Celia woke Mandie up that morning. It was a bright clear morning. It had snowed all night, but it had stopped early in the morning. She sat up. Snowball started scratching at her hair. "Stop it Snowball!" Mandie said pushing the cat away. "You're probably hungry. I'll take you down to the kitchen," Mandie said picking him up. "Celia what time is it?"
"It's 6:30am," Celia answered. She walked over to the wardrobe and pulled out a green wool dress. "it looks like it is going to be cold today. Better dress warm."
"Okay!" Mandie said yawning. Mandie took a red dress and slipped her nightgown off and folded it up neatly on the bed. She pulled the dress on and buttoned it down the back. She stood in front of the mirror and combed out her hair. She braided it down her back in long plates. "Alright! I am done." Celia had just finished brushing her long auburn hair.
"I am too," Celia said. "Are you going to apologize to Joe like you promised?"
"Yes, I know that I shouldn't have acted like that. It was so childish!" Mandie answered. She scooped up Snowball and opened the door. She stepped out into the hall. It was empty but she smelled the aroma of food cooking. She walked down the stairs into the kitchen. "Mmmm! I'm starving she exclaimed putting Snowball on the ground.
"It be ready in a minute! Now scoot!" Aunt Lou said pushing Mandie out the door. Mandie laughed. She turned and bumped into Joe.
"Hey Joe," Mandie said. "I am sorry about the way I acted yesterday. I know that I shouldn't act like that."
"I forgive you Mandie. I'm sorry about what I said to," Joe said. Mandie rapped her arms around him and hugged him tight. Joe patted her back. "Alright I think that breakfast is ready."
"Okay," Mandie answered. She walked over into the dinning room. She filled her plate and sat down next to Celia. Celia looked at her with a questioning look. Mandie nodded and smiled. After her uncle thanked God for the food, she began eating. After breakfast there was a knock on the door. Elizabeth went over and answered it. It was Mrs. Cornwallis and Polly. Mandie groaned when she saw her. "Polly," she said under her breath. But what Polly did next greatly surprised Mandie. She walked up to Mandie and gave her a hug!
"Oh Mandie I have missed you so!" she said. "I was so excited when your mother invited us to the Christmas ball! How have you been?"
"I've been doing good," Mandie said awkwardly. Polly, being nice?
"I love your dress! It's so new fashion!" Polly exclaimed.
"Thanks," Mandie said. "But I am sure yours is the latest of fashion, right?"
"Oh no! I think yours is the prettiest! It's positively adorable!" she said. "Is Tommy here? I haven't seen him in a long time!"
"Tommy? Don't you mean Joe?" Mandie asked.
"No, I mean Tommy. Is he here?" Polly asked again.
"Uh I think that he is in the parlor," Mandie answered. She watched as Polly went into the parlor, and she heard the excited exclamations of Tommy when he saw her. "Huh, I wander what that's all about," Mandie thought to herself. She walked into the parlor where all of her friends were gathered. Polly was talking to Celia and she seemed pretty amused by Polly's niceness. Mandie still didn't understand it. But then again, she could get used to it. She went over and stood by Joe.
"What's up with Polly?" Joe whispered.
"I have no idea. But I kind of like it," Mandie answered. Joe nodded. They talked for a little while, but then Uncle John came in.
"Are y'all coming with me to get a Christmas tree, or am I going to have to go by myself?" he asked. Everyone laughed.
"We are most definitely coming with you!" Mandie answered. The walked out to the hall tree and grabbed their coats. They pulled on their boats and walked out into the freezing air. Suddenly a strange man who was walking by came up to their house and started talking to Mandie's uncle.
"Hello sir!" he said. "Do you perhaps know anything about mining for gold?"
"Mining, for gold?" Uncle John asked.
"Yes, mining for gold," the man said smiling.
"Well I know a little bit about ruby mining, but I don't know what to look for when mining for gold," Uncle John answered.
"Oh I know what to look for, but I need someone to help me. The jobs pays well," he offered.
"I am sorry but I cannot help you now," he answered.
"Well I will be back tomorrow," the man said, and at that he left.
They all starred as he left when Mandie brook the silence. "Who was that man, Uncle John? Do you know him?"
"I have know idea. I have never seen him before," he answered bewildered.
