Page 51 of To Love And To Cherish (Pride And Prejudice Variation #3)
The months of November and most of December had sped by, and now Elizabeth wished to plan a modest Christmas celebration. It was too late to contrive anything extravagant, yet a special dinner and some simple decorations would be easily accomplished.
Elizabeth entered the small parlor belonging to the mistress’s suite and rang the bell. When the maid appeared, she ordered tea and requested that Mrs. Reynolds be sent to her.
While she waited, her gaze wandered across the room. It was elegantly appointed, with polished furniture, damask draperies, and ivory wainscoting. The upholstery was spotless, the floors gleamed, and though the room had likely not been used in many years, it bore no sign of neglect.
She crossed to a charming little escritoire that faced the window and paused to look out. The view was breathtaking, a sweep of rugged hills and dark woods veiled in soft mist, so unlike the gentle slopes of Hertfordshire.
There was a quiet tap, and then the door opened silently behind her. She turned to see Mrs. Reynolds standing just within the threshold, her brow faintly furrowed, her eyes cautious. “You rang Mrs. Darcy?”
Elizabeth smiled warmly. “Please, Mrs. Reynolds, do come in. I hope you will sit with me.”
“You wish me to take tea with you, mistress?”
“Yes,” Elizabeth replied. “I have not yet had breakfast, and I hoped we might speak of Christmas while we take tea.”
The Housekeeper’s face softened into a smile. “Of course.”
They seated themselves, and Elizabeth poured the tea, offering the plate of cakes. Choosing one, she took a delicate bite.
“Lemon,” she said after a moment. “This may be my favorite cake of all time, with a filling to weep for.”
Mrs. Reynolds smiled. “I shall tell Cook. She will be pleased to know her cakes are so well received.”
Elizabeth sipped her tea. “We shall be spending Christmas here at Pemberley this year, Mrs. Reynolds. Can you tell me about the Christmas traditions?”
The housekeeper looked genuinely puzzled. “Christmas traditions, madam? I am afraid there are none. The master has always spent Christmas in London with his aunt and uncle. If they have any customs at Darcy House, Mrs. Nichols has never written of them.”
“I see,” Elizabeth said thoughtfully. “Well, then, I need not fear upsetting any established habits by introducing a few of my own. At my childhood home, we always decorated with holly, ivy, and pine, and we had a Yule log. I should like to do the same here. Today is the twentieth, and I hope to cut some greenery so that we may enjoy the fragrant wreaths for several days before Christmas.”
“I shall send word to John, our head gardener.”
“I will need wreaths for the dining table, the breakfast parlor, and the music room; those are the rooms in which we spend the most time.”
“Of course.”
“Does Mr. Darcy have a favorite dish we might serve on Christmas Eve?”
“Mr. Darcy has always favored venison, served with bread, and roasted vegetables.”
“And dessert?”
Mrs. Reynolds gave a small, almost apologetic smile. “The master has never included dessert in the menu.”
Elizabeth laughed. “Dessert is my favorite course. Does he prefer any particular sweet?”
“It has been so long, madam, I cannot say… though I do recall he once favored plum pudding.”
“Then add plum pudding to the Christmas Eve menu, and mince pies and apple pies for Christmas Day.”
“Certainly.”
“We shall have goose for Christmas dinner, unless Mr. Darcy does not care for it. I should like wassail served on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.”
“His mother always served goose on Christmas Day, ma’am. I believe Mr. Darcy enjoyed it.”
Elizabeth rose. “Wonderful. I shall ask my sisters if they would like to help with the wreaths. May I meet John in the gardener’s workshop?”
“Yes. I will send Ruthie to escort you.”
Elizabeth paused. “Mrs. Reynolds, would it be too much to ask Cook to prepare extra pudding and pies for the servants to enjoy a Christmas dessert as well?”
Mrs. Reynolds looked touched. “I shall speak to her. We can bring in extra help from the village. Cook has family there who would be glad of the work. I believe it can be done.”
A short time later, Elizabeth entered the drawing room and found her sisters and Mr. Bingley gathered. She greeted them and said, "Will any of my sisters care to help me gather holly, pine, and ivy to make wreaths for Christmas?"
Georgiana’s face lit up. "I’ve never made a wreath. I should love to help."
"So would I," Kitty said. "It sounds delightful."
