Chapter Twenty-five #2
In the end Georgianna and Frank convinced the ghost that she had no right to enact retribution and, since Scrooge had been loved by his sister and nephew, that his life was worthwhile.
In an agony of remorse, the ghost returned Scrooge to life and, as the saying goes, they all lived happily ever after.
Ultimately, everyone enjoyed the story and congratulated the children on a job well done.
By that point, we were all ready for bed.
The following morning was Christmas. Church service was the first item on the agenda.
The vicar spoke kindly of Dr. Penhollow, and no one contradicted him, so that was nice.
Isaac and Ada sat next to Sergeant Hewitt and his wife.
I wasn’t privy to the conversation, but I assume he informed Ada that she was no longer a suspect due to Dotty Digby’s arrest. I wondered if he explained the entire situation to her.
I also wondered what everyone was thinking about the empty space where the Digby family usually sat for service.
I saw several furtive glances at that spot, at Ada and Isaac, and at me while those parishioners whispered behind gloved hands.
I suspected those in search of gossip would come directly to me, so our family slipped out of the church with haste after the service ended.
The carriages spirited us away before we had to answer any questions.
The moment we returned home, the children dashed to the drawing room. Grace and Gregory shrieked in excitement when they spied the gifts around the tree.
One particular gift waited for Aunt Hetty in the form of Mr. Gilliam and his son.
The rest of us had strolled into the room in a more leisurely fashion than the children.
Gilliam, with a smile so wide his waxed mustache pointed upward, came to his feet the moment he spotted Hetty in the doorway.
With two strides of his long legs, he was at her side.
Taking her hand, he brought it to his lips, his gaze never leaving hers.
Though I was sure he would have loved to sweep her up in an embrace, without an engagement announcement, a kiss on the hand was about all he dared in the midst of her family.
“Pleased you could join us, Gilliam,” George said.
Gilliam’s dark eyes lit up. “I was delighted to receive your sister’s invitation—even more so that she included my son.” He nodded to the lanky young man he’d left across the room.
I felt Hetty stiffen beside me as Gilliam gestured for the young man to step forward.
When he did, Gilliam placed an arm around his shoulders.
“May I present my son, Daniel?” He introduced George and me, then turned to Hetty.
“And this is the lovely woman I’ve been telling you about, Mrs. Hetty Chesney. ”
“I’m honored to meet you, ma’am,” Daniel said in a surprisingly deep, resonant voice. His dark eyes were much like Gilliam’s. “My father speaks very highly of you, and very often.”
Hetty blushed as she shook Daniel’s hand. “Herbert, how am I to live up to such praise?”
“You always manage to do so, madam,” he said.
“Let me introduce you to our hosts,” Hetty said, drawing father and son toward the Christmas tree, where Robert and Fiona watched the children tearing into their gifts.
Rose had run off to the servants’ hall upon arriving at home.
In the absence of servants today, she was required to care for Cloud herself.
The two of them bounded into the drawing room at that moment.
“It’s snowing,” Rose shrieked, causing Grace and Gregory to run to the windows to see for themselves.
“I can’t believe I have to say this, but presents and tea first,” Fiona told them. “Snow afterward.”
Christine and Dr. Bertram stood together in the center of the room, pretending to watch the children. Judging from Christine’s smiles, she was beginning to warm up to the handsome doctor.
Lissette stood slightly alone, not a part of their little circle or that of the children, as if she didn’t know where she belonged. Then her gaze landed on Daniel Gilliam.
“Lissette had better put her eyes back into her head,” I whispered to George, who cast a glance first at his cousin, then at the object of her gaze. “She puts me to mind of the way Fiona looked upon meeting Robert.” I cast a worried glance at George. “She’s far too young to fall in love.”
George leaned his head closer to mine. “I escorted Fiona to many a ball during her first social season, and I can say with certainty that she looked that way every time she met a handsome gentleman. If Lissette follows in her footsteps, you’ve no need to worry—at least not for a few years.”
“That’s a relief. Then I suppose it’s safe to tell her that we have a gift for Daniel and she may give it to him if she likes.”
With a chuckle, George did exactly that, causing Lissette to dart to the tree to rummage through the remaining unopened packages. It was the most enthusiasm I’d seen from her since we’d arrived.
George and I helped ourselves to coffee, then snuggled into a cushioned window seat, where we could observe all the activity.
“I’m relieved that everyone seems to have gotten over the horrors of this past week,” I told him.
“It hasn’t even been a week,” George noted. “Was it really that bad?”