The Christmas Wager (5 page)

schoolmistress. But her face lit up as they walked through the

back garden and Andrew pointed out the birds and squirrels

scurrying about, gathering food for the winter ahead.

―Look,‖ he said, pointing, ―there‘s a starling. My grand-

mother always disliked them.‖

―Why?‖ Susan asked.

Andrew shrugged. ―I‘m not sure, really. Perhaps because

there were so many of them.‖

―Well, I think they‘re pretty.‖

In a way, Andrew had to admit, the birds
were
pretty, with

white speckles against a dark, metallic brown. ―Yes, I suppose

they are.‖

―Come on, Uncle Andrew,‖ the little girl ordered, tugging

him off in a new direction. ―Let me show you the pond!‖

He hadn‘t suggested she call him ―uncle,‖ but he found it

endearing and made no attempt to correct her. He let her pull

him along the pebbled path, until they came to a small

fishpond. Or he presumed it was a fishpond. At this time of

year, it was empty.

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34

―There are two ducks here in the summer,‖ Susan

commented, then added, ―one is nice. But the other one always

tries to bite me.‖

―Perhaps he thinks you have food.‖

―Andrew! There you are!‖ The voice belonged to Thomas.

Andrew and Susan turned to see the man walking hurriedly

toward them along the path. His expression looked dark, and

Andrew feared the worst.

―Have we been thrown out?‖ Andrew asked. ―Again?‖

―Worse!‖ Thomas replied, looking exasperated. ―We‘ve been

asked—no,
ordered
—to throw a Christmas ball.‖

THOMAS was glad Andrew and his mother found all of this

amusing. He did not. It would have been one thing to throw

some evergreens up in the main hall and put up a tree. But a

ball! And in only two days. It was impossible!

―It isn‘t impossible,‖ Duchess Barrington said, laughing,

―we shall simply have to be quick about it. Though the idea of a

Christmas ball, at this stage of the game, is simply absurd.

Anybody who would attend such an affair has no doubt already

made other plans.‖

Thomas groaned. ―Father was adamant about there being

a ball. We‘ll have to have one, whether or not anyone attends.‖

―No,‖ Duchess Barrington said firmly, ―I won‘t be made a

laughing stock, regardless of what your father says.‖

Thomas started to protest, but she raised a hand to silence

him. ―We‘ll throw a Christmas Eve dance.‖

―Pardon me, Duchess Barrington,‖ Andrew interjected,

―but isn‘t a ball a dance?‖

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35

―I mean a
dance
, Mr. Nash. For all of the tenants of

Barrington. With country dancing and music and a

tremendous banquet!‖

―Don‘t you think the local villagers might have Christmas

Eve plans as well?‖

She sniffed. ―I‘m sure they do, Mr. Nash. But if the finest

food and drink that Barrington Hall has to offer isn‘t enough to

entice a good number of them away from the pubs, we are truly

beyond hope.‖

Thomas didn‘t share his mother‘s conviction that an

overblown affair at the hall would entice the locals away from a

pleasant Christmas Eve at their favorite pub or church. If he

had his choice, he might prefer to be in a pub at this very

moment, drinking in the holiday with Andrew….

He forced his thoughts to return to what he was doing.

―Very well, Mother,‖ he said, deciding her plan was at least

better than anything he had to offer.

―You two get on with the rest of it. I shall take care of

sending out the invitations.‖

―We shall venture out into the woods and fetch some

greenery.‖

He was annoyed when this produced further laughter from

his mother.

―Oh dear,‖ Duchess Barrington said, ―you really are new to

this.‖

Thomas raised an eyebrow at her until she continued, ―My

dear Thomas, you are about to put on a major function at the

hall. Don‘t you think the staff should be alerted and given

instruction?‖

Of course. He was irritated that he hadn‘t thought of it,

but of course he
was
new to running a household. He‘d never

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36

before had to worry about the details of how things got done at

Barrington.

He summoned Simcox with the pull cord near the fireplace

and, when the butler appeared, said, ―Simcox, will you please

ask all of the household staff to assemble in the entrance hall?‖

―Immediately, sir?‖ the old manservant inquired.

―As soon as possible.‖

―Yes, sir. I shall inform you when they are assembled.‖

―Thank you.‖

There were approximately thirty servants assembled in the

hall about twenty minutes later, when Simcox came to

summon him.

―I understand this is very sudden,‖ Thomas began, feeling

self-conscious under their curious gazes. ―But I know we can

count on you all to give it your best effort.‖

He realized they were still looking very puzzled. ―What I‘m

getting at is… we have decided that it is high time Barrington

Hall came out of mourning for our dear, departed Lady Anne. It

is time to dress the hall for the holidays and put on a proper

celebration. There will be Christmas at Barrington Hall this

year.‖

A spontaneous burst of applause followed this, giving him

a bit more confidence. He glanced at Andrew, who was smiling

at him, Susan somehow having gravitated to his side. The girl

seemed perfectly at ease with her hand in Andrew‘s, and the

image made Thomas feel unaccountably warm inside. Andrew

had a natural affinity for children. He would probably make a

good father someday.

Thomas turned back to those gathered before him. ―I know

this means a lot of work for everybody. There‘s very little time.‖

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37

Simcox took a step forward. ―Might I say something, Your

Lordship?‖

―Certainly, Simcox.‖

―I think I can speak for all here when I say we are

delighted to hear this news. And we will be happy to do

whatever you deem necessary, sir. Just give the orders.‖

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38

Chapter 7

ANDREW insisted on bringing Susan with them on their

evergreen-gathering adventure. This delayed things a short

time, while Katie bundled the little girl into layers of coats,

scarves, boots and mittens, but Thomas didn‘t complain. They

also brought two of the houseboys with them—a pair of

teenaged twins named Hew and Duncan.

