Mistletoe and Magic (Novella): A Loveswept Historical Romance Read Online Free PDF Page A

by pretending to contact the dead! Can you imagine? As if my Jennie would do any such thing!”
    “Appalling!” Jared laughed. “So it sounds like the Appleton women can be quite the challenge?” He was getting the message.
    “Exactly.” Eve beamed at the young man stretched out before the fire. “But the more worthy the goal, the dearer the cost, don’t you agree?”
    “Yes, I do.” Jared looked directly at Eve. The moment for generalities had passed—it was time for him to put his cards on the table. “I have to admit, Miss Penelope has stolen my heart, as I imagine she has done with many a man before me. I know that must sound ridiculous, since I only just danced with her last night. But I know it to be true.”
    “I see.” Eve’s expression grew serious. “You have given this a lot of thought.”
    “I have, and I know I can make her happy. But if the young lady will not allow a gentleman contact, it would be very hard to advance his case. Hypothetically speaking,” he added, aware that Eve owed her loyalty to her young relation.
    “Are you fond of exercise, Mr. Marton?” Eve inquired. When Jared looked at her in confusion, she sighed and shrugged her shoulders. “Miss Penelope is very active herself. In fact, I understand that Central Park on a Tuesday afternoon can offer young ladies a stimulating opportunity for ice-skating. And then there is the tea that follows at the Grand Union Hotel? I hear it is quite the event.”
    “Thank you so much, Madam Appleton.” Jared stood up and fetched his coat, aware that the older woman had become his ally. “You have my undying gratitude.”
    Eve took his hand in hers, and when her blue eyes met his, he saw the same searing intelligence he’d witnessed in Winifred.
    “Do not underestimate Penelope. She is beautiful, but that is merely the tip of the iceberg. She is a prize worth winning, young man, but one you will have to work for. All I ask is for you to make her happy, for of all my girls, she very much deserves it.”
    “That I will, Madam Appleton. You have my word.”

Chapter Four
    Penelope got out of her aunt’s carriage and looked over her shoulder at the snow-trodden road leading to Central Park. Smiling, she waved as she saw Jennifer with her husband and her little son seated in a horse-drawn sleigh. The toddler was so bundled up with blankets that only his eyes were visible as the horse trotted forward, sleigh bells ringing merrily with every footfall.
    Seated on a bench at the edge of the lake was Winifred, accompanied by the Billings girls. Penelope fetched her skates from the coach and proceeded to make her way through the crowd to join them.
    “Is the ball out?” She shaded her eyes against the sun glistening off the newly fallen snow.
    “Yes,” Winifred confirmed, pointing to the scarlet orb dangling from the bell tower. “The park officials have been doing that for a few years now,” she explained to Jane and Elizabeth Billings. “The ball means the ice is sufficiently thick for skating. They hoist a red banner if there is any question of safety. But the temperature was close to zero last night, I believe.”
    “What a good idea!” Elizabeth stood up to make room for Penelope. “That way, no one gets hurt.”
    Taking a seat on the bench, Penelope proceeded to put on her skates, admiring the winter view. Tall pines glistened in the distance, their boughs aching under the weight of the heavy snow, and the lake was like a smear of bottle-green glass beneath the sun. Neighbors shouted greetings to each other, full of holiday cheer, while children threw snowballs at unsuspecting adults. A group of men had built a bonfire beneath the footbridge, enticing ladies in their warm woolen cloaks and stylish hats to join them for a hot toddy. The Bethesda Fountain sparkled in the distance, the angels on top seeming ethereal beneath the shimmering frost.
    A dog barked and ran merrily after his owner as Penelope got to her feet. Skaters whizzed