“You must let that go.”
“How do you propose I do that?”
John gave him an apologetic shrug. “I don’t rightly know.”
Colin pushed back his chair and walked over to the drink cart. He picked up the decanter and poured two glasses. As he walked one over to his brother, he said, “I should have never survived the war.”
“But you did,” John responded, accepting the glass.
Colin brought his own up to his lips. “How is it fair that I did when so many good men died?”
“You must look at it differently.”
“How so?”
John placed his glass onto the desk. “You were fortunate enough to make it out alive and now you have the rest of your life to do good.”
Colin scoffed. “You sound like Arabella.”
“She isn’t wrong.”
Colin tightened his hold around his glass. “I don’t think I will be able to move on until I know that Sam’s family is provided for,” he said. “It is the least I can do.”
“I don’t fault you for that.”
After he took a sip of his drink, Colin admitted, “I knew so little about him.”
“I imagine you don’t have a lot of time to chit chat when you’re fighting in a war,” John remarked.
“That’s true, but I wish I had spent more time getting to know him.”
Before his brother could respond, his mother glided into the room and announced, “Lady Langdon and Arabella will be here shortly.”
“Wonderful,” Colin muttered.
His mother glanced between them. “Why the gloomy faces?” she asked. “It’s Christmas Eve!”
Colin returned his glass to the drink cart. “I’m afraid I am not in the Christmas spirit this evening.”
“You will be once Arabella shows up,” his mother remarked knowingly. “I even had mistletoe hung over the doorway in the drawing room. With any luck, you may get to kiss her tonight.”
A smile came to his lips at that thought. “I wouldn’t be opposed to that.”
“Of course not, dear,” his mother said. “I wish I could follow you around with mistletoe, but Arabella might not appreciate that.”
He chuckled. “No, I don’t imagine that she would.”
“Shall we adjourn to the drawing room?” his mother suggested.
John rose and tugged down on his maroon waistcoat. “I do wish Marjorie was spending Christmas with us.”
“As do I,” their mother said.
They had barely arrived at the drawing room’s threshold when a knock came at the main door. A thrill of excitement shot through Colin at the thought of seeing Arabella again.
Dickson opened the door, revealing Arabella and Lady Langdon. They stepped inside and removed their coats. Colin took a moment to admire Arabella, noting she looked the vision of perfection. Her hair was piled high atop her head and small curls framed her face. She was dressed in a lovely jonquil gown, highlighting her comely figure.
Arabella glanced over at him and a bright smile lit her face. “Why are you loitering outside the drawing room?”
