Hello everyone! So sorry for the delay, work has been crazy, crazy so I have had no chance to write. Anyway please enjoy and review love Miffygirl18 xxx
Chapter 45 – Festive Fun (Part 2):
"It's Christmas! It's Christmas! It's Christmas!" Jane and Tarzan were suddenly awakened by Annabelle gleefully bouncing up and down on their bed. Her long brown hair was all rumpled from sleep and her mouth was sporting a wide, irrepressible grin!
"Merry Christmas Anna!" Jane smiled as she rubbed her eyes and Annabelle stopped bouncing, kissing both of her parents on the cheek.
"Merry Christmas Mama! Merry Christmas Papa! It's snowing! It's really snowing!"
"So it is," Tarzan beamed and hugged his daughter good morning. Annabelle immediately jumped off the bed, raced over to the window and pulled back the curtains, making Jane and Tarzan wince at the crisp, clear light flooding into the bedroom.
"Can I play outside? Can I play in the garden? Oh please, oh please?"
"Yes after breakfast," Jane smiled as Annabelle continued to look out of the window, her eyes eagerly taking in the white wonderland outside, church bells ringing faintly in the distance.
After the whole family got washed and dressed, they had breakfast in the dining room where they tucked into fluffy, buttery scrambled eggs with slices of rich smoked salmon and hot freshly baked rolls. Annabelle yelped as her grandfather opened the bottle of champagne, the cork flying through the air and bounced off the ceiling before landing on the table.
Jane made sure that Annabelle and William were wrapped up well against the cold before they all went out into the garden to play. Annabelle hopped from foot to foot, eager to get outside as her mother wound a thick dark green scarf tightly around her neck and placing a matching knitted beret on her head.
"Mama, I'm fine," Annabelle insisted as her mother checked that her thick mittens were on properly.
"I know dear, but last thing I want is for you to catch a cold. Off you go now." Annabelle rushed out of the kitchen door and stopped in her tracks as she entered the garden.
The garden was a winter paradise, snow and ice covering every inch of grass, bush, tree and shrub. Annabelle squealed with delight as the snow crunched under her boots and she then ran across the garden, once falling over but she laughed and started running again.
"This is so much snow!" Tarzan said as he picked up some, marvelling at its softness and brilliant white colour. "So much more than on the mountain back home."
"Yes indeed it is," Jane handed William to Martha and then hurled a snowball at her husband, who was caught completely off guard and tumbled onto the snowy lawn!
"Right that's it! You're gonna get it!" Tarzan laughed as Jane ran down the garden.
"Na na na na! Can't catch me!" she called out in jest and Tarzan made a large snowball and started to chase after his wife.
"I'm going to get you Jane!" he shouted as he ran after her, the thick snow slowing him down and just before he was about to throw the snowball, he was hit from the side by another thick white snowball!
"Run Mama!" Annabelle laughed after she threw the snowball and then blew a raspberry at her father. Jane giggled and started to run again. This was turning into a fun game, mother and daughter against father.
"That's it Belle!" Tarzan laughed and started to chase after his daughter but was slowed down by Jane pelting with him with snowballs.
"Hold on Tarzan my boy! I'll join your team, aid the ailing troops!" Archimedes laughed and it turned into a game of men versus women. But the women were more nimble and quicker and sure enough the men gave up in defeat, Archimedes even waving his white handkerchief in surrender!
"Come on Grandpa, show me how to make a snowman," Annabelle said once she grew tired of making snow angels.
"Certainly my dear and we will build a splendid snowman at that!" Archimedes beamed as he started to scoop snow to build the base of the snowman and Annabelle eagerly assisted him. An hour or so later, grandfather and granddaughter had built a rather, tall, impressive looking snowman with two big balls for the base and a smaller one for the head.
"Now we just need to decorate him," Archimedes said, his own nose red from the cold and Annabelle searched the garden for suitable twigs for the snowman's arms. Thomas was asked to bring out some lumps of coal, a carrot and an old hat and scarf of Archimedes'.
"'Ere thee go Miss Anna, for 'is belly and 'is face," Thomas gave Annabelle the decorations and dashed back inside as he was not wearing a coat. Annabelle took three pieces of coal and placed them in a vertical row on the snowman's torso. With the rest of the coal lumps she created the eyes and smiling mouth and stuck in the bright orange carrot for the nose.
"I must say that he is more of a snow-gentleman than a snowman," Archimedes said proudly after Annabelle wrapped the knitted red scarf around its neck before standing on her tiptoes to place the old black top hat on top of the snowman's head.
"I will call him Mr Pickwick," Annabelle decided, after one of her favourite characters from her one of her favourite authors, Charles Dickens.
"Come on Anna, time to come inside now," Jane said as she came over and noticed her daughter's lips were slightly blue.
