This year, Christmas tasted bittersweet.
Portia brushed her hair, sitting at the vanity in her room that had been given to Lady Elizabeth Summerhill in 1809 by Lord Byron. Countless other Summerhill women had done exactly the same thing on Christmas Eve over the years.
Had they been happy? Fulfilled? Had they anticipated gifts their husbands, beloveds, fathers gave them?
She closed her eyes and thought about the one thing she wanted in the whole world.
It was gone.
Her father had sold Suncrest Manor.
Lowering her head, she felt the tightness in her chest, just like every time she thought about it since she'd found out.
Christmas Eve wasn't the day to dwell. Nor was it the day to wonder what would become of her now that her plans had been so completely ruined.
Although it was hard not thinking about that.
"Today is about new beginnings," she told her reflection firmly. Her family was gathered downstairs, all together for the first time in over a decade. For the first time that she could ever remember, they were a family, and that was turning out to be a bigger gift than she'd realized.
Tonight she was going to take pleasure in that. She was even going to enjoy her half-sister Summer.
Determined to get in the holiday spirit, Portia opened her jewelry case and clasped her favorite pearls around her neck. The necklace had been a gift to the first Countess of Amberlin from the king, on her wedding day.
She loved that-the connection from past to present. No one else in the family had ever understood that. Except Father, of course, though he'd betrayed their heritage for money when he'd sold Suncrest Manor.
Honour and Family, indeed.
There was a knock on her door, and then Summer poked her head in. "Rosalind and Nick are here. Ready to go down?"
"Living here doesn't give you the right to walk into my room like that."
Summer rolled her eyes. "If you're going to act like a teenager, you have to sell it better. Maybe you should study Chloe."
"Good idea." She glanced at Summer's outfit. Instead of her usual black, she wore navy blue with an ivory sweater. "Nice sweater."
"Do you really think so, or are you being facetious?" She tugged at the bottom self-consciously.
Her heart melted for the woman. Summer was a successful solicitor, but she was unsure in many ways. Portia's mean girl side wanted to tear apart the girl her father had sired with his mistress, but something in her couldn't do it. She related all too well to her new sister.
In fact ... "You just need a little something," she said, reopening her jewelry case. She pulled out the third drawer and withdrew a necklace. "Turn around."
"Are you going to stab me?" Summer said, doing as she was told.
Portia bit her lip to keep from smiling. "This necklace was given to the first Countess of Amberlin by a secret admirer. He told her he'd seen the necklace and had to acquire it for her because the blue diamond reminded him of her eyes. Saying he stole it is probably more accurate, because he was a privateer. She was quite popular. She inspired many men."
"I don't know what to say." Summer touched the blue pendant, which nestled perfectly in her cleavage. "How do you know all that?"
"I read her diary. It was in the library at Suncrest Manor. I read it one summer when I was home from school." Refusing to think about the fact that she'd never be able to go back to the country estate she loved so much, she gestured to the door. "We should go before Fran sends a search party."
