December 16, 1814

After breakfast the following morning, the duke kept his promise. He escorted Eleanor on a personal tour of Trunbridge Castle. The history was rich and fascinating. It had been attacked numerous times, but had never fallen. It had played a role in the War of the Roses and the English Civil War. The duke told Eleanor stories of his ancestors and their heroic deeds, while some stories had tragic endings.

It had snowed all night, and the grounds of the castle were covered in a blanket of white. Eleanor remarked how beautiful it looked from her window that morning.

“I was not expecting snow this early in the season, but I have a marvelous idea.”

“Oh, I can’t wait to hear it. Please, do tell!”

“I will make an announcement after luncheon; you will just have to wait until then.”

“Your Grace, you cannot make such a secretive suggestion and then refuse to let me in on your plan.”

“Sometimes you have to be patient to get what you want.” The duke winked, and he concluded his tour.

“I must rejoin the other ladies, Your Grace. Thank you again for the tour. Your home is extraordinary. You have the privilege of living with history of this magnitude every day. It must be simply wonderful.”

“It really is. The stories I have told you never stray far from my thoughts, and I am glad you can appreciate that.”

The duke walked Eleanor back to the drawing room, where her mother and sister were engaged in conversation with the duke’s mother, The Dowager Duchess of Fenton. The duke bid his farewell to Eleanor, as he joined the men.

Eleanor tried to guess what surprise the duke had in mind for the afternoon but failed to arrive a satisfactory answer. She barely ate lunch because she was consumed with curiosity. That man could be so infuriating, but in a good way she thought to herself. During lunch, she tried desperately to catch his eye, but he stubbornly refused to look her way. Finally, lunch was finished, and the duke cleared his throat to speak.

“The snow has fallen through the evening and left the fields and roads under several inches. This afternoon appears to be clear and cold, but beautiful. I have arranged for a sleigh ride for anyone that would like to go.”

Several young ladies expressed their delight and nodded their heads. The duke looked at Eleanor and raised an eyebrow and smiled. Eleanor nodded her head and returned his smile with one of her own.

That afternoon Eleanor dressed in her warmest bonnet, her coat, and her muff. She rushed downstairs and was glad to see that Emma and Lord Satterfield had already paired up. She looked for the duke and hoped that he intended to pair up with her. As she scanned the crowd, the duke came into view.

“Lady Eleanor, I was hoping that you would accompany me in my sleigh. It was you that inspired this idea, and I would love for you to join me.”

“Are you telling me that you wanted to go on a sleigh ride with me, and that is why you planned a sleigh ride party for the guests, Your Grace?”

“Yes, I want to spend time with you, and this seemed like a great way to have fun. You have shared your fondness for Christmas, so this seemed fitting.”

“Oh, Your Grace. I don’t know what to say.”

“Please, Eleanor, call me Nathaniel.”

Eleanor could hardly believe what she was hearing. He was trying to find ways to spend time with her, and he wished her to use his familiar name. She knew that she was in danger of losing her fight with herself. She wanted so badly to love this man, but she was just not sure she could ever trust herself after what had happened with Charles. But as today was a beautiful winter’s day, and it was Christmas time, she decided not to let what happened in the past affect her day with the handsome duke.

Nathaniel held his arm out, and Eleanor placed her gloved hand on his arm as he escorted her through the double doors of the great hall and to the courtyard. Eleanor and Nathaniel shared a sleigh with Emma and Lord Satterfield. At Nathaniel’s signal, the driver gave a tug to the reins, and the horses pulled the sleighs from the courtyard and down the road. The landscape was covered in snow, and the castle looked romantic and dramatic against the white of winter.

A warm blanket covered Eleanor and Nathaniel’s legs, and her heart raced as she sat side-by-side with the duke. It was quite cold, so she snuggled against him for warmth. He put his arm around her and held her close. She had never been this close to a man before, and for it to be the man that she was falling in love with made this sleigh ride even more special.

Suddenly embarrassed, she remembered Emma and Lord Satterfield were sitting across from them. When she looked over at her sister, she saw her wrapped up in a riveting conversation with Lord Satterfield, which meant nobody was paying any attention to Eleanor and Nathaniel. Lord Satterfield and Emma seemed quite cozy as they were snuggled together, whispering and laughing. Eleanor smiled at the thought of her sister finding happiness. Her thoughts returned to the state of bliss she was also currently experiencing.

“Are you warm enough?” Nathaniel asked as he held Eleanor close.

“Yes, I am, this is so wonderful. I don’t think that I have ever had a better Christmas.”

“I want you to be happy,” he replied softly as he leaned down and kissed her cheek.

Eleanor longed to tell Nathaniel that she was scared. She was worried that he would break her heart.

“Nathaniel,” she said and then she stopped, falling just short of what she wanted to say. He had kissed her on the cheek, and perhaps that meant something. Surely, it meant that they were more than friends. She wanted to tell him what she honestly felt, but found she was unable to risk saying the words.

“Yes? Eleanor, did you want to say something?” he said as he leaned close to her.

“Yes, I want to tell you how much everything you have done means to me,” said Eleanor, hiding what she truly wanted to say. “Thank you, Nathaniel.”

