Keli Gwyn - Their Mistletoe Matchmakers

“I’m glad you came. Pauline put on a brave front, but your father’s decision not to attend the wedding crushed her. I was ready to give him a piece of my mind, but she made me promise not to. She knew if I did, he wouldn’t let you come, and she wanted you there very much.”

Her vision blurred, and she blinked to clear it. “She wasn’t just my sister. She was my best friend. I can’t believe I’ll never see her again.”

“Why didn’t you come for a visit in all these years?”

“I wanted to.”

“But your father wouldn’t agree to it? That’s what Pauline told me when I asked her.”

She turned away, gripped the railing and fought to keep the rush of memories at bay. Many times, she’d stood at the door to her father’s study with the intention of going inside and making another request, but any mention of Pauline resulted in a heated rehashing of all the ways his eldest child had failed him and a reminder that as far as he was concerned, he only had one daughter. Lavinia spun around. “If I’d had the means, I would have come.”

Henry nodded. “Even if it meant defying him?”

“I’d have found a way.”

He stared at her for the longest time, his gaze passing from her head to her feet and back again. “I’m not an expert on etiquette, as you well know, but I’ve wondered about something. Your dress is pretty and reminds me of the cranberry sauce we just had. Most women who’ve lost a close family member wear black, but I’ve yet to see you in it. Why is that? I know you loved Pauline deeply, so I figure there must be an explanation.”

She returned to the swing, sat and faced him. Although she wasn’t about to tell him how her father had insisted the entire family go into mourning after Pauline left, she could tell him how she’d chosen to honor her sister now. “She loved Christmas more than anyone I know. The tree wouldn’t even have been removed after one party, and yet she’d start talking about her plans for the next—which friends she would invite to Father’s party, what she’d wear, who she’d have make her gown. I could count on one thing, though. Her dress would be red, green or a combination of the two. She loved those colors so much that she wore them all year long. I’m wearing them in remembrance of her.”

“I understand your reasons and admire your decision, but how will you deal with those who might question you?”

“I’ll tell them what happened when I arrived in Sutter Creek wearing a mourning gown. I’d only been here an hour when Dot asked why I was dressed in black. Alex told her it was because their mama and papa had died. The poor dear burst into tears and sobbed for a good ten minutes, soaking my shoulder and ripping my heart to pieces. She begged me not to wear the dress ever again. I took her to my room, opened my trunks and let her go through them and pick out what she wanted me to wear. She chose the dress I have on.”

He brushed a hand over his sleeve. “I don’t wear a black armband for similar reasons. Dot made a fuss when I did, so I took it off. No one seems to have noticed. They haven’t mentioned it anyhow.”

“My color choice raised some eyebrows when we went to the school for the church service this past Sunday, but to their credit, no one has said anything to me or to the children.”

He nodded, his bright blue eyes shining with approval. “It appears the lovely Lavinia Crowne has more gumption than I gave her credit for.”

Her? Lovely? With her unruly curls and pointed chin? She wasn’t, but it was nice to have a handsome gentleman say so. “I might not be as courageous as my adventure-seeking sister, but there are times when I’ll go after what I believe is right.”

“I’ve seen as much. I do the same.”

She knew that all too well. He had every intention of keeping the children here, and so far, he’d presented a stronger case than she had. A judge was sure to rule in his favor.

But that was about to change. She was going to show Henry, the children and the people of Sutter Creek how a Crowne celebrated Christmas. When they witnessed the party she had planned, they’d realize she was capable of offering the children far more than their small-town uncle could.

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