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Holly looked at her eager stepchildren, smiling at their hopeful faces. She nodded. “I think that is an excellent Idea, Kitty. You shall all be my bridesmaids. It will be fun and romantic. Afterwards, we can celebrate by cutting the excellent Christmas cake that Mrs Hicks has made for us, and you can sing us the carol you have been practicing with Miss Evesham.”
Kitty clapped, and Clemmy danced about in a circle. His eldest daughter frowned.
“Libby?” he prompted.
“I don’t have anything pretty to wear to be a bridesmaid,” she said sadly.
Holly held out her hand to the girl. “Come with me, and I shall find you something. Your father will stay and play with your sisters while we ladies withdraw to my boudoir and discuss gowns.”
Gregory mouthed a ‘thank you’ at his wife as she helped Libby from the room. He picked up a book, and sandwiched between his youngest daughters, opened it at a story he knew they loved. Both girls snuggled into him expectantly.
Gregory realised that he was happy for the first time since the doctor had told him that both his wife and son had died in childbirth. He had never dared to hope that his pretty new wife might be as sweet-natured as his first, more spirited perhaps, but just as kind. Nor had he expected her to enjoy his ardent lovemaking. This December was turning out to be a new beginning, and he determined to do his part in making it as joyful and happy as possible. Ruefully, he acknowledged that this was an about-face on his part. At first, he had resisted his wife’s ideas for Christmas, originally because he’d thought her to be rather young and foolish. It was witnessing her ridiculous dance with her friend at the ball before he’d decided to propose. Having initially gained the wrong impression of her, he had thought her flippant. How wrong Holly had proved him to be. In fact, he was discovering that his new wife was a breath of fresh air, fun and resourceful. He congratulated himself on being a very lucky fellow to have found such a gem of a woman to be his wife.
The next fewdays were taken up with preparations for both their wedding re-enactment and for Christmas. The house filled with the smell of rich spices which wafted throughout from the kitchen, giving the illusion that the draughty old mansion was warm and cosy. The inclement weather added to the inviting feel as gusting winds and driving snow rattled the old, mullioned windowpanes. Whistling breezes swept along passages and corridors; the moaning noise alarmed and upset little Clemmy.
At one point, Gregory wondered if he would be able to fulfil his promise on delivering the fir tree for decorating, but there came a window of opportunity as one morning the gales dropped and the sun came out, turning the crystalline landscape into a shimmering wonderland. Gregory ordered his groundsmen to select a tree from the estate and bring it into the drawing room.
The children helped to decorate the tree using their threaded stars and cornucopias which Holly filled with sweetmeats and sugared almonds. She shooed the children away because she wanted to present the Christmas tree fully decorated as a glorious surprise on Christmas Eve.
Christmas Eve dawnedicy but bright. Gregory had decreed that any of the staff unable to visit their family due to the snow could opt to work Boxing Day and take a day off in lieu, to be arranged with Mr Williams.
The morning was spent in final preparations for the celebrations. The girls joined their parents in the dining room for luncheon, and then Nanny collected them to prepare for the ‘wedding’.
Leaving his wife alone to dress in her gown, he went to his study where he unlocked the strong box and removed the Caulderbury jewellery which consisted of a set of tiara, necklace, bracelet, and ring. They were made up of glittering diamonds and rubies. He pocketed the ring and carried the other gems upstairs, where he knocked discreetly at his bedchamber door. Matilda answered, and he handed over the precious items with instructions that his wife should wear them.
He waited, accompanied by Nanny and Miss Evesham, who took her place at the piano. She was to play Mendelssohn’sWedding MarchfromA Midsummer Night’s Dreamwhich had been played at the wedding of Queen Victoria’s daughter, Princess Victoria, The Princess Royal, when she’d married Prince Frederick of Prussia a couple of years previously in eighteen-fifty-eight. There was an expectant hush in the morning room, where it had been decided the ceremony should take place, the drawing room remaining out of bounds until after darkness had fallen and when the tree would be lit.
Williams, the butler, Mrs Lane, the housekeeper, and Mrs Hicks, the cook, had been invited to witness the event. They slipped inside the room discreetly and stood at the back against the far wall. Gregory was in front of the fire, hands clasped behind his back. He admitted to himself that he felt more nervous than he had on the actual wedding day a fortnight ago.
The door swung inwards, and Matilda stepped through. Miss Evesham began to play, and Holly walked slowly towards him. His breath caught in his throat. She made a beautiful picture dressed in her wedding gown and shimmering jewels. How could he ever have compared her to Dicken’s Miss Havisham? The girls entered next, walking in order of their age, they followed Holly in single file. Arranged behind her, they preened as they spread out their pretty skirts. He had to admit his daughters looked delightful.
His wife seemed ethereal; she was utterly beautiful. Her smile radiant when her gaze met his. The music stopped. He reached for her left hand and, holding a book of Common Prayer, he spoke:
“My darling girl, I Gregory Mounthurst, take thee Holly Mounthurst for my wedded wife, to love and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do us part, according to God’s holy ordinance, and thereto I plight thee my troth.” He leant towards her and placed a chaste kiss upon her cheek.
Holly smiled then swung away from him. He frowned. What was she doing? She held out a hand towards his daughters. Gregory watched as the girls glanced at one another other in confusion.
“Come, I need you to move and stand next to your papa,” she chivvied.
The children huddled about him.Were they as perplexed as he?
Holly’s beaming face moved over each of them in turn.
“I, Holly Annabel Mounthurst, take thee, Gregory, Libby, Kitty, and Clemmy Mounthurst, to be my wedded family, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health. To love and cherish and to obey you, Gregory, until death do us part, according to God’s holy ordinance, I hereby give each of you my troth.”
Libby began to weep. The girls pressed up against their stepmother. Arms encircled her as each girl hugged Holly. Gregory’s eyes grew moist. He rummaged in his pocket and pulled out the Caulderbury ring.
Coughing, he drew every female’s attention to him and reached for Holly’s left hand.
“With this ring, I thee wed, with my body I thee worship, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow, including gifting you with my three beautiful daughters. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.”
He slipped the ring onto her third finger until it rested against her gold wedding band. Pulling Holly into his arms, he kissed her soundly.
Afterwards, she stood on tiptoe to whisper in his ear. He listened. She voiced her regrets that she had no wedding gift to give him. Gregory kissed her to silence such nonsense.
The room echoed with resounding calls of “Amen!” and “Congratulations!” The staff came forward and offered their felicitations before slipping away one by one until the only retainers left were Nanny and Miss Evesham. The governess tinkled the piano keys, picking out the carolSilent Night. The girls understood their cue and gathered in front of the grand piano.
“Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright,” they sang softly, their sweet young voices working in harmony.
