Home for the Holidays (29 page)

“This is a Maine orange tree,” she told them. “At least, that’s what my grandmother called it.”

“That is the most gorgeous thing I have ever seen,” Edwina breathed.

“I always liked it when I was a little girl,” the interior decorator said simply as she set the platter in the center of the table. She couldn’t hide her flush of pleasure, though, and the look she gave Jane spoke volumes.

After dessert the sisters, along with Ethel and their guests, gathered in Daniel Howard’s study to listen to Pastor Thompson’s Christmas Eve radio sermon.

“I wish the celebration at Grace Chapel hadn’t been canceled,” Alice said as she sat down beside Louise. “We have a candlelight service every year and the choir sings so beautifully.”

“We spent all that time decorating the church this year too,” her aunt said, looking faintly disgruntled.

“Yes, but we’re warm, happy and surrounded by friends,” Jane said as she went over to tune in the station. “This is the next best thing to being there.”

After playing several Christmas carols, the radio announcer came on and introduced Rev. Thompson.

“Good evening, friends.” Although he was being relayed by telephone, the pastor’s voice came over the radio clearly, as if he were standing at the radio station and speaking into
the microphone. “The recent bad weather has made it impossible for us to be together in the flesh, but that is not an unusual thing for Christians. Throughout history, we have had to carry our faith with us, wherever we go and whenever we are separated from those we love. You could say that by now, we’re almost used to it.”

“He sounds wonderful,” Ethel whispered. “Just like a professional.”

“Tonight, Christians all over the world are celebrating the most holy night of the year. We come together on this night to worship and pray, and to thank Almighty God for the gift that He made to the world, the gift of Jesus Christ, our Savior. We come together now, in spirit, to offer up our love and our gratitude to God, for bringing the light of salvation into the world through Jesus Christ.

“We all know the story and yet we never tire of hearing it. I’d like to tell you the story again, from the book of Luke, chapter two ‘In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

“ ‘So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there
to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.’”

Max rose unexpectedly and left the room.

“‘And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”‘”

Louise, who was sitting beside Jane, put her arm around her youngest sister.

“‘Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

“‘When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and
Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

“‘But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.’”

Alice blinked back the tears that hearing the beloved Bible verses always brought to her eyes.

“Those words speak of a birth that happened two thousand years ago,” Rev. Thompson said. “It was a supreme moment, a moment when the greatest love of all time was shown to mankind. My dear friends, as Christmas is upon us, let us tell this story to our families and our children and our friends. Tell them of what happened on this night, so very long ago in the town of Bethlehem. A town whose very name means ‘the House of Bread.’ Jesus would later say of Himself, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty’ [John 6:35].

“We are accustomed to going out during this season to share our joy with others. But joy is not simply the consequence of celebrations and gift-giving. Joy comes from Almighty God, the source of all happiness. When you feel joy, the light of heaven is illuminating your heart.

“For the many who have been separated by circumstance from their loved ones, I pray that you will look in your heart for joy. The love of God makes all things simple, and transforms our pain into peace. If not for the coming of Jesus Christ, we might never have known how much love God has for us, His children. We truly would have been left alone and cold and hungry. Let us pray together now.”

Jane bowed her head, but just before she closed her eyes, she saw Max slip silently back into the room.

“Dear Father in heaven, You have filled our lives with countless blessings, and our hearts with peace and love. We thank You for this wonderful season and for the gifts it brings to us, but most importantly, we thank You for the birth of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who was Your gift to the world. Help us to follow His teachings and find our way through the darkness. Give us the strength to find joy wherever we are, safe in the knowledge that we are loved by You. Remind us that no matter where we are, that we are never, ever alone. Through the glory that is Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.”

“Amen,” echoed around the room.

Alice looked over to see Max surreptitiously wipe his eyes, and she closed her own in a moment of private entreaty.
Please, Lord, bring joy back into this man’s life. Show him the path of peace and help him reconcile with his son. That is the only gift I want this year
.

Louise ushered everyone into the parlor, where she played classic Christmas carols on the piano for their guests. Alice and Jane brought out eggnog and cookies, and encouraged the guests to sing.

“You don’t want
me
to,” Jane warned them. “The good crystal might not survive the experience.”

Laura and Edwina were coerced into singing a duet of “Walking in a Winter Wonderland,” which they performed beautifully: Laura had a surprisingly sweet soprano voice, which harmonized wonderfully with Edwina’s contralto.

