Tessa was ecstatic when Charlotte agreed to her plan to hold a Thanksgiving party at the Institute. The older woman was a little apprehensive about the party being the next day, and worried that it was not enough time to prepare. But Tessa's enthusiasm convinced her.

The boys went with her to talk to Bridget, who was also uncertain about it. It was a lot of extra work for her. Tessa immediately volunteered the services of the two boys and Bridget agreed to it instantly. Will's face was like thunder as they left the kitchen.

That was how Will ended up stuck in the kitchen all day peeling potatoes. The potatoes seemed endless. He peeled enough for an army, he thought, but when Bridget checked on him, she shook her head and piled on more for him to peel. After he had peeled enough to her satisfaction, he put them all into a big cauldron filled with water, which he had to fetch, and let them boil.

As they were boiling, Bridget set him to shelling peas. This was not as bad, and Will, loathe as he was to admit it, enjoyed the snap of the pea pods and the satisfying pop as he scraped the peas out with his thumb.

Just as it felt as though his thumb might be dislocated from the sheer number of pea pods, Bridget called a halt and placed the potatoes before him to mash. Will sulked but the task suited his mood. He mashed away angrily at the spuds, ferociously dashing in salt, pepper, milk and butter as directed.

Throughout all this, Bridget was ceaselessly singing her mournful ballads.

There lived a wife at Usher's Well, and a wealthy wife was she;
She had three stout and stalwart sons, and sent them over the sea.
They hadna been a week from her, a week but barely ane,
When word came to the carline wife, that her three sons were gane.

The more Will listened, the more he wanted to grab the potato peeler and stab the cook with it. Either that or drown himself in the huge cauldron. Between the potatoes and the singing, he felt like he was slowly but surely going insane.

Tessa had taken Jem with her to go shopping at the Borough Market. They had returned shortly after lunch laden with bags full of groceries. From Jem's slightly stunned expression, it seemed that Tessa had gone wild at the market and bought a tonne of food. They unpacked corn, more peas, vegetables, cranberries, two pumpkins and practically a bushel of apples. Jem was carrying a huge packet wrapped in newspaper, which was revealed to be a very dead turkey, feathers and all.

"What exactly am I supposed to do with this?" Bridget demanded, poking a wooden spoon at the bird. Tessa, still wearing her hat and gloves, carefully explained the process of brining the turkey, preparing the stuffing and then roasting it. After Tessa finished, Bridget looked pointedly at the bird and then at Will. Her reluctant kitchen assistant got the message and fell to plucking the massive bird.

Jem was given the task of chopping vegetables, coring the apples and scraping out the pumpkins. Bridget hovered over them, supervising, as she worked on pastry and also their upcoming meals.

The boys were again exhausted by the time dinner came round. Will felt like he would rather have another go with that Vermithrall demon – all by himself and armed only with a carving knife – than see another potato, pea pod or turkey. He even had feathers in his hair. He went straight to bed after dinner and was dead to the world until the next morning.

The next day, Will was again relegated to the kitchen. Again, more peas and potatoes and brussels sprouts. His arms felt like they were going to fall off. He did not see Jem all morning and he wondered what his parabatai was up to.

The boy wandered into the kitchen after lunch, bringing in a waft of fresh air. "You smell like you've been outside," Will commented from his station by the fire, where he was turning the turkey to roast it.

"I have," Jem said. "Tessa wanted me to get decorations. She and Jessamine are putting them up in the dining room now."

"She managed to get Jessamine involved?" Will asked incredulously.

"I don't see why you're surprised," Jem remarked. "After all, Jessamine is all for anything of the mundane world. However, I do find it gratifying to see her taking an interest in the goings on in the Institute."

Bridget kept the boys busy all the way until dinner time. She released them on Tessa's order, so they could have a bath and dress. Will, at least, was never more grateful.

When he entered the dining room later, he let out an involuntary gasp of surprise. There were green wreaths hanging from each pillar, each tied with a large festive red ribbon. Witchlight stones were placed strategically to give the most illumination without taking away from the ambience. In the middle of the table was a wicker basket woven in the shape of a horn. It was overflowing with flowers and fruits.

"Do you like it?" Tessa's voice sounded behind him.

Will pulled his game face back on. "It's nothing to write home about," he said without looking at her. He heard her huff. She came round to take her seat at the table, and Will had his breath taken away again by the sight of her, dressed up beautifully in a purple gown.

The other members of the Institute gradually entered and sat around the table. Bridget and Sophie began serving, placing platters of steaming vegetables around. Then, Bridget brought the turkey out to cries of surprise and amazement. The bird was roasted to perfection and it smelled mouth-wateringly delicious. Henry got up to carve and the stuffing burst out as he did so.

When everyone had received a generous helping, Tessa stood and said that she wished to speak. Everyone fell silent.

"First," she began, "I would like to thank all of you for helping me to set up this party. It is a little bit of home, for me, and I hope you enjoy this little bit of American culture as well."

"Hear, hear!" Henry agreed.

"Thanksgiving is a very special time for us, Americans," Tessa continued. "It's a time for us to reflect on our blessings and to be grateful for them. And so I would like to thank you all for everything you have done for me in these past months. I was alone and friendless, and you took me in, gave me a home, and made me a part of your family here. Thank you, all of you – Charlotte, Henry, Jem, Will, Jessamine, Sophie, Bridget – all of you have been so kind and generous to me. I have been so blessed and so lucky to have met you. Just… Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart."

There was a round of applause as Tessa concluded her speech. Charlotte could be seen wiping a tear from her eye. But Tessa had not yet sat. She continued: "If I may, I would like to read you a poem that my Aunt Harriet used to recite every Thanksgiving.

For the hay and the corn and the wheat that is reaped,
For the labour well done, and the barns that are heaped,
For the sun and the dew and the sweet honeycomb,
For the rose and the song and the harvest brought home -
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!

For the trade and the skill and the wealth in our land,
For the cunning and strength of the workingman's hand,
For the good that our artists and poets have taught,
For the friendship that hope and affection have brought -
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!

For the homes that with purest affection are blest,
For the season of plenty and well-deserved rest,
For our country extending from sea unto sea;
The land that is known as the 'Land of the Free' -
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!"

There was another round of applause when she was done. The dinner party was a merry one, as everyone praised the food, ate their fill and talked about the good things that had happened in the past year. Laughter and mirth filled the room, and for once, there was no squabbling at the table between anyone. Will attributed this to Jem. His parabatai seemed to have been infected with Tessa's enthusiasm and was doing his best to live up to the spirit of the American festival, and steering the conversation away from touchy topics. Even Jessamine seemed a lot less sour than usual.

All in all, the dinner seemed like a success, until it was over and everyone went to the drawing room to rest and digest the enormous meal.