“Ashanti’s sister Adaora isn’t going back with them. She is engaged to be married to an aspiring musician in London. She is reluctant to take the children to London for now and so they will need a good home as she cares for them.”
“What will happen then when she gets married to her musician?”
“They’ll of course move to London, but that won’t be for another three or four years. By then the children will be grown up and hopefully they will be well educated enough to find good positions.”
“I can be their patron,” Allan said. “And introduce them to good employers who will not treat them ill. And for the time being they can live in the same cottage that they occupy right now with their parents. It’s large enough so that even if Miss Adaora’s fiancé wants to come and join them when they get married there’s still room enough.”
“How did Ashanti come to be your valet?” Sammy asked. “I tried to ask him but he just smiled and wouldn’t reply.”
“That’s not a topic that we like to revisit,” Allan was hoping his wife wouldn’t want to dig further. Her eyebrows shot up and he grinned at her. “But I think that if I want to get any peace and rest, I should tell you.”
“You’re learning fast, dear husband,” and she gave him a cheeky grin. “Well?”
“I was seventeen and about to finish my studies at St. Patrick’s Grammar School for Gentlemen in Edinburg when I first met Ashanti. He was already married but his wife and children had stayed back in London with a relative as he came to take care of the son of a European prince who was my classmate,” Allan grimaced. “Seymour as we called him was a difficult fellow and one day he accused Ashanti of having robbed him. He demanded that as a servant Ashanti should be publicly flogged and then thrown in prison. I happened to hear about that situation just the night before it happened and went in search of Ashanti. When he told me his story, I felt sorry for him. Ashanti hadn’t stolen the money as he was being accused of but Seymour had gotten drunk and propositioned the wife of one of the schoolmasters. To appease the man, Ashanti had used Seymour’s funds to keep him quiet and that’s what had created the issue. I went to the schoolmaster and once he confirmed that what Ashanti had told me was true, I confronted Seymour. He was terrified of being suspended which is what I threatened him with and he agreed to take the money I offered him and then sort of compelled him to hand over Ashanti to me. We’ve been together ever since.”
Allan was surprised when his wife threw herself into his arms. “You’re the kindest man in the world,” she kissed him and it would be a while before they emerged from their bedchamber.
“Do you think we’ll get any surprise visitors this evening?” Sammy asked her husband as the two of them sat at the vast dining table. “I asked your mother to join us for dinner tonight but she told me that she had other plans.”
“Was she disappointed that we cancelled the Christmas Eve Ball and every other gathering?”
Sammy shook her head, “The Dowager Duchess is a very amazing woman. Not once has she blamed me for cancelling the ball and if anything, she seemed relieved that we aren’t holding it here this year. I really wish she didn’t have to go out this evening. I’m worried that it might snow and she could get stuck out there in the cold.”
“Knowing my mother she fully intends to spend the night wherever she will be. We shouldn’t be worried about her at all. But I’m very sure that someone will come,” Allan’s gentle gaze rested on is wife’s face. She had refused to sit at the foot of the table which was her rightful place whenever they were entertaining. Instead she was seated at his right hand as he sat at the head of the table.
“What makes you so sure that we will have a dinner guest?”
“We prepared enough food to feed nearly ten people,” and they had both had so much fun together in the kitchen. “There’s only two of us right now but I have a strong feeling that we won’t be alone tonight. That was one of mother’s tests for us, that we set an extra plate at our dinner table tonight and welcome anyone who comes in. But I went further and set six places as you can see. This is a night of wonder because at midnight it will be our Saviour’s birthday. He will send us someone to bless us and we can also be a blessing to them. That’s what Christmas is all about.”
“Well I’m hungry,” Sammy grinned. “Your son always makes me hungry and I don’t know if I can wait for our dinner guests to arrive,” she placed a hand over her stomach and Allan moved closer and placed his larger one over it. There was something like a flutter and she looked up at him, eyes glowing. “Did you feel that?”
He nodded with wonder, “Was that…”
“Yes, the midwife your mother appointed to care for me through my season told me that as early as twelve to fourteen weeks I will be able to feel the baby moving.” There was movement again. “Oh Allan, we’re having a baby.”
“Yes,” he whispered, quite dazed. It hadn’t quite hit him that he was going to be a father and after feeling his little one move in the womb, he felt quite overcome with emotion. “It’s such a wonderful and special feeling.”
“We will….” There was a loud knock at the front door which interrupted what Sammy was about to say. “There’s someone at the door,” she said in wonder. “Hurry up, let’s not keep our dinner guest waiting.”
“In a moment,” he rose up and knelt down beside her chair. “You were about to say something and I promised that I would never shut you out or neglect to hear you again.”
She gave him a shy smile then touched his chin, “We’ll have the rest of the night to talk about it. Please bring in our dinner guests.”
