The Five Kisses Read Online Free

recognized the truth of his words: Gillian was becoming a beautiful young lady.
    With that realization, the tenor of his thoughts changed. He had never considered her as anything but his friend and it troubled him that he had suddenly become aware of her as a young, shapely female. Staring down into her eyes, he noted the trust and innocence in the green depths and berated himself for his improper thoughts.
    He stood up, making much of the snow melting on his Hessians. He pulled Gillian to her feet and, with a bluff camaraderie, he handed her the rope and encouraged her progress by chattering about the harmless details of his Christmas duties as the new earl. By the time they reached Gillian’s house, Chad was able to speak to her in his usual bantering tone.
    “Hello, the house,” Chad called.
    Miss Pennington opened the door and Gillian shouted her traditional greeting. “We bring the Yule log. Let the celebrations begin!”
    Gillian apologized to her governess for the dirt and snow they dragged across the threshold but the older woman waved her hand in dismissal. She helped them off with their coats and mittens, then set the kettle on for tea. Chad reached for one of the pastries and she smacked his hand.
    “Not yet, young sir. There’s more work before the feasting.” She shooed him to sweeping the floor as she and Gillian set out the china and silver for their tea.
    Christmas was Gillian’s favorite time of year. She loved the secrets and the preparations and the traditions. She couldn’t wait to see how Penny liked the evening’s entertainment. Although she had been angry when her father hired her, over the last few months Gillian had become very fond of her governess.
    Miss Pennington was tall and thin with an elegance of manner that indicated she came from a refined background. She never spoke very much about herself which lent an air of mystery to her that Gillian found intriguing. She never received any letters or packages. There were no visits home and although Penny was invariably polite and cheerful she did not encourage any relationships outside of the Foster household.
    Gillian had originally fantasized that Miss Pennington had become a governess after a disastrous love affair. However the brisk competence of the plain-faced woman suggested the real reason might be far less romantic. She was quite old, Gillian thought, perhaps even in her thirties. With her gray-streaked hair, unremarkable features and her quiet demeanor, she was not unattractive only self-effacing. Unless one noted her eyes. She had lovely gray eyes that looked at the world with an unruffled serenity that Gillian found soothing.
    “Come along, slowpoke,” Chad said. “Everything’s ready.”
    His voice brought Gillian’s thoughts back to the present. He had rolled the Yule log onto a long runner which he was dragging down the hall to the drawing room. Ethan had pushed back the pocket doors and folded back the carpet to clear a path to the fireplace. Chad did most of the heavy lifting, struggling to wedge the log into the fireplace. Gillian handed him the pieces of last year’s Yule log that she had saved for kindling. While her father rolled out the carpet, Miss Pennington helped arrange three chairs in a circle before the hearth.
    When the preparations were completed to Ethan’s satisfaction, he indicated that the governess should take a chair while Gillian and Chad lit the candles around the room. When all the candles were burning except for the large red one on the mantelpiece, Ethan bid them to take their seats. Gravely, he shook Chad’s hand. He kissed Gillian on the cheek, smiling at the shine of excitement in her eyes. Standing in front of the Yule log, he struck a Lucifer and lit the candle on the mantel, then turned and smiled warmly at the governess.
    “We welcome you, Miss Pennington, to your first Christmas in our home.” Ethan bowed to her and handed her a small box topped with a red satin ribbon. “It is a