Chapter Eighty-One
Christmas Eve Part VI: Romance
Rosemary and Lee had taken the Children to their house earlier where Allie, Frederic, and Jack had begged to camp out in the Living Room to see if they could catch Santa in the act!
Lee had given Nathan a key so he could slip in and get the Children after he and Elizabeth had finished spending some private time together.
Both sets of Parents expected the Children to be fast asleep by then!
As was expected, Nathan and Elizabeth were the very last to leave the Reception.
They waved Lucas and Sophie off as Lucas excitedly carried his Bride upstairs, away for their Wedding Night, which was, given the other Wedding Ceremony, ironically their only Wedding Night! Lucas and Sophie had been intent on doing this whole thing right, and although both had been living in the Saloon, they had chosen to remain in separate Quarters until this, their 'real' Wedding.
And of course, poor Sophie was also itching to redecorate Lucas's museum-like Living Quarters prior to moving in, but she was going to have to worry about that after their Honeymoon!
A gust of icy cold wind hit the Best Man and Matron of Honor as they left through the Doors of the Queen of Hearts, and Nathan nestled Elizabeth to him under his Overcoat as best he could before they turned again and made a dash for their still Flower-Bedecked Sleigh.
Nathan shielded her as much as possible, then lifted her into the Sleigh, covering her with the two Furs, they kept stored under the Front Seat.
He had removed them earlier and warmed them by the Fire inside the Queen of Hearts, so the Furs would be toasty warm for Elizabeth's ride home.
Nathan turned the Sleigh and directed the Horses toward his House.
"You look so beautiful, Darling! You positively amaze me," and he reached to kiss her, warming her lips and pulling her closer to him with his free arm.
The Snow was still coming down and fluttering around them.
"Look, it's a Christmas Eve Moon!" whispered Elizabeth.
"A beautiful one too! Once around the pond?"
Her eyes were bright as she nodded yes!
"This reminds me of our first official Date, my Love," she smiled coquettishly.
"That it does. I'll never forget that night, Darling. Never!"
"No, me neither. I remember every single detail, every Dance, every Kiss. And that perfect Menu, which I know you had to have had help with," she was searching his face for clues, but there were none there, just a look of Love and Adoration.
"Look how the Moon dances across the icy Lake! Its beauty is astounding…like little Diamonds dancing across the Frozen Water. Lisbeth, do you think we'll be able to Ice Skate tomorrow?" asked a hopeful Nathan.
"The temperatures are dropping like crazy. Wouldn't that be wonderful? It feels like you can almost fly when you Skate across the Ice!"
"I know. Imagine Skating across the Ice together, Love!"
She looked at the excitement and wonder in his eyes that she still could see there, even in the Moonlight.
"I can't wait…" and she nestled in even closer to him, sharing her warm Furs with him.
"Can you imagine having something so beautiful here in our own front yard, so to speak? Another amazing Hope Valley perk. But the biggest perk of all? I found you here," he slowed the Horses and reached for her face.
Somehow, his lips found hers in the darkness and there was no more cold, only Love between them, under the glowing Moonlight.
And somehow at that very moment, the Moon seemed to move on its axis to find the Couple, shining its glorious softened Light down round about them.
They both looked up, then at each other, marveling at Nature's Knowledge and Blessing of Love.
'Look at the Stars, Darling! That's Cassiopeia, the brightest Constellation of all. Do you know it?" asked Nathan as he pointed to the Constellation.
She shook her head no.
"Cassiopeia is the Queen to King Cepheus. The King is a bit harder to find because of course, he's not quite as bright as his beautiful Queen," he looked at Elizabeth and winked.
"But he's just below her. Perhaps another irony as this particular Queen is by far the Superior Ruler or at least the Ruler in Charge," he chuckled. "The King almost looks like a House. Can you see him?"
Elizabeth followed Nathan's finger pointing to the Skies, "Yes, there he is! No, he's not nearly as bright as his Queen!"
"See the Star at the apex of the 'House'? That Star is really, really close to Polaris, also known as the North Star, Darling."
"At first, the Story doesn't sound like a Love Story at all. But Greek legend tells us that King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia were Royals who ruled Ancient Ethiopia together. Although he was Royal and a King to boot, King Cepheus was quite a regular guy. He loved nature and did a lot of Fishing and Hunting, all the normal things that normal guys do. He just loved Life! Not so much the trappings of his Palace."
"On the other hand, Queen Cassiopeia was quite the opposite. She loved herself, her Palace, and ruling her Kingdom, which she pretty much ran like a tyrant! She was, however very beautiful, but she knew it. Sort of like the Queen in Snow White who was always looking in her Mirror, asking if she was the most beautiful of all! Of course, everyone in the Kingdom had to brag on the Queen's Beauty or they might have been killed. And had she actually added Murderer to her list of accomplishments, well, that would have been a very real tragedy for all concerned." (36*)
"As you can imagine, the beautiful Queen, obsessed with her Beauty, became quite impossible to live with. But the King still loved her very much, no matter how difficult she became."
