The Duke's Christmas Greetings (Regency Christmas Summons Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page A

though to the sort of companion he would like. Matt had always been quite focused on his work, on learning more about medicine every chance he got. Once upon a time while he was away at school in Edinburgh, he’d fallen quite under Miss Annys Buchanan’s spell. But she hadn’t cared the least about his medical musings and their courtship had not lasted terribly long. Looking back now, that was probably for the best. Annys with her wild Scottish blood would have been quite miserable in Yorkshire.
    Lady Patience was a bit wild too, wasn’t she? That maid of hers had said the lady and her sisters caused havoc for their brother. She didn’t strike Matt as wild though. She was quite serenely perfect, actually, in a very innocent way.
    He dipped his spoon into the bowl, and…
    “Meow.” Ashes rubbed up against the side of Matt’s chair.
    “You are not getting my dinner.”
    Though Ashes apparently had a different idea as he climbed up the side of the wooden chair. Then he crawled into Matt’s lap and pushed up on his hind paws as though to look down into the bowl of stew on the table.
    “You are an enterprising little piece of baggage, aren’t you?” He scoffed.
    But then the kitten looked up at Matt and blinked his green eyes as though he was the most innocent creature ever born.
    Matt was an idiot for doing this, but he couldn’t help it. “All right,” he sighed. “I’ll give you a bit of mutton but that’s all.” Then he returned the cat to the floor and pulled a piece of mutton from the stew. The entire piece was inhaled before it could even hit the floor. But then Ashes rubbed up against Matt’s boots and plopped on top of his feet, apparently quite content.
    What the devil had he gotten himself into?

    His bedchamber was freezing when Matt blinked his eyes open. Sometime during the night, the fire in his hearth had gone out. His chest was heavier than normal and it was buzzing or humming or…
    “Meow.” Came the tiniest meow he’d ever heard.  And then Ashes walked further up Matt’s chest and rubbed his face against Matt’s jaw, bringing with him her rosewater scent. Damn it all, the cat smelled like her. No wonder he’d dreamt of her all night. They were rather nice dreams too, inappropriate as they might be.
    He cast the tiny grey creature a little smile and scratched him behind his ears. “That’s how you do it, huh? Burrow your way into people’s hearts and then use those razor-sharp claws to stay there?”
    Ashes just purred more and plopped down right beneath Matt’s chin.
    He couldn’t help but laugh. “I will be sure to tell your lady how you’ve completely taken over my household in just a single night.”
    And honestly, he couldn’t wait to see Lady Patience, especially after dreaming about her slightly crooked smile, her twinkling emerald eyes and wondering how her pretty flaxen hair would feel through his fingers. He probably should get to Danby Castle to look in on his patient. He probably should get there as soon as he possibly could.

    Patience alighted from bed, well rested and rather cheerful. It was going to be a remarkable day. She could just feel it. She stretched and then smiled when she remembered that Doctor Campion was going to call on her today. All right, so he wasn’t actually calling on her. He was just going to check on her wound, but in order to do so, he’d have to take her hand in his again and…
    “His Grace would like a word with you,” Sarah announced as she stepped into Patience’s room without invitation. Usually the woman at least scratched before barging in.
    The delightful feeling that Patience had been experiencing evaporated in an instant. What did the duke want with her ? Was it because of his soiled slippers? Blast Hope for not hiding them better. “Isn’t it a little early?” she asked.  “I mean, I do have my injury to consider.”
    And she’d crawl back into bed and stay there all day if that meant she could avoid His Grace.