Boston, Massachusetts

and

New York City, New York

1867

Felix had come to the decision that he would be traveling to New York City. He had come this far; he might as well go all the way.

He didn't precisely feel confident about the decision since he had yet to hear back from Nora, but he had decided it nonetheless.

However, Felix's lack of confidence was precisely why he now wandering down a crowded street in Boston, looking for something that he could bring with him to New York—something that might boost his chances, if only in the smallest of degrees.

A present. It was nearing Christmas, after all. Who could say no to a personally delivered Christmas present? And luckily, Felix knew exactly what he wanted to buy for Nora. The only problem was that he couldn't find anywhere to purchase it.

The shops in Boston were bustling as everyone prepared for the upcoming holiday. Felix passed through a central square where trees had been cut for seasonable profits. The fresh scent of pine and sap wafted through the chilled air, where it mingled with the sounds of jingling bells and children laughing. The overall effect was idyllic, and for a moment, Felix missed home. England was equally charming at this time of year.

Felix smiled as he thought about it, pushing his way through one shop after another in hopes of finding Christmas tree ornaments. He knew that Nora positively adored the holidays, and so what better gift than something that embodied the spirit of the season.

When he had set out to find ornaments, Felix figured that he would be able to pop into any store to acquire what he was looking for. He hadn't realized that they were not widely accessible in America yet, at least not until the first three shopkeepers had looked at him like he was speaking in tongues when he had inquired about it.

Nevertheless, Felix was set on finding some hanging decorations, and so he continued to search. As the afternoon began to drag, Felix was about ready to give up on his idea when he saw a storefront with a Christmas tree decorated in picturesque ornaments, precisely as he would have found in England.

It was no surprise, then, that when he burst into the quaint store, he immediately saw—or rather, heard—that the shopkeeper was a portly Englishman with a kind face.

"Good afternoon, Sir," the shopkeeper greeted him, his sharp British accent apparent upon the first breath.

"Good afternoon," Felix replied as he rubbed his hands together to warm them again. "I'm looking to purchase a set of ornaments such as the ones displayed in the window."

The shopkeeper's already ample grin spread even further. "Ah, a Brit! Of course. Hoping to find a little piece of home?" He gestured for Felix to follow him to a shelf near the front of the store.

"I suppose you could say that," Felix said, smiling back. He was hoping to bring a little of England to Nora. And he was looking to find a bit of his home in her. Because on this cloudy, Boston day... Nora was the sunny English countryside. When Felix closed his eyes and thought of home, pictures of her laughing on his front lawn flashed through his mind.

With the Englishman's help, it didn't take Felix very long to select a set of figurines that were strikingly similar to the first one he had sent to Nora. They were quickly wrapped up with a large, floppy bow, and soon Felix was trotting off through the streets of Boston once more.

Arriving back at the Tremont Hotel just before dinner, Felix trudged up to his guestroom, flung the door open, and collapsed on the bed. He sat, staring at the ceiling for some time, not bothering to keep track of the minutes as they passed.

"Shops got you down?"

Felix jerked up, swiveling abruptly to see Leo sitting in the corner.  Apparently Felix had been in such a daze upon returning to his room that he hadn't even noticed the man, who was grinning mercilessly as he nursed a glass of brandy.

"Jesus Christ, uncle. Don't you have your own room?"

"The booze is in this one."

Felix flopped back down on the bed. "We can remedy that," he said to the ceiling. "Also," Felix added, turning around again to look at Leo. "Shopping is actually frightfully tiring, and you should not judge. I have no clue how women spend afternoon after afternoon on Bond Street looking at ribbons and the like."

Leo chuckled. "One thing I have learned over the years is to never underestimate a woman's stamina when it comes to shopping."

Felix just nodded his head, tired from the day in the cold. They sat in silence for a moment before Leo pointed to a small table near the door to the chamber.

"You've a letter, I might add," he said.

Felix immediately hoisted himself off the bed and scowled at the older man, quickly making his way to where the envelope sat. "You might've mentioned that earlier."

Leo just gave him a wry smile and lifted one shoulder up in a shrug.

Hastily grabbing the letter, Felix ripped it open.

Dear Felix,

Of course you have done nothing wrong. I can think of nothing to fault you for, including what happened that night before I left. Please do not worry yourself over it. It hurts me to think that you believe that I am uninterested in your presence, Felix. I must beg of you to accept my apologies if I have made it seem that way at all.

Of course I should like to see you. It is only that I have been quite busy with preparing for the holidays. My family astonishingly lacks in the festive spirit, and Mr. Rockwell and I have been tasked with rectifying it. We have only just recently returned with a tree for the drawing-room. How long will you be in America? Will you be here for the entirety of the season? I hope you are getting in the spirit as well.

Yours,

Nora

"Who the hell is Mr. Rockwell?"

