Elinor reared back. “How could you say such a thing?” she asked. “Do you not miss my parents at all?”
Her aunt reached out and placed a comforting hand on her sleeve. “I miss my sister, your mother, every single day,” she stated. “But they are gone, and we are not. We must go on living.”
“I am not sure if I can do it,” Elinor admitted.
“You are stronger than you give yourself credit for,” her aunt said. “Sometimes, we must look past ourselves in order to start healing.”
Elinor frowned. “And you think decorating the manor will help me heal?”
“It couldn’t hurt to try,” her aunt replied, dropping her hand.
Taking a step back, Elinor admitted, “I am not sure if I am ready. My mother loved Christmas and our country home would be decorated to the rafters. It was such a happy time for me.”
Her aunt gave her a sympathetic look. “It still can be.”
“How?” she demanded, her back growing rigid. “My mother is gone, as is my father.”
“You still have me, and always will.”
Elinor bobbed her head. “You are right, and I am most grateful for that,” she said. “I just wish that my parents were still alive.”
Her aunt smiled. “But then you would have never known what you were truly capable of. After all, your father would beso proud knowing you were running a successful horse farm on your own.”
“That is true,” Elinor responded.
“Life is complicated and messy, but it has a way of working out precisely the way it is supposed to,” her aunt counseled.
Elinor glanced at the iron railings that ran the length of the stairs. “Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad if we put up some decorations.”
“I agree,” her aunt said. “Come, let us retire for bed.”
As Elinor walked up the stairs, she hoped that she wasn’t making a mistake. The memories of her country home being decorated for Christmas were some of her most cherished ones. But perhaps it was time to make new ones.
Chapter Six
With the morning sun streaming through the window, Alden stood in front of the mirror, adjusting his cravat with meticulous care. His valet stood a few steps back, poised to render any assistance that might be needed.
Breaking the silence, Hastings spoke up. “Is this cottage much more to your liking, sir?”
“It is,” Alden replied, dropping his hands from his cravat. “I have yet to see one giant house spider, which I prefer. Greatly.”
“I was told that the staff went to great lengths to ensure you were comfortable in this cottage, but dare I ask why we are not residing at the manor?” Hastings inquired.
Alden turned to face his valet. “I think it is only prudent until I convince Miss Sidney to marry me.”
“And what if you can’t?”
He sighed. “Then I suppose I will have to select one of the young women that Miss Sidney will introduce me to.”
Hastings stepped forward and brushed off Alden’s jacket. “If that is the case, what do you intend to do with Miss Sidney?”
Alden grimaced slightly. “I will have no choice but to evict her once I sell the horse farm.”
“I understand.”
“But let’s hope it won’t come to that,” Alden said. “Life would be much simpler if I were to wed Miss Sidney. She is beautiful and I find her to be quite tolerable.”
“Tolerable?” Hastings repeated, raising an eyebrow.
