The Sweetest Gift of All
A timid knock roused Carson from his musings. He'd been going through the wine ledgers and making the final selections for the house parties and the Christmas Day celebrations that were coming up in only a few days. Placing the pen on top of his book, he leaned back in his chair and called out for the person to enter his office. When no attempt was made to open the door, he stood and walked to the door, ready to lecture the intruder for their interruption.
"Yes! What … Oh, Miss Sybil," he said, suddenly softening his tone and bending down so he wasn't so imposing. "Please, come in and tell me how I may help."
The little girl looked up at him with bright eyes and entered the office but waited before taking a seat. Her fingers nervously fingered the little satin ribbon on the front of her dress.
Sensing that the child was a little uneasy, Charles sat down in one of the chairs and assisted her in taking a seat in the matching one. "Now, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, m'lady?" His tone was soft and his smile was genuine, immediately putting the little girl at ease.
"I need help, and you're the only one that can help me," she said timidly. "You're the only one that would know, you see, so I had to come down and ask you myself. I don't know what to do."
Charles's curiosity was piqued. "I will do my very best to give you an honest answer and offer my assistance, then. Tell me your question and we'll talk about it."
Sybil gave him a bright smile and perched on the edge of the seat. "Christmas is coming," she whispered, as if sharing the deepest and darkest of secrets. She paused, waiting for Carson to make some profound statement. When he merely stared at her, she continued. "I need help with a present, and you're the only one that can help. Oh, please, Mr. Carson, say you'll help me."
"I'm afraid you're going to have to give me a little more information than that, m'lady, but I'd be happy to help, if I can. Who's this gift for, may I ask?"
Sybil looking around the office, as if looking to make sure there wasn't someone lurking in the corner. She hopped off her seat and stood in front of Carson, tugging on his coat until he doubled over in his chair. Cupping her hand to his ear, she loudly whispered, "Mrs. Hughes."
Charles shuddered as the girl's breath and voice tickled his ear but was very careful not to hurt her feelings when he gently shook his head. "I see. So, you'd like to give Mrs. Hughes a gift for Christmas and you need my help. I think that can be arranged. What were you thinking in terms of the item?"
Without any warning, Sybil crawled into Charles's lap and rested against his chest. "I don't know. That's my problem. I don't get to go to the village, and I don't have any money to spend." Tears were starting to form in her eyes at the thoughts of having no money but a heart filled with love and the spirit of giving. "I thought maybe you would have an idea since you are her best friend."
Charles was genuinely touched, first by the kindness of the little girl in his lap and at the thought of being thought of as Mrs. Hughes's best friend. "There now, Miss Sybil. Let's dry your eyes and have a peppermint stick. Then, we'll come up with something that Mrs. Hughes will love dearly."
"So, you'll help me?"
"It would be my pleasure. I can't think of anything I'd rather do this afternoon." He scooped her into his arms and rounded his desk, opening the left side drawer and removing two peppermint sticks. "This should help us think of something appropriate, wouldn't you agree?" he asked, handing one to her and taking one for himself.
Once they were both happily enjoying the stick of candy, Charles pulled out a fresh piece of paper and a pen. "Now, let's try to think of a few things you'd like to give Mrs. Hughes for Christmas and …"
"Shhhh, not so loud, Mr. Carson. We don't want her to hear," Sybil admonished. "I was afraid she would see me so I had to be extra quiet and sneaky."
"Right you are," he said, lowering his voice for the benefit of the child. Charles thought for a moment or two then looked down at the young lady in his lap who was thoroughly enjoying her peppermint. "What if you drew a picture for her? I'm sure she would love that, and it wouldn't cost you anything at all. You could work on it in secret upstairs and bring it to her when you're happy with it."
"I can't do that. I draw pictures for her all the time. We put them in a special book, and she keeps that book on her shelf. She said she looks at it when she's feeling sad or lonely, and it makes her feel better. She says it's our special little book." She shifted in Carson's lap and turned so she could see his face. "I think she sometimes wishes she had a little girl of her very own. That's when I give her extra big hugs and kisses," she said, not realizing how painful her words were to Charles's ears.
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to push the images of Mrs. Hughes cuddling a child of her own, relishing in being a mother, and enjoying watching her child grown and flourish.
"Did I say something wrong, Mr. Carson? Maybe I wasn't supposed to tell about the little book," Sybil worried.
