’t–”
“I wasn’t–”
Both Margaret and Luke started at the same time.
“I wish I could, but I can take no credit for that. I believe that was His Grace and Miss Adeline,” Margaret completed.
Luke motioned for Adeline to come join them. To stand in the room with her at his side, widened his grin. He cared not what anyone would think, he cared only to be seen with her. That they had done something together that they could be proud of. And really, it was the something more that she had done on her own, that he was most proud of.
Watching with a full heart, Luke gazed at Adeline as she hesitantly began to make her way toward them through the tunnel that had formed.
For a split second, Luke turned back to smile at Margaret. When a small gasp sounded, his eyes flew back to Adeline who had stumbled on something and was trying to catch her balance.
Lady Antonia was nearest to her and could have offered her hand. Instead, she gave Adeline the cut direct by turning her back on her. The gasps trickling through the room were in response to both the trip and Lady Antonia’s response. Fortunately for Lady Antonia, Adeline didn’t fall; otherwise, there would be no accounting for Luke’s reaction.
Arm proffered, Luke stepped toward Adeline and whispered so no one could hear, “Did she trip you?”
Adeline shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Itdoesmatter.”
“Shedoesn’t matter. Please.” Her grip on his forearm tightened.
He would let it go for now. There was no point in causing a scene. Once he made Adeline his wife, she would be a duchess, and no one would dare snub her like that again.
Head straight, smile faked, Luke announced, “The win is entirely to Miss Adeline’s credit. She was the one who added the heart.”
Luke was proud to see a small blush taint her cheeks. The room cheered.
“What a lovely idea,” Alissa gushed and patted Adeline’s hand. “However did you come up with the idea?”
The smile on his mother’s face was enough reassurance Luke needed, if he needed any, that Adeline would be accepted by his family. His mother had always cared most for his happiness, and they had never been a very conventional family. His mother, and hers, had married for love. She would encourage his match with Adeline.
“I just…thought that everyone deserves love. And to have love, you need a heart.”
Leaning close, she whispered, “What a dear girl you are. Very dear, indeed.” To the room, Alissa raised her glass and toasted, “To snowmen with hearts, and to the women who put them there.”
If only the evening had ended there, on that happy toast, it would have been most magical. Unfortunately, his mother added one more twist.
“My son shall pick the prize for Miss Adeline’s win and present it later tonight. Cheers!”
