All I Want For Christmas – Chapter 5
Viola stood at the side of the skating pond, looking across to where Lionel was struggling to stay upright as others glided past him, some of the younger skaters moving at an alarming rate to her eye. The children were all in a section marked off for beginners but for some reason her stubborn husband refused to join them, even though such proficient skaters as Nathan and Elizabeth were happy to be there helping the little ones. And she knew they would be willing to help him too.
Oh Lionel, she thought, watching as he stumbled for a moment before regaining his balance. He seemed destined to be a man who didn't quite fit in, no matter where he was or who he was with.
One of the reasons she loved coming home to Hamilton was because they were feted in a way that never happened in England. Most people here presumed that he was a Duke or a Lord, when in truth he was only a baronet, which was a lowly member of the aristocracy. The lowest in fact. Only distinguished from a simple knighthood by being a hereditary title. But that was not something she was going to correct them on because at least for a short while they were treated like royalty rather than being ignored by most of the people with whom they socialised.
There was also little wealth that came with the title although they would eventually inherit the family home, a big draughty gothic monstrosity not far from the Scottish border, where the wind howled with an iciness from the north in winter and the rain came in the summer. A money pit that would no doubt cost them every penny they had in maintenance once it was theirs. Fortunately she had taken a considerable dowry into her marriage and Lionel did at least have the sense to ask her father's advice on how best to invest it. That meant they were comfortably off but their life was nothing like what people here imagined it to be.
But increasingly she was questioning whether she could continue to keep up the pretence as the pressure she lived under was beginning to take its toll. She looked at Elizabeth, laughing and giggling with her husband as they both whirled the children around the ice, the love they felt for each other clear to see in everything they did. Happiness poured out of them. As she watched Nathan had her two youngest children, Tristan and Felicity, on each side of him as he gently guided them across the ice. She knew he was calming their nerves with gentle words and suddenly she felt the pain that she had been suppressing for so long rise to the surface. She couldn't remember when she had last seen such joy on their faces and she wished that it was Lionel or herself who was the one to make it happen.
Arthur, their oldest son hadn't even wanted to come, electing to stay at home and write in the journal he carried everywhere with him. She had asked him on a number of occasions if he would read some of his writing to her but he had simply mumbled about it being private and hurried away. It worried her to see her first born like that. He had always been a quiet boy, seemingly weighed down at an early age by the expectation that was placed upon him for his future and now it seemed to make him withdraw even more into himself. His current school Eton, followed by Cambridge, the family alma mater, and then a job in the City of London like his father was the path mapped out for him from birth and she wasn't sure that it was either what he wanted or needed. But struggling as she was with her own unhappiness she couldn't see a way to help her son.
Her mother's voice made her turn and move across to where Grace was seated in one of the chairs that had been brought from the house, William not wanting his wife to have to stand for too long out there in the cold. At that moment her father appeared, two steaming mugs of hot chocolate in his hands that he had bought from one of the stalls set further up the hill. He insisted it was better to do that than bring someone from the house to cater for their needs at such a busy time for the staff.
She had watched him for a while as he chatted amiably with the man who was making the drinks, marvelling at the ease with which he dealt with people from all walks of life. How she wished she could be like that. But it had never been in her nature, the responsibility of being the oldest always making her wary of putting a foot wrong, of not being the perfect child. Perhaps that was what had attracted her to Lionel in the first place, sensing a kindred spirit in him.
"Here you are ladies", William said as he handed the drinks over to them. "Why don't you sit down with your mother for a while Viola, there's a blanket to place over your knees as well. I'm going over to cheer the young ones on. At least I can do that. I miss not being able to skate but after the fall I took on the ice last winter I daren't risk it. I don't ever want to be laid up for that long again."
William was whistling as he wandered away, greeting people he knew as they passed. Viola sensed a difference in her father this visit and a sideways glance at her mother told her that she could see it too. He seemed much more at ease with himself and she had a feeling Elizabeth's family being here had something to do with that.
He stopped for a while to watch a game of ice tennis that was set up in the centre of the pond, a net having been strung across from posts set into the ice. This was new to him and he marvelled at the skill of the players as they twisted and turned on their skates, keeping their eye on the rubber ball as it whizzed back and forth across the net, the whack as it hit their racquets lost in the shrieks of the youngsters skating around them.
Little Jack saw him as he approached, his little face lighting up as he began shouting out, "Grandpa, watch me. I can skate!"
He wobbled a bit as he pushed off, shaking his mother's hand away as she tried to steady him, his face one of serious concentration.
Oh to have such a low centre of gravity, William thought to himself, and no fear.
Elizabeth waited until her son was safely beside Allie before she skated over and stepped off the ice to stand beside her father, her face flushed and bright.
"You look beautiful, my dear. The fresh air and exercise definitely suits you."
"I'd forgotten how much I had missed being outside on days like this. Hope Valley has a small pond that sometimes freezes over enough to skate on but nothing like this. We always used to come here on Christmas Eve, do you remember?"
