“Yes, I’ll do that as soon as we’re cleaned up from breakfast.” She wiped Julia-Rose’s hands free of scrambled eggs.
“Before that, boys, we need to read the story of the ‘First Christmas’ from the Bible,” Nate added. ”In fact, Mark can you read for us?”
The boy’s face glowed with pride. Since Angel had been tutoring him, his confidence had grown.
After the readings from the Bible and Dickens’ book, Luke crawled on Angel’s lap and twirled her hair around his finger. “Why does Julia-Rose get to call you Mama, and we all call you Angel?”
“Because she’s our Angel. Papa said so when she came,” Mark said, sucking on his peppermint stick.
“I already have an angel Mama in heaven. I want a real one here.” Luke looked at her, his eyes wide.
Angel’s heart melted, and she turned to Nate for help.
“If any of you want to call Angel Mama, I’m sure it would be all right with her.” Nate studied each boy in turn.
“Is it all right with you?” Matt looked at her from across the room.
Because she couldn’t talk, Angel merely nodded, and wiping quickly at her tears, hugged Luke. Before long the other three settled next to her, and she hugged them all.
When she finally spoke over the lump in her throat, she looked beyond four small heads at Nate. “This is the best Christmas I’ve ever had.”
“Me, too.” Nate watched them, all gathered together on the settee. Julia-Rose climbed from his lap, and toddled over to Angel.
“Mama, up.”
Lucy nursed a headache, and a rolling stomach, as she sat at the breakfast table. At Papa’s insistence, Sylvia had spent the night at the Benson home, which wasn’t exactly scandalous since technically, Lucy was a chaperone.
Papa had sent his man to the Hale’s to get a change of clothes for Sylvia. In the meantime, she used one of Lucy’s silk robes after her bath.
Papa’s face flushed with high spirits, and Sylvia kept stealing glances at him from across the table. Annoyed at their exuberance, Lucy hated that her pouting had no effect on the older couple who only had eyes for each other.
They told her the Hale family would be joining them for Christmas dinner, and Lucy decided to get Nate alone this time. With all those urchins running around, keeping Angel busy, the opportunity would present itself. She had to talk to him, and make him understand once and for all he belonged with her. It might even be time to drop a few hints about the criminal background of Mrs. Sylvia Hardwick.
The doorbell rang shortly after noon, and within minutes the sound of children and adults wishing each other a ‘Merry Christmas’ filled the air. Despite her
father glowering at her, she refused to play hostess to Angel and Sylvia. She begrudgingly showed them into the grand parlor, and waved in the general direction of a table set with Christmas drinks. Papa invited Nate into his library for a whiskey before dinner.
Angel sat on the dark green damask settee, enjoying a cup of mulled wine. Green and white striped wallpaper covered the walls of the beautiful room. A large, gold-framed mirror hung over the blazing fireplace, the flames reflected in the glass chandelier in the center of the ceiling. Several patterned carpets rested on a beautifully finished hardwood floor.
“Lucy, did you do the decorating in here? It’s truly lovely.” Angel smiled at the girl.
“No.”
Sylvia and Angel exchanged glances.
“Who did it, dear?” Sylvia asked sweetly.
“A decorator. Would you excuse me, I need to see about dinner.” Lucy rose from her seat, left the room, then hurried up the stairs.
Angel looked at Sylvia over the top of her glass. “I had no idea Eli kept the kitchen on the second floor.”
Sylvia smiled wryly.
The remnants of the party from the night before had been cleared away. The immense Christmas tree in the parlor had been decorated with candles, bows, fruits and nuts. Angel had to keep hopping up to grab things out of Julia-Rose’s hand that were likely to choke her. Finally, she pulled the baby on her lap, and entertained her with songs and stories.
Lucy returned, then took her seat by the doorway, arms crossed.
“Lucy, Eli tells me you took a trip to Europe this year,” Sylvia said, trying once more to draw the girl out.