A Visit From Sir Nicholas by Victoria Alexander

wonderful life together. Will you make me the happiest man in the world? Will you agree to be my wife?"
    "I…" She stared up at him for a long moment, and the oddest sense of pieces of a puzzle clicking smoothly into place filled her.
    Some things were not meant to be.
    And some things were.
    "On one condition," she said slowly.
    "Anything."
    "Never again carry mistletoe in your pocket." She adopted a stern expression. "One never knows who might try to take advantage of such a thing, and if I am to be your wife, I should hate for other women—" He laughed and gathered her into his arms. "Mistletoe or not, there shall be no other women. There shall be one woman and one woman only for the rest of my days."
    "The rest of our days," she echoed as her lips met his once again and she firmly set aside any lingering thoughts of dark, smoldering eyes and unrelenting longing and a kiss that melted her bones. Some things were not meant to be.
    And some things were.
    This, Charles, was meant to be. He was her fate, her future, and for now and forever, he would be her life. And she would indeed make him happy for the rest of their days. He deserved no less. She deserved no less.
    She would put all thoughts of Nicholas Collingsworth away with the other remnants of this Christmas and go on with her life. A good, full, happy life.
    Exactly as it was meant to be.
    Elizabeth was a terrible liar.
    Nick stared unseeing at the library door.
    Fortunately for them both, he was very good at deception. He had never suspected he had such a skill. No doubt it could come in handy in the future.
    He had hurt her, he could see it in her eyes, but he'd had no choice. Any feelings that she thought she'd had for him couldn't possibly be anything of significance. She'd loved Charles and Charles had loved her all of their lives. Nick was nothing more than an intriguing moment of confusion in a young woman's mind, or possibly her heart.
    Besides, while he knew in many ways the notion was ridiculous—his uncle was an earl after all—he couldn't escape the nagging suspicion that he was not entirely worthy of her. She was an Effington, one of England's most powerful families. Her father was the Duke of Roxborough, as had his father been before him, and her brother was a marquess. He was the son of the youngest son of an earl, a man who'd been scarcely better than a wastrel, really. A man who had professed to want to make his own way in the world yet had done little to achieve that goal. Certainly, he had had a fair amount of bad luck, but it had long bothered Nick that his father's failures hadn't seemed to bother his father at all. It was now Nick's duty to atone for his father's sins. And he would do so alone. But if he was wrong? If she indeed truly loved him?
    Nick swept the question aside. Elizabeth's feelings would surely pass once he was gone from her life, and he would not do to her what his father had done to his mother. He would not take her from her home and her family and all she held dear for an insecure future regardless of love. And he would not betray his friend. No, this was the right thing to do. Nick knew it as strongly as he knew his own path in life. Elizabeth would be happy with the life she was always meant to have.
    And what of your happiness?
    He would be happy with success, he asked no more than that.
    It was done then. He had made certain of it. Elizabeth would forget about any ill-advised affection she might have had for him and marry Charles. Her future was assured.
    As for his future, Nick shrugged and started toward the door. He had no desire to return to the festivities. No desire to see Elizabeth in Charles's arms. He would return at once to his uncle's house, prepare for his departure, and pen brief notes of farewell to Jonathon and Charles complete with an apology for not bidding them adieu in person. Nick simply didn't know if he could keep up the charade of not caring for Elizabeth if he looked into her green eyes one more