“Where the ornaments hang, your next clue is there,” Sebastian murmured, repeating the words of the last clue. “You are sure that this clue will be outside?”
She nodded. “I am certain of it. There is a large fir tree in the clearing that we are heading for. My mother and father have always decorated the tree for Christmas. It used to be one of my favourite things about the festive season, when I was a child, to run out into the woods and see the lights and baubles sparkling on the tree.”
She giggled softly. “It is perhaps one of my favourite things still.”And I get to share it with you,she added silently in her mind, looking forward with a sense of eager anticipation to the moment when the tree would come into view and Sebastian would see it in all its splendour.
“I think that the tradition of decorating trees in this way is one of my favourite things about Christmas, too,” Sebastian replied as they continued.
Isabella thought the woods had never looked so beautiful, coated as they were in a light dusting of snow, with blades of grass just peeking through the blanket of snow.
“Tell me some more about your memories of Christmas as a child,” she said. She felt a deep urge to know him better and discover things about his past that might help her understand him more. Even though she felt closer to him now than ever, there was so much she still did not know about him. It felt like a mystery that she would never solve.
She sensed him pausing before replying to her question. She glanced at him and saw a shadow crossing his face.
“Before my father died, we always used to go caroling,” he said at last. “He sang a fine tenor, and I could always hear his voice rising above the other singers. He knew every word, including every verse of those carols that go on forever. And when we came home, there would be warm mince pies and mulled wine. Those are the most precious memories to me.”
“I am sorry for your father’s passing,” Isabella said, feeling a surge of sadness for his loss. She could see from the look in his eyes that he still felt it keenly.
He shrugged, and she could tell he was trying to brush off his grief. “It was some years ago now. But I confess that I do still miss him, particularly keenly at this time of year.”
Isabella nodded. “At least you have good memories of him.”
The shadow returned to Sebastian’s face for a fleeting moment, then disappeared, and he smiled warmly at her. “Tell me of your favourite things besides decorated trees.”
She thought momentarily before answering, “I do not want to seem gluttonous, but I must admit that I love roasted goose. We only ever have it at Christmas, which makes it all the more special. My mother, as you may be able to imagine from having met her this week, is rather controlling when it comes to what goes on in the kitchen in this house, and our Christmas feast is a sight to behold.” She paused and looked at him again.
“And, of course, this year, you will all be joining us, which will make things even more special.”
He stopped walking and turned to face her. “I cannot tell you how glad I am to be here with you all, Lady Isabella.”
Her heart was in her mouth as they stood facing one another. So much was unspoken between them, yet she knew they were both thinking of the moment their lips first met the previous night. She wanted to mention it, to say how much it had meant to her, but she could not find the words. She still felt too shy around him to speak openly of her feelings and desire for him.
He stared at her, his eyes wide with something like wonder, and she thought for a moment that he was going to lean forward and kiss her again. But something seemed to be holding him back. He turned towards the path.
“Lady Isabella, I fear that we will not win this treasure hunt if we continue to dally here,” he said with a grin.
She wanted to tell him that she did not care whether they won or even if they came last, that all she wanted was to cherish this time alone with him, but again, the words would not come. She was afraid of saying too much, of revealing too much of her feelings to him, and of making herself too vulnerable.
Instead, she simply nodded and followed him along the path towards the clearing, where she knew the decorated tree would be waiting for them.
And what a sight it was to behold when they finally reached it. There were footsteps in the snow already, and she deduced therefore that they were not in the lead, but she did not care at all. She simply stood and looked at the majestic tree, hung with lanterns and shining baubles, and marvelled at its beauty in the lightly falling snow.
Next to her, Sebastian let out a sigh of wonder. “You are right, Lady Isabella; it is quite a sight to behold. And look, there is a clue hanging down from a branch near the bottom.”
He stepped forward and reached for it. “I have four legs but cannot walk,” he read out, then looked at her with a puzzled expression. “I cannot imagine what that could be; what do you think?”
She shook her head, her mind entirely blank of ideas. All she could do was look at his handsome face, his cheeks slightly reddened with the cold, and remember the sensation of being so close to him last night.
“Shall we continue to walk around and see what we can find?” he suggested.
She nodded, realizing that at that moment she did not care a jot about the treasure hunt; all she wanted was to be with him.
From the other side of the clearing, they heard the unmistakable voice of the Duke of Harbridge calling out. “Miss Harrow, come along, we must hurry!”
Isabella stifled a giggle, feeling grateful that she had not been paired with him herself. She had been rather surprised, in fact, that her mother had not manipulated the situation to force her hand, but perhaps that would have been too obvious, even for her.
And the relief was enormous when that turned out not to be the case. Clearly, he was determined to win, and was allowing no dithering about in the woods. She felt sorry for Felicity for having to put up with it all afternoon.
“Let’s go that way,” Sebastian whispered, nodding in the direction from where the voices had come. “I think they are ahead of us in the game, so perhaps the next clue is over there.”
