W – is for Wreath
It was unusual for Charles and Elsie to go several days without seeing Miss Sybbie bouncing though their office doors or peeking out of the nursery when she thought they might be on the landing. They were really starting to miss the energetic little girl and how much laughter she brought into their daily lives, but Elsie had assured Charles time and time again that she was fine. She'd spoken with nanny on several occasions and had been reassured that Sybbie was in fine health and there was no need to worry. Still, it didn't stop Charles from doing just that.
"It's not like her to miss a chance to come down here to see both of us, or even one of us, for that matter. I find it odd that she's been absent for two days. Are you sure we haven't done something to upset her or Mr. Branson?" A horrifying though suddenly occurred to him and he gasped and gripped Elsie's upper arm. "You don't think she's found out about Father Christmas, do you? Oh, Elsie, that would be the worst Christmas ever."
"Calm down, Charlie," she soothed gently. "I'm sure she's just found other ways to occupy her time. And, you have to admit, you've been able to get through those stacks of papers on your desk and catch up on a few things since she's been preoccupied."
Reluctantly, he had to admit that his wife was correct. Yes, he'd answered a few letters, polished a few pieces of the silver that Her Ladyship wanted to use for an upcoming event, ordered the wine for the New Year's Eve celebration, and a whole host of other smaller tasks which he'd been neglecting over the last few weeks. "Yes, all right," he answered gruffly.
"You don't have to get short with me, Mr. Carson. It's perfectly fine to admit that you miss her little face. I know I certainly do, but I also know she's only upstairs if I just cannot resist the urge to check on her. I'm sure she's busy with Miss Marigold and Master George. Nanny was going to have them purge a few toys for the village donation box, and I'm certainly glad I wasn't there for that, though I think of the three of them, Sybbie would give her the least amount of trouble over getting rid of a few toys."
"Well, I might just pop my head in later to make sure everything is in order. It will ease my mind a bit."
Elsie kissed his cheek and patted his arm. "I love you, Charlie! Let me know what you find out when you stop by the nursery."
"Oh, you cheeky woman," he snorted as he shook his head and returned to his office, feeling a little teased but most certainly loved.
For the rest of the day, Charles struggled with whether or not to check in on his favorite little friend. His desire to see that she was well was strong but Elsie's voice in the back of his mind kept reminding him that, just like the adults in the household, little children could get busy and swept up in the holiday happening, too. It was that voice that convinced him to wait one more day.
By lunchtime the following day, even Elsie was beginning to grow concerned. She hadn't wanted to admit it to Charles, but she was starting to really miss the infectious laughter and boundless energy of the bright little light that so often visited them downstairs. Her days somehow seemed duller, less magical, though still just as busy as before. She had already made up her mind to visit the nursery wing before dinner … just to put her mind, and Charlie's at rest.
However, they didn't have to wait quite that long. As soon as lunch was over and everyone had gone back to their duties, Elsie was surprised with a special visitor.
"Mrs. Hughes! I've missed you terribly, but I have a special surprise for you and Mr. Carson. Do you know where he is? I want to give it to you at the same time. That way, you can't get jealous because I gave him something, and he can't get jealous, either. It's only fair."
Elsie opened her arms and received a fierce, warm hug from the little girl. "Oh, lass, we've missed you, too. Have you been terribly busy these last few days?" Sybbie nodded and grinned. "And, did you get your toys sorted for the village donation box like nanny asked?"
"I did, but I kept the ones that I love the most. There are a few things that I don't play with anymore, but I kept my tea set, dolls, and those things. Marigold and George were having a bit of trouble choosing what to give away, though. They had to have a little more help in making the decision."
Elsie kissed the top of her head. "I'm sure the children who are less fortunate than you, three, will enjoy whatever you've given. It's always nice to share, and if you have more than you need, others will most certainly appreciate your gift."
"I hope it will make some girl happy to get a few of my things and will play with them a lot."
Charles heard her voice before he ever saw her and suddenly he was standing in Elsie's doorway wearing a huge grin on his face. "I should have known the little elf would come and see you first," he said with a mock pout. "I suppose I'll just go to my office and sit there being lonely and wishing I had someone to pay me a visit," he teased and started to turn away.
Sybbie ran over to him and wrapped her arms around his leg. "You can't leave. You just got here. I was looking for you. Tell him, Mrs. Hughes. Didn't I just ask where he was and that I needed to see both of you at the same time?"
He leaned down and picked her up, kissing her lightly on her cheek before giving her a little hug. "I feel much better, now. I was starting to think you'd found someone else in the house to visit … like Madge, or Anna, or Thomas."
She wrapped her arms around his neck and rubbed her nose against his. "Never! You and Mrs. Hughes are my best friends, and I've missed you so very much. But, I was busy and had to get my work done before I could see you again. Did you know that sometimes work comes before play?"
Both adults couldn't contain their laugher. "You don't say," Elsie shot back sarcastically. "I'll have to remember that as I'm doing about my daily duties, though I hope it won't keep you from visiting us from time to time."
"I'll always make time for you," she said, giving Elsie a two-eyed wink. "My job was a very important one, though, and I have been working really hard. I made nanny promise not to tell you about it since it's a surprise."
