White Christmas
By EH Walter
Copyright 2011 EH Walter
Smashwords Edition
Discover other titles by EH Walter at Smashwords.com
Paranormal Investigations 1 http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/101392
Paranormal Investigations 2 http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/113147
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White Christmas
The smells from the kitchen were almost overpowering, roasted meats of every variety, vegetables draped in thick butter, the Christmas pudding steaming in its spices. The effect was intoxicating and even Felicity found herself smiling.
"Does all go well Mrs Carr?" she asked the cook who was almost hidden under the sweat gleaming over her face. She was busy with the main meal as her kitchen maids prepared the breakfasts. It was almost as if Christmas was just about the food - at least it was all about the food for Mrs Carr, this was her biggest day of the year.
Mrs Carr frowned. Felicity knew the woman disapproved of her, the youngest housekeeper anyone had heard of. No matter that she was also the best housekeeper in London. It seemed some people made all their judgements on age, not experience and expertise. No matter. Felicity had grown with this family since she was eleven and had risen through the ranks. She knew she was good at her job. When the old housekeeper died suddenly, Felicity found herself temporarily promoted and then, after a few months, it was as if she had always been in the job. Of course the old master might have tried to appoint an older woman, but the young master was running things now as his father devoted himself entirely to a retirement of hunting and fishing. This house was his son's now, as were all the happenings in it.
"It's as expected," Mrs Carr snapped, "now out of my kitchen and leave me to my business if you please."
Felicity was more than happy to leave, she had plenty of other business to attend to herself. It was Christmas morning after all and the young mistress would want to check all was going to plan, this was her first Christmas at the helm of the family after all and she had exacting standards to follow - the de Veyney Christmases were famous all over the country.
The one thing that would make it perfect would be snow, but when Felicity stuck her head out of the back door the sky had not looked promising.
The breakfast trays had gone up, there would be no formal breakfast this morning to enable all to ready themselves for the big day. The servants needed time to set up the dining hall and cook the mammoth feast . The family had to ready themselves for church.
As a child Felicity had found the steps from the bottom of the house to the top made her breathless, these days they posed no problem and she bounded up the servants' staircase in leaps of two at a time, only slowing to a more refined pace when in the family's section of the house. She was the perfect servant in every way.
She caught the maid about to enter the young mistress's bed chamber and took the tray from her.
"Go assist with the young misses," she suggested. The young master's sisters always tried to look their best for church on Christmas morning, as they never knew who would be home for the holidays and they were of an age, and had been for some time now, that made them keen for male company and attention. They had best be married off soon to save them from themselves, Felicity thought.
Felicity skilfully balanced the heavy tray in one hand and knocked gently on the thick wooden door before entering. The mistress would be asleep still, she didn't ever stir until the morning sun hit her pillow.
Inside the room Felicity put down the tray on the lacquered dressing table and went to the windows, drawing the heavy curtains that had enclosed the room in darkness. She still thought it strange, even after living here for fifteen years, that her betters slept separately from each other. If she thought of her parents and siblings all crowded into the one room and compared it to this lot, it seemed very strange indeed. Why would a man not want his wife by his side every night? At least they made use if all the rooms in this large house. And of course, the young master and mistress didn't have an entirely normal relationship - she had been the sister of his dearest friend and that was why he had married her. Despite that, he was a good and caring husband, better than many of his class that Felicity had seen at first hand, she had occasion to fight off enough of their attentions over the years to know.
As the morning light hit her face the young mistress muttered and turned over in bed.
"Morning madam," Felicity said and fetched the tray to place in front of the young woman. The breakfast trays did look beautiful this morning, she had to give that credit to Mrs Carr's management, each one garlanded with festive holly and scattered with paper snow. Everyone in this house, including the servants, loved Christmas - it was the best day of the year. And tomorrow the servants all got to visit their families and take gifts with them. All except Felicity and the cook that was. Mrs Carr had no family and Felicity found visits to her own family too depressing, she was of more use here anyway. Here she knew what her place was.
"Is it morning already?" the mistress asked, "It was such a late night it barely seems possible. I'm sure I got no more than a wink of sleep."
It had been a late night for the staff too, except they did not have the chance to sleep in to compensate, and neither would they expect it.
"Christmas morning madam," she said. "Now eat your breakfast or Mrs Carr will be most upset. You will need all your strength for the festivities today."