"One Day, the Queen was walking by the Sea and she got herself and her Kingdom into a whole lot of trouble. She actually told Poseidon, who was the god of the Sea, that she was more beautiful than his own Wife and his ten Daughters. Well, you can imagine Poseidon's reaction. He was not happy and he called up a huge Sea Monster to destroy the Queen and her Kingdom!"
"So, what does the Queen do? She offers up her own Daughter as a sacrifice to the Sea Monster. Now don't worry, a Greek Hero later saves the Daughter. But even with this very close call, the Queen refuses to learn her lesson."
"She does the same thing again, but this time she shakes her fist at Mount Olympus, where Zeus and most of the gods lived, and screams, that she is even more beautiful than Queen Hera, who was the big Queen. She was Queen of all the gods! And she even had a bigger ego than Queen Cassiopeia."
"Well, as you can imagine, there was a major confrontation between the two Women over who was more beautiful, but Queen Hera won that skirmish hands down. After all, she was the most powerful of Queens. She tied Cassiopeia to her own Throne and threw her, Throne, and all, up into the Sky! So, Cassiopeia could show the entire World how beautiful she was through all eternity, or so she said! Very generous of Queen Hera, wouldn't you say?" chuckled Nathan.
"Well when King Cepheus found out what had happened to his Wife, he went crazy! He just grieved and grieved for his beautiful Queen. With all his Power and Riches, he simply couldn't face living without her!"
"So, he went to Zeus, who was King of the gods, and he begged Zeus to turn him into a Star so he could be with his beloved Wife."
"But remember, Zeus is the husband of Queen Hera, the very Queen of Queens who had put King Cepheus' own Queen Cassiopeia up in the Skies in the first place!"
"So, Zeus was hesitant for sure, because he had to answer to his Wife, but King Cepheus cried and cried and begged and begged him. So, Zeus finally gave in and flung his friend up into the Heavens, where he landed just below his Queen. And that's how the King and Queen's True Love came to be! They cling to each other up in the Heavens among the Stars to this very day and for all Eternity, even more in Love than they ever were down here on Earth!"
"But isn't that sad?" asked a very pensive Elizabeth.
"It would be much sadder if they were apart," whispered Nathan, as he moved her Scarf to kiss behind her ear. "But having said all that, as bright as Queen Cassiopeia and her King Cepheus are, the brightest Star of all, the North Star, is the one I want you to see. Because that Star, my Darling is you. You are all the brightness in my life, and every single time I look to the Heavens and see that Star, I can only think of you, and love you even more than the last time I thought of you."
She was overcome with love, and she couldn't even speak.
So, instead, she grabbed him, held him, and kissed him with tears falling down her cheeks.
Tears he gently wiped away, under the Light from the Moon and the Brilliant North Star above them.
When they reached Nathan's Rowhouse, he quickly got out, lifted Elizabeth out of the Sleigh, and carried her inside, so she wouldn't have to get her feet wet in the Snow.
"At least we can keep those beautiful feet dry!" he whispered.
He tenderly sat her down on his Settee and then reached to turn on the Lights of the Christmas Tree.
The Reflection of the Lights danced throughout the Darkened Room, creating a Fairyland of Christmas Colors.
It was just enough Light for them to see each other, and he whispered to her, "Stay right here, while I light a Fire…" and he kissed her and covered her with the thick Afghan his Mother had made him.
Elizabeth watched as he lit the Fire, which before long was Roaring.
Then Nathan lit several Candles around the room and left for the Kitchen.
He quickly returned with Chilled Champagne, two Champagne Glasses, and a Hamper full of Food.
He then went to the large Corner Cabinet in the Living Room, removed the colossal Quilt there, and laid it folded on the Floor, in front of the Christmas Tree, along with the Hamper of Food.
He then placed a Stack of Christmas Carol Records on the Victrola and started it up.
But instead of asking her to sit on the Quilt, he reached for Elizabeth's hand, looking directly into her eyes.
"Lisbeth, may I have this Dance?"
She got up and fell naturally into his arms, resting her head on his chest, as he Slow Danced her around the Room to the tune of "O Holy Night." (37*)
They Danced in the Candlelight and by the Lights of the Christmas Tree, and Elizabeth had never known anything to be so Romantic.
Just the two of them, Dancing around the Room to some favorite Christmas Carols on Christmas Eve, her still in her gorgeous Matron of Honor's Gown and him in his Best Man's Dress Uniform.
When the Carols ended, she almost cried, but instead whispered, "Don't let the Music stop."
So, he turned and put on "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear." (38*)
And they Danced again, as closely together as two people can, each needing the touch of the other.
"One more please!" she begged.
And he kissed her and left her just long enough to put on another Record.
"This one's got some pep! Are you ready, Love?" he asked with raised eyebrows.
And to her surprise, the Joy of the "Twelve Days of Christmas" began to waft throughout the Room. (39*)
They had so much fun figuring out how to Dance to it, that all they could do was Laugh and Dance, and Laugh some more!
Then Dance some more!
When they finished, Nathan led Elizabeth to the Quilt in front of the Christmas Tree, where he spread it out across the Floor and placed the Hamper on top of the Quilt, close enough to them so it could be reached easily.