Leo had been resting his head back against the back of the armchair but sat up at Felix's exclamation. "Mr. Rockwell?" he repeated Felix.

"Nora writes that she is busy enjoying the holiday season with some ruddy bloke named Mr. Rockwell."

Leo frowned, his expression matching the way that Felix felt. "Has she ever mentioned a Rockwell to you before?"

Leaning against the floral-colored walls, Felix tried to think back to his conversations with Nora over the years, searching his memories for that name. But he came up with nothing, and it made his insides tighten. "No," he replied curtly.

"Well, we shall find out who he is soon," Leo said and rested his head back again.

Felix considered that. "Perhaps we shouldn't go," he finally replied.

Leo jumped to his feet, surprisingly agile for a man his age, and walked across the room to where Felix stood. "Don't be ridiculous. Of course, we should go."

"But—"

"You crossed the bloody ocean, you bought the goddamn Christmas present, we're going to New York!" Leo nearly shouted, snatching the letter from Felix's hand before shaking it in his face. "Don't overthink this. You're just as bad as your father."

"My father?" Felix asked, surprised to hear those words.

"The idiot nearly gave up on your mother, urging her to marry another man because he thought he was protecting her."

Felix's brows shot up. This was something he hadn't heard before.

"What do you mean, to protect her? And what happened to change his mind?"

"I told him to get his head out of his ass," Leo said ruefully. "And now I'm telling you the same thing!" He clapped Felix on the back, before giving him back the letter from Nora and walking to the door. "We leave tomorrow, bright and early."

"Wait!" Felix called, spinning around to follow Leo. "Aren't you going to finish telling me about my parents?"

Leo paused, looking at Felix with twinkling eyes. "That's a story for another time, I think. Perhaps I should let your father be the one to tell it."

Felix scowled at his uncle as the man slipped through the door with a mischievous gleam, but he knew he would have time to prod him about it on their way to New York the next day.

Unfortunately, though, when Felix climbed into the carriage the following morning, he couldn't get another word out of Leo pertaining to the subject. And by the end of the journey, Felix couldn't believe he had asked Leo to come with him at all. His uncle had been going on about his new printing press for the past several hours, and Felix suspected that he was going through every tiny detail of it just to keep from answering any questions about Felix's parents.

"Looks like it's gonna snow," Leo said, finally changing the topic. Felix breathed a sigh of relief.

"We are overdue for a snowfall," he replied, trying to peer through the window at the sky. The air above New York City did indeed seem to be thick with moisture, the clouds thick and gray. Felix repressed a shiver just looking at the trees as they swayed along the side of the street.

They eventually stopped in front of a row of tall, thin buildings made of gleaming brownstone. A short flight of stairs flanked by grand banisters led Felix up to the front door. Leo stood a few steps behind him as he took a deep breath.

There really was nothing to lose, he reckoned. And he shouldn't be so nervous; it was just Nora.

But that was the problem, wasn't it? She was no longer just Nora.

Before he lost his nerve, Felix knocked on the door, which was quickly opened by a young man with dark auburn hair. He was well-dressed, wearing a midnight blue waist-coat with golden threading. He didn't appear to be a butler, and Felix thought that was rather odd.

"You must be the Brit," the man said with an appraising look, shocking Felix. No greetings or words of welcome were even spoken. After a long pause, he stuck his hand out. "Pleased to meet you, Lord Felix. You can call me Rockwell, Oliver Rockwell."

Felix took the other man's hand, though he had a sinking feeling in his stomach as he did so.

"Mr. Rockwell, eh?" Uncle Leo said, reciprocating the man's perusal from a moment earlier.

"That's me," he replied, switching his gaze to Leo. "And you must be the uncle. Leo, is it?"

"Lord Farrington, to you," Leo said haughtily, and Felix could have rolled his eyes.

The American gentleman was unphased, however. "Well, my dear Lord Farrington, please do come in. I shall certainly not alarm Mrs. Williams to your arrival and instead fetch Elinor right away."

Felix didn't like the way he said her name. Elinor. It was entirely too formal for her, and yet coming from this stranger's lips, it sounded intimate.

They followed Mr. Rockwell into the home as he turned and said to them, "I do hope you will be staying for dinner. Perhaps you can help me perfect my British accent. Elinor says it's rather rubbish." He smiled brightly then, confusing Felix. Who exactly was this man, and what did he know of Felix and Leo? Clearly, he wasn't surprised to see them, even though Felix had sent no forewarning that he was coming.

Mr. Rockwell led them into a foyer, and a maid rushed up to take their coats. As Felix stripped off his outerwear, Leo leaned in with a harrumph and whispered in Felix's ear. "This man is the oddest American we've met yet."

Felix really didn't have anything to say to that. Because at that moment, Nora seemed to appear out of nowhere, and the ability to speak slipped from Felix's brain.