[A/N. With regards to the review about making Rose reappear it's actually
quite funny you should say that as I was thinking that Eliza and Edward
would go to a show or something and Rose would be the star of it. Sort of
like a cheer up for people during the war. But I was not sure how I could
really put her into the story since she doesn't know Eliza or Edward.
Unless of course, she has read about things in the paper?! I don't know
yet, but we'll see. Also this chapter doesn't have an exact date as it is
basically going to cover the few days leading up to Christmas, as well as
Christmas itself. Cheers!]
Liverpool, Christmas, 1941.
"..and then the tinkers brought out this horsey-" Margaret was saying.
"-But it wasn't a real horse Daddy!" Ben interrupted. "People were just inside the horse costume."
"And the horsey did all these funny things." Margaret concluded.
Edward and Eliza exchanged smiles. When he'd picked them up at the station he had been very grateful to see the smile on Eliza's face, and to note that the country air had done wonders for her previously pale and wan complexion.
"So you had a good time then children?" Edward said.
"A great time Daddy!" Ben corrected.
*****
After the children were in bed Edward and Eliza sat up discussing things.
"I've spoken to Mother while you were away. Father hasn't told me this, but he's pretty sick. Mother seems to think it's his pride getting in the way of telling me. Luckily of course she has no such qualms." Edward said sighing. "I hate the thought of us being over here when he's back there unwell."
"You mean you want to go back?" Eliza asked a thoughtful look on her face.
"Of course I'd like to, but there are a few other things I'd have to organise before I could even think about leaving the country." Edward replied, taking a sip of his brandy. Eliza had a mug of warm tea in her hands. The fire was roaring, and Eliza was still cold. Of course there had been winters in America but even though she'd been living in England for six years Eliza was still not used to the freezing English winters.
"Such as?" Eliza asked.
"Well the business for one. I'm sure I could leave it in the hands of Simpson. He's a bright enough man, and very capable and trustworthy. I'm sure he'd handle it all fine if I let him manage the English side of the business." Edward said.
"Forever?" Eliza asked.
Edward shrugged. "I don't know to be honest. And of course my other main concern is you and the children." He said.
Eliza raised an eyebrow. "What about us?" She asked. And then a thought occurred to her. "You're not going to go back to America and leave us here are you?"
"Well," Edward admitted. "That was my first thought. With America now well and truly involved in the war I'm hesitant about taking my family on a ship- "
"-Edward, I don't want to be left here!" Eliza said unhappily. "I don't think I could cope- and what if the bombings start again?"
"They won't." Edward assured her. "But you didn't let me finish. After thinking about this I decided that I couldn't leave you here. But I also resolved to let you make up your own mind. After all it could be dangerous."
Eliza took another sip of her drink before responding. "Danger or not, I wouldn't mind being back in America. We're coming with you Edward. How soon do you think we'll be leaving?"
"Well there are a few things to organise like I said, and also we'll have to arrange for the sale of the house...It probably won't be until the end of January."
*****
When Eliza and Edward were woken by the children on Christmas Day Eliza looked out the window. Despite the fact that it had been snowing all night the sun was shining brightly, making the snow gleam.
"Come on!" Ben begged. "We want to see our presents."
Edward sighed and rolled over. "You go downstairs then to your sacks, and we'll be down in a minute. But you know not to touch the wrapped presents!"
Ben and Margaret raced off and Edward sighed. "What time is it?" He asked his wife.
"Seven thirty." She replied with a yawn. "But that's a lot better than six o'clock the last few years!"
"A lot better!" Edward agreed, and they got up and put on their dressing gowns to go downstairs.
Despite money being tight Edward and Eliza had still managed to get quite a few presents for the children. By the tree Ben and Margaret were surrounded by toys, games and books.
"Look Mama, look Daddy." Ben cried excitedly, showing them a toy plane. "Look what Santa gave me."
Eliza smiled, and knelt down on the floor next to him. "Wow, that's pretty terrific." She said. "Santa must have thought you've been very good this year."
"Look at my doll Mama." Margaret said, and she held it up. "See Daddy?"
"Isn't she pretty? Look at her hair- it's just like yours, except hers is golden curls, and yours are brown curls." Edward replied.
The present opening went on for awhile, until soon the only presents under the tree were the ones for Jessica and her daughter, and also the Cook, who had graciously offered to come in that afternoon to help with the Christmas meal.
"Mama, in "A Christmas Carol" Scrooge is visited by the ghosts of the past, present and future right?" Ben asked.
