Christmas Ever More by Christina McKnight

Author:Christina McKnight
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: 0
Published: 2015-11-25T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 7

V i winked at Brock as the footmen went down the long table, removing the mostly empty dinner plates—they both knew what surprises lay ahead. Their meal had been an enjoyable, lively one with the children singing in between courses, and the adults talking quietly amongst themselves. Now, everyone leaned slightly back in their chairs; stomachs full of beef and vegetable soup, hearty sourdough bread, and pheasant.

Hers was the only plate not licked clean. It was very unlikely there was any room left in her body with her young so close to coming. It was all she could do to finish a simple piece of toasted bread and jam; her tight clothes—more restricting by the hour—didn’t help.

“What about the pears and sweet biscuits?” Abby whispered, in the hopes that someone would hear and call for the dessert. “Did we not see Cook making them?”

“That is for our feast on Christmas day,” Ruby said with a smile.

The child’s grin quickly vanished and her lower lip pouted.

It was certainly hard dashing the hopes of children, but Vi was confident that something better awaited them—for she’d planned it all with only a little help from Brock.

“Can you read us another story, my lady?” Tyler called from the far end of the table next to Mrs. Jakeston. “I missed some of it before.”

“If ye hadn’t been hiding from m’lord—“

“I was not hiding from Lord Haversham!” Tyler protested, shooting Daphne a scathing look and turning a sheepish grin on Ruby. “I was helping Miss Ruby is all.”

“Children, enough!” Mrs. Dutton commanded sternly. “If’n ye keep this bickerin’ up, da lot of ye won’t be at da Christmas feast, ye hear?”

It was surprising how quickly the children heeded Mrs. Dutton’s word; and Vi knew it was out of respect not any type of fear.

“Yes, ma’am,” the children said in unison.

Vi made a mental note to ask Ruby if Tyler had been hiding from Brock or truly helping the women with their work.

Even with their added company, the table more than fit everyone. The grownups were sporadically placed down the length of the table with the children mixed in, allowing them all assistance if they needed it. Mrs. Jakeston had cut the meat up on one child’s plate, while Harold had reached the water goblet for another.

It was only Ellie who seemed out of place in the jovial gathering—and Vi still couldn’t figure the girl out.

“Lady Ellington,” Vi called in an attempt to draw the girl out of her awkward silence. “How does our country fare compare to your normal sustenance in London?” Unless one kept their own garden, households seldom had things such as fresh vegetables. It was even rarer to enjoy meats that weren’t heavily salted to keep their freshness. “Foldger’s Hall has a very adequate gaming stock, and the garden Ruby and I tended for many years is flourishing, even in this harshly cold weather.”

“It was very pleasing, my lady.”

It was almost impossible to pull more than a few words from the girl.

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