Read Christmas By Candlelight: Two Regency Holiday Novellas for Free Online Page A

could not be said for the coachman, who was trying to mask his pain with a thin smile. Ignoring the man’s weak attempt at argument, Nicholas bundled him inside the coach and tipped a flask of brandy to his iced lips. It was a moment or two before he realized he had left Anna to fend for herself.
    “May the devil’s arse be buried in ice,” he swore, reaching for the door latch.
    It snapped open with no help from him.
    “Ha—Hell just might freeze over in this weather.” Anna sounded almost cheerful as she scrambled in and slapped the snow from her mittens. “I trust you have saved a sip for me.”
    Thick flakes clung to her fur hat and ice rimmed her dark lashes, giving her the look of a storm-tossed ermine. A very adorable storm-tossed ermine. And a very brave one. Of all the young ladies he knew, Nicholas couldn’t think of a one who wouldn’t have swooned in fright by now. While Lady Anna seemed about to succumb to. . .
    Laughter?
    It was a sweetly musical sound that seemed to lighten the confined space with a note of sunshine. Nicholas found himself smiling in spite of the circumstances.
    “Well done,” he murmured, passing over the brandy. “I would never have imagined a highborn lady could take hold of adversity like that.”
    “And I would never have imagined a proper gentleman could carry his own weight,” she retorted, but with a twinkle in her eye. “And if you are about to remark that a highborn lady ought not imbibe in anything stronger than ratafia punch, you may bite your tongue.”
    “If I could, I would be offering you champagne,” he murmured. Strangely enough, he found he was developing a taste for her effervescent spirit, however unconventional. In comparison, every other young lady he knew suddenly seemed flat.
    Anna took a tiny taste of the brandy, then handed it back. “Actually, I would prefer vodka,” she murmured.
    “I shall ring for one of the footmen and ask him to fetch a bottle. Along with a crystal bowl full of caviar.”
    Another laugh. He was sorry to hear it die away more quickly than the first one.
    Her expression turned serious as she rooted around in one of the storage compartments and drew out a length of linen. “Let me have your hand, John. That wrist needs to be bandaged.”
    “But milady, you ought not have to tend to me—”
    “Don’t be foolish.” She already had hold of his sleeve and was folding back the cuff. “This should help stave off any further swelling.” Her gaze angled up, looking for Nicholas’s eyes. “However, you won’t be in any condition to drive.”
    “As to that,” he replied. “I will take his place on the box.”
    “And I will spell you,” she added firmly.
    Before he could argue, the coachman voiced his own reservation. “Sir, with the wheel as weak as it is, it might not be wise to risk pushing on. The snow and ice has become awfully treacherous on this narrow road. Another accident might turn out to be far more serious than the one we just escaped.”
    Nicholas frowned. “What are you suggesting?”
    “That I go ahead on foot and fetch help. We have traveled some distance, and by the innkeeper’s direction, the next village cannot be far off.”
    “Out of the question,” exclaimed Anna. “I’ll not have you run such a risk.”
    “The storm is letting up,” replied the coachman, pointing out a sliver of blue in the slate gray clouds. “And there is nothing wrong with my legs, milady. The way is clear enough that I am in no danger of getting lost. I should be back in a short while with a safer vehicle. If I am not, then his lordship can attempt the drive.”
    “He has a point,” mused Nicholas. A more prolonged look out the window showed that the snow had stopped and the dark clouds appeared to be blowing off to the east. “All things considered, the plan is a prudent one.”
    “There must be another way,” she protested.
    “If you have a better proposal, I am willing to hear it.”
    Her lips parted, but