Eliza had read the story to them the night before, and while Margaret hadn't really appreciated it, Ben had loved it. "That's right sweetie." Eliza said.
"Well why would he be visited by the ghost of presents? He wouldn't even be getting and presents and even if he did he'd buy them for himself. So how can there be a ghost of presents?" Ben asked.
Eliza had to stifle a laugh, and she couldn't look at Edward for fear of laughing. "Dickens meant presence- as in p-r-e-s-e-n-c-e. He was visited by the ghost of the present time. Not presents as in Christmas presents." Eliza tried to explain. To her the explanation sounded muddled, but she wasn't really sure how to word it. Luckily Ben accepted that.
"Okay children, one last surprise for you." Edward said. He and Eliza had decided to tell the children the news about going back to America, although not the reason why they were going.
"Another one?" Margaret asked. "Where is it?"
"It's not a present as such," Edward said. "We're going to be leaving England and going back home to America."
Their reactions were mixed. Ben was excited, and Margaret wasn't.
"But America is not home. Here is home!" She complained.
"America is our home!" Ben argued with her. "Mama and Daddy have lived there a lot longer than here! And our grandparents are there!"
"But I like it here." Margaret said sadly.
"Oh sweetie, come here." Eliza said, and Margaret obediently came over to climb onto her Mother's lap. "I know you like it here, and we like it here too of course. But it'll be safer in America, and you're going to live in a bigger house than here with lots of garden to play in. And you'll get to meet your grandparents, and more than likely they'll spoil you rotten." At least she knew the Colonel would if he weren't too sick. Even though it had been six years since Eliza had seen Mrs. Gracie she was convinced she couldn't have changed too much. But then maybe the war and the grandchildren would soften her feelings?
"Yeah Margaret, America is great!" Ben said, even though he couldn't remember it since he'd been a baby when they'd moved to England.
"Well," Margaret said with a sigh. "I guess it can't be too bad. Can I go back to playing with my doll now Mama?"
"Sure sweetie. I've got to get dressed and get a start on some things for dinner so that Cook doesn't have to do too much." Eliza replied.
The children went back to playing and Eliza and Edward went and dressed.
"I guess this means that we're definitely going." Eliza said with a sigh.
"You do want to don't you?" Edward asked anxiously.
"Of course I want to!" Eliza assured him. "I was just thinking that Liverpool has become like home to me. It's going to be weird being back over there."
"But as long as we're all together it'll be fine." Edward reminded her, and she laughed and hugged him.
"Right." She agreed.
Liverpool, Christmas, 1941.
"..and then the tinkers brought out this horsey-" Margaret was saying.
"-But it wasn't a real horse Daddy!" Ben interrupted. "People were just inside the horse costume."
"And the horsey did all these funny things." Margaret concluded.
Edward and Eliza exchanged smiles. When he'd picked them up at the station he had been very grateful to see the smile on Eliza's face, and to note that the country air had done wonders for her previously pale and wan complexion.
"So you had a good time then children?" Edward said.
"A great time Daddy!" Ben corrected.
*****
After the children were in bed Edward and Eliza sat up discussing things.
"I've spoken to Mother while you were away. Father hasn't told me this, but he's pretty sick. Mother seems to think it's his pride getting in the way of telling me. Luckily of course she has no such qualms." Edward said sighing. "I hate the thought of us being over here when he's back there unwell."
"You mean you want to go back?" Eliza asked a thoughtful look on her face.
"Of course I'd like to, but there are a few other things I'd have to organise before I could even think about leaving the country." Edward replied, taking a sip of his brandy. Eliza had a mug of warm tea in her hands. The fire was roaring, and Eliza was still cold. Of course there had been winters in America but even though she'd been living in England for six years Eliza was still not used to the freezing English winters.
"Such as?" Eliza asked.
"Well the business for one. I'm sure I could leave it in the hands of Simpson. He's a bright enough man, and very capable and trustworthy. I'm sure he'd handle it all fine if I let him manage the English side of the business." Edward said.
"Forever?" Eliza asked.
Edward shrugged. "I don't know to be honest. And of course my other main concern is you and the children." He said.
Eliza raised an eyebrow. "What about us?" She asked. And then a thought occurred to her. "You're not going to go back to America and leave us here are you?"
"Well," Edward admitted. "That was my first thought. With America now well and truly involved in the war I'm hesitant about taking my family on a ship- "
"-Edward, I don't want to be left here!" Eliza said unhappily. "I don't think I could cope- and what if the bombings start again?"
