“Sally! Marie! Hopkins, where the devil is everyone?” her father called. He caught sight of Elinor and her sisters, who all waved at him in amusement.

His face broke into a beaming grin. “Hark, my herald angels!”

“Oh, lord,” Elizabeth muttered, smiling to herself.

Their father chuckled at his own wit, then turned back to business. “Ella-belle, go and fetch Mrs. McKinley, tell her we’ve more guests. And Winthrop, as well. He will be most anxious to greet his brother.” Ellen moved quickly, her eyes sliding to investigate the arrivals even as she left.

A young, dark, and handsome man grinned, brushing at snowflakes on his scarf. “Not so anxious, I trust. He’ll be more pleased to see Davis than me.”

“Surely not,” Elinor’s father scoffed warmly. “Indeed not.” He turned, nearly tripping over his feet to check the following guests. “Come, come, my fine fellows. I will send my men out for the carriage once you’re all settled. Don’t fret, Mr. Morris, your fine horses are well in hand with Mr. Smythe.”

Elinor’s ears perked up and she stepped forward. “A carriage, Papa?”

Her father turned, his shoes skidding on the floor a touch. “Indeed, my pet. Got fretfully stuck in the mud on the southbound road from Buxton. Two broken axles and one wheel was quite done for. Nearly overturned, and the lot would have frozen there, completely stranded. Your uncle and I happened upon them on our way back in, and insisted they come with us.”

“Lord Winthrop won’t like to hear that,” Elinor commented with a smile.

“No, love, it was not Mr. John’s carriage,” he corrected, patting the man in question on the back. “They arrived at the same time your uncle and I did with the weary travelers. A happy lot we make, eh?”

“Mr. Ames and Mr. Morris, do take yourselves on down to the kitchens,” Uncle James was saying. “Sally will show you the way. Mrs. Larpenteur will warm you up creditably. Mr. Davis, do come along, and Mr. Rigby, of course.”

Elinor looked at Elizabeth, and she returned her startled look, then both turned back to their father. “And they are all to stay, Papa?”

“But of course, they are!” he boomed. “It’s Christmas! Gentlemen, do allow me to introduce two of my daughters. This is Elinor, and beside her, Elizabeth. My youngest you may have noticed hastening off for the housekeeper. Girls, Mr. John Winthrop, Mr. Davis, Mr. Rigby, Mr. Morris and Mr. Ames you see going down to the kitchens, they are the drivers, you know. Oh, and I do believe, Elinor, you might be acquainted with the last gentleman there.”

Elinor hadn’t seen another in the sudden crowd of them, and smiled politely mid-curtsey, “Oh?”

Her father nodded repeatedly, patting his waistcoat absently, still grinning. “Indeed. He’s a London man, and was the poor fellow stranded in the mud.” He turned towards the group, going up on his toes in an attempt to see. “Come, come, man, you will find only friends here.”