Charles sat down on the settee next to Elsie and listed as Sybbie began to describe the events of the last few days, complete with a list of toys she'd given away, the conflicts with her cousins, and how much she'd missed the sweets and biscuits she was so often given.
"Will you promise me to wait right here while I go get your surprise? I put it in Mrs. Hughes's chair in the servant's hall so you wouldn't see." With promises made and hearts crossed, Sybbie asked them to close their eyes while she darted from the room to retrieve her project. "Hold out your hands and no peeking, Mr. Carson. Don't open your eyes until I say it's okay."
"Mrs. Hughes, you can't peek either!" Charles was more than a little intrigued by what she could have possibly made for them, though he didn't have to wait long.
"You can open your eyes now." She squealed in delight as she watched the expressions on their faces turn from surprise to sheer delight. "They're wreaths for your doors," she announced proudly. "I realized you didn't have one on your doors here or at your cottage, so I made them special for you."
"Miss Sybbie, they're beautiful, and we each get one for our office door. That's such a lovely thing to do. I'll have to get some fishing line and have one of the footmen attach it to my door." Elsie opened her arms to give the kind hearted girl a huge hug. "You'll have to tell me how you made it."
When she'd also given Charles a hug and received similar praise for her craftsmanship and imagination, she told them all about the process. Whether or not they truly wanted the detailed directions, they received step by step instructions, all the way down to cutting out the little circles for the holly berries on the construction paper wreath.
"And you have one for home, too. The glue is still drying on it so it's on my table upstairs. You can get it tomorrow, if you want, and take it home for your door. It might not be a good idea to leave it outside a lot, though, since it will be a mess if it gets wet or it snows."
"We can hang it on the inside of the door to protect it from the weather, and that will allow us to see it first thing each morning and every night before bed. It's a very thoughtful gift, and we are so very grateful."
"Every door should have a wreath on it, especially the outside doors like ours upstairs. But, since I didn't have money to buy you a real one, and I didn't know how to make one out of limbs and greenery from outside, I thought this would work. I hope you don't mind that it's not real." She suddenly began worrying her bottom lip as doubt flooded her mind.
"They're absolutely perfect, and would you like to know why?" Elsie asked as she leaned down to look Sybbie eye to eye. "We can use them every year and always think of you. The wreaths on the doors upstairs will have to be thrown away after New Year's because the branches and berries will begin to dry and wilt. But ours … those will last for many years if we make sure to store them properly. So, I'd say we have the best wreaths and there's not enough money to buy them."
"Really? Even if someone offered you a … a hundred pounds … you'd not sell them?"
"Not even for a thousand pounds," Charles answered, the truth behind his words shining through his eyes which were glistening with unshed tears of thankfulness. "Mrs. Hughes is right. These are gifts that we can cherish and reuse year after year, and we promise to take excellent care of them so they'll last a long time."
"Well, if something happens to them, I know how to make more so it will be okay. But, I'm so happy you like them. Maybe, tomorrow, I can come back and see how you've attached them to your door here and go home with you to see the one at your cottage once you have it on the door."
Elsie winked and tapped Sybbie on the end of her nose. "I'm sure we can make that happen. And, there just may be a little bit of shortbread that needs to be baked and sampled, if you and Mr. Carson are feeling up to the job."
"What do you think, Miss Sybbie? Should we take the job that Mrs. Hughes is offering? I think we'd be really good at the job of shortbread testers."
She thought for a long minute and nodded. "But, only if there's hot chocolate to drink. Being a shortbread taster is thirsty work. I bet if I bring my supplies, I could show you how to make a wreath for your other doors at home, too. We could make one for your back door and your bedroom door, too."
"I think one wreath for the cottage is just fine. We don't want to spend all of our time doing that when we could be baking or reading. Besides, it would use up all of your colored paper, and you might need that for making Valentine's in a few months."
Sybbie's eyes grew wide and she grinned like a Cheshire cat. "I just had a great idea! I could make Valentine's wreaths for all of the doors if I start working on them right after Christmas, and you will get the first two," she promised. "We can decorate the whole house in paper wreaths so they'll last forever." She jumped up and down and clapped her hands together in excitement.
"Who's going to break the news to the family about this project?" Charles asked his wife once Sybbie had gone to the kitchen for a slice of cake.
"Don't look at me, Winston … or should I call you Cupid?"
"One holiday at a time, Elsie … one holiday at a time. Right now, though, I think I've earned a slice of cake, too. When we get home, tonight, we can discuss this Cupid fellow. I hear he's a real romantic at heart."
Elsie looped her arm through his and snuggled into his side. "If you ask nicely, later, I'll tell you everything I know about him. He's quite the kisser," she teased as they entered the kitchen to share a snack with the best wreath maker in the house.
A/N: As we approach the ending of this series, I wanted to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who's taken the time to read the chapters, reviewed, messaged, and offered me kind words of support. I know not everyone enjoys the "sweetness" all the time, but I am grateful that you've paused in your busy lives to take a break with Charles, Elsie, and Sybbie. Next up … Xylophone!