Christmas at Carnton (Carnton 0.5)(55)

She passed him a bowl in response, and he went straight to work.

“Well, Merry Christmas to me,” Tempy said a few minutes later when she walked in to find the breakfast ready and waiting.

Aletta hugged her tight. “Merry Christmas, Tempy.”

“Merry Christmas, Missus Prescott. I just checked on him, and he’s still sleepin’.”

Aletta poured the coffee. “Thank you both for being so excited about this with me. I think he’s going to love it!”

Jake just winked.

Together with Miss Clouston who joined them, they enjoyed eggs, bacon, and Aletta’s angel biscuits. Then Aletta and Tempy started on the family’s Christmas brunch while Miss Clouston and Jake went on upstairs.

No sooner did Aletta hear the patter of Andrew’s footsteps on the staircase behind her than she heard the thunder of Winder’s coming down the front stairs.

“Andrew!” Winder yelled. “You got something under the tree!”

Andrew let out a whoop and both boys shot up the stairs, headed for the entrance hall.

“Wait for us!” Aletta called, tossing her apron aside.

To her relief, Jake was guarding the tree