by Darcy, Diane
The ladies, chatting amongst themselves, didn’t seem to be in a hurry so Madison stayed put, turning enough so she could take it all in.
As people sat on benches, or stood around chatting, the noise level grew as the wine started to flow.
Everyone was having a good time.
It was actually quite amazing to be sitting there, in the heart of it all, watching it unfold.
It was a look from the outside in, a front-row seat allowing her to witness how people lived, loved, and rich or poor, really seemed to enjoy life to the fullest.
There were no cell phones to look at, no news to check, no emails to send, and no social media.
They were paying attention to each other, and just having a good time.
She was probably romanticizing the place, the era, but somehow, the warmth, and the interactions, were hitting her buttons just right.
Thomas walked in their direction, but Father Benedict beat him to it and stood at her side. “Did you enjoy the program?”
“It was wonderful,” she told him honestly.
“Good, good. The decorations are beautiful, and Lady Philippa assured me that you directed the ideas.”
“Everyone helped.”
“Good, good. ’Tis nice to have new blood around here, new ideas.” He gave her a nod and moved to chat with Lady Phillipa, who quickly praised his performance.
She glanced around to find Thomas looking at her again, and nudged Lady Juliana with her shoulder.
“Do you want to dance?” She tilted her head to the corner, where an impromptu dance had started up.
Lady Juliana looked startled, and then shook her head. “Oh, no, I could never …”
Madison grabbed her arm and gave her a gentle tug. “Come on, we’ve worked hard. Let’s enjoy every moment of this.”
With a laugh, Juliana let herself be dragged to the floor.
Madison did such a poor job of trying to imitate the steps of the others, that Juliana started to laugh.
She intervened, teaching her the steps.
Laughing, talking, dancing, they ended up having a blast.
The fact that Madison was aware of Thomas the entire time, was the only thing that bothered her.
Chapter 12
It didn’t take that long to clean up, as many hands really did make light work, and everyone seemed glad to help.
She’d managed to avoid Thomas the few times he’d approached her, which was good, because even though her heart rocketed if he so much as looked in her direction, her mantra was, he was nothing special, she wouldn’t choose him, she wouldn’t stay.
It seemed to work out as a whole, and she didn’t so much as exchange one word with the man during the celebration.
When people started spreading pallets on the floor, bunking down to sleep, she realized all that help may have been slightly self-interested, as they needed a place to sleep.
It turned out she was one of the lucky ones, and had a bed, in a bedchamber, that she was to share with Juliana.
And a slew of female servants, both young and old, who laid pallets around the floor.
Her trunk had been hauled to her room, and when she looked inside for something to sleep in, she found some really gorgeous clothes.
And some sleepwear, a white nightgown that made her feel like a princess.
Not a bad set up, for a short while, anyway. Eleven more days, to be exact.
She threw back the covers, jumped into bed. It seemed to be stuffed with feathers, or something equally fluffy, and she threw herself backward, luxuriating in the softness. “Ohhhhh,” she groaned. “This is amazing!”
Juliana giggled beside her, as did some of the other ladies in the room.
The candles were blown out by a middle-aged woman, leaving only the fire to light the room, and everyone settled down to sleep.
Every ache in her body seemed to relax into those soft feathers.
It had been a very long day.
Just that morning she’d gotten off the bus at Durham Castle and Cathedral.
She touched the earrings, now warm, and seemingly at home, on her ears. It seemed a million years ago.
She giggled again, at the thought. Now she was just exaggerating. It had only been hundreds of years.
“What is so amusing?” Juliana whispered in the darkness.
“It just seems crazy that I’m here,” Madison whispered back.
After a long pause, Juliana said, “I feel the same, sometimes.”
“What do you mean?” Madison asked, turning toward her. “You are exactly the right person, at the right place, at the right time.”
Madison barely knew what she was saying as she slowly faded.
Juliana sighed. “I suppose I am,” she finally said, and sounded so sad that Madison wanted to ask what she meant.
But in the next moment, she was out.
Chapter 13
The second day of Christmas
The great hall was crowded, and there was food laid out for breakfast.
Thomas usually grabbed a few things on his way out the door, but found himself drawn inside.
He felt guilty for his newfound feelings for Lady Madison. She was innocent in this, and had done nothing to encourage him.
In fact, when he’d entered the room, she did not so much as look in his direction.
It was Boxing Day, and the ladies, ever industrious, were filling boxes for the household servants with goodies, toys for those with children, and a coin in each.
Juliana, the lady he was supposed to be courting, did not look his way, either.
He lost his appetite, and rather than sit down, he helped stack the boxes that were to be taken to the chapel and distributed after church.
He wasn’t used to being ignored. Or, at least he’d never noticed before, if he had been. He was simply used to getting things done, and then moving on to the next task, regardless of what those around him did.
It was odd to have this strange sense of awareness.
Mayhap it was because he’d decided to marry, and so now he was simply noticing women in general?
