Just One Christmas Wish

An Angel in the Woods

Chapter II

Nutcracker wandered between the trees of the forest of the Estate as Lawrence's temper cooled. As per usual when Duchess Devin outlasted Lawrence's patience or pressed a disagreeable subject, Lawrence and Nutcracker rode across the fields and into the woods.
Lawrence opened his mouth to the freezing air of December and ranted aloud to Nutcracker,
"What is her obsession?! She wants me to marry now! I'm twenty-one, I've my whole life ahead of me! There are things I want to see and places I want to be! A silly housewife would only slow me down." Scoffing, he added, "But I suppose that is what she hopes --to slow me down,"
Nutcracker made no comment. Lawrence was quiet for a moment, observing the icy trees frosted like skeletons, with their leaves rotted and discarded.
"Maybe we could run away." He said suddenly. A slow smile spread across Lawrence's mouth. "She wouldn't be able to do a thing about it." Warming to the idea, Lawrence was distracted until Nutcracker let out an uneasy snort. Startled, Lawrence whipped his head around, trying to pinpoint what it was that was alarming the horse.
Warily, he nudged Nutcracker on towards a small clearing of trees.
There, at the heart of the snowy clearing knelt a young woman with golden, honey ginger hair that tumbled down her shoulders and back in bronze locks. And on her back were two great, white, feathered wings like those of a giant dove. Lawrence froze in shock, mouth hanging slightly open. Nutcracker whinnied.
At the sudden noise, the young woman spun round, rising to her feet then to her wings so the hem of her white dress just brushed the frosted forest floor.
Nervously, Nutcracker whinnied again, stamping his hooves. Lawrence could only gape at the strange beauty of the girl: the pale, glowing skin, the hair like heavenly fire, the contrast of the white dress and the brilliance of her locks, and the glorious golden-white feathers of her wings. Finally, Lawrence came to his senses and calmed Nutcracker. Turning to the woman before him, Lawrence said hesitantly,
"Good morning," She said nothing but stared at him distrustfully. Lawrence cocked an eyebrow at her.
"Did you hear me? Can you speak?"
"Yes, I can speak." The woman replied shortly. Dryly, Lawrence commented,
"Not one for charm, then." She didn't laugh. "Right. Excuse my rather untoward way of asking," Lawrence's lack of sarcasm seemed to have deserted him by now. "but are you an angel? From Heaven?" The young woman appraised him a moment before answering,
"I am an Angel but I have never heard of 'Heaven'. Do you mean 'the heavens'?" /An angel who'd never heard of Heaven. This just got interesting./
"Let's go with that. What...are you doing? Here?"
"The Stars sent me to recover a most precious object. I was just...feeling." Lawrence frowned at her.
"Feeling?" He enquired. The Angel looked mildly embarrassed.
"Yes, feeling the snow. Feeling the cold." She paused and looked around. "I've never been cold before." Lawrence felt close to /catching/ cold.
"Well," He said briskly. "What is your plan of action?" The angel floated back to the ground, fingering the pendant of a necklace she wore around her neck.
"I'm not sure."
"Do you have a name?"
"Nöel." Not sure quite allowing himself to think ahead of what he was saying, Lawrence asked,
"Can you, er, make your wings more discreet?" Nöel stared at him a moment.
"Oh. Yes." She spun once and her wings disappeared. Lawrence managed to only just hide his surprise.
"I would say that did it." There was a moment of silence as he stared at her and she stared at him. Before he really knew what he was doing, Lawrence said,
"Do you have anywhere to stay?" Nöel faltered, looked as though she might say something and then sighed almost silently.
"I don't." Perhaps it was her unearthly beauty or something else, but Lawrence found himself suggesting,
"Why don't you come stay with my father, mother and I?" The angel looked at him in surprise.
"Whyever would you ask?"
"Well, it's Christmas," He covered up awkwardly. For a moment, the two strangers regarded each other. Then Nöel said,
"I will accept your offer Mr...?"
"Blackwood. Lawrence Blackwood."

"Mr Blackwood."

Lawrence slung a wolfish grin on his face as he slipped from Nutcracker's back and gestured to Noel.

"M'lady," He swept his arm round grandly to indicate that she get on the dark bay horse's back. Nutcracker shifted nervously and Noel took a step towards him, hand outstretched in peace. Nutcracker looked apprehensive but slowly calmed as Noel hushed him in soft tones. Soon, she held his nose in her hand, stroking the velvety skin delicately. Happy, Nutcracker sighed.

As Noel pulled away, Lawrence went forward to help her up onto Nutcracker's back. Regardless of his gentlemanly efforts, Noel put one foot in the stirrup and kicked her leg over as quickly and smoothly as if horses were in her blood. From the saddle, she looked down at Lawrence and smiled ruefully.

Blinking for a moment in surprise, Lawrence returned her smile with a sarcastic one of his own. He wasn't in the habit of being made a fool of.

Despite this odd burst of unlady-likeness, Lawrence swept himself up into the saddle behind Noel. As they set off through the trees and back to the Estate House, Lawrence noted that Noel smelled deliciously of wood smoke and warm chestnuts.