"Your secret is safe with me, Miss Sybil. That's something very special between you and Mrs. Hughes. I would never do anything to spoil that for either of you." He thought for a long moment, trying desperately to think of something the little girl would give to his best friend for Christmas. "Maybe if you tell me a little about the time you spend with Mrs. Hughes, it will help us think of something," he suggested.
Sybil showed him her sticky hand and as he gently wiped away the candy residue, she told him of afternoons spent in Mrs. Hughes's sitting room. "She reads books to me, and I like that a lot. She always keeps one or two in her office. She's been reading Aes … Asso … the stories that have extra meanings at the end," she announced, clearly frustrated.
"Aesop's fables?" Charles guessed. He should have known Elsie would choose that particular book. She'd once confided that it had been one of her favorites as a child.
"Yes! That's it!," she exclaimed, them clamped her hand over her mouth when she realized how loudly she'd squealed. "I cuddle in her lap like I'm doing now and she reads while I turn the pages. And sometimes, we have little tea parties. She gives me milk, and we eat biscuits that Mrs. Patmore has made or ones that she's bought in the village." Sybil giggled. "I even bring my doll downstairs so she can have a tea party with us."
Charles chuckled. "That does sound like an entertaining afternoon. You enjoy spending time with Mrs. Hughes, don't you?"
"Very much, Mr. Carson. That's why it's important to give her something for Christmas. I love her, and we're supposed to share with those we love."
"That we are, m'lady." He hugged the small child a little closer, his mind filling with so many thoughts, too many to process at the moment. He tried to push them to the back of his mind so he could digest them all later. "You know, I may have an idea, but I'll need to speak with someone else, first. May I have your permission to let someone else in our little secret?"
Sybil thought for a moment. "If you trust them not to tell her, I suppose it will be okay."
"You have my word," he said, shifting the girl out of his lap and into his chair. "Please don't touch the books on the desk, but you may use my pens and paper to draw while I'm away," he suggested. "I wouldn't mind having one of your special drawings, too."
Sybil giggled and nodded. "I'm really good at drawing. Mrs. Hughes tells me I draw the best pictures. Since you're helping me, I'll draw one for you, too." She immediately shifted closer to his desk and began to put lines on the paper while Charles watched in silence for a moment before slipping from the room and shutting the door behind him.
A few moments later, Carson returned with good news and found Sybil working on a second drawing. "My, my, look at these. They're lovely. Is one of them mine?"
"They both are, Mr. Carson! You deserve both of them and a hug, too."
He smiled sweetly at the young girl. "Then, perhaps I will have earned my hug and drawings when I tell you that I've talked to Mrs. Patmore and she's going to help you with Mrs. Hughes's gift for Christmas."
Sybil put down the pen and jumped up in the chair, almost losing her balance and toppling over before Carson caught her in his arms. "Careful, m'lady. I wouldn't like to be the one to explain to your friend, Mrs. Hughes, why you have a broken bone or mark on your pretty little face."
She kissed his cheek and hugged him. "What's Mrs. Patmore going to do to help me?"
Charles sat down in the chair and balanced Sybil on his knees. "You said that you both enjoyed your tea parties so I thought I would ask her if she might have time to help you make some biscuits for Mrs. Hughes. You could assist with the dough preparation, maybe cut them into little shapes, and decorate them somehow. I'm sure Mrs. Patmore has a great deal of experience in baking biscuits and decorating them."
"But, Mr. Carson. She'll see me in the kitchen with Mrs. Patmore. It won't be a surprise anymore, and I won't have anything to give to her."
Charles tapped her on the end of her nose. "I have that all worked out, m'lady. I was just getting to that. You see, I'm going to invite Mrs. Hughes to walk into the village with me for the afternoon. It will be my present to her while you're making your gift. Then, when we return from the village, I will serve you both tea and you can tell her about the biscuits. What do you think of my idea?"
She giggled and hugged him even tighter than before. "It's wonderful, Mr. Carson. She will be really spoiled for Christmas this year. I am going to draw her a picture of us having a tea party so she will always remember the biscuits after we've ate them all."
"Don't you mean after Mrs. Hughes has eaten them?" he teased.
"Umm, yes, but she does like to share with me," Sybil reminded him before slipping from his lap. "I think I'd better go now before she comes to your office and finds me. And don't forget to hang up your pictures … but not until after our special tea party with Mrs. Hughes. I don't want her to guess the surprise."
