The Tryst (Annotated) (Grace Livingston Hill Book) by Hill Grace Livingston

Author:Hill, Grace Livingston [Hill, Grace Livingston]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Christian Romance
ISBN: 9781629430157
Published: 2013-09-13T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

John Dunham did not accept the pressing invitation of Horliss-Cole to spend Christmas day in the Fifth Avenue mansion. Instead he ate a roasted chicken with onions and squash and a rice pudding, with Mrs. Burnside and her grandson in the little home bungalow at the end of the village street in Maple Brook. Not that he desired to do so. It was as far from his wish as the Fifth Avenue mansion. Christmas Day held sad memories for him, and it was only because he saw that Mrs. Burnside considered it her duty and was severely set upon it, that he humored her and stayed. She made a great deal of his being able to have the comforts of his old home on this holiday of holidays ; but every reference she made to the old days hurt him like a knife and he was glad that late in the afternoon he might reasonably plead the necessity for wending his way cityward. Even then he did not present himself at the Horliss-Cole house until very late, preferring to wander about the city rather than to come in on Christmas festivities that did not belong to him.

He had said he would be late and he had hoped to be let quietly in by the footman and escorted to his room without the knowledge of the family. But he had failed to reckon by New York standards and he found everything in full blast about a mammoth Christmas tree whose lights made the great entrance hall one blaze of color, and put to shame the big yule log blazing rarely in the immense, carved-stone fireplace that flanked one entire end of the room. A concealed orchestra behind a wall of palms and ferns on the gallery above the wide staircase were sending forth most delicious strains, haunted with tender old Christmas carols and gay with the lilt of Christmas merriment culled from the music of the ages. Young men and maidens, a select company in gala attire, were dancing and frolicking around the Christmas tree, and the place seemed one mad whirl of joy as he entered. For a moment he stood on the edge of the room and looked about him, feeling most tremendously out of place in his present mood, and wishing with all his heart he had remained in the streets for another two hours rather than encounter this just now. Then Marjorie Horliss-Cole, whose gleaming shoulders and back rose startlingly beautiful in contrast to the amazing frock all gauze and sparkle that was neither midnight blue nor yet deep smoky forrest green, rushed forward and took possession of him. Her dark eyes were more wonderful than ever set off by the soft dusky hair in which nestled a string of some strange jewels that held all the lights of blue and green in her robe. If he had put his thoughts into words she seemed like the very spirit and essence of the Christmas tree stepped down off its branches to converse with men.

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