Elsie

Chapter 19: Christmas

Elsie woke at the crack of dawn on Christmas Eve Day. Though she had only slept for three hours at most, she didn't feel the least bit sleepy. She sat up quickly, memories of the previous night flooding her mind as a smile assumed her face. Her eyes were starry, and her cheeks were pink as she quickly brushed her hair and pinned it into place.

"Good morning!" she sang as she bounced into the kitchen to help Lois and Verda with the breakfast.

"Elsie, you look positively radiant!" Nora exclaimed.

Elsie tried not to smile too widely, but failed miserably. Hannah cast her a suspicious glance as Nora pulled her into a chair.

"Tell us everything!" she demanded, and even Lois and Verda neglected their positions to listen.

"It was a wonderful night," Elsie shrugged lightly.

"Elsie Thomson, you tell us everything this minute!" Nora snapped.

"It was a lovely party," Elsie answered vaguely as she stood and walked to the cupboard to retrieve the dishes. "We played a game called 'Dogs and Cats', and 'Blind Man's Buff', and 'Switch Chairs'," she told them. "All of the ladies were dressed so elegantly, and Mr. and Mrs. Blanchet were gracious hosts."

All four women looked at her skeptically. Hannah cocked an eyebrow, Nora placed her hands on her hips, and Lois and Verda scoffed as they went back to their cooking.

"Very well," Nora said, "but I am warning you, Miss Thomson, you will tell me what happened later!"

Elsie ignored her, setting a place at the table for Clement before scurrying off to tend to several fires all about the mansion. She felt tingles go down her spine as she walked beneath the mistletoe and into the parlor to tend to the fire where the two of them had warmed themselves the night before.

The day was spent preparing for Christmas festivities. Although Nora had already done some decorating such as hanging the mistletoe, wrapping sashes around banisters, and putting out extra candles, everyone was anxious to decorate a tree. Adam hauled one inside with the help of Mr. Lane, and the two of them managed to set it up in the center of the parlor. Nora complained about the pine needles all over the floors, constantly sweeping them up only for new ones to replace the needles she had removed.

Lois and Verda popped corn, and Elsie and Hannah sat at the eat-in table, stringing each kernel onto a small rope and eating a few as well.

"You're glowing, Elsie," Hannah noted quietly.

Elsie bit her lip as the corners of her mouth turned up. "I am so happy, Hannah," she confided. "Mr. Jones has asked to court me!"

Hannah's eyes widened before a wide smile took over her face. "Perhaps we will celebrate two weddings at the turn of the new year," she teased.

"Oh, stop it!" Elsie blushed violently. "You and Adam courted for an entire year. Clemen- uh, Mr. Jones and I have only just begun."

"Only just begun what?" Nora asked sharply, coming around the corner. This time, Elsie could not escape, and soon every female employee knew of the courtship. Every one of them was ecstatic.

"This is going to be the best Christmas ever!" Nora announced, and Elsie had to agree.

Elsie had not seen Clement yet that day, but she heard the sound of hooves outside the window and looked out to see Clement driving his own buggy. He stopped before the doors and hopped out, tucking several packages under his arms.

"Mr. Jones drove himself somewhere?" she inquired of the other women in the kitchen.

"Oh, he does that every year," Verda chuckled. "Just you wait and see."