Charles took the drawings and tucked them safely away in his desk drawer. "I can assure you, m'lady, that she won't let your secret escape. I'll keep it tucked safely in here," he said, pointing to his heart.
"In your jacket? What a silly place to keep a secret," she laughed before tiptoeing out of the door and back to the upstairs world where she belonged.
To say that Mrs. Hughes had been surprised when Mr. Carson had invited her a week later to lunch in the village would have been an understatement, though she wasted no time in accepting his invitation. She relished the idea of spending some time alone with him, especially after all of the hectic planning and preparations that had gone into all of the Christmas parties.
They had both enjoyed their time away from the Abbey. Their banter was easy and flowed gently from one topic to the next. He had treated her to a very nice lunch at one of the local establishments and had even dared to hold her arm on the way back to the house.
As soon as they entered the back door, Charles helped Elsie with her coat and managed to sneak a peek into the kitchen to make certain everything was set. Satisfied that all was in place, he turned back to Mrs. Hughes. "Thank you for a very enjoyable and lovely afternoon, Mrs. Hughes. We should do that again sometime."
"Indeed, we should, Mr. Carson. I thank you for the lunch but most of all for the company. I can't remember when I've laughed so much in a day."
He felt the tips of his ear beginning to burn. "My pleasure, Mrs. Hughes. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have something very important that needs tending to this afternoon."
"Oh? Well, I hope it's not as serious as it sounds," she teased.
"I will be sure to let you know," he said with a faint smile on his lips. "Until then, enjoy your afternoon." With that, he entered his office, waiting until he heard Mrs. Hughes's surprised voice and a little girl's giggle from the sitting room next door. That was his cue to make his way to the kitchen to retrieve the tea tray.
"She was a darling, Mr. Carson, just like you said. The little angel wanted to help with everything, even the cleaning up. She said she wanted Mrs. Hughes to be proud of her for doing it all from start to finish," the cook said with pride. "And, I have to say, that the biscuits turned out rather well. She told me what she had in mind and somehow, between the two of us, we made it happen. She's been so anxious and excited, so you'd best hurry."
Charles balanced the tray on one hand and gently knocked on the door to Mrs. Hughes's sitting room. "I do believe it's time for a very special tea party," he said, winking very quickly at Miss Sybil.
She threw her arms around Elsie's neck and gave her a tight squeeze. "Happy Christmas, Mrs. Hughes! We're having a tea party, and I made the biscuits all by myself … well, Mrs. Patmore helped me! And look, I drew you these so you can always remember the biscuits I made for you for Christmas. I hope we can put this in our special book, too."
Elsie looked up in shock and wonder at Mr. Carson, who was busy preparing a perfect cup of tea and a glass of milk. "Gracious! It looks like someone's been busy while I've been away from my desk," she teased. "And these biscuits look like the most delicious treats I've ever seen. I wonder, Miss Sybil, if you'd mind helping me sample a few of them while we have our tea?"
"I would love to, though Mrs. Patmore told me I couldn't have any more than two or three. You see, I had to sample a few of them to make sure they tasted good. I wanted them to be the best for you because you always give me your best. Besides, they're your Christmas present from me to you, and it wouldn't be right for me to eat them all."
Elsie drew the girl into her lap and kissed her cheek. "I think I have more than enough so that I can share with you and Mr. Carson, if he has a minute or two free to join us. What do you think? Should we ask him to join our special Christmas tea party?"
Sybil's excitement seemed to grow exponentially. "That's a perfect idea. He helped me come up with the idea and talked to Mrs. Patmore for me. I think he deserves some of the treats, too." She hopped off of Elsie's lap and ran to Charles. "Please, will you stay and have tea with us today? It can be our special little party for Christmas."
"I would consider it an honor, m'lady, Mrs. Hughes. Thank you very much for the invitation."
Before bed that night, Charles would go back into his pantry to find a little tin filled with his own special treats from Miss Sybil and a lovely thank you note from Elsie. The biscuits, he promised to himself, he would share with Elsie, and the little note from her and the card from Sybil would make their way upstairs to his private rooms. He would find a special place to store them and look at them on days when he needed a little reminder that Christmas truly was a time for sharing, giving, laughing, and loving those we hold most dear.
A/N: I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season … whatever you celebrate! Love and kisses from me to you! Xoxo This was written for a Chelsie Christmas Countdown, but I thought I'd share it here, too.
Christmas is about doing a little something extra for someone ~ Charles M. Schultz