Jane laughed. "I’ve always made them at home. Of course, I’ll help."
Ruthie appeared, and the women followed her outdoors. At the gardener’s workshop, they met John and explained their purpose. He fetched a wheelbarrow and led them through the grounds, clipping branches of holly and pine, and trailing vines of ivy. The ivy was washed and hung to dry.
"I’ll wrap the banisters with the vines, once they’ve dried, Mrs. Darcy."
He wired the greenery into wreaths while the ladies chatted and laughed around him.
Georgiana produced a length of red plaid ribbon and tied neat bows to adorn the six completed wreaths, which they carried into the house, placing them in the dining room, the music room, and the breakfast parlor.
Though simple, the bright holly berries rendered the wreaths festive, and the pine sprigs made them fragrant, lending the rooms a cheerful Christmas air.
When John brought in a Yule log and set it in the music room, Georgiana exclaimed, “I feel like singing Christmas carols!” She found some music and began to play, and the women gathered around the pianoforte and sang to her accompaniment.
Darcy entered the room and leaned against the doorframe, grinning.
"So Christmastide has fallen upon Pemberley."
He joined in the final chorus and then allowed Georgiana to show him the wreath she had assembled. Bingley arrived soon after, and the group settled into conversation.
"How do you celebrate Christmas at Longbourn?" Georgiana asked.
"We always have goose for dinner," Elizabeth said. "With carrots, potatoes, parsnips, and Brussels sprouts."
"And we play games," Jane added. "Charades, snapdragon, Spillikins, and others."
"One year," Kitty chimed in, "we each performed a reading from Shakespeare and voted on the best. And we always roast chestnuts."
"Might we do the same here?" Georgiana asked.
"The Christmas menus are planned," Elizabeth said. “And the rest can easily be done. Ladies, shall we drive into Lambton after luncheon and purchase a set of Spillikins and chestnuts?"
It was agreed. Elizabeth turned to Fitzwilliam. “Shall I invite the Lambton rector and his family? I should like to meet him and speak of Sunday school for the children of the parish.”
Fitzwilliam nodded. “If they have no other engagements, I should be happy to have them. They are a most agreeable family. Mr. Vane has twin sons of sixteen, soon to depart for university. The family will make a welcome addition to the party.”
Kitty and Georgiana exchanged a glance and grinned in anticipation.
On Christmas Eve, after a hearty dinner of venison with vegetable sides, the butler brought out the plum pudding. Darcy laughed. “I have eaten far too much already. Elizabeth, you ought to have warned me.”
Later, in the drawing room, they played charades. The first round: Darcy, Elizabeth, and Georgiana against Bingley, Jane, and Kitty. The Darcys triumphed easily.
They mixed teams for a second round, with Jane and Elizabeth switching sides. This time it was a draw.
Spillikins came next, set up on a side table usually reserved for chess. Laughter filled the room as they played. When they tired of the games, the men performed dramatic readings from Shakespeare by firelight while the ladies roasted chestnuts.
Elizabeth leaned toward Darcy and said, "I feel as though we’ve attended the theatre."
"It is far better," Jane replied with a smile.
They did not retire until nearly midnight.
The next morning, they attended church, returning afterwards for a light luncheon.
Mr. and Mrs. Vane, accompanied by their two sons, arrived at Pemberley by three o’clock.
The guests joined in the games, and the gentlemen prepared a reading from Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale , which was very well received, particularly by Georgiana and Kitty, whose admiration for the performances of the twin Vane boys was perhaps less literary than it was enthusiastic.
That evening, the Christmas feast began with roast goose and all the traditional vegetables. Dessert was apple pie with heavy cream and spiced mince pies.
Later, as Darcy slipped into bed beside his wife, he pulled her close.
"I love you, Elizabeth. This has been the best Christmas I’ve ever had. Did you see how happy Georgiana was? And your sisters are warm-hearted, unpretentious, and ready to laugh, play games, and sing carols. Pemberley feels like a home this year. Not a showplace. Not a symbol. A true home."
She ran her fingers through his thick hair. “I also enjoyed it. We are, you must admit, a very happy family, Fitzwilliam.”
“Hopelessly so,” he murmured, before kissing her. She caught his lower lip gently between hers, and with that single, disarming act, the formidable master of Pemberley was lost to her embraces.