She helped the mistress to a sitting position and plumped he pillows up behind her. She was such a bony one. She would need all the strength possible for the long day ahead with the family and friends. The number at dinner alone was expected to be thirty and there would be more arriving in the evening.
When had she started treating the mistress like a child? It was hard not to, she had such an innocence and naivety about her and it was not like the mistress minded, she seemed to find it reassuring, as if she was content for someone else to take charge. She had been an indulged younger sister and now she was an indulged young wife.
"You are so good to me Felicity," the mistress always called her this when they were alone and sometimes slipped up in public too. All housekeepers were called 'Mrs' even if they weren't married, such as Felicity, as a mark of respect for their position.
"Nonsense madam, now eat up."
The mistress reached out a slender hand and grasped Felicity's wrist. Her eyes looked directly into her own.
"No Felicity, I know how good you are to me - truly I do."
Felicity smiled neutrally, it really didn't do to get too involved with the family - that had been the hardest lesson she had learnt as an eleven year old. She had been whipped for playing with the young master. He had never forgiven himself for that one and the marks were still clear on her back. Just thinking about it made the old scars tingle.
"Will the day be good?"
"It will be the best Christmas ever Madam."
The young woman smiled. She knew the family would be watching her, comparing her to her mother in law.
"If that's all madam, I must get back to my jobs. Ring for the maid when you wish to dress."
"Of course, of course. I did not mean to keep you."
Felicity checked all the maids were in their appointed position, then it was time for her and Mr Jakes, the butler, to meet with the young master to discuss the day. They would only have a few minutes with him before the family left for church. They met, as usual, in the masters' private sitting room. It was a room that was slowly changing to reflect his tastes and not his father's; gone were the cases of stuffed fish and in were the books.
He sat at the desk, they stood before him.
There was not a trace of the young boy in the man. He had worries on his mind and a house and business interests to run. That in itself was enough to age anyone.
"Anything unexpected?" he asked.
"No sir," the butler replied.
"It is still thirty for dinner?" Felicity asked.
It was then she saw a glimmer of the boy. He smiled awkwardly. His dark eyes twinkled.
"My cousin Jasper didn't manage to find his way home after the supper party. I think we had best plan him into the celebrations."
"Very well sir, that should not cause a problem."
He did not need to say any more. The servants were all used to picking up after the master's cousin Jasper. The party last night had started as a civilised affair with the reading of Mr Dickens' A Christmas Carol, but of course - when the sexes parted after supper - the men had drunk the best port saved for this time of year and smoked enough cigars to fumigate a small house. Mr Jasper had fallen asleep in an armchair until being lifted by two footmen to a spare room where he was probably still asleep. No one would think of requesting Mr Jasper's presence at church.
With the family, and most of the staff, at church it was a chance for Felicity to relax a little. She did a thorough check of the whole house, noting anything that was not as it should be and either making it so or intending to check it was done it later. In the upstairs corridor she happened upon a dishevelled and hung over Mr Jasper, he came to the door of the spare room, leaning heavily on the door frame, and looked a little confused.
She went to hurry on her way but he spotted her.
"William put me up last night, did he?"
"Yes sir." she said with a small bobbed curtsey.
"Good egg our William. They're all at church I suppose?"
"Yes sir. Can I get you anything? Breakfast? Strong coffee?"
"Don't suppose you'd pop in and keep my bed warm?"
"No sir."
"I'll settle for the coffee then."
"I'll see someone brings it up to you."
After her tour of the house she went back to the kitchen where she asked one of the footmen to take coffee up to Mr Jasper. It was best to keep him at a good distance from the maids. She then settled into the housekeeper's parlour for a brief, quiet cup of tea. This was the only two minutes she would get to herself all day.
When the family returned from church Felicity and her staff were on hand to relieve them of their winter wrappings. There had been a brief shower of rain which Miss Grace had taken for snow.
"I swear it was snow, Milly!" she told her sister, "It's going to be a white Christmas after all! Tell her William!"
The young master smiled at his sister. "I think we shall have to wait and see. Now take off your things, the maids are waiting."
Felicity herself helped the mistress off with her coat, trying to disguise the woman's weakness. Nothing however, escaped the old mistress's eyes. Felicity knew the woman was worried about grandchildren, about an heir. In truth the staff knew more of the marriage than the family. How could they not when they were the ones cleaning the sheets and pretending they were not there? Felicity did what she could to stifle most of the gossip, but it would always thrive below stairs no matter what she did. All the staff knew the master and mistress quite simply did not have the kind of marriage that would produce children.