"Huh. This is another mystery. I wonder who he is," Mandie wondered.
"Speaking of mysteries Mandie, we still need to go back and look at that pit to see if there are anymore," Celia whispered.
"I know, we might do that later today," Mandie answered. They went into a pine tree thicket and split up into different groups. Polly went with Tommy, Celia went with Robert, and Uncle John went by himself, leaving Mandie and Joe together.
"I guess it is just you and me," Joe said.
"I guess. Let's go and find a Christmas tree," Mandie answered.
"Let's go this way," Joe said pointing in front of them. They walked over through the pine trees when suddenly they came upon the most beautiful blue spruce she had ever seen.
"This is the one!" she exclaimed. "Should we call Uncle John?" Joe nodded. "Uncle John! We found a good one!" Mandie shouted. Uncle John soon came walking followed by, Celia, Robert, Tommy, and Polly.
"Now that is a beautiful tree," Uncle John. A few blows with his axe, and the tree fell with hardly a sound. The boys helped Uncle John carry the tree back to the house. They set it up in the parlor, and then they began to bring the decorations out of the attic. While Mandie was carrying a box down the stairs, Celia walked up to her and wispered in her ear, "Mandie, when you've carried that one down can you come to our room? I need to tell you something."
"Ok, in a minute," Mandie answered. She walked down the stairs, and left the box in the parlor, then walked back up the stairs to her room. Celia was sitting o the bed waiting for her.
"Hey Mandie," Celia said.
"So what's up?" Mandie asked climbing onto the bed.
"Well, I meant to tell you this sooner but, I just thought of telling you now. Well, Robert and I, have been sending letters to each other, and earlier yesterday morning, he started courting me," Celia said.
"Well that's wonderful!" Mandie exclaimed giving her friend a hug. "I'm happy for you Celia."
"Thank's Mandie," Celia thanked her. Suddenly Joe knocked on the door.
"Come in!" Mandie called.
"Um, Mandie, Celia, it is time to trim the tree," he said.
"Ok we will be down in a second," Mandie answered. Joe nodded and left the room. Come on Celia, let's go," Mandie said climbing off the bed. She walked out the door, followed by Celia. When they entered they parlor, it was filled with boxes of ornament and garland. They began to decorate, covering the tree with beautiful ornaments. When they were finished, they stepped back to admire their work.
"It looks beautiful!" Mandie said looking up at Joe. Joe wrapped his arm around her.
"It sure is," Joe said. "And so are you." Mandie blushed. She pulled away from him and stepped away. Uncle John then came in.
"Alright! It's time to decorate the house!" he said to walked out came to Elizabeth.
Ok, since decorating this house for Christmas is such a big job, we are going to split up into groups. You can choose who you want to go with. But I will be giving you special jobs. So find who you are going with and I will tell you what your jobs are." Robert went with Celia, Tommy went with Polly, and Joe went with Mandie. "Ok, now that that's settled we will give you the jobs. Celia, Robert, you can wrap garland around the railings. Mandie, Joe, you can hang wreathes on all of the doors downstairs. And Polly and Tommy, you can hang up garland and wreathes outside." They all nodded, and ran to the attic to get the decorations.
When they had finished decorating, Mandie went into the parlor to get some alone time. But to her disappointment, Joe was sitting there. She started to leave, but Joe called her back. "Wait Mandie! Come sit by me." Mandie turned around and sat next to him. "Mandie, I wanted to ask you, if you are still going to keep your promise to marry me. I need to know Mandie!"
"I just know Joe! When I promised that it was if you got my father's house for me. But now, since it was willed to me, I can only marry if I love you. And I do, but not in that way. I will have to think about it," Mandie answered. She left the room and went into the kitchen. "Hi Liza. When is dinner going to be ready? I'm starving!"
"It be ready in a minute. Now get out o' here!" Liza said pushing Mandie out. "I hope lunch is done soon. I'm so hungry I can't think!" Mandie said to herself. Suddenly she remembered the strange man. "I wonder who he was," she thought. Then Liza called her for the noon meal, and Mandie entered wondering.
I hope that you all liked that change in Polly's behavior! I know, it was a little unusual but I kind of wanted a little change. But what you have to wonder is, Is Polly faking it? Could she be tricking Mandie?