Advent – Preparations for Christmas
A/N: The first in a series of A-Z Chelsie Christmas prompts inspired by Chelsie Fan.
The servants' hall bustled with activity as the younger servants busily decorated the Christmas tree that Mr. Carson had reluctantly agreed to install. He always enjoyed the decorations upstairs and some of the festivities downstairs but never let himself get too carried away. He feared that the staff might not respect him if he really gave into his more cheerful side. Nevertheless, he was glad that Mrs. Hughes had convinced him to allow the youngsters the luxury of the tree and the additional decorations.
"Mr. Carson, could we? Please." Clara, one of the young housemaids asked timidly over over the top of her bowl of porridge.
Mr. Carson grunted gruffly in response. "We've never put a Christmas tree in the servants' hall and I don't see any reason to start now. The decorations that Mrs. Hughes has approved are quite enough."
"Oh, I don't know Mr. Carson," Mrs. Hughes interjected. "I think that it might be nice to have a Christmas tree of our own in the Servants' Hall. It does not have to be a large tree. Just one to fit in the corner there," she indicated with her finger. Mr. Carson sighed heavily.
"Oh, all right, Mrs. Hughes," Mr. Carson sighed deeply. He leaned in close to her "I'll have a couple of the lads cut one. But only after they have finished with their duties," he conceded with raised eyebrows. Giggles erupted from the opposite end of the table; the young maids nattering among themselves. Mr. Carson could have sworn that he heard on of them saying something about Mrs. Hughes being able to have her way with him. He glanced to Mrs. Hughes, who though looking into her bowl of porridge, had a demure but visible smile tugging at her lips.
While Clara and Emily strung together paper garland to lace around the tree, Mr. Molesley and Miss Baxter rummaged through a box of ornaments that the family no longer used. Andy and Tim, a hall boy, strung holly round. Even Daisy and Mrs. Patmore joined in on the festivities untangling a strand of fairy lights that Lady Gratham had donated for the occasion. Mrs. Hughes looked down the length of the table and taking a sip of her tea, smiled contentedly.
"Ahem," Mr. Carson cleared his throat. "You are shirking your duties Mrs. Hughes," he chided gently as he held out the wire frame for her inspection. "A penny for your thoughts."
She began to wrap the ivy around the wire frame that he had fashioned. "I had thought that all was lost when Anna was arrested, but she's home now and we are preparing for Christmas and the young ones are happy…"
"…and older ones too," he interrupted casting a glance toward Mr. Molesley and Miss Baxter who were quietly chatting away, all tender smiles and gentle gestures.
"And older ones too," she echoed his words with a knowing look and brush of her hand to his cheek. The smile that she received in return caused her to blush but she didn't care; they were to be married after the New Year and she was so happy she felt as if she were floating.
As she worked, Mr. Molesley and Miss Baxter decorated the tree. Daisy and Mrs. Patmore strung it with lights, though they argued over whether to start at the top or the bottom. Emily began playing Christmas carols at the piano and Mrs. Hughes could not help but to be swept up in the sentiment. As she continued to weave the holly, ivy, and a sprig of mistletoe onto the kissing bough, she found herself happily singing along.
After the staff trimmed the tree and the decorations were all hung and placed, Mrs. Patmore served sandwiches and a rather special Christmas Eve beverage. Mr. Carson started to offer a speech on the ills of drinking too much, but the calming hand of Mrs. Hughes on his arm caused him pause. After a while, the staff began to disperse and only Mr. Molesley and Miss Baxter were left with Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes in the servants' hall. Mr. Carson, then remembered that he had forgotten to hang one last decoration.
"Mrs. Hughes," she heard him call out to her. "Might I have a word?" She glanced to the doorway leading to the servants' corridor where she saw Mr. Carson stretched to his full height tacking the kissing bough to the top of the doorframe.
"Yes, Mr. Carson. How may I help," she asked seriously.
"Could you stand just there," he indicated. "I need to make sure that I am hanging this in the right spot."
She pulled her lip between her teeth to suppress a giggle; her eye, however, betrayed her. She moved beneath the bough. "Just here?" she asked innocently.
"Ah, yes," he replied as he pushed the tack into place and lowered himself down. "I think that is just about right." They were standing very close and for a moment, he worried what the others might think. However, they were to be married and what would a chaste kiss hurt? "If I didn't know any better I would think you deliberately left the making of the kissing bough to us," he murmured.
She smiled placed a hand on his chest. "You once said that I was a plotter," she teased.
"Well, thank goodness that you are," he murmured against her lips. "Happy Christmas, Mrs. Hughes" he said as his lips caught hers.
Happy 25 Days of Chelsie….I'd love to know what you think if you are so inclined.