Before The Snow Falls | Holiday Novella

The Meddler(s)

New York City, New York

1867

Nora had been considering writing Felix another letter all morning. She'd sent the other one a few days ago, but yesterday Oliver asked what was written in it and upon learning of its contents, had promptly dropped his head into his hands.

"You mentioned me?" he'd sighed, exasperated.

"Why yes," Nora had rebuked. "I was just telling him of how we had picked out a Christmas tree."

"And did you add that we were very dear companions and absolutely nothing more?"

"Well...no," Nora had admitted.

Oliver went one to shake his head, launching into a very descript explanation of how precisely that would sound to Felix. And of course, Nora hadn't even thought about it like that. She didn't wish for Felix to get the impression that there was a romance between her and Oliver. The very image of Felix opening the letter and reading it as such made Nora feel uneasy.

So finally, she had sat down at her writing desk to pen another letter. She was just finishing it when she heard a commotion downstairs, the sound of men's voices floating upwards. Oliver had gone to the kitchen a few moments ago to fetch sandwiches, but Nora didn't know of any other men that would be in her home. Her father would be at his office until much later in the day.

Brushing off her emerald skirts absentmindedly, Nora made her way down the staircase. Upon seeing who was there, she froze, her breath leaving her in a rush of emotion.

It was Felix. And his Uncle Leo. They were standing in the foyer of her home as Oliver and a maid tended to them. Oliver was flashing them genial smiles while the two Englishman regarded him with perplexed expressions.

Oliver had the tendency to do that to people.

Immediately, a hand flew up to her hair, ensuring that she didn't have a fly away. Not that Nora could do much about her appearance now. Felix hadn't seen her standing there yet, but she doubted that she could retreat to her room unnoticed.

So instead, Nora took the opportunity to watch the scene unfold, focusing specifically on him. Felix. He was actually here, in the flesh.

He was, as always, terribly handsome. There was a reason that all the ladies would swarm Felix at balls. He was the epitome of all things English, with his slender but strapping form and neatly combed dark blonde hair.

Felix had all the grace befitting the son of a peer, not to mention the nephew of the queen, but Nora knew that the real reason women flocked to him was because of the glint in his eyes. And there was a hidden devilish smile that would occasionally reveal itself, in turn betraying Felix as something beyond a mere cordial gentleman.

It wasn't something she'd really noticed until this past year. And then once she had, Nora found that she couldn't look away from him, trying to figure out what the look meant.

Still, to this day, Nora couldn't look away from Felix. And even though she was already breathless upon seeing him there in her foyer, it was nothing compared to what she felt when Felix finally looked up, their eyes connecting.

"Nora," he breathed. Or at least she thought that's what Felix had said. It came out as barely a whisper, but she saw his lips move in the shape of her name.

The nerves in Nora's stomach afflicted her with the inability to smile properly, and her lips merely trembled instead. This was going wonderfully.

"Felix," she whispered back before forcing her legs to propel her forward. Clearing her throat, she managed to get a more proper introduction out. "My, Felix. Lord Farrington. How nice it is to see you here in New York!" she exclaimed. Felix stepped forward as Nora approached them, reaching down to grasp her wrist.