William nodded. "I remember it like it was yesterday. Your mother was such a beautiful skater, it was almost as though she was dancing across the ice. She still joined in right up to when she became ill with her heart problem. I called her the Madge Syers of Canada, she was so graceful. Unfortunately, I never quite matched up to her as a partner."
Elizabeth thought she detected something more to his words than just an admission that her mother was the better skater of the two. It was almost as though he was thinking of something else, some other way in which he had not measured up to what he thought his wife expected. Was the matter Nathan was dealing with something to do with both her parents?
Nathan had not had a chance to do more than greet his mother-in-law when he arrived at the pond but a small nod in her direction seemed sufficient to keep her satisfied for now. He could almost see the tension being released from her face as she realised that he may have some answers for her.
But for now he needed to put that to the back of his mind and just enjoy this time with his family. Elizabeth had whispered a hurried few words to him as they were putting on their skates, "Mother has cancelled the big dinner tonight. She has played the health card, explaining to people that she wants to enjoy as much time as possible with her family while we are all here and so doesn't want to tire herself out. I think Aunt Agatha is coming but that is all."
Nathan gave a huge smile then looked questioningly at his wife, "Does that mean I don't have to dress up like a penguin again tonight or will she still expect that?"
Elizabeth's laugh rang out across the pond, causing people to stop and stare at the handsome couple.
"No, you don't have to dress up that much but you still need to wear more than your henley and suspenders. We will be going to the Christmas Eve service later, once the younger children are in bed. It has been a long time since we have done that so I was surprised when mother requested that we all accompany her but I think it will be wonderful. The Cathedral has always been so beautifully decorated with candles and a big nativity in one of the transepts. When I was younger it was amongst my favourite Christmas traditions, especially as they had real animals. There would always be some poor ordinand trying to keep them still and quiet, not to mention clearing up the mess they made. There were some rather handsome ones over the years and I had to keep Julie away or who knows what might have happened!"
Looking around Nathan couldn't see Elizabeth's younger sister anywhere nearby. "Speaking of the wild one, where is she? I thought skating would be right up her street".
"She said she had something to do and would meet us here later. I hope she isn't getting herself into trouble, that's the last thing we all need at Christmas!"
In the centre of Hamilton the streets were crowded with people doing last minute Christmas shopping or collecting chickens and ham from the butchers and vegetables from the greengrocers. Julie was almost finished her errands, glad that her father had telephoned ahead this morning to place their orders and so everything had been ready for her to collect. When he had explained what his plan was she had been confused at first, so different was it to anything that normally occurred in their household at Christmas, but when she thought about the people there it all began to make sense. It was certainly going to be interesting to see how everyone reacted.
One more thing to get, she thought, checking her list for the umpteenth time as she went to cross the road in front of Robinsons Department Store. The squeal of brakes drew her up short as she felt the bumper of a car brush the back of her dress. Then a voice shouted out, one that she recognised from the past.
"Julie Thatcher! You need to look where you are going, I nearly hit you."
Turning around she almost launched herself at the driver who had now stepped out of the car and was walking around to stand in front of her.
"Tom Thornton, whatever are you doing in Hamilton? It's been so long!"
He was just as she remembered, although there was some grey around his temples and the crinkles at the corners of his eyes were a little deeper. But still so very good looking she thought.
"I've been here on business and was supposed to catch the train back to Vancouver this morning but there was too much snow on the track for the train to get through. I'm just on my way to find a hotel for the next few days until it is running again."
Julie found herself hesitating before she asked the question that had immediately come into her mind. "Um,… your family must be sad that you won't be with them for Christmas."
Tom's face broadened with a knowing smile, one that she remembered well. He glanced down at her hand, trying to see if there was the shape of a ring on her finger beneath the fine leather gloves she was wearing, before looking back up at her.
"Was that your way of attempting to find out if I am married? Or have any children? I won't beat around the bush, I'll just ask you the very same thing outright."
Julie could feel herself blushing, amazed how this man could still have such an effect on her after all these years. She stumbled over her words, rushing to change the subject by telling him that Elizabeth was here in Hamilton for Christmas. "With her new husband and the children."
Suddenly her face lit up. "You must come and stay with us Tom, not in a hotel. Then you can spend some time with Little Jack, he would love to get to know you. He looks just like his father and is growing up so fast."
Tom shook his head, "I think that may be a bit too much to spring on everybody at such short notice Julie. Especially as it is Christmas Eve." Sudden realisation dawned on him as he added, "and Little Jack's birthday."
"Exactly!" Julie answered back excitedly, "All the more reason for you to be there! I just have one more thing to get and then you can drive me over to meet them all at the skating pond. Elizabeth will be so excited to see you and you will like Nathan."
Her voice became serious then. "He's a good man Tom and a good father. Jack would be happy to know that someone like him is bringing up his son."