Mistletoe Everywhere

After he had heaped his plate with more food than he wanted, he took one of the empty chairs at the table bottom, as far from Penelope as possible.

His tensed muscles eased as he joked with his friends. Smythe made a comment and Charles turned to answer. He caught sight of Penelope…and a monstrous bunch of mistletoe above her.

“Gordon? What is it?” Smythe swiveled in the direction Charles was staring. He looked up and down, and from one side to the other. “I say, with your mouth hanging open like that, you must see something spectacular, but damned if I know what it is.”

With an audible click, Charles clamped his jaw shut. “I thought I saw…” He forced his gaze back to his companion. “Nothing. I imagined I saw mistletoe.”

Smythe’s eyebrows rose. “Mistletoe?”

“Yes. The house is named ‘Mistletoe Manor’, so the place is filled with mistletoe decorations. Pictures, wall hangings, ceiling trim, whatnot.”

“Indeed.” Smythe’s eyebrows rose higher. “That ‘mistletoe’ you saw is over that Miss Lawrence. Lovely little filly.” His lips curved into a knowing grin. “My jaw dropped the first time I saw her, too.”

Charles stiffened. “I was not looking at Miss Lawrence. I believed I saw mistletoe over her.”

“‘Mistletoe’.” Symthe’s grin widened. “Of course.”