On Christmas morning, Holly woke with first light. After dressing for church, her feet flew down the steps as she rushed toward the dining room in a manner most undignified. She burst into the room to find David sitting alone at the table. At her entrance he lept to his feet, and with several great strides across the ornate rug, he met her on the other side of the table.

Holly watched the smile spread over his face. Last night seemed like a dream and as she stood before him, butterflies churned in her stomach. She hardly knew how to proceed in circumstances such as these, but she knew by the tingling of her fingers she wanted to reach out and stroke the stubble that dusted David's jaw.

"I got your letter," she said. "Both of them."

"So you matched the writing?"

Holly nodded, smiling so wide her cheeks hurt. She probably looked foolish to behold, but she didn't mind. David smiled too and took a step toward Holly. He placed both of his strong hands on her face to draw it up towards his.

Holly's stomach somersaulted and she could feel her heart start to race. With breath coming fast, she waited in agony as David slowly lowered his lips to hers. At this, she wrapped her arms around David's waist, pulling him close so that she could feel the warmth of him. The kiss deepened as they sank into each other. David's tongue flicked over Holly's lip and caught her by surprise. The gentle sensation sent a tremor through her limbs, as if every nerve ending in her body surged with fire.

Holly wanted to go on kissing David until she had no more breath, but the heavy footfall of boots in the hall forced them apart. Colonel Ambrose entered as David pulled out a chair for Holly, but didn't reassume his seat.

"Have you finished breakfast, Mr. Bishop? Can I offer you this morning's paper?" Colonel Ambrose offered, taking his place at the head of the table.

"Yes and no," David replied. "I must head out early. I have to be at the church to prepare for the service."

"But you will have Christmas dinner with us after?" Colonel Ambrose asked, though it sounded more like a command.

David smiled. "Of course." He bowed politely to Holly and her father before making his leave.

Holly tucked into her plate of eggs, and drifted off into her own thoughts. Her fingers still tingled and the warmth of David's hand still ghosted on her cheek.

"You're all smiles, this morning," Colonel Ambrose remarked.

Holly looked down at the lukewarm coffee in her hands only to realize she had been grinning at it like an insane woman rather than drinking it.

"Oh," she chuckled. "I suppose I am."

"I'm glad you came around to Mr. Bishop."

Holly gave him a reproachful look. "David told me about your conversation."

Colonel Ambrose looked confused.

"Where you told him that he had your blessing to court me?" Holly reminded him.

Colonel Ambrose nodded and smiled. "Oh yes. Once I saw an honorable man was after your heart, I wanted to encourage him any way I could. It wasn't long after that conversation that I put that money in your dowry."

Holly's mouth fell open. "But how did you know I would fall for David?"

"I didn't, but I've always trusted your judgement."

"Oh," she said, pushing her food around her plate. "You could have told me he was interested."

"I could have, but I wanted it to be your decision. I know how much you value my opinion. I'm not so sure about your mother's opinion," he mused. "I doubt she would have chosen David for you, but she's all for the idea now.

Holly laughed.

Colonel Ambrose continued. "But the last thing I wanted was for you to choose a husband based on what you thought we wanted for you."

"Thank you," Holly smiled and placed a thin hand on her father's.

She rose from the table as the sounds of the others stirring through the foyer meant the time had come to leave.

Holly had never been so excited for church as she climbed into the sleigh. She already missed the sight of David though he had only left a short time ahead of them.

They left after a brief fit from Miles who resented being forced to leave his sword behind with the nanny while they went to the Christmas day service. The snowstorm broke sometime during the night to make for a beautiful sunny morning. Holly savored such a splendid morning as she watched the sparkling, white fields pass them by. The cold air filled her lungs, but even the crisp breeze couldn't keep her mind off her fluttering stomach. Every turn in the road, every footstep of the horses brought her closer to her love.

The church was full to near capacity when the Ambrose family arrived, but they were welcomed into the Weston's box. Across the aisle, Holly accidently found a pair of eyes watching her. Archibald Colston, flanked by his mother and sister, gave her a polite smile and nod. A bit surprised by the gesture, Holly nodded back and quickly diverted her eyes to gaze resolutely at her bible. She hadn't suspected Archibald to be so obliging after she refused his proposal. Perhaps she hadn't hurt his feelings so much after all...

Finally, David took the pulpit and Holly wouldn't have wanted to look elsewhere. In years to come, she would never recall what David said in his sermon that morning. And the congregation would remember this as the sermon Pastor Bishop seemed most unlike himself: almost giddy to the point of shaking as he attempted to keep his message moving in the right direction.

After the service, Colonel and Mrs. Ambrose greeted David with warm wishes in the receiving line with the rest of the town, it seemed.

A smile and a violent blush blossomed across the parson's cheeks as Holly stepped up to greet him. He grasped her hand before she could leave. "If you don't mind waiting, I would love to escort you home. I have my personal sleigh waiting," he said, his voice pleading.

Holly looked to her father who nodded his approval.

"I'll wait in the churchyard for you," Holly agreed.

"Excellent," David replied, his grin threatening to spread off his face.

Holly's family headed for home while she waited for David to finish greeting his parish. To her further surprise, Archibald Colston broke off from his sister and his mother as they moved to ascend their carriage.

"Miss Ambrose," Archibald said with a stiff bow.

Holly swallowed a lump in her throat. "Mr. Colston," she said cheerily, hoping to hide her discomfort. "I apologize for leaving your party without a goodbye. I hated to cause you pain after your family showed me such kindness." She glanced at Lady Colston who watched them with a pout redolent of someone sucking a lemon.