Allan got back on his feet and walked out of the dining hall. He returned a few minutes later and Sammy was surprised to see Ashanti, his wife Neta, his sister Adaora and their three children, Komu, Osei and Bolanle.
“Welcome, welcome,” she cried out happily, reaching for Neta’s hand and holding it with both of hers.
“Your Graces, you seem to be expecting dinner guests.” Ashanti commented, noting the six extra places that had been set. “We only came to wish you merry Christmas in advance because we’re leaving for London very early tomorrow morning and will be away until the New Year.”
“Yes, we were expecting you,” Allan said and winked at his wife. “It’s Christmas Eve and I know that this is highly usual for you but it would be a great honour if you and your family would join us for dinner.”
“Thank you, Your Graces,” and for the first time Ashanti and his family shared a dinner with his master. And it brought a glow to the hearts of the duke and duchess and made their guests feel very honoured.
“How are you feeling now, my love?” It was a quarter to midnight, just minutes away from Christmas Day. The duke and duchess had bid farewell to their guests nearly two hours before and retired to their bedchamber. “It’s almost Christmas Day.”
“I feel like I’ve touched heaven,” Sammy said with a gentle smile. “We have accomplished everything that the Dowager asked us to do and it is such a beautiful feeling within. Look at how the past ten days have been so filled with blessings.”
“I agree with you. We simplified our lives and brought great happiness not only to our servants and tenants but to the children at the orphanage as well. The vicar informed me that repairs to the stronger buildings will commence as soon as Christmas is over but for this short period the children will be housed at the vicarage. And there’s enough food for them. Come the New Year, more wardens will be employed and after the repairs are completed, I intend to help him put up two new buildings as well. Then they will be able to take in more orphaned children and even the destitute. Then you and I will be there to make sure that no one ever ill-treats the little ones.”
“Thank you so much.”
“And we kept Christmas very simple and see, it’s just the two of us right now and not a house full of guests who would end up getting drunk and disorderly and upsetting my mother.”
“That’s not to mean that we won’t ha
ve balls and other functions in the future,” Sammy said. “I wouldn’t want it said that the duke and his duchess are hermits and recluses.”
“But this time we’ll choose carefully and for the most part of the coming year, I want us to take good care of your health because of our baby. People will have to understand if our social calendar remains blank for a while.”
Sammy fell in love with her husband even more. It was true that they had achieved so much together in the past ten days. They had spent time in the church thinking about those who had wronged them and Sammy had wept as she finally released her unknown parents from her heart. For so long she’d been angry at them for bringing her into this world and then abandoning her at a very tender age. But with her husband’s help and his comforting arms, she had released all the pain and now felt very free.
“Tonight was the best of all because Ashanti has never once shared a table with me,” Allan said. “The man refuses to acknowledge that we’re way past master and valet; we’re now friends. It was a special blessing to have them in our home.”
Sammy nodded, “And Neta was so touched. She said that she can now go back to Africa in peace knowing that her little ones will be well cared for. I promised her that the children would be alright because we will always look out for them.”
Then she remembered something and turned solemn eyes to him. “These last ten days have been so wonderful for me, my darling,” she held both hands out. “Allan please forgive me.”
His breath caught in his throat. Was Sammy about to tell him that even after all they had shared in the past ten days she would still leave him? He closed his eyes so she wouldn’t see the sheen of tears that he knew were about to pour out.
“Allan?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Do you forgive me for putting you through the wringer?”
“What?” His eyes flew open.
“You’ve been very patient with me and never got angry even when I was being very unreasonable. You’re the Duke of Cumberland and I have treated you like a common man.”
“Oh Sammy, for you I would give up everything and allow myself to be stripped bare if it would make you stay by my side for as long as I live. Ten days ago when you said you were leaving me, I wanted to hold onto you out of selfish reasons,” he took a deep breath. “But today I know that I am a changed man and it’s all because of you. Your humility, meekness, generosity and kindness have deeply moved me and I know that I’m not worthy to be your husband. But if you take another chance on me, darling, I will show you that you’re worth fighting for.”
“Oh Allan.”
“I may be a titled man with vast wealth but none of that means anything to me without you in my life. Nevertheless, even if this will literally kill me, I’ll let you go free for I made you a promise that if you wanted to leave, I wouldn’t stand in your way. Your happiness is of paramount importance to me even if it means that you’ll achieve that state by being separated from me for the rest of our lives.”
Sammy looked into her husband’s eyes for a while without saying a word. Then a beautiful smile broke out on her lips.
“Thank you for setting me free because now I know that you truly love me, Allan. But,” she moved into his arms. “This is where I belong for the rest of my life. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Oh Sammy,” his arms tightened around her and his breath was choked. “Thank you.”