"Coming Mama," Annabelle nodded and followed the rest of her family back into the house. She was glad to be back inside the warm parlour and Mrs Fairfax brought in a tray with cups of steaming hot Fry's cocoa. Annabelle closed her eyes as the blissful, rich liquid slide down her throat and warmed her heart and bones after the fun morning playing in the cold.
Later that afternoon, the family were sitting in the dining room, oohing and ahhing as Carson and Mrs Fairfax brought in the first course of their Christmas dinner, a soup tureen filled with steaming Brown Windsor soup, golden crispy potato croquettes and baked cod's head.
"I say Merry Christmas everyone! And a Happy New Year!" Archimedes beamed as he raised his glass of white wine, utterly looking forward to the prospect of eating a traditional English Christmas dinner.
"Merry Christmas!" Jane, Tarzan and Annabelle chorused and they clinked glasses in celebration.
"May I have a sip?" Annabelle asked after her mother had a little of her wine.
"I don't think you will like it," Jane smiled and allowed her daughter to taste it. Annabelle's lips immediately pursed and screwed up her eyes as if she had bitten into a whole lemon!
"It tastes gone off!" she coughed and immediately went to drink some of her apple juice whilst her parents and grandfather chuckled.
"Don't worry Belle, it's an acquired taste!" Tarzan said and he shared a smile with his wife as they both remembered him tasting champagne for the first time on their wedding night.
"Come on everyone, let's pull the crackers!" Archimedes suggested and the family crossed over their arms and pulled the crackers at the same time, all of them laughing as the cracks and bangs filled the dining room.
"What has 5 dozen keys but never opens a door?" Tarzan read out the joke from his cracker.
"A piano," Jane called out and everyone groaned at the terrible joke. "What's is the fastest cake in the world?"
"Scone!" Archimedes called out and everyone laughed and groaned again. "I swear I have heard every cracker joke there is. If I hear one that I don't know the answer to then I will pay them a hog's head full of groats."
"My turn!" Annabelle called out, "What sits in a fruit bowl and shouts for help?"
"Ummm, it's, it's a pear of distressed people?" Archimedes replied.
"It's a damson in distress!" Annabelle giggled, looking pleased with herself. "I have won the bet Grandpa, you owe me a hog's head of groats."
"Yes a hog's head of oats."
"No groats Grandpa," Annabelle giggled.
"Sorry my dear, you must be hard of hearing as I definitely said oats!" Archimedes teased her and gave her a cheeky wink.
The main course was a large golden roast goose served with boiled red cabbage, stuffing, roast potatoes and gravy. There was a large cold game pie, decorated with leaves of pastry on top and filled with layers of game, ham, chicken and bacon. Carson poured out the red wine and the family laughed and joked as they tucked into their hearty, rich and nostalgic Christmas dinner.
Jane made sure that her corset was a little looser for the meal and she beamed at the wonderful sight of her beloved father, husband and daughter all having a merry Christmas dinner in her childhood home with the snow falling down outside. She never thought that she would see this day and was utterly glad that she was.
"What's happening Mama?" Annabelle asked as Carson turned down the gas lighting and Mrs Fairfax carried in a grand plum pudding.
"Just you watch," Jane smiled as Mrs Fairfax heated a ladle of brandy over a candle, then grandly set fire to it and poured it over the pudding. Annabelle and Tarzan gasped as the pudding was lit up by the beautiful blue licking flames and then they all clapped in appreciation after the flames had died down.
"Thank you Mrs Fairfax," Jane said appreciatively as they were served bowls of the plum pudding with Bird's custard as well as mince pies and frumenty, a deliciously spicy and fruity porridge laced with brandy.
"Oooh I am stuffed like that goose!" Archimedes said when they finished dinner and they all went upstairs to the parlour, "but I guess that it is time to open the presents."
"Oh goody goody! Presents!" Annabelle squealed in delight as they took the presents from under the tree and handed them over to each other. Martha brought in William and Jane sat him down in her lap as they took turns in opening gifts.
"Why thank you Anna!" Jane smiled as she opened Annabelle's present to William, "Look William, it's one of those new fangled 'teddy' bears. Isn't that lovely of your sister?" William gurgled happily and seemed to immediately take to the caramel brown stuffed toy bear.
"Thomas told me that they are named after President Roosevelt."
"That's right and here is William's present to you."
"Thanks Will!" Annabelle smiled as she opened her present and saw her baby brother had given a set of shiny marbles and dominoes.
Jane and Tarzan got Archimedes some more science equipment as well as a new silk dressing gown and pyjamas. Archimedes gave Jane a new watercolour set and Tarzan a book on British flora and fauna with beautifully detailed illustrations.
"Merry Christmas Mama, Papa," Annabelle handed over her present to her parents.