Archibald laughed as he followed Holly's gaze. "I'm afraid you are too kind for us. I saw you standing out in the cold and it would go against my nature to leave without offering you a ride home."

Holly smiled. "Thank you for the offer, but I'm waiting for Mr. Bishop."

"I see," Archibald said with a begrudging smirk. "He's a good man."

"I think so," Holly replied. "You are too," she said, placing a reassuring hand on Archibald's arm. "I think you will make some woman very happy."

He laughed. "I'm heading to New York as soon as we can sell off Handscomb Court and pay our debts. I plan to make a new life for me and my sister there. I see no more point to living out my father's lie in Hillbury."

"I wish you all the best," she said as her chest swelled to hear Archibald say so. She pressed onto her toes to kiss his cheek.

"You'll call on us if you ever find yourself in the colonies?"

"I will," Holly replied, though she wasn't sure if she would ever make good on such a promise.

Archibald returned to his mother as the rest of the parishioners trickled out into the snow covered streets of Hillbury.

David soon appeared at her side. "Were you talking with Archibald Colston?"

Holly wound her arm through David's. "Yes, I was saying goodbye. I refused his proposal a few nights ago and now it seems the Colstons are planning to move to New York."

"Really?" David said with surprise in his voice. "I thought he was the catch of the town?"
Holly laughed. "Maybe. But perhaps I was in love with someone else."

David smiled at the ground as they crossed through to the lane in front of the parsonage where two horses and a small sleigh awaited them. He took Holly's hand as he helped her into the sleigh, his hand lingering longer than necessary on her waist.

"Walk on," he commanded the horses, who pulled into a walk down the lane.

Holly tilted her head up with eyes closed to savor the chill of the wind on her face as it mingled with the warmth of the sun. They pulled out of town to travel down the road toward Ambrose Manor, and Holly let herself sink into David's side for warmth. He pressed a kiss to her hair. The gesture felt natural — like they had always been in love. She wasn't sure why he had wanted to escort her home, but she was glad to find herself alone with him.

They soon reached the drive to Ambrose Manor and David slowed the horses to a stop in front of the steps to the house. Holly turned to descend from the carriage. She thought she saw faces in the parlor windows, but the brush of David's hand on her drew her back. "Shouldn't we head in?" she asked. A glance over her shoulder told her that the faces had disappeared.

"Hold on a minute," David said, taking both of Holly's hands.

Holly watched him curiously. There was an peculiar tremor to David's voice that stopped her words in her throat.

"There is something I want to ask you, and I can't wait a moment longer."

Holly's heart sputtered as David's voice dropped to a tender whisper.

"These past weeks where I have gotten to know who you are and the desires of your heart, have been the happiest days of my adult life. Then to hear you say you love me in the way I have agonizingly loved you these past months, I know my life will forthwith be forever changed and I can't stand the thought of continuing on without you at my side."

"David," Holly croaked, as she tried to swallow the lump growing in her throat. Her heart was pounding in her eyes and she couldn't decide if she was about to cry or laugh. Instead she let David continue.

"I want to travel the world with you. Climb mountains with you. I want to marry you," he smiled. "If you will have me?"

Holly's chest felt full to bursting. "Yes!" she exclaimed before throwing her arms around David's shoulders. Pinning him to the side of the sleigh she pressed her lips to his. "Yes. Yes. Yes." she whispered between kisses.

David stopped her eighth "yes" by winding his fingers into the pinned curls of her hair and filling the silence with the deepest of kisses. Holly reluctantly released her vicegrip on David at the whooping hollers of her brother and sister and their spouses running out to the drive to pull them both from the sleigh and into their embraces.

Mrs. Ambrose reached Holly first, and with tears in her eyes, pulled Holly into her arms. "My baby girl! Engaged!" was all she could say before she burst into the wailings of motherly affection.

Hortensia smothered Holly with a hug as well and rent the air with her squeals of delight.

"Farther didn't want us watching from the parlor, but he was outvoted," Horatio said with his usual wry smirk. "We weren't sure what your answer was at first since you had your back to us. Then you tackled poor Mr. Bishop and we thought things had gone poorly for the man. But then you were kissing and we figured it out."

Holly tried to frown at her brother but she couldn't suppress her smile long enough. She pulled him into a hug instead.

"Couldn't be more happy for you, sis," Horatio said, placing a kiss on her head.

Colonel Ambrose winked at Holly before suggesting they head into the house. Once they were in the warmth of the foyer, Holly wrapped her father in the tightest of hugs. After releasing Holly, Colonel Ambrose shook David's hand. He seemed lost for words to say, but Holly saw a faint glisten to his eye.

"Thanks, father," she said, knowing full well how much of a part he played on bringing her and David together.

With nothing but smiles, the Ambroses all shared a hearty Christmas dinner with everything from pudding to treacle. After dinner, parlor games and carols, everyone turned in for an early night.

Through it all, Holly found any moment she could to wind her fingers through David's. He was invited to stay the night, so while the others headed to bed, Holly stopped David on the grand staircase to the second floor.

"Are you okay, my darling?" David asked, putting his hands on Holly's waist.

"I can't help but feel I might wake up at any moment and find this all a dream," she replied.

"This is a dream," David laughed, pulling Holly in close. "But I'm not going anywhere."

Holly ducked her head, a smile playing on her lips.

David tipped her face up to place a tender kiss on her lips. Holly sighed at the feeling of David's warm mouth on hers. "I can't wait to be married," she whispered.

"Me too," he replied. "Falling in love with you has been such a grand adventure."

"An adventure that's only just beginning."

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