“You know that I don’t just love you Allan, I adore you with everything that is within me. I’ve seen the kind of man that you are and will be in future. Nothing makes me happier than being your wife and duchess.”
“And I love you so much too, the light of my world.”
Earlier On Christmas Eve Day
“Do you think those two have learnt their lesson, Ashanti? Do they finally know the true meaning of Christmas?” The Dowager asked her son’s valet. Everyone thought she had gone to see one of her friends but she’d actually chosen to visit Ashanti’s family. It was early evening and she knew that her son and his wife hadn’t served Christmas Eve Dinner yet.
“Your Grace, I’ve never seen my master put so much effort into something the way he has done these last few days. It’s like he’s a new man now and I know that whatever happens, the lessons the duke and duchess have learnt will last a life time.”
“That’s all I wanted. Now, I want you to take your family and go up to the manor.”
“My lady?”
She nodded, “This is the second to last test that I have set for them and I want to find out if they will do well.”
“What do you need us to do?”
“Just turn up for dinner and see what happens. You’ll let me know how they receive the six of you.”
“There are no servants up at the manor, my lady. We wouldn’t want to impose on the duke and duchess.”
“Believe me, they need you to go there this evening. Your wife mentioned that you’ll be leaving for London and return in the New Year.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Good! That’s the excuse you’ll use, that you’re leaving for London very early tomorrow morning and so you wanted to convey your Christmas Day greetings to my son and daughter-in -law since you won’t see them on the morrow.”
And that was how Ashanti and his whole family ended up at the manor for Christmas Eve dinner, and the Dowager was so happy when he reported to her very early the next morning that it had been a very blessed meal for them all.
Her children would be alright and she sent a prayer heavenward even as she hastily prepared herself to accompany them to church for the Christmas Day service.
Epilogue
Christmas Day Mid-Morning
“The vicar preached such a wonderful sermon today,” the Dowager said as she followed Allan and Sammy into the manor. She’d returned from her friend’s house very early and accompanied the two to church. “His message touched me deeply.”
“For unto us a Child is born,” Sammy murmured. “And our lives will never be the same again because of Christmas. Such amazing love for the whole world was brought down from heaven at Christmas. His preaching made me see the true meaning of Christmas and I just pray that I’ll never forget this special day or take it for granted and lightly again.”
“And such amazing love have I received from one very special woman,” Allan said huskily. As his wife had just stated, their lives would never be the same again because he was a changed man. He would treasure and value all the blessings bestowed on him and never take any of them for granted. The price was too high for any carelessness and he wasn’t a frivolous man, no, not at all.
“Indeed,” the Dowager smiled lovingly at the couple then turned to her daughter-in-law. “Samantha, you’ve brought so much joy into my son’s life and I’m so happy that you belong with us.”
“Thank you, my lady.”
“No, none of that my lady or dowager business henceforth, dear girl. Please call me Mother like your husband does. You’re more precious than ten daughters that I might have brought forth from my womb,” she touched Sammy’s arm. “You are my Christmas blessing now and always.”
“Thank you Mother,” Sammy was deeply moved by her mother-in-law’s kind words. She then turned to Allan and there was a question in her eyes. He nodded at her and she turned back to the Dowager. “Mother, there’s something we need to tell you,” she gave Allan another shy smile and he nodded encouragingly, moving closer to her and placing a light arm at the small of her back.
“What is it my dear?” The Dowager looked from one to the other. They both seemed to be very excited.
“By the grace of the Lord, in six months’ time you’ll be a grandmother.”
“Oh my child, come here,” the Dowager had tears in her eyes. “This is the best Christmas present I’ve ever received. This and knowing that the two of you will spend the rest of your lives together, loving each other and teaching your children the true value of life. Thank you so much for this blessing,” and she held
out a hand to Allan who joined in the embrace.
Dowager Duchess Lady Irene Callahan lived to see her children’s children to the fourth generation. She was such a doting grandmother that her future generations arose and called her blessed.
Lord Allan and Lady Samantha Callahan lived long and prosperous lives in all simplicity, loving each other deeply and caring for all those around them. And they treasured all the Christmases they were blessed to enjoy. None of the high society balls for them or wasting of money. Instead, Christmas season was truly a time for goodwill toward all men and they never stopped sharing their blessings with others for the rest of their lives.
Ashanti’s great, great grandson became the first vice president of the Republic of Ghana when the country gained her independence from British rule over a century and some decades later. Because he had great affection for Britain, the relations between the two countries flourished while he was in office. And Lord and Lady Callahan’s descendants were present on the day of Vice President Azikiwe Ashanti’s inauguration, for that family friendship stood the test of time and prevailed.
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Amazing Love This Christmas: Historical Holiday Romance Page 6