Page 8 of Once Upon a Gilded Christmas (To All The Earls I’ve Loved Before #4)

He couldn’t help it. He chuckled at the rising flush in her cheeks.

Another burst of laughter rose from the circle of young things on the floor; the slipper had been spotted once more.

It seemed Jacob had forgotten how to play the game as it was meant to be played.

He’d focused on the movement of the slipper and not on who held it.

"You've got the slipper!" He pointed to young Lord Clifton.

Clifton was a wiry fellow, tall yet strong, with a nose so prominent no one could mistake his noble roots.

He couldn't be described as "handsome" by conventional standards, but he seemed to comport himself well enough.

Certainly dressed most fashionable. All glory to his tailor, skilled fellow.

Whoever he was, he was able to bring Lord Clifton's wardrobe to the edge of a Pink of the Ton, without making him look too much like a foppish dandy.

Lord Clifton, whom Jacob had selected, looked baffled that he’d been caught with the slipper. It didn't help that Lady Marian at his side declared Clifton the holder. Of course everyone laughed, even Lady Hammond.

"Not me," he declared with some bafflement.

"You can't pass the slipper to me after you've been picked. I've already had it," Lady Marian declared in all innocence. "He chose you."

This only made the crowd roar in amusement.

Jacob looked about, a little late on the joke.

“Lord Clifton has the slipper," Lady Hammond declared. "You know the rules.”

To his credit, the young man rose and batted his eyelashes at Jacob most coquettishly, eliciting even more laughter from the crowd. Even Edward and Honora had to laugh.

Jacob flushed to the roots of his hair. Lord Clifton minced over and tackled Jacob in a rather blatant kiss, startling him.

Poor boy. Jacob looked like he wanted to slink away. Lady Hammond wouldn’t let him. She pushed him back to the floor.

Lord Clifton, who had been so bold, dropped the slipper in Jacob’s lap. Jacob took it and linked arms with the two young ladies on either side. By now his face radiated beet-red. He passed that shoe as quickly as possible.

For him, dinner couldn’t come soon enough.

When the dinner gong rang, Jacob retreated from the circle of young things who had seemed to form a bond. He slunk to his father and begged to retreat to the bedroom.

Edward’s heart ached for his younger son.

Before he could offer fatherly words, Kendall came up and whacked his brother on the back of the head. “Jamface, you numpty! I thought you knew how to play Pass the Slipper.”

“What?” replied a most offended Jacob. “I know how to pass a shoe.”

“You don’t know how to find it,” came Kendall’s short reply.

“But Clifton had it. What was I supposed to do?”

Kendall rolled his eyes. “Point to the young lady by his side, of course. Then Clifton should have passed the shoe to her, unless of course he fancied her, then he would have passed the shoe the other way.” Kendall sucked at his teeth. “He wouldn’t have, you know. I know what’s Wrong with Clifton.”

“Whut?” Jacob sulked.

Kendall put his arm about his younger brother. “Let’s just say when he left school, he brought a bit of the Ol’ Public School with him.”

Jacob gave him a raised eyebrow.

“He’s a bit of a molly.”

Jacob shrugged off his brother’s arm. “I know what you meant.”

“Not before he kissed you, you didn’t.”

Before they could come to fisticuffs, Edward inserted himself between his sons. “I think you’ve lost sight of why we’re here. I also think it a good idea you not spent to much time in each other’s company for the rest of tonight.

“Easy enough,” Jacob muttered. “I’ll dine in my room.”

“You’ll do no such thing,” Edward declared. “I did not bring you along so you could hide away.”

“Surely you don’t expect me to find a bride here?”

“Surely you don’t expect me to forbid you from finding true love,” Edward replied, maybe a little sharper than he meant.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “What I meant to say,” with a calmer voice, “was that I will not stop you from finding someone, or not, as is your wont. As I have settled sufficient fortune upon you to support a wife, I’m hoping that will make you attractive enough to any young lady of our station.

” Kendal’s words from earlier niggled at him.

“I know the number of young ladies and eligible fellows here. If some poor gel leaves this party with an empty heart because you chose to hide away in the bedroom the entire week, not only will it reflect poorly on you, but also on me.”

Jacob’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “You telling me I have to get married?” His voice rose to a squeak at the end.

“No. I’m telling you to try. I’m telling you to bill and coo with these young ladies with earnest intent. Maybe none of them will suit you. Determine that fairly.

“Let our reputation be that while you may come away without an understanding, at least your reputation will remain intact that you are a fair fellow.”

Edward wiped the smirk off Kendall’s face with, “Same goes for you. Especially you. As you said, everyone invited here has some flaw. That must include you. Prove them wrong.”

That had taken his eldest son aback. Surely the flaw for which they’d been selected was that the Russell sons were clueless when it came to winning over the fairer sex, and not for something else entirely.

Yet the doubt had been planted in his head. Was there some unperceived flaw that had escaped his notice, but not Lady Hammond’s? Not that he would insult his hostess by asking her.

On the other hand, this party did bring Honora back to him.

Wait. Honora and her daughter were here. Oh dear. What could their flaw be?

He gave both his sons a good shake. "We're going to go into dinner. You are not to sit next to each other. You are to sparkle and shine and pay much attention to the young ladies to whom you've been seated."

"But what if we don't like whom we've been seated next to?" Kendall whined.

Edward put this to them. "What is worse: you don't like them for their flaws, or they don't like you for your flaws? I pray it not be the latter."

Lady Hammond had set up her ballroom as a grand dining room, the table a giant U-shape that took up most of the space. While Lady Hammond and a few of the more venerable guests sat at the head, the guests had been divided by age.

To Edward's relief, Lady Hammond had split his sons up, far enough they were not in earshot of each other, conversationally.

Parents had been sat at one arm of the table, the youth at another.

Edward was not sure what kind of luck had him seated facing away from the young.

Perhaps it was better he not see what was going on.

At least good luck favoured him this evening when Honora was placed by his side.

"No such thing," she declared as a footman helped her into her seat. "I asked Lady Hammond to seat me next to you."

Bold and clever. "I'm glad you thought of it. I confess I've been worried over my boys."

Honora turned around—another bold move—and looked at the young scions settling in for the meal. "So many noble youth from noble families. How did we all end up here?"

"I don't want to think about that."

She turned back. Lady Hammond rang a little bell, and all the guests settled.

"Dinner," she announced, "is served."

At this, a dozen footmen burst through the doors, carrying cloched trays of the first course. Lady Hammond and those guests at the head table were served first, then the footmen worked their way down.

"I know why I am here, Juliana and I," Honora volunteered. "Do you want to know?"