"They won't." Edward assured her. "But you didn't let me finish. After thinking about this I decided that I couldn't leave you here. But I also resolved to let you make up your own mind. After all it could be dangerous."
Eliza took another sip of her drink before responding. "Danger or not, I wouldn't mind being back in America. We're coming with you Edward. How soon do you think we'll be leaving?"
"Well there are a few things to organise like I said, and also we'll have to arrange for the sale of the house...It probably won't be until the end of January."
*****
When Eliza and Edward were woken by the children on Christmas Day Eliza looked out the window. Despite the fact that it had been snowing all night the sun was shining brightly, making the snow gleam.
"Come on!" Ben begged. "We want to see our presents."
Edward sighed and rolled over. "You go downstairs then to your sacks, and we'll be down in a minute. But you know not to touch the wrapped presents!"
Ben and Margaret raced off and Edward sighed. "What time is it?" He asked his wife.
"Seven thirty." She replied with a yawn. "But that's a lot better than six o'clock the last few years!"
"A lot better!" Edward agreed, and they got up and put on their dressing gowns to go downstairs.
Despite money being tight Edward and Eliza had still managed to get quite a few presents for the children. By the tree Ben and Margaret were surrounded by toys, games and books.
"Look Mama, look Daddy." Ben cried excitedly, showing them a toy plane. "Look what Santa gave me."
Eliza smiled, and knelt down on the floor next to him. "Wow, that's pretty terrific." She said. "Santa must have thought you've been very good this year."
"Look at my doll Mama." Margaret said, and she held it up. "See Daddy?"
"Isn't she pretty? Look at her hair- it's just like yours, except hers is golden curls, and yours are brown curls." Edward replied.
The present opening went on for awhile, until soon the only presents under the tree were the ones for Jessica and her daughter, and also the Cook, who had graciously offered to come in that afternoon to help with the Christmas meal.
"Mama, in "A Christmas Carol" Scrooge is visited by the ghosts of the past, present and future right?" Ben asked.
Eliza had read the story to them the night before, and while Margaret hadn't really appreciated it, Ben had loved it. "That's right sweetie." Eliza said.
"Well why would he be visited by the ghost of presents? He wouldn't even be getting and presents and even if he did he'd buy them for himself. So how can there be a ghost of presents?" Ben asked.
Eliza had to stifle a laugh, and she couldn't look at Edward for fear of laughing. "Dickens meant presence- as in p-r-e-s-e-n-c-e. He was visited by the ghost of the present time. Not presents as in Christmas presents." Eliza tried to explain. To her the explanation sounded muddled, but she wasn't really sure how to word it. Luckily Ben accepted that.
"Okay children, one last surprise for you." Edward said. He and Eliza had decided to tell the children the news about going back to America, although not the reason why they were going.
"Another one?" Margaret asked. "Where is it?"
"It's not a present as such," Edward said. "We're going to be leaving England and going back home to America."
Their reactions were mixed. Ben was excited, and Margaret wasn't.
"But America is not home. Here is home!" She complained.
"America is our home!" Ben argued with her. "Mama and Daddy have lived there a lot longer than here! And our grandparents are there!"
"But I like it here." Margaret said sadly.
"Oh sweetie, come here." Eliza said, and Margaret obediently came over to climb onto her Mother's lap. "I know you like it here, and we like it here too of course. But it'll be safer in America, and you're going to live in a bigger house than here with lots of garden to play in. And you'll get to meet your grandparents, and more than likely they'll spoil you rotten." At least she knew the Colonel would if he weren't too sick. Even though it had been six years since Eliza had seen Mrs. Gracie she was convinced she couldn't have changed too much. But then maybe the war and the grandchildren would soften her feelings?
"Yeah Margaret, America is great!" Ben said, even though he couldn't remember it since he'd been a baby when they'd moved to England.
"Well," Margaret said with a sigh. "I guess it can't be too bad. Can I go back to playing with my doll now Mama?"
"Sure sweetie. I've got to get dressed and get a start on some things for dinner so that Cook doesn't have to do too much." Eliza replied.
The children went back to playing and Eliza and Edward went and dressed.
"I guess this means that we're definitely going." Eliza said with a sigh.
"You do want to don't you?" Edward asked anxiously.
"Of course I want to!" Eliza assured him. "I was just thinking that Liverpool has become like home to me. It's going to be weird being back over there."
"But as long as we're all together it'll be fine." Edward reminded her, and she laughed and hugged him.
"Right." She agreed.