Mandie woke suddenly, startled as Liza crept into her room to light the fire.
"I'se sorry I woke you Missy 'Manda." Liza said, frowning.
"That's alright Liza, I should've been awake by now." Mandie said, she could see from the light shining through her curtains that the sun was already up in the sky.
"Who be comin to stay in du house today?" Liza asked Mandie.
"I'm pretty sure it's just Celia, her mother, Grandmother, and Senator Morton." Mandie replied. "Who knows if anyone else will show up. Did you hear about the ball that my mother is planning?"
"Shore did, she wants everythin shinin in the house brighter than a fresh penny!" Liza exclaimed. "You'se bettuh watch out I hear Miss Pretty Thang will be here lots, she's fo shore gonna try and steal the doctuhs son from you!"
Mandie flushed. "Oh, Liza don't be silly."
"I'm just sayin." Liza said, finishing lighting the fire. "Anyway don' be too long, breakfust be jus bout ready." As she left the room.
Mandie jumped out of bed and went over to the closet. She chose a crimson-coloured wool dress to wear. Mandie quickly pinned up her hair, figuring her grandmother would disapprove of her wearing her hair in a braided plait as an adult. Mandie headed downstairs to the kitchen for a cup of coffee before breakfast. Aunt Lou was in there and shooed her out before she could enter, saying that breakfast was being served in the dining room. Mandie entered the dining room and saw that her Mother and Uncle John were already seated.
"This afternoon I plan to go Christmas shopping with your grandmother, and I will ask Celia's mother if she would like to go. You and Celia are welcome to come if you wish." Elizabeth said.
"Thank you, Mother, I'm sure Celia would love to go." Mandie said. "You're not going Uncle John?"
"No, no us men will be going down to the valley nearby to visit some folks, no time for shopping." Uncle John smiled jollily.
After breakfast Mandie decided to go for a walk in the yard before their guests arrived. To her dismay she ran into Polly on the edge of the property.
"Why hello Mandie! How are you?" Polly asked, flashing Mandie a smile.
"I'm fine Polly, how are you?" expressing fake enthusiasm. Mandie and Polly rather didn't get along, especially as Polly was good friends with Mandie's arch-nemesis April Snow.
"Oh, I'm positively wonderful, very excited for the Christmas ball. Say, is anyone coming up for Christmas maybe some of the boys such as Joe and Tommy." Mandie was taken aback for a moment she'd forgotten what Polly was like when it came to boys.
"Why yes they're both coming down for Christmas." Mandie replied.
"Well do let me know when they arrive, all right? I am ever so excited to see them." Polly said.
"Of course, I best get back now. Celia will be arriving soon." Mandie said, there was only so much time she could spend talking to Polly.
"Good-bye Mandie! I'm sure I'll see you very soon." Polly smiled and turned to walk back to her house. Mandie noticed a red and white card with hearts on it peeking out from Polly's coat pocket as she walked away.
"I sure hope I won't see you later." Mandie mumbled under her breath as she walked back to the house, wondering who the card Polly had was from.
What a beautiful day it was Mandie thought to herself as she took her time walking back to the house. She twirled around in the snow with her arms outstretched to the sky. "My, this is going to be a Christmas to remember. I'm so thankful to God for all my dear friends and family." Mandie thought to herself. She took a quick detour to check on the secret tunnel entrance and then decided to head back before Mother or Uncle John worried.
Mandie entered the house and hung her shawl up on the coat tree beside the door. Suddenly her vision was obscured by a mane of bushy, fiery red hair.
"Mandie!" Celia shrieked as the two embraced.
Uncle John entered the hall. "You two have been apart for just over a day, not years." He said laughing at the pair.
"Oh, my I'm so glad you're here for Christmas." Mandie exclaimed.
"Me too." Celia agreed.
"Come, let's bring your things up to my room." Mandie said grabbing one of Celia's two valises. The two girls headed up the stairs to Mandie's room. They talked the whole way up. When they arrived at the room Celia asked who else would be coming and when they would be arriving.
"Senator Morton and Grandmother will be arriving any time now, Jonathan and his father will be here tomorrow, Mary Lou and Geor-." Mandie was interrupted by Celia.
"I'm so happy Mary Lou and George got engaged and I can't wait for their wedding in the Fall, especially because we will both be bridesmaids!" Celia said excitedly.
"Me too, George is so sweet, but he was definitely meant for Mary Lou, not me." Mandie said thinking of George Stuart who had expressed romantic feelings towards Mandie who eventually realized she didn't feel the same for him. Mandie had often wondered what Joe would've thought of her and George spending time with each other, she brushed off this thought. Mandie had introduced George to Mary Lou after her and George broke things off, the two quickly fell for each other and were soon after engaged.
"Sorry I interrupted Mandie, who else did you say coming?" Celia asked again breaking Mandie's thoughts.
"That's alright Celia. Mother said she invited Tommy and Robert Rogers." Mandie said, emphasizing Robert's name teasingly.
Celia smiled and blushed a little. "What about Joe?" Celia asked grinning and teasing Mandie right back.
Now it was Mandie's turn to blush. "What about Joe?" Mandie said hastily.
"Well, is he coming?" Celia asked.
"Yes of course." Mandie said continuing to blush.
"I wonder what Joe is going to think of all your male friends coming, especially Tommy." Celia said, smirking.
"Oh hush." Mandie said quickly. Celia continued to smirk.
"Did you ever tell Joe about George?" Celia asked.
"No, but I mean the past is in the past and I have no reason to tell him." Celia opened her mouth to protest. Mandie said again "Oh hush." Celia seemed to be in a particularly teasing mood.
"Oh, never mind then. What about Adrian?" Celia asked referring to the red-headed Irish man Mandie had met on a trip to Ireland. Adrian had seemingly taken a particularly strong liking to Mandie.
"Oh Adrian… He's nice but a little too nice and forward. He asked to come for Christmas, but I wrote to him and told him I'm gone away." Mandie said.
"Yes, well that's probably for the best. He doesn't say anything the least bit honest either. 'Miss Amanda with all your beauty and voice of an angel…'" Celia said giggling, imitating Adrian's thick Irish accent.
"Oh hush!" Mandie said for the third time in a row, hitting Celia with her pillow. Mandie's cheeks flushed a deep scarlet colour. "We should go to lunch."
The two girls headed downstairs to find Elizabeth, Uncle John, Celia's mother, Mrs. Taft, and Senator Morton just sitting down for lunch.
"Good afternoon Miss Amanda, Miss Celia." Senator Morton called, nodding to the two girls.
"Mandie, Celia so good to see you girls." Mrs. Taft said embracing the two girls before sitting down to eat.
When everyone was seated and served Elizabeth asked Mandie "Are you girls coming shopping with us after lunch?"
Mandie looked at Celia, Celia nodded "Yes ma'am" she called down the table.
The adults discussed plans about the Christmas ball and the guests whom they had invited. Mandie and Celia mostly just listened into the conversations.
When lunch was finished Mandie said "Well we might as well go up and get ready to go, see y'all in a few minutes." As her and Celia left to go upstairs.