He made a sound of disgust. Why was he dwelling on this? He liked to achieve tasks, not think them to death. He finished with the stack, wove his way through the crowd, and came to a stop beside Lady Juliana.
Clearly startled, she glanced up at him, and then switched places with Madison.
Madison glanced at him, and then tried to switch back, but Juliana held firm, her arm now entwined with Lady Vera’s as she clung to the older lady. Madison simply went to the lady’s other side, and looked through a few of the boxes, as if checking the contents.
He blinked. He had not imagined the slight, had he? From both women?
Without another thought, he helped carry the boxes out to the chapel.
A few hours later, he was listening to Father Benedict speak about St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr to die for his faith after being stoned to death.
When Father Benedict went into great detail about what happened to a person suffering such a fate, he saw Lady Madison, standing in front of him and to the right, flinch.
And why did he see it? Because he was watching her like a hawk, seeming attuned to her glances and breathing and shuffling feet.
His jaw clenched. This would simply not do. He was a man who brokered in results, and he had set his course, and would stick to it.
When the service was over and Father Benedict began to hand out the boxes with his younger clergy, Thomas sidestepped three people until he stopped in front of Lady Juliana, who glanced up and gasped.
As he had no idea why she would react in such a way, he simply gave her a short bow and offered his arm. “Lady Juliana, I thought we might take a stroll.”
She hesitated overlong to take his arm, then finally did, barely touching him. “Lady Madison, won’t you join us?” she was quick to ask. “And Sir Hugh, will you join us, as well?”
He stiffened. He shouldn’t be surprised that Lady Juliana w
anted a chaperone or two, but wished she’d chosen someone other than Lady Madison. As they seemed to have taken to each other, and he didn’t feel he could object.
They started out, weaving their way through the crowd, and he led Lady Juliana across the courtyard and past the kitchens as Lady Madison and Sir Hugh followed.
“’Tis a nice enough day,” he said.
“Yes,” she agreed, looking behind her when Lady Madison laughed at something Sir Hugh said.
“I am hoping it will not snow again for a while.”
“No,” she said.
“My grandmother mentioned you are skilled at stitching. What are you working on at the moment?”
“A simple design on a sleeve, my lord.”
“Ah. I’m sure it will look most flattering.”
“Thank you.”
He could hear Madison commenting to Sir Hugh about how well the castle was run, and she sounded impressed. She asked about the orchard she’d seen from an upstairs window, and Sir Hugh told her about the orchard in detail. The orchard had been Thomas’s idea, and he’d put the work in to make it prosper.
Again, Lady Madison was suitably impressed.
He could not help but feel gratified, and stopped, so he could join the conversation. “We brew apples and pears to make cider and perry. We have cherry trees as well, and I’m planning to add walnuts and hazel nuts in the coming year.”
“Wow,” she said, and her admiration made his heart swell.
Talk of trees made him remember his attitude of yesterday and, on a sudden impulse he said, “You wanted a tree cut this day, I believe.”
It was a lot of trouble, he hadn’t planned to do it, and he truly should not give in to such silly whims, but with her face shining with admiration, the words flew from him before he thought better of it.
She let out an adorable shriek of feminine excitement and clapped, and he could not regret his impulse.
He tried to hide his pleasure over her reaction, and led the way to the smithy to get an axe, Lady Madison running a little to stay with him, and Lady Juliana slowing, Sir Hugh staying at her side.
Madison chattered as Thomas led the way over the bridge, through the outer court and gatehouse, stopping when they came to a likely area.
One resource they had a lot of, was trees. Alder, oak, dogwood. Juniper, willow, hawthorn.
He wasn’t sure what she wanted. “Do you see something you like?”
Madison studied the area. “Well, this one is nice and big,” she indicated a hawthorn tree. “But I don’t want to put you to too much trouble, so how about that one there?”
He looked at the large alder she’d indicated and his jaw tightened.
It was ten feet tall. She didn’t consider that too much trouble?
He hid his consternation, dropped the axe, and took off his coat.
As the ladies stood off to the side, he and Sir Hugh took turns chopping the trunk of the tree until it fell.
He should be more irritated, but Madison’s constant stream of encouragement, and Lady Juliana’s occasional comment, kept him focused, and somehow, exhilarated.
It seemed to do the same for Sir Hugh.
They left the axe, and dragged the ten-foot monstrosity back to the keep, and when several of his men came out to help, he sent one of them for the axe.
They took a short break at one point, and Thomas asked, “Do you intend to lean it in a corner?”
“Hmm.” Madison looked at the tree. “Generally, we put it in a stand, filled with water, so it can continue to drink and won’t dry out too soon.” She looked at him expectantly.
His jaw tightened so his mouth didn’t hang open. If she wanted the tree to have water, she should have left it in the ground.
“But if you don’t think you can figure something out …” she trailed off.
“I can,” he was quick to assert, running the idea through his mind, even as his irritation grew.
Mayhap next, she would like him to set up a waterwheel for the thing?
They picked up the tree again, and the two girls happily followed, and Thomas found himself stopping in front of the smithy once more.
