“How can you be sure of that?”
She held his gaze firmly in her own. “Because you are the strongest person I know.”
“Not anymore,” he murmured.
“I don’t believe that to be true, Colin.”
He sighed as he shifted his eyes away from hers. He didn’t dare admit that he wasn’t nearly as strong as he once was only because she was no longer his.
The door opened, and his mother stuck her head out. “We are about to play cards in the drawing room,” she revealed. “Would you care to join us?”
Arabella removed her hand and stepped back. “I believe I shall.” She gave him a probing look. “Will you be joining us?”
Colin shook his head. “I believe a walk back to my manor is what I need to clear my head.”
She gave him a timid smile. “I understand.”
After Arabella stepped back inside, Colin started walking in the direction of his manor. He had a lot to process, and he didn’t want to weigh down the others with his pensive mood.
* * *
With her hairneatly coiffed and dressed in a blue gown, Arabella descended the stairs of the manor and saw Moore was at the bottom to greet her.
“Good morning, milady,” the butler said. “I trust that you slept well.”
“I did,” she replied. “Is my grandmother down yet?”
“She is not, but I expect her shortly.”
Arabella’s eyes drifted towards the boughs of holly wrapped around the banister and tied with red ribbon. “I see that you have begun to decorate for Christmas.”
“That we have,” Moore said. “Your grandmother requested that we hang wreaths of evergreen branches from every door on the main level.”
“That is quite the feat.”
Her grandmother’s voice came from behind her. “I want the air to be filled with the scent of pine.”
Arabella turned around. “The orphans will be thrilled by the decorations.”
“I do hope so,” her grandmother said, her eyes lingering on the holly. “This was your grandfather’s favorite time of year, as well.”
“I hadn’t realized.”
“He was quite fond of wreaths and insisted they be hung all over the manor.”
“Why is that?”
“He often said that our love was like a wreath: never broken, never failing,” her grandmother shared.
Arabella smiled. “It warms my heart to know such things.”
Her grandmother brought her gaze up, mirth in her eyes. “He would, however, have criticized that monstrosity that you are trying to pass off as a tree.”
“It isn’t that bad.”
“It is an eyesore. Colin thinks it will frighten the children.”
Arabella walked over to the saloon’s doors and peered inside. She took only a moment to admire Colin’s tree before she turned her attention towards her unique-looking pine. She didn’t dare admit that her tree seemed to look even more unfortunate than the last time she had seen it.