"None of your family joining us?" the old mistress snapped to the young.
The younger woman wobbled, Felicity steadied her with an arm around the waist.
Tactless.
Coats, cloaks, hats and gloves stowed away the family were led through to the parlour for mulled wine and canapés to take the edge off their appetite. Dinner would be an hour away yet. There were still people to arrive.
"Make sure all the guests are shown in directly," the young master said to her. It was a mistake to make that request to her.
"I shall make sure Mr Jakes knows," she said overly formerly.
"Of course, of course. Thank you."
She nodded without making eye contact and withdrew from the room. It would be over to the maids and footmen now to keep the canapés and drinks flowing. She caught the head footman on the way out.
"Make sure Miss Millicent and Miss Grace's drinks are well watered, it wouldn't do for them to take on too much of the Christmas spirit."
Her place was in the dining room, making sure everything was just so. It was wise to avoid the kitchen until Mrs Carr had a chance to slow down. Her temper would be as hot as her temperature at the moment.
The front door bell seemed to chime every other minute and brought a dreadful gust of wind into the house so that the floor needed constant attention. Guests were shown into the parlour where the noise level was gradually rising.
The table was finally set to Felicity and Mr Jakes' standards - with one side pushed a little closer together to allow for the thirty-first guest. All was ready. It looked beautiful. The candle light reflected on the polished silver and glass, each place was set with festive garlands and the latest novelty - crackers. Felicity could not help but compare it to the scene downstairs, the messy frenzy of preparation that would be finally cleared aside for a much humbler celebration.
The two and a half hours of the meal passed in a busy blur. There was always something to do and it was only when the family retired back to the parlour that the servants could sit to their own dinner in the kitchen. Felicity was at the foot of the table, Mr Jakes at the head.
Mrs Carr had surpassed herself, the meal was declared by all to be the best so far. She even agreed to pull a cracker with them and, although she declared the sweets inside poor quality, she did deign to wear the paper hat, for a while at least.
"Did you like the bird?" she asked Mr Jakes, who was expected to answer about the quality of the goose on behalf of the whole staff.
"Most succulent," he replied.
"And the family - did they like their bird?"
"I did hear one of the family say it was a most pleasant change."
Mrs Carr sniffed.
The master had insisted on trying a turkey this year, a bird Mrs Carr had never cooked before.
"Modern ideas," the old woman muttered as she took herself off to the scullery, paper hat still fixed to her head.
The party went on late into the night. Gradually, one by one, the family drifted off to bed. The young master waited up to make sure his cousin Jasper got to bed and everyone was safely taken care of. It went without saying that most of the staff, including the housekeeper and butler, had to wait up with him.
"That's all for today," he said when Jasper had been safely escorted to the spare room, strung between the shoulders of two burly footmen.
"Thank you sir."
The master smiled a tired smile. "Thank you both for your hard work today. It was a great success."
Felicity nodded and took herself off to her room to change for bed. She felt sticky and unclean so she washed thoroughly using the jug of water one of the maids had put out ready for her. She then put on her nightdress, dressing gown, slippers and lamp in hand began one last patrol of the corridors. It wouldn't do if Mr Jasper enticed one of the sillier maids into his bed or one of the young misses wanted to pursue an unwise flirtation by night.
In the guest corridor she did catch sight of one of the younger maids, in her white nightgown.
"Off to bed with you," she said firmly, "don't waste your honour on a drunken adventure."
The maid bit her lip and retreated.
When it was Felicity's turn to get into bed she was grateful. She was exhausted. The sheets felt so clean and soft against her skin. An arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her close.
"Goodnight," he said, "you are - as always - an amazing woman. But I've always known that."
His hand unconsciously traced the lines on her back. He still felt bad for that, although she had never held it against him. It had taught her a valuable lesson. Never be seen to consort with your betters. Know your place. Stay in the background.
"Look out the window," he said with surprise, "I think Grace was right after all - look - snow!"
He took her hand and led her to the window. He opened it wide. He was right, thick white flakes were falling past the window. A white Christmas. She put out her hand to catch one.
As she sat back in the bed she realised her hands had unconsciously come to rest on her stomach. She started and glanced anxiously to William, but he had not noticed anything. She could feel the small rounding of her normally flat stomach. She parted her lips to speak, but stayed herself. That was a problem that could wait for the New Year.
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Merry Christmas everyone!
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