Nathaniel squeezed her hand, “I hope you are pleased. I would do anything you asked me to do. I would grant you any request.”

“Do you mean that?” asked Eleanor.

“I mean that sincerely, with all my heart.”

Nathaniel held Eleanor close the entire sleigh ride. They rode across the lanes and the roads of his estate. Everyone was laughing and having a delightful time. The beautiful scenery, with snow-covered evergreens and fields of glistening white, made Eleanor feel as if she were in a fairytale.

As the sun began to set, the drivers steered the sleighs into the courtyard of the castle. The guests climbed out from their sleighs and made their way to the great hall where they were greeted with mugs of hot cider and mulled wine. The sleigh ride had been a huge success, and Nathaniel decided that from now on, sleigh rides would be a tradition at Trunbridge Castle.

He brought over a mug of steaming hot mulled wine to Eleanor. She sipped the cinnamon-flavored drink and stood by the fireplace, enjoying the warm beverage and company. She smiled at Nathaniel and decided that maybe she could let herself fall in love with him after all.

* * *

Rebecca helped dress Eleanor in a beautiful, emerald gown, and fixed her hair in an elegant up-do styled with intricate braids. As Eleanor was about to head downstairs to the drawing room, there was a knock at the door.

“May I come in?” asked the gentle voice, which Eleanor immediately recognized as the duchess.

“Of course, Your Grace,” said Eleanor, perplexed as to why the duchess had come to see her in her bedroom.

“Thank you, dear,” said the duchess. “Shall we take a seat by the fireplace?”

Eleanor’s heart was racing. What could the duchess possibly want?

“My son has taken an interest in you.”

“Yes, Your Grace. He has been very kind to me, and I have come to care about him very much.”

“Let’s speak candidly, shall we?” questioned the duchess; her tone had a bit of an edge to it. “While I do believe you are a lovely girl, you are not right for my son. As the duke is well aware, he has already been promised to Lady Mary Fortington.”

“I see,” said Eleanor. “The duke never mentioned, Lady Mary. Please know that if I had known, I would not have welcomed the duke’s attention.”

“That is why I thought you should know. I didn’t want you to make a fool of yourself and ruin your opportunity to make a match with other eligible gentlemen who are visiting this weekend,” said the duchess as she stood up to leave.

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

“I will see you in the drawing room soon, Lady Eleanor,” said the duchess. “Please don’t mention this conversation to my son. It’s for your own good.”

Even though her father was an earl, and she now had a sizeable dowry, it seemed that there was always someone better for the men that she loved. First, Charles had chosen another woman over Eleanor. Nathaniel was promised to someone else, yet he still pursued her. It just wasn’t fair.

Eleanor held back her tears and decided she would not let the duke see that she was upset. Nobody would know that inside she felt as if she died. With a smile plastered on her face, Eleanor headed to the drawing room.

Nathaniel immediately came to Eleanor’s side to greet her. Although Eleanor did her best to act as if nothing had happened, her demeanor was harsh.

“Are you feeling ill, Eleanor? You don’t seem to be yourself,” said Nathaniel.

“I am quite well, Nathaniel. If you’ll please excuse me, I must speak to my sister,” said Eleanor.

“Of course, darling.”

“Darling?” questioned Eleanor, giving Nathaniel a harsh glance.

Eleanor didn’t wait for Nathaniel to respond, and she turned on her heels to find her sister. Emma was speaking to Lord Satterfield and her parents when Eleanor joined them.

“Eleanor, I am so glad you are here,” squealed Emma. “We are going to make the official announcement tonight, but Lord Satterfield has asked me to marry him, and I said, yes!”

“But, Emma, you have only just met,” said Eleanor.

Emma’s cheerful smile turned to a frown. “Eleanor, are you not happy for me?”

“Oh, Emma, I couldn’t be more pleased,” said Eleanor as she hugged her sister. She turned to Lord Satterfield and said, “I am delighted that you will be joining our family.” Lord Satterfield kissed Eleanor on the cheek.

Emma whispered to Eleanor, “Maybe you will be making an announcement soon, too. It seems like the duke is infatuated with you.”

Eleanor just smiled as she didn’t want to take any joy away from Emma’s moment.

* * *

The next morning, Rebecca packed Eleanor’s trunks. All the guests were heading home. A footman came to collect her trunk, and Eleanor headed downstairs to meet up with her family.

Nathaniel was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs.

“May I have a word with you, Eleanor? I would like to speak to you in private.”

“Of course, Your Grace,” said Eleanor, coldly.

“Eleanor, please call me Nathaniel,” he said as he smiled. “I would like to see you again. May I call upon you in a week’s time. I must ask your father, of course.”

“I don’t believe that will be possible, Your Grace,” said Eleanor, refusing his request to use his familiar name.

Nathaniel’s eyes were sad as he asked, “May I ask what brought about your change of heart? Was it something I said? Something I did? Please allow me to make it right.”

“That won’t be necessary, Your Grace. Now, if you will please excuse me, my parents are ready to leave.”

Eleanor didn’t look back. She felt the tears well up in her eyes, but she was determined to stay strong, at least until she could make it into the carriage.