"Oh Anna," Jane gasped as she unwrapped the present. In a wooden frame was an embroidery sampler where Annabelle stitched rows of different stitches as well as the alphabet. Below instead of a typical cottage with roses around the door, Annabelle stitched the treehouse standing pride of place on its rock in the sea.
"It's beautiful Belle," Tarzan said as they both kissed their daughter's cheek, "This is going up pride of place in the treehouse. You clever thing, you!"
"Thank you Papa," Annabelle blushed at the praise, "Martha and Mrs Fairfax helped."
"Here's our present from us," Jane handed it over and Annabelle eagerly took off the wrapping paper. It was a large, thick, red leather bound journal with a lock and little gold key on a delicate chain necklace. On the front cover, embossed in gold on the claret red leather were the letters A.F.P, the initials of her name, Annabelle Florence Porter.
"For all of your wonderful stories," Tarzan explained and Annabelle tightly hugged her parents, trying hard not to cry with happiness at the thoughtfulness of their gift.
"Oh Annabelle, thank you very much!" Archimedes opened his present and was delighted at the sight. Annabelle had taken a wooden lidded box and decorated with it decoupage. Inside were delicious homemade treats that she made with Mrs Griggs, creamy fudge, shards of honeycomb and of course his favourite, shortbread.
"Well here is my present to you." Annabelle eagerly took the small present from her grandfather and she unwrapped it to find a pair of perfectly fine but rather boring thick, black stockings. Annabelle was a little surprised, she thought she would get some ribbons for her hair or some fabric to make dresses for Pollyanna or a toy. But of course being the sweet, polite girl that she was, she put on a grateful smile. "Thank you Grandpa, it's just what I need what with the cold."
"Actually that's not your main Christmas gift… this is," Archimedes grinned and clapped his hands, "Carson! Thomas!" The door to the upstairs parlour opened and in came Carson and Thomas carrying in a large wooden crate wrapped in red and green tartan wrapping paper and decorated with a big red bow.
"Oh Daddy you do spoil her!" Jane gasped as Annabelle's eyes widened in disbelief and excitement at the large present. It was not big enough for a bicycle, maybe a bow and arrow set of her own? Or a toboggan for the snow?
As Annabelle went over, she stopped in her tracks as she heard squeaking sounds coming from the box. Archimedes gave her an encouraging smile and Annabelle tentatively unwrapped the crate and gingerly pulled off its lid. In a bed of soft hay, the creature saw her, stood up on its hind legs and looked up at Annabelle with its big, shiny black eyes, its pink tongue panting in excitement.
"Oh Grandpa!" Annabelle squealed in absolute delight and ran over to her grandfather, hugging him as tightly as she could. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She rushed back over to the crate and carefully picked it up and the creature licked her nose. "Mama! Papa! Look! A puppy! Grandpa got me a puppy!"
"What's a puppy?" Tarzan whispered to his wife as Annabelle stroked its soft, smooth chocolate brown fur and its velvety floppy ears.
"A baby dog," Jane replied as Annabelle brought over her puppy for them to see. "Daddy, you certainly do spoil her!"
"I like spoiling both my girls," Archimedes beamed as they stroked the Labrador puppy and it squeaked happily, its tail wagging. "Thomas' uncle breeds these Labrador dogs and this one needed a home. I thought Anna would be perfect for him, the perfect companion for her."
"Oh can I keep him Mama?" Annabelle immediately turned to her mother, her eyes widening anxiously. "Oh please can I take him home, back to Africa? Oh please, oh please!"
"Yes you can," Jane nodded as she stroked the puppy and she knew that she too had fallen in love with it already. She had desperately wanted a dog growing up but couldn't due to her mother's allergies. "But this is a pet Anna, you are responsible for him. It is your duty to walk him, train him and clean up after him, do you understand?"
"Oh yes Mama! I will! I promise!" Annabelle shook her head vigorously and the puppy yawned, curling up in her lap to doze.
"Well you have to give him a name Belle," Tarzan said. He too was also taken by the adorable puppy. He had seen dogs in the port but they were thin, wiry and mottled in colour, not at all like this lovely ball of chocolate coloured fluff. Annabelle looked at the dog with great intent, taking just as much care in picking his name as she did with William's.
"Tiko," she decided at last and everyone nodded in agreement. In Mangani gorilla it meant 'loyal friend' and it was the perfect choice for the Porters' new addition to the family. Later that night Annabelle tucked herself up in bed with Tiko curled up at the bottom, keeping her feet toasty like a bed-pan. She never felt so happy in her entire life. This was definitely the best Christmas ever and she couldn't wait to go ice-skating the next day in her new outfit that Aunt Cecilia gave her and of course show Percy her new, wonderful puppy.