He helped her to sit down on the Quilt, got the bottle of Champagne, and opened it with a loud Pop!
They laughed as he poured, and then they Toasted each other as he sat down on the Floor beside her.
"To our First Christmas Eve, Darling!"
"To our First Christmas Eve, Darling!"
Their Glasses clinked, and their lips locked.
"You did all this for me?"
"I did all this for you, my Love," and he rummaged in the Hamper and brought out a fancy Deviled Ham Sandwich, along with some Cheeses, Crackers, and Fruit.
"But for the piece de resistance," he smiled and pulled out a box of Hand-Dipped Chocolate Covered Cherries, along with a bag of Cherry Macarons!
"Oh, how did you know those Chocolates are my favorite?" she asked incredulously.
"I am an Investigator, and this one was so easy, I didn't even have to Investigate! Remember, I don't have a little Allie Bird leaving me crumbs along the way, so I do have to at least be observant!" he laughed and bent to kiss her forehead and started feeding her the Sandwich in little tiny bites.
Elizabeth was in Heaven.
"This is definitely my very best Advent Gift of all!"
He just smiled.
He tenderly fed her and she did the same for him.
"You do know, I'm going to be expecting this every single Christmas Eve from now on out, don't you?"
"And you shall have it every Christmas Eve from here on out, my Darling, after the Children are in Bed. It's a promise from me to you! Our own private Christmas Eve Tradition!"
They Munched and Kissed and Kissed and Munched.
"Who knew a Wedding could make you so hungry?" mused Nathan.
"This is perfect. Dancing and a Romantic Picnic for Two by the Christmas Tree, with Candlelight and a Roaring Fire. I can't think of anything else at all that I need."
"Oh, but I can…" he grinned that special grin of his and reached for his Guitar. She nestled in beside him behind his Guitar, as he started to slowly strum it.
At first, she didn't know the Christmas Carol, but as he sang it to her, it sounded more and more familiar, and then she remembered it, although it was a relatively new Song, written in 1904 at the Turn of the Century.
He sang and played it beautifully!
"There's a Song in the Air."
There's a song in the air! There's a star in the sky!
There's a mother's deep prayer and a Baby's low cry!
And the star rains its fire while the beautiful sing,
For the manger of Bethlehem cradles a King!
There's a tumult of joy o'er the wonderful birth,
For the virgin's sweet Boy is the Lord of the earth.
Ay! the star rains its fire while the beautiful sing,
For the manger of Bethlehem cradles a King!
In the light of that star lie the ages impearled;
And that song from afar has swept over the world.
Every hearth is aflame, and the beautiful sing
In the homes of the nations that Jesus is King!
We rejoice in the light, and we echo the song
That comes down through the night from the heavenly throng.
Ay! we shout to the lovely evangel they bring,
And we greet in His cradle our Savior and King! (40*)
At the end of the Song, he kissed her and then set his Guitar aside and really kissed her, taking her into his arms and holding her there.
"This is all I ever need," she whispered. "You're all I ever need. You know you took my breath away when I walked down that aisle tonight."
"I couldn't even breath at all when I saw you coming toward me, Love," he whispered.
He loosened the collar to his Dress Serge and she placed her hand at the nape of his neck. He moved his free hand to the back of her head and drew her even closer into a kiss filled with desire.
She felt as though her heart was fluttering somewhere outside her body, wanting his closeness like never before.
He whispered, "I love you, Lisbeth. More than you can know. You're everything to me, my North Star. My inspiration. My hope. My intellectual center. My spiritual center. My reason for growing and becoming better. You give me purpose and direction."
He drew his mouth to her neck spreading light feathery kisses wherever his lips touched.
Then he took her hands in his and looked into her eyes, removing one hand to reach into his Dress Serge and pull out the tiniest of velvet Jewelry Boxes that he had carried with him through the Wedding and Reception.
She opened it and it was the most beautiful Diamond North Star Necklace she had ever seen on the daintiest of Gold Chains. The Diamonds sparkled as the Candlelight and Christmas Tree Lighting flickered over them.
He kissed the spot between her right and left clavicle where the Diamond Star would lay and she quivered, drawing in her breath, as she turned for him to put it on her.
Then she turned back to him, kissed him, and whispered, "It's so beautiful, Nathan. I never knew it was possible to love like this. You are my everything."
"Merry Christmas Eve, Lisbeth, my Darling!"
"Merry Christmas Eve, Darling!"
They sat there holding each other for what seemed like forever, and at the same time, seemed like no time at all.
The Snow was still falling Outside, but the Fire was warm Inside and their Hearts were One…
(36*) "Snow White," "Grimms Fairy Tales, Tale 53," The Brothers Grimm, 1812, Public Domain
(37*) "O Holy Night," Placide Clappeau, French, English Translation John S. Dwight, m. Adolphe C. Adam, 1847, Public Domain
(38*) "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear," m. Richard S. Willis, w. Edmond H. Sears, 1850, Public Domain
(39*) "Twelve Days of Christmas," English Christmas Carol, ca. 1780, possibly as early as the 1500s, Public Domain
(40*) "There's a Song in the Air," Josiah G. Holland, 1872, Public Domain