Chapter Seven
The fire crackled in the fireplace while Amy walked to the couch and sat down. She placed the blankets around her legs as she looked at the selection of biscuits and cakes that sat on the tray and poured some tea into the white china cup with little butterflies painted on it. Sitting back, she opened the journal to where she left off and sipped on the orange tea that the TARDIS had made for her.
24 December 1746
Last year I spent Christmas Eve in the cold darkness of a battlefield somewhere in the Highlands. We didn't celebrate it as much as passed around flasks filled with whiskey and prayed that we wouldn't freeze to death. So watching the servants mulling about as they prepared for Christmas dinner, as well as putting up some finishing touches to the main hallway, I was pretty happy to be somewhere safe and warm. I had gotten used to the screaming and screeching that came from the walls, but I still wondered what was going on.
"Of all the nerve!" Susan shouted as I watched her coming down the hallway and headed for the main parlor room. Slamming the door, I watched the maids softly whispering to each other when I got up off the stair I was sitting on and walked to the doors. Carefully I opened the doors as I looked at the large, elegantly decorated Christmas tree and Susan was standing in front of the fireplace, her back toward me.
"Um, Susan…" I said as she turned around and I noticed the anger in her eyes. "Are you alright, Lass?"
"Yes, I'm fine," she said then walked to the couch and sat down. Seeing the bottle of whiskey on the table, I walked to the table and opened the bottle. I haven't had any whiskey since Culloden as I poured a little bit into two glasses and carried the glasses to the couch. Sitting down, I handed her one of the glasses, she gave me a stunned look, and sipped on the whiskey.
"Mind telling me what's wrong?" I asked as she looked down at the whiskey then swallowed it in one gulp and coughed. "Uh, you're nae supposed tae do that."
"I know, but I'm just so angry!" she said and I nodded.
"I can see that."
"Tell me something, James," she said as she placed the glass on the coffee table and turned to me. "Do you know anything about arranged marriages?"
"Only that my mother and father had one," I said and she nodded.
"Were they happy about it?"
"Aye, from what my grandmother told me, they couldnae wait tae get married."
"Hmm, well, that's all well and good, but I don't believe in it. A woman, or man, should have the right to pick who they want to marry."
"I agree with you, but wasnae your parents' marriage arranged?"
"Yes, but that's not the point. I don't want to marry someone because my mother and father picked out a husband for me!" she half shouted and I nodded.
"So that's why you're in a foul mood."
"Yes, Father just told me that he has arranged for me to marry one of the men from his regiment!"
"What's wrong with that?"
"They are all so…old!" she said and shivered.
"Do you ken that for a fact?"
"Well, no, but what if whoever it is smelly or is ugly?"
"You judge people by their looks, do you?"
"Well, no, but I'm not sure I could stand being with someone….," she said and I smiled, sipping on the whiskey in my glass.
"Who looks like a frog?" I asked and she softly giggled.
"You must think I'm very shallow," she said, looking down at her hands.
"No, I dinnae think that. I do think you have a point aboot who you should marry. Have you ever heard of the phrase "Don't judge a book by its cover"?"
"Yes, I have."
"Well, mebbe this man, whoever he is, might look like a squashed toad, but he might also be the gentlest and kindest man you'd ever meet. Whereas, what if you met a good looking man and he turns out to be a beater and a cheater?" I asked and sat back against the cushions, letting her absorb what I said.
"Ah, I see, yes, that does make sense. But what if I end up with a horrid, ugly man instead of a kind, good looking one?"
"Hmm, that is a good argument. I guess the best thing tae do is meet the man and find a way to tell your father that you dinnae like the choice. It might nae be too late for him tae break the deal."
"You sound like I'm buying a horse," Susan said and giggled. Suddenly a loud scream broke the mood as I jumped and Susan sighed.
"Please tell me that you heard that," I said, but Susan just got up and left the room. The screaming grew louder as a loud bang made three books to fall from the bookcase near the fireplace and I sighed, sipping on the whiskey.
"Right, back to the mysterious screaming again," Amy said and turned the page.
25 December 1746
I remember Christmas mornings from when I was a lad. The air would be ice cold and I would get a new pair of woolen socks. That first Christmas morning at Heatherfield was totally different. I woke up to a warm fire in the fireplace and Molly standing by the bed with my woolen dressing gown and slippers.
"Merry Christmas, Suhr," Molly said while I grunted and placed the duvet over my head, sighing at the soft warmth under it and the blankets.
"M'rry Chri'mas," I said with a muffled voice and heard Molly giggle. With one jerk of the duvet and blankets, she uncovered me and the cold air made me curl up into a ball. "Ah, it's freezing!"
"Then get up and get dressed," she teased and I grunted, sitting up on the bed. She placed the slippers on my feet then helped me up and placed the dressing gown on me. "There, now come along, breakfast is ready."