Ted obliged the group with a brief and rather comical rendition of “Deck the Halls,” as he could not remember all the words and had to be prompted. That was followed by Allan, who got them all singing “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”

Max walked up to the piano when they reached day twelve and asked Louise something in a low voice. She nodded, and after she finished the last verse Max stood next to the piano.

Alice noticed that he was scowling again and for a moment feared that the fact that he had received no phone calls had made him revert back to his former, melancholy detachment.

“I haven’t done this in ten years or better,” he told them in a very gruff voice. “But this song was my wife’s favorite Christmas carol, and I would like to sing it in her memory.”

Max then sang “Silent Night” in his deep baritone. Everyone grew still as they listened to the solemn carol, which was performed carefully and with great affection.

Alice sighed as the deep emotion in the man’s voice seemed to vibrate in her bones. It was the perfect ending to the evening.

Since it was growing late, Jane walked Ethel back to the carriage house, while Alice and Edwina tidied up the parlor. When she returned, the mantel clock struck midnight and everyone exchanged heartfelt wishes for a Merry Christmas before retiring for the evening.

It had been a lovely Christmas Eve, Alice decided as she went out to turn down the lamps in the front of the house. She was surprised to see Aunt Ethel’s Christmas candle glowing on a table that had been set by one of the front windows, sending out the aroma of peppermint.

Max came out of the kitchen and noticed her standing by the window.

“I put that there a little earlier,” he told her. “My wife
would always keep a candle in the window on Christmas Eve.”

“I meant to do that myself, but I forgot about it.” She looked out into the darkness. “It’s so cold. I hope there is no one out there traveling tonight.”

“There is,” Max told her, “but I think Jesus Christ knows His way around.”

Chapter Twenty

J
ane woke up to electric light on Christmas morning and saw that it came from the lamp beside her bed; she had not turned it off before the power failed.

She scrambled out from under the covers. “We’ve got power.” The floor was warm under her bare feet, thanks to the central heating.

Swiftly she dressed and hurried downstairs to see the Christmas tree lit up and brightly wrapped gifts piled around the base. The gift tags all listed three names: hers, Alice’s and Louise’s.

She looked around. “Did Santa actually make it through the snow drifts?” She still had hope that one special visitor would.

A yawning Edwina joined her at the foot of the stairs. “It would appear one of his helpers did.” Her drowsy eyes glowed with happiness. “Merry Christmas, Jane.”

“Merry Christmas to you too.” Jane gave her an affectionate hug. “Should we wake up the whole house or go make coffee?”

“Coffee first,” the schoolteacher said. “I especially don’t want to make Max wait for his first cup. He’s being too nice and I don’t want to ruin it.”

By the time Jane had the coffee brewing and the teakettle filled, her sisters and the rest of their guests had come downstairs. Edwina brought the filled stockings in from the parlor and handed them around, while Alice and Louise surveyed, with some bewilderment, the gifts left under the tree for them.

“You didn’t go to all this trouble, did you?” Alice asked her older sister, who shook her head. “Then, who? Jane?”

“No, I believe that Jane used silver wrapping paper.” Louise nodded toward two gifts sitting to one side, and scanned the smiling faces around them. “I have five more ideas about who it could have been, however.”

Once everyone had a cup of coffee or tea, Edwina insisted that the sisters open their gifts first.

“You’ve put us before yourselves all week. Now it’s your turn.” She glanced at Ted, who had his camera ready.

Louise opened the first gift, which was rectangular and flat. Inside was a large framed drawing of Grace Chapel Inn, so precisely detailed that it showed even the wood grain on the siding.

It was signed by the artist, Allan Hansford.

“I had Ted smuggle some of your brochures up to me
while I was stuck in bed,” the retired architect explained. “The photo of the inn on the cover gave me the basic exterior structure. After my allergies died down, I slipped outside a few times to get the detailing.” He tapped the frame. “I stole this from my room. The nice little watercolor which was in it is safely stowed in the top of my closet.”

“It is just beautiful,” Louise said, touched by the talent and time that had gone into making the gift. “Thank you so much.”

Alice opened the next gift, which contained three gorgeous scarves knitted in an airy pattern from blue, green and violet yarn, the same yarn Edwina had been using to make the little afghan for her grandchild.