Read Marry Christmas (Zebra Historical Romance) for Free Online Page A

invitations I receive and she graciously has agreed,” he said. Elizabeth was hardly listening as he went on about his friend and his estate and for goodness’ sake how could she think of anything but her Henry who was standing just a few feet from her?
    The duke had finally stopped talking and was looking down expectantly at her. “I’m sorry, it’s so noisy here, what were you saying?” she asked. She should at least attempt to pretend interest in him.
    He gave her a strange look, then smiled briefly. “My friend, Lord Hollings, the Earl of Wellesley,” he said, obviously repeating himself. Elizabeth turned to find herself looking up into the face of a dashing fellow, with bright blond hair and the bluest eyes she’d ever seen. She quickly curtsied. “Pleased to meet you, Lord Hollings.”
    “I see Rand has dragged you to the pastries. He eats like a fiend and not an ounce of fat on him,” Edward said.
    Elizabeth forced herself to look at the two English men, though she felt as if her head were being pulled by a magnet in Henry’s direction. She could still see him from the corner of her eye and she longed to go over to him, just to let him know she loved him still. How awful it must be for him, she thought, to see her walking arm in arm with the man she was to marry. She dropped her hand then and dared to look his way, being careful to school her features before she did so.
    Oh, Henry, Henry. He looked so wonderful, but so very sad. He took a hesitant step toward her and her heart nearly beat from her chest.
    “A friend of yours?” said a deep voice by her ear. She started so quickly she nearly knocked heads with the duke.
    “An acquaintance,” she managed to say, chastising herself for allowing the duke to note her interest in another man.
    “Your acquaintance is coming over,” he said, then moved to face Henry as he approached.
    Elizabeth darted her eyes around, frantically looking for her mother. Please, please don’t let her mother see them chatting together as if all were right in the world. She realized that this might be the last time she would ever see Henry if Alva discovered them. No one had more social power than her mother and she would guarantee that Henry would not appear on anyone’s guest list for the rest of the Newport season.
    “Your Grace, Henry Ellsworth,” Elizabeth said, proud that even through her frayed nerves she sounded calm.
    “A pleasure to meet you, Your Grace,” Henry said smoothly. He nodded to her as if, indeed, she was simply another woman he slightly knew. And then, he grasped her hand and squeezed without looking at her eyes, pressing something into her palm. Elizabeth’s heart sang as she closed her hand over a folded piece of paper. No matter what it said, she would cherish it forever, for Henry had written it, had kept it with him on the chance he might pass it to her.
    She nodded genteelly, then turned back to the two peers, who were politely waiting for her attention, knowing she had managed to fool them and anyone else who had been looking. Though her heart ached with a terrible combination of joy and pain, no one would know. No one would ever know, she thought, smiling up at the earl.
    Rand clenched his jaw, his eyes glancing down at her still-fisted hand and he had the most curious urge to force her fingers open so he could read the missive. Now he knew why his lovely bride-to-be did not want to marry him. It was far worse than not wanting to marry a duke or not wanting to marry at all. She was in love with another man. For some reason, that thought bothered him far more than it ought. After all, hadn’t he told her just the day before that their marriage was nothing more than a way for him to get money and an heir? Perhaps it was the thought of her trying to be brave in the light of such a tragedy. While he hadn’t expected a wildly enthusiastic bride, he’d hoped for one who was not mourning a lost love.
    Rand longed to pull her away so he could