The red tints of cheeriness in Mrs Fairfax's cheeks were tinged with a blooming anxiety as Jane and Edward entered the dining room to witness her struggles in keeping the dainty branches of holly that had been elegantly arranged in a crystal vase from scratching the polished windows and tethering the smoothed curtains. "Mrs Fairfax, in order to sustain this fitful energy of yours, you must eat something" Edward laughed as she slowly pressed the branches upward, as if trying to encourage their growth to dome outward and join in the centre.

"Oh, I've 'ad my breakfast, Sir, just tyin' up a few loose ends 'ere, then I'll be on me way" she replied, concentration bubbling in her tone. "That will be enough, Mrs Fairfax" sad Jane, placing a hand on the old widow's shoulder, "They look lovely". The widow glanced sceptically at the branches before shuffling from the room. "The dear woman always gets like this during Christmas, bustling about eager to please! My father used to get quite vexed at her dallying".

Jane sat down, preparing to speedily eat her breakfast "you can hardly blame her, Diana and Mary will be arriving soon, we must get prepared"

"Prepared!" he cried "never mind about them, I demand to know what you desire as a Christmas gift".

He was smirking excitedly, mischievously as he dipped his crust in the butter block on the table. Jane slid on to his lap and gazed sincerely.

"I want Mary and Diana to join us at the table for-" she was cut off as Edward chuckled "I want to hear requests of…" he bit his lip lightly as he playfully considered candidate gifts "Encyclopedia?" he declared.

Jane smiled but said nothing as she heaved herself off his lap and set the used plates aside

"Art materials..?" His tone growing more demanding with frustrated curiosity.

Laughter tickled her windpipe

"Jane? Are you still there?" He began to paw the air and the humour in Jane's heart slid away.

"I'm still here" she said, catching his hand and smoothing her thumb rhythmically over his fingers.

"Perhaps my right hand would suffice for a gift..?" he muttered, not intended to reach her ears.

Jane led him to stand before her and linked her arms around his neck, pulling him snugly close to her

"You still have your feet" she whispered "you could teach me how to dance?"

A chuckle broke through the hard melancholy on his face as he slid his arms around her waist and moved their bodies in unison.

Mary and Diana arrived cheery to the point of madness and clothed in a modest charm,

"It has been so good to get away from the school" Mary exclaimed, "they're all so giddy at Christmas, they don't care for German or Mathematics".

"Oh never mind that" said Diana, linking arms with Jane as the three of them walked through the Courtyard "where's this new husband?"

"He's in the drawing room, there's a fire well set for you to warm yourselves from the cold

"You said in your letter" said Mary, looking at the ground awkwardly "he had had an accident?"

Entering the door to the hall, Jane looked at her curiously "he is blind and his right hand missing". Sympathy and a nervous discomfort poured in their eyes as they made their way down the corridor and came to the door of the drawing room, a discomfort that Jane had failed to detect.