“You ladies go on inside, out of the cold. We’ll figure this out.” He didn’t want Lady Madison, or rather, he didn’t want Lady Juliana, to see him struggling with the task.
It took them an hour, but between him, Sir Hugh, and the blacksmith, they came up with something that would work to keep water at the base of the tree while holding it upright.
Madness.
When they took the tree inside, he was actually quite excited with what they’d come up with.
Madison left the table where she and the women were engaged in another project and, with the tree on its side, he told her about his own.
“We wrapped a piece of iron around the base, set spikes that would go through this wooden box and into the trunk, and set the entire thing on extended planks. There is a bowl set underneath to fill with water.”
Madison looked at him, admiration in her gaze. “Thomas,” she breathed, “you are a genius.” She said the words as if she meant them.
He drew in a breath, his chest swelling with emotion, both at the way she’d used his given name, and at the heartfelt compliment.
He felt as if he’d battled an enemy, broken a horse, or climbed a summit. He turned away and settled the tree upright.
When the tree stood straight and tall on its own, Thomas stood back, satisfied, and decided it was the most beautiful tree he’d ever seen.
“Thank you,” Madison said, her tone gentle, happy, as she gazed at it.
Thomas didn’t dare to look at her and studied the tree for a moment longer. “You are welcome.”
He nodded once, and turned away.
Just in case what he felt, showed in his face.
* * *
While Thomas had been busy, Madison had as well.
She’d gathered a handful of women, ladies and servants alike, made dough from flour, salt, and water, rolled it out, and cut and baked ornaments in the shapes of Christmas trees, stars, and hearts.
When she’d asked about coloring, the ladies had been quick to gather pots of dried substances that they used for dying clothing.
They had red, blue, yellow, and green. And though the colors weren’t as vibrant as what she was used to, and the makeshift paintbrushes weren’t perfect, the decorations turned out fantastic.
Lady Phillipa had a ridiculous amount of candles, and they’d melted the ends and attached them to tree branches.
They would definitely have to keep an eye on those candles.
They used the parchment star from the manger scene and placed it at the top of the tree.
Just as they’d finished, people were coming in for supper, and the tree looked beautiful.
With the decorations hung, the paper star on top, and mistletoe stuck haphazardly throughout, the tree was a thing of beauty.
When they lit the candles in the tree, there were gasps of admiration, and even Madison had to admit that it was stunning.
She ate dinner next to Lady Ormonde, who kept her entertained with tales of her husband’s follies, but she was really watching for Thomas, so she could see his reaction when he came inside.
He didn’t disappoint.
He stopped in the doorway, put his hands on his hips, and stared at the tree like a kid on Christmas morning.
She grinned.
After he’d looked his fill, he turned and met her gaze.
Warmth rushed through her, and her heart picked up its pace.
She wasn’t keeping the guy, but they’d done this together, and she gave him a wide grin.
The corner of his mouth curled, and he slowly walked to sit at the head of the table.
And that feeling of warmth kept her glowing the rest of the evening.
Chapter 14
THE THIRD DAY OF CHRISTMAS
Madison woke early the next morning, asked for a bowl of steaming water, and scrubbed h
erself clean. She was freezing, but it was worth it.
She put on a dark blue, heavy woolen dress with matching cloak and was grateful for the warmth of the material. For good measure, she wrapped a blanket around herself, and went downstairs.
It was freezing here!
She was feeling like she needed a little downtime, so she hugged the blanket tightly around herself, and huddled near the crackling fire in the great hall. A man was sitting by himself and moving pieces around what might be a game board. When she’d warmed up, she headed over to see that he was playing a game of chess by himself.
“Hello, I’m Madison.”
The man, amiable looking, with bright eyes, and thinning gray hair nodded. “I am Andrew, my lady.”
“Have you lived here long?”
“I’ve been a guard at Riverdale since I was a youth.”
He looked like he was in his seventies or so, but she didn’t like to ask. “May I join you?”
He gestured at the space across from him. “My lady.”
“It’s cold this morning,” she said as she settled, tucking the blanket around herself.
He had a blanket of his own. “’Tis true. Days like this give my old joints trouble.”
“I’ll bet. I know I didn’t want to get out of bed today.”
She glanced at the chess set between them. They were made of wood and had obviously been hand carved, but they looked smooth and well used. “Why are you playing off here by yourself?”
“I’m just waiting for a worthy opponent.” His expression was hopeful as he looked at her. “Not a lot of people like to play chess.”
“That sounds like a challenge,” she said with a grin.
He smiled back at her, his whole face brightening.
She wasn’t a bad player, and she wasn’t a particularly good one either, but she knew how to play the game.
As the player with the lighter pieces, she started the game. “Infantrymen,” he said, as she moved a pawn forward.
He continued to name the players as they chose them: castle was home, knight was the soldier, bishop the church. When he used his queen for the first time, he picked it up and said, “This represents the only woman on the field, and she is the most powerful piece on the board.”