Wind whistled around and through the crumbling blue-grey brick causing the house to groan as Thomas fought back his shudder. Instead he focused on the firelight that gleamed off the ancient, multifaceted gold and crystal chandelier, peeling sapphire wallpaper and the long dark oak dining table. Only three seats of the twenty available were occupied, he sat at the head whilst Lucille sat on his right and Edith on his left. A candelabrum set in the table's de facto middle cast a soft glow over not only ivory-skinned faces, but also the mismatched silver platter of blood pudding slices, bone white china bowl of greens and black iron pot of mashed potatoes. It was the potatoes which were farthest from him.
Unthinkingly, Thomas asked, "Could you pass the potatoes, darling ?" The house's already frigid temperature seemed to chill even further when Lucille and Edith both reached for the pot. His breath appeared as a mist when he hurriedly, embarrassingly, had to offer a correction. "If it pleases you, Edith ?"
Golden blond hair and a bright silver mutton chop-sleeve shimmered in contrast to the drab, moth-eaten, dark silver table-cloth as Edith moved the potatoes. Lucille dabbed her mouth with a handkerchief where after he saw her lips thin and her chin raise briefly before her expression smoothed.
His sister set down the sapphire cloth then said, "Thomas, I am going to get the mincemeat. I put a bit of deer fat in just as you like it." before gliding from the dining room.
Edith blanched, "D-deer fat ? Please excuse my rudeness to Lucille, Thomas, but I-I think that I will just skip dessert for tonight and go to bed." The young woman did look a bit piqued and so, as Lucille had intended, he excused Edith from the table.
When Lucille returned a few minutes later to set down the mincemeat, mock offended, she made a show of looking about. "Wherever did she go, Thomas ?"
"She had a bit much to eat, I think."
A rare smile crossed Lucille's lips before she leaned down to kiss him, "Good, that means there is more for you and I." It really was an excellent dessert, by far the best he'd had since returning to England. He had missed her so on his and Edith's little honeymoon. Now, he was back and they were together again as they should've been.