"Wait, I'm going downstairs in my nightshirt, dressing gown and slippers?" I asked as she walked to the door and smiled, opening the door.
"Of course, Suhr, his Lordship and his family never gets dressed until noon on Christmas Day," she said as I walked to her and we left the room.
"No one in my family gets dressed on Christmas until noon either," Amy said and sipped on the tea.
The heat from the large fire in the fireplace wrapped over me like a blanket while I sat on the couch next to Lady Pamela and the servants served the tea and breakfast. Lady Pamela motioned for me to snuggle next to her as we ate and one of the maids, Colleen, played some Christmas music on the piano in the corner. Anne sat across from me as she glared at me and I wondered what I did to earn such a look.
"Maybe it was her time of the month," Amy teased and the TARDIS gently giggled.
After breakfast we opened the presents and I received a gray suit, a white shirt, a black tie and a black vest as well as a book. Lady Pamela made me put the jacket of the suit on and was impressed that it fit and Katherine and Susan told me that I looked very handsome. Anne just snorted and nibbled on some sausage.
"Hey, Miss Grinch, leave him alone," Amy said and nibbled on a chocolate biscuit.
I retired to my room to read my book while the warmth of the fire warmed my feet and Molly hung up my new clothes in the wardrobe. I hadn't changed out of my nightshirt and was snuggled under the duvet and blankets, but was enjoying the book when I heard what sounded like someone rattling a doorknob. I looked up when I saw the doorknob to the door near the window moving and I shivered.
I never knew where that door led, but was told it was just a storage closet and sighed. The doorknob rattled louder as I got out of bed and held the book against my chest. My heart slammed against the book as I slid my slippers on and walked to the door. The doorknob rattled louder as I stood in front of the door and reached out for the doorknob. I turned the doorknob as a soft clicking sound filled the air and I felt the door give, opening with a soft squeaking sound.
"Hello?" I asked as I opened the door some more and looked into the room. There was a smell of dust in the air as I walked inside and could just see the sunlight from behind the thick curtains. Carefully walking to the window, I reached for the curtains and moved them back, coughing and waving the dust away. The light lit up the room while I looked around and saw the bookcases against the walls, the stone outline of the fireplace, heat from the fireplace warmed the room, and the rest of the furniture was covered with sheets. I walked to the two sheet covered objects on either side of the fireplace outline when I lifted up a corner of the sheet and carefully removed the sheet, seeing the suit of armor standing on a stand. The armor was tarnished and was holding onto a shield and I gently opened the visor on the helmet. "Is there anyone in there?"
"Oh Jamie," Amy sighed, shaking her head side to side.
I uncovered the other suit of armor then the high back chairs with cream colored cushions and the oak table with lion claw feet at the end of the legs and a small bowl sat on the top of the table. There was a cabinet near the far wall and I used the end of my nightshirt to clear the dust, seeing what looked like horse statues behind the glass. Above the cabinet was a covered frame and I moved the curtain back, looking at the portrait. The young lad in the portrait had brown hair and eyes and was wearing a redcoat's uniform. A sword was hanging from the belt on his left hip and his left hand was on the handle of the sword. He was standing next to one of the high back chairs and Anne was sitting on the chair. She was wearing a cream color dress and her hair was done in soft curls.
"Anne and Daniel," I said as I read the plaque under the portrait and I looked up at the young lad. I squinted when I noticed that Daniel had the same soft features like Anne had and I realized that they were twins. Shrugging a shoulder, I uncovered the rest of the furniture when I saw the couch under the windows and the trunk near the couch. Carefully opening the window to allow some air into the room, I sat down on the couch when I opened the book and started reading. The couch was very comfortable as I slid down until I was lying down in my back and placed the book open on my chest. Feeling sleepy, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.
"Wake up!" Anne shouted as I opened my eyes and she glared down at me. Molly was standing next to her and I realized I was covered with a goose down duvet and saw that my book was on the table.
"How did it get over there?" I thought then looked up at Anne again and she was breathing hard through her nose.
"What the hell are you doing in here?!" Anne demanded as I sat up and wrapped the duvet around me.
"I was asleep," I said softly, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes and Molly slightly smiled.
"How did you get in here? The door was locked!" Anne growled and I told them that the door was unlocked and she glared at me. "You're not allowed in here!"
"Why? It's my room."
"No, it's my brother's room!" she said and I looked at the portrait.
"You mean Daniel?" I asked, nodding my head toward the portrait.
"Yes, now get out!" she said then stormed out of the room and I looked at Molly.
"Where is Daniel?"
"Master Daniel's dead, Suhr," she said, crossing herself.
"When did he die?"
"He died in April."
"Where did he die?"
"He died at Culloden," she said and my heart clenched in my chest. I then remembered the coffin in the cart and pulled the duvet tighter around me.
"Oh, so that's who was in the coffin," Amy said as she turned the page and sipped on the tea.
