A Laird for Christmas by Gerri Russell

expression there, and against all rationality, made a decision with her heart. “I will keep myself open to possibility, Aunt Margaret. Love is a stretch, but I will not close myself off to their affections over the next few days.” She drew a sharp breath. “I will let destiny take me where it will with any one of these men.”
    The next morning was crisp and a new layer of snowfall covered the ground as Jane rode her gray mare from the stable to where her suitors had gathered in preparation for the hunt. For a moment she signaled her horse to stop. The hunt would be the second competition between her suitors. Her bold statement last night to keep herself open came back to her and her stomach knotted as six gentlemen turned her way. Of all the six, it was Nicholas her gaze moved to.
    A familiar warmth simmered in his sherry-colored eyes and a sudden thrill echoed inside her. She smiled at him, but that smile died a heartbeat later as he turned away.
    “A beautiful day for a hunt, wouldn’t you say?” Lord Galloway asked as she neared. His breath rose in a warm, thin coil matched only by his gaze as it lingered on the slight glimpse of her leather boot peeking out from beneath her riding habit.
    Heat flooded Jane’s cheeks. She shifted the corner of her woolen skirt to cover herself more fully. Jane had enjoyed it when Nicholas had looked at her that way. With Lord Galloway, she felt bared and uncomfortable.
    An amused smile lifted the corner of Lord Galloway’s lips.
    “Indeed,” Jane replied in a tight voice, shifting her gaze from him to the chaos around her. David was dressed in the traditional scarlet coat and white breeches. He would act as the master of the hunt and guide the pack of twenty dogs through the competition. The dogs danced in the excited knowledge that they would be dashing across the pristine snow cover any moment in search of the scent David would offer them on a coiled piece of cloth. Baying filled the air as the dogs scratched at the frosty earth and frolicked with each other. The horses danced with as much anticipation as the dogs.
    Jane held her reins loose, but signaled her horse to remain still with her knees. Lord Galloway, Jules, Bryce, Colin, and Nicholas all wore black coats, buff-colored breeches, and shiny black boots. Of all the men, only David looked entirely comfortable in the clothing of the hunt. Colin looked entirely uncomfortable as he fidgeted with his white cravat. As he noticed Jane’s glance, he offered her a smile and brought his horse alongside hers.
    “Judging by the way you sit your horse, you appear to be a skilled rider,” Colin commented.
    “I am no stranger to this horse or the hunt.”
    Colin smiled. As his features brightened, Jane’s pulse leapt. The man was devastatingly handsome when he smiled.
    “Are we to hunt a red fox?” he asked Jane.
    She nodded. “How else are we to determine a winner of this competition if not for the fox?”
    Bryce frowned and his eyes narrowed at the two of them. “As I am most familiar with the woodlands, I will win this farce before any of you or your dogs have caught the scent.”
    “We will see about that,” Colin replied with confidence.
    Jane turned her horse away from the two men beside her to seek out Nicholas and Jules. They hung back from the others, gazing off into the distance, searching the woodlands beyond.
    A shiver danced across Jane’s neck. She forced it away. The accidents of the past few weeks would not touch her here, with so many protectors nearby. David blew a horn, indicating the hunt was about to begin. At the call of the horn and the barking of the racing dogs, Jane gave her horse a thump of her heels and urged herself forward into the fray. Careful to keep her distance, Jane surged into the woodlands behind her six suitors. David was in the lead, followed by Bryce and Nicholas. Lord Galloway rode more carefully alongside Jules, and Colin brought up the rear, almost as if he were hanging back in