"Ma! We found the tree! The perfect Christmas tree!" Sydney yelled loudly to Dorcas as he and Amelia Cordelia bolted into the Candleford Post Office, tracking snow with every step. A rare winter snowstorm was in the process of blanketing Candleford, Lark Rise and Fordlow for the holidays and excitement was higher than usual.

His mother was inwardly happy to hear this news but seeing the trail of snow from the front entrance to the living room left her outwardly perturbed.

"Sydney!" Dorcas called after him. "Will you and Amelia please stop… gallivanting through the house at such a furious pace?! And must you track in so much snow?! I shall have to clean these floors before tonight's gathering, so…"

At this, Sydney and his boon companion screeched to a halt as they ran towards the front door. The terrier pups, now known as Castor and Pollux, sat at Dorcas' feet as usual, guarding their mistress against all potential harm. Seeing Amelia, however, they scampered to her side and nuzzled their foster mother. For this, Dorcas was silently grateful. Her own two-legged son, though, needed a brief talking-to.

"Have I done something wrong, Ma?" Sydney asked, adjusting his spectacles.

Placing a tender hand on her boy's shoulder, Dorcas couldn't help being sympathetic to his plight. He was, after all, no longer such a small, frightened thing; Sydney was almost a teenager now and, growing by leaps and bounds, he was clumsier, louder and more awkward than ever.

"No, not really," Dorcas sighed, knowing Sydney wasn't trying to annoy her or do anything wrong. She smiled, tousling his blond hair then. "I suppose you are growing so quickly that I cannot keep up with you. One minute you wish me to tuck you in at night and the next you say you are too old for it. My Little Man is becoming a Big Fellow, indeed."

Sydney blushed.

"Ma…" he began, but then, embarrassed by the way his mother was admiring him, he looked down at his feet and simply said "... I'll clean the floor. You shouldn't be on your feet so much, anyway, since there's a baby coming."

This sort of thing left Dorcas feeling somewhat self-conscious. She appreciated Sydney's willingness to always help at home and in the post office, but she also wanted him to be out having fun with friends his age.

"Oh, I'm fine, Sydney," she said, "No need to worry about me. I am as healthy as…"

Just then, the Post Office bell sounded. Dorcas headed to see who it was. The Pratt Sisters, Ruby and Pearl, greeted her in their matching winter coats and hats.

"Well, don't you two look warm?" Dorcas said in greeting. "The storm has no chance of getting to you, does it?"

"What a Christmas!" Ruby said, clearly thrilled by the snowfall. "I can't remember the last time we had snow over the holidays, can you, Pearl?"

Sighing, Pearl rolled her eyes at her younger sister's excitement.

"I can, indeed," Pearl said. "We were unable to open The Stores for two days and lost quite a bit of our usual business."

Dorcas offered Ruby a sympathetic smile.

"Hopefully, you will not suffer so this time around, then," she told Pearl. "The town seems quite excited by this year's odd twist in the weather. I know I am."

Pearl shook her head dismissively.

"That doesn't surprise me, Dorcas," she said, sounding wholly bored with the conversation. "I'm sure you will find a silver lining in this storm cloud or you'll create one."

"Yes," Dorcas answered primly. "Well, what can I assist you with, Pearl?"

Handing over a letter, Pearl couldn't help allowing herself a rather self-satisfied grin.

"Will you see that this letter gets out as soon as possible? It's rather urgent."

Glancing down at the envelope, Dorcas noticed it was addressed to James Dowland's London residence.

"I will make certain it leaves by the next post," she told Pearl. "First thing in the morning, so expect it to…"

But Pearl cut her off, placing cash on the counter.

"It must go out tonight," she said, looking quite serious. "Here is extra postage to ensure that it does."

Dorcas worked hard to keep from openly scowling at her neighbor and sometimes friend.

"I am afraid that is impossible, Pearl," she said as politely as she could. "I have given Thomas the evening off. There is no one to take the letter tonight."

Pearl glared at her.

"There is you," she told Dorcas. "Is it not your sworn duty to see that the mail gets to where it needs to be?"

"Oh, Pearl!" Ruby broke in. "Dorcas can't go out in this weather - in her condition!"

Now Pearl cut her eyes at her sister, furious at being challenged.

"You underestimate me, Ruby. I am feeling quite well and as your sister says, my first allegiance must be to the mail," Dorcas said, grinning politely at Ruby. She knew the younger Pratt sister was truly worried about her and she appreciated it. But Dorcas absolutely meant that Pearl should not have the upper hand in this matter.

"Dorcas, no," Ruby began.

"It is fine," Dorcas said, looking Pearl straight in the eye. "I shall wrap up and have Gabriel drive me to the train station." Then she addressed Ruby. "Would you look after Sydney for me, Ruby, while we are gone?"

Ruby cast a superior glance at Pearl and smiled brilliantly at Dorcas.

"I would be honored. It would be my pleasure to spend this evening with such a handsome young man." Frowning at her sister, Ruby continued, "I will enjoy being in … pleasant company for a change."

Pearl sniffed and, turning towards the door, glared back at Ruby and Dorcas.

"Thank you for your service in this matter, Dorcas," she said coldly before exiting.

Ruby, looking a bit embarrassed, sighed.

"Please accept my apologies," she said to Dorcas. "Pearl hasn't heard from James in a while and she fears he may be… That he has…"

Dorcas considered the letter in her hand, a look of sadness crossing her features.

"Let us hope James has become the man he told us he now is," she said. "Well, I must tell Gabriel our plans have changed. Ruby, will you join us for a quick supper before we head out?"