Christmas tree
Anne had been gone all day trying her best to help Booth and the other men find a good tree for her aunt Anne, who dearly wanted a Christmas tree – just like the royals. When they had finally found a suitable tree that weren’t too big or too small, they chopped it down and made for home. The only downside, which to be fair, wasn’t really a downside, was that it had become dark. Anne was late for dinner and she knew what a scolding she could expect from Marian and she didn’t wish that annoying prattle on anyone – not even her worst enemy.
The snow had begun falling at a quicker pace as well, and they tried their best to hurry home through the snowy fields of Shibden. Anne was a good few feet ahead of the men, she had no time to spare, with every minute there was two added to the beratement Marian would inflict on her as soon as she arrived inside. The house looked warm and inviting, making Anne for a second forget what hell awaited her. She wondered how Ann had been all day and felt a little guilty to have been away from early morning till now. Poor Ann had been stuck with Marian, and had no doubt, needed to hear for the past hour of how rude Anne was, with her being late and so on.
Anne braced herself and opened the heavy outer door and stepped inside the warmth. Much to her surprise Marian didn’t appear before her to scold her. She wondered for a moment if her sister had fallen gravely ill during the day, but then she heard their laughter coming from the dining room. She brushed the snow off from her coat, before taking it off, handing it and her hat to Joseph who stood ready to accept it and then she straightened her cravat before heading into the dining room.
“Hello.” Anne called on their attention and the occupants of the table looked up at her,
“Oh, you’re still alive.” Marian said sardonically with half an eye on her sister and Anne glared at her,
“Don’t sound so disappointed, I might start to think you don’t like me.”
“To be fair, when I do care and worry – you get cross with me.” Marian replied her then and Anne grimaced – that was true.
“Mm.”
“Where have you been all day?” Ann wondered as the brunette sank down in the seat next to hers, and Anne smiled,
“I met with Mr. Parker and then I was off in the woods with um, Booth to find a Christmas tree for Aunt.”
“You didn’t!” Aunt Anne cried gleeful, and Anne smiled wide at her,
“Of course I did! You wanted one, and you’ve wanted to have one for years. Who was I to deny you one, Aunt?”
“Oh, this is… Anne! Thank you.” Aunt Anne was almost teary, and Anne couldn’t’ help but chuckle kindly at her, it was such a joy to make her Aunt happy and content with what she could.
“Why though?” Marian asked, and Anne shot her a glare, such a Marian thing to do – question something that only brought them good.
“Because it’ll look elegant and pretty.” Anne replied with half-a-look on Marian, still smiling at her aunt who looked well excited.
“Do people do that? Bring trees into the house?” Marian continued, her face all a wonder, and Anne was about to answer her with a somewhat annoyed tone when Ann jumped in to prevent the atmosphere from turning unfriendly and hostile around the table.
“Yes! Well, it’s not the done thing in Britain, but the Royal family has had several every year since Queen Charlotte. It’s very popular among the Germans – and apparently the Danes.” Ann hurriedly said but with good humour and Marian’s frown turned into a smile, it was easier to listen to Ann’s kind tones than that of her sister.
“Oh, well then – a Christmas tree! Shibden Hall setting the example.” Marian joked, but Anne gave a serious nod,
“I do think it’ll catch on! It’s a pretty thing and looks rather festive. I saw such beautifully decorated trees when I was in Copenhagen during the winter.”
“It really does give you that festive feeling, we should decorate it together!” Ann said excited, she did love Christmas after all and the more decorations – the better. Aunt Anne seemed thrilled with that idea, and she clasped her hands together,
“Oh, I would so love for us to do it all together! The whole family!”
“Let’s get it inside then so we can bring this new delightful tradition to life!” Marian beamed at her aunt, anything to make that woman gleeful for the time she had left.
“Yes, the more Christmas decorations – the better!” Ann nodded gay as anyone,
“Hm, in all fairness it isn’t a tradition until you’ve done it at least three times.” Anne budged in and all three women looked at her un-amused, and Ann threw a bread roll at her to shut her up,
“Let’s get going then so it can be a tradition in the course of time.”
Marian followed Ann’s statement by throwing another bread roll at Anne and she growled,
“What on earth do you think you’re doing?”
Without so much as a word, Aunt Anne threw a third bread roll at Anne and she hit her fist down on the table,
“Stop throwing bread rolls at me!”
Ann still held onto hers, and smiled at Anne ever so innocently,
“Oh I’m sorry, but it’s become a tradition.”
Then she threw it and they all laughed at Anne’s sulky expression but then she took one of them in her hands and the women stood up quickly from the table,
“Was that John I heard? Coming in with the tree?” Marian feigned and ran out the door, and Ann followed her with Aunt Anne under her arm as quick as they could, and Anne rolled her eyes.
“Women eh?”
“You’re a woman!” Captain Lister told her and then threw the last bread roll at her before leaving to help with the tree. Christmas, eh?