The boys did much of the work, truthfully, leading a small,

pony-pulled cart along a riding path in the woods and climbing

trees to cut down spruce and pine boughs. Andrew and

Thomas did try to do some of the climbing themselves, but

Duncan chided them for it. ―Begging your pardon, Your

Lordships, but we can hardly have two fine gentlemen like

yourselves gettin‘ sticky sap all over your good clothes, now can

we?‖

―Really, Duncan,‖ Andrew protested, ―We don‘t mind. And

we don‘t want you to do all the hard work yourselves.‖

―Never you mind, sir. We enjoy it.‖

Andrew looked to Thomas for help, but the man merely

smiled and shook his head. Apparently, things were done a

certain way at Barrington Hall, and there was no help for it.

Some of the other servants had been sent out to chop

down large trees for the entrance hall and the ballroom, and

the forest was alive this morning with the sound of cheerful

voices calling out to one another.

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39

Susan was excited by the expedition, but she was still

confused. ―Why are we bringing trees inside?‖ she asked,

―Won‘t they make an awful mess?‖

―One can hope,‖ Thomas said under his breath, a

mischievous smile illuminating his handsome face.

Andrew glanced away, fearing that he might betray his

affections. Instead, he said to Susan, ―We bring evergreen

boughs inside at Christmas, because they are beautiful and

they smell fresh and wonderful.‖

Susan still looked skeptical, and Thomas asked

incredulously, ―Is that all?‖

Andrew laughed. ―Well, it‘s a very ancient tradition. I

suppose there might be some other reason for it, but I‘m not

certain what it is.‖

―Mum says it‘s a symbol of the baby Jesus,‖ Hew

commented.

Thomas raised an eyebrow at the boy. ―Is it? How so?‖

Hew shrugged. ―Can‘t rightly say as I know.‖

―Truthfully, sir,‖ Duncan said, ―Our mum thinks

everything‘s a symbol of the baby Jesus. ‗Specially at this time

of year.‖

Thomas laughed and shook his head, scooping Susan off

the ground in the same motion to lift her over the small, frozen

brook that cut across the path. ―I think Andrew‘s answer shall

have to stand, for now. Perhaps Katie will have a better one

when we get back to the hall.

―I‘ve almost forgotten,‖ he added, putting the little girl

down on the other side of the brook, ―We have one very special

tree to find—the Yule log.‖

―What‘s a Yule log?‖

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40

Once again, Thomas looked to Andrew, so the blond

replied, ―It‘s the biggest fallen log we can find, Susan. It needs

to be tremendous, so it will burn in the fireplace for the entire

celebration.‖

―Why is it called a Yule log?‖

―Well, because we also call Christmas ‗Yule‘—please don‘t

ask me why.‖

Thomas and the brothers laughed at him, but Susan just

looked up at him with those serious eyes. He was beginning to

fear that the child never laughed.

Susan did seem to enjoy the game of Find-the-Yule-Log,

pointing out every fallen log she found, though most were far

from suitable. The men played along to keep the game lively,

but more often than not pointed to rocks or standing trees, so

Susan could reproach them for their poor eyesight. At last, the

girl found a large fallen oak tree that Thomas pronounced

absolutely perfect, and they were allowed to head back to the

hall, after marking it with one of Thomas‘s handkerchiefs. None

too soon, by Andrew‘s estimate, as Susan was beginning to

shiver.

Thomas picked her up and carried her, trying to keep her

warm at the same time. She had begged to ride the pony, but

the poor animal seemed to be having enough difficulty with the

cartload of tree branches as it was.

It was just as they were leaving the woods for the open

field behind the manor house that Hew spotted something in

one of the tall oaks a short distance from the path. ―Hold on!‖

He tromped through the undergrowth, then scrambled up

the trunk, until he was within reach of a large growth of

mistletoe suspended in the branches. Hew broke off several

sprigs of the plant and dropped down to the ground with an

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41

agility Andrew had to admire. The boy trotted back to them,

holding his prize proudly in one hand.

―Mistletoe, m‘lord!‖

―Yes,‖ Thomas responded with amusement, ―I can see that.‖

―What?‖ Susan asked. ―What is it?‖

Hew looked shocked. ―You‘ve never heard of mistletoe?‖

When she shook her head, he came closer, pulling one of

the sprigs out and holding it over her head. ―It‘s a very magical

plant, milady.‖

―Magical?‖

―Yes, milady,‖ Hew said earnestly, ―if someone stands

underneath it, they got to be kissed.‖

Susan looked skeptical. ―Why?‖

―It‘s very bad luck, if they‘re not.‖

It was then that the little girl noticed the mistletoe being

dangled above her head. She wasn‘t actually standing, as

Thomas still held her in his arms. But her eyes went wide

nonetheless, no doubt contemplating the ill luck this would

bring her. The servant boy ducked in and landed a quick peck

on her cheek. ―No fear, Miss Susan. I‘ve saved you!‖

She giggled, the closest thing to a laugh Andrew had heard

from her. He could have hugged the boy, at that moment.

Duncan looked scandalized that his brother would be so

familiar with a member of the duke‘s family, but Thomas

merely laughed and told Hew, ―You, sir, are a scoundrel.‖

WHEN they returned to the hall, wagon overflowing with

evergreens, Thomas saw that the staff had been busy in his