"…O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord." The cheerful voices of carolers filled the morning air around Gull Cottage. Carolyn may have been enchanted by the singers in her sleep, but it was Martha who knocking on her bedroom door exclaiming, "he kept his word! He's here for Christmas!" that made Carolyn's morning truly magical.
"Where is he?" Carolyn gleefully asked as she threw on her robe. Their clothes were mid – century Victorian, but neither noticed anything out of the ordinary about this situation.
"Downstairs waiting for you."
Carolyn was out the bedroom door and halfway down the stairs before Martha even had a chance to say, "I'll wake the kids," which she did.
Carolyn's joy at seeing her Captain safe and home for Christmas infused her whole being. She was so very glad to see him and this happiness lit her face with an ethereal glow. The Captain was secretly pleased; sometimes when men returned from a long sea voyage they found the one they had cherished decided she couldn't tolerate the wait and found another. He had seen it happen too many times, including once to himself. For one moment he was going to enjoy a proper welcome home and revel in his place in Carolyn's heart.
She rushed down the stairs beaming, "you're here! You're really here!"
"Yes, of course, I promised."
She reached him and he took her hands, kissing one. She didn't think that sufficed for a welcome home after so long apart so she stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. He bent down to greet her but at the last moment they were interrupted by two adorable children in their Victorian nightclothes running down the stairs shouting greetings to the Captain. Carolyn mused that it was a very good thing they were adorable because their timing was terrible.
They broke apart and the Captain regaled them with tales from the trip; how he had managed to bring the ship into port despite the odds.
"We heard there was a terrible storm at sea," Carolyn said.
"Oh, it wasn't too bad, bit of a blow that's all. 'Course the cook was washed overboard."
"Oh, that's awful!" Carolyn responded.
"No, not so awful, he wasn't a very good cook."
Relaxing now that they all realized he was joking they had a good laugh. It was so good to have him home, Carolyn had truly missed him.
The Captain addressed Candy and Jonathan, "well children, you two have been as good as gold, haven't you?"
"At least as good as silver!" Jonathan answered, hoping to put in a good word for himself to any Saint who might be listening. Candy rolled her eyes, considering him to be a lost cause.
The Captain was sure both children had heeded his private instructions to them before he had sailed: to be good for their mother so she didn't have to worry about them too. He was pretty sure that Father Christmas would amply reward them for that. He took a very satisfied breath and noticed all of the wonderful aromas in the house, "my but the house smells of Christmas," he noted with great pleasure.
"Martha is making gingerbread men to hang on the tree!" Jonathan answered with so much excitement the Captain wondered if any of the aforementioned gingerbread men would actually make it to the tree.
"Only we don't have a tree yet," Candy pointed out.
No tree? The Captain would rectify that as soon as he could, "after breakfast we shall get a tree from the hill."
The kids smiled in anticipation, practically ready to run out the door run now to get a tree. The clock struck and Carolyn realized sadly that she had to absent herself from the group in order to get to work on time.
The Captain was shocked, he'd expected to have Carolyn and the kids to himself all day, he'd been looking forward to it for weeks. "That miserable skinflint uncle of yours is not making you work during Christmas, is he?"
What could she do? "He needs me; he's behind on the books."
"Don't make excuses for him." The Captain was disappointed, he'd had enough of that uncle of theirs and someday very soon he was going to make sure Carolyn and the kids didn't have to be dependent on him anymore.
His train of thought was derailed by Carolyn's, "I need him, I'm behind on the bills." Yes, very soon the situation for the Muirs would change.
Jonathan stated, "Uncle Claymore says Christmas is humbug."
Candy furthered the point by imitating their uncle, "he says it's 'Bah! Humbug!'"
Carolyn laughed on her way upstairs to get dressed, the kids and the Captain went to the kitchen for breakfast. The Captain enjoyed the delights of a home cooked meal and Martha ate up every compliment.
Carolyn steeled herself for another day at work with Scrooge-like Uncle Claymore. The situation itself was fine, it provided the family with an income, and the work was satisfying. Most days the office was a tolerable place to work, but every year as Christmas grew nearer and nearer Uncle Claymore grew grumpier and grumpier. Carolyn could never understand his abhorrence for the season. She'd tried to cheer him up, to point out the joy the season brings; but he just kept rebuffing her words. Nevertheless, year after year, she invited him to Christmas dinner. She'd never let his attitude make her melancholy, in fact she often felt sorry for him, he was so alone; and by his own choice.
She was a few minutes late for work that morning, she tried to care that Uncle Claymore was upset by this, but Christmas had taken over her heart and she let his upbraiding roll off her back. She bargained with him to work longer and that satisfied his money-grubbing soul. Carolyn quietly worked all day, enjoying the songs of the carolers and the snow falling out the window. Uncle Claymore disappeared for a while in the morning and that made the office a much more peaceful place.
When Claymore returned the carolers were back outside the window warbling about decking the halls. Carolyn enjoyed their singing, but Claymore thought it was more humbug, "Infernal caterwauling! Give them a ha'penny and turn them away!" Was his point of view as a music critic.
"Oh uncle, they don't want your money."
Claymore was extremely dubious about that, "they want something."
"Only to bring you greetings of the season."
"I don't want greetings; I just want to be left alone."
Carolyn gently reminded him that Christmas would come whether he wanted it to or not.
"Bah! Humbug!" was his only response.
The task of obtaining a Christmas tree having been completed, Gull Cottage was turning into an extension of Saint Nicholas' workshop with Candy and Jonathan stringing popcorn and cranberries as the Captain went to work unwrapping the decorative treasures he had acquired during his travels. Each item had been thoughtfully selected for this tree, this household, this family. They had never been out of his mind for long while he was away. He carefully placed a carved Italian angel amongst the top branches.
"Oh Captain, she's beautiful!" Candy admired as she walked over to take a closer look.
He smiled, "thank you, Candy, I hope your mother finds her as lovely."
"I'm sure she will." Candy picked up a small beautifully decorated sphere, "where is this from?" she was always fascinated by the many places he had traveled.
" Germany . The sphere opens to reveal a small gift. However, there is to be no peeking until tomorrow." He looked at each child to reiterate those words.
"Yes sir!" they responded, not wanting to risk Saint Nicholas passing them by at this late date.
"Now if Scruffy hasn't eaten all of the popcorn, we are ready to put it on the tree." Scruffy looked abashed and hid his head under his paws to avoid retribution. They all laughed. Martha came in to the parlor carrying a tray of gingerbread men which put a stop to the decorating as everyone decided the delicious cookies belonged in their stomachs and not on the tree.
"The tree will be a nice welcome home for Mrs. Muir. Family and hearth are what's most important as Christmas." Martha stated.
"I wish she were here now." Candy noted.
"I'm sure she wishes she were here too; but she'll be home soon enough, no reason to mope about it. Why don't you practice your song for her?" Martha prompted.
Candy thought she might as well practice so she sat at the piano and started to plunk out the notes of "The First Noel". Jonathan went back to stringing popcorn managing to put one kernel on the string for every three he ate. The Captain followed Martha into the kitchen to load up on more gingerbread, but was distracted by a tray of scones. He "stole' one from the tray, a twinkle in his eye. Martha raised an eyebrow at him, but wasn't really mad. They laughed.
"I like to cook for a man, women and children are such delicate feeders."
"Martha, the kitchen delights at the inn don't hold a candle to yours."
"It's a shame you have to stay there."
"I can hardly reside here until Carolyn and I are married."
"Have you set a date yet?"
"No, how do you think she'll feel about Christmas day?"
"Tomorrow? I couldn't possibly be ready."
"You couldn't? How much time do you need?"
"New Year's would suit me fine."
"That would be my second suggestion." He picked up a tart, bent down to kiss Martha on the cheek and took a second tart. Martha did not fall for this attempt at distraction and laughed at his feigned innocence as she shooed him out of her kitchen, leaving the gingerbread behind. Life at Gull Cottage was never going to be dull once he moved in.
The tarts were devoured before the Captain made it back to the parlor. Candy continued to practice while Jonathan and Scruffy continued to make the popcorn disappear. The Captain admired this scene, taking in every moment while he could, it wasn't going to last for long.
Candy stopped playing and looked up, "Captain Gregg, wouldn't it be terrible if there wasn't any Christmas?"
"It would be like a long, long night without a star. Candy, if you could ask Saint Nicholas for one special thing this Christmas, what would it be? "
She thought about this for a very short while and answered, "to have mother here at home more instead of having to work for Uncle Claymore."
"That's a beautiful wish, I hope it comes true."
"I'd want more gingerbread!" piped in Jonathan.
"Jonathan!" his sister tutted, rolling her eyes. The Captain laughed and gathered them up to finish decorating the tree. When it was done they stepped back to admire their work.
"I hope mom likes it."
"I'm sure she'll love it, Jonathan."
"There isn't much popcorn on it, Jonathan," his sister noticed. Jonathan just smiled and shrugged. The Captain smiled, watching the interaction between brother and sister.
"You two make this room ship shape and then help Martha. I'm going in to town to meet your mother and when we get home we'll have a real Christmas."
"Yes, sir," Candy responded.
"Aye, aye, Captain," Jonathan saluted.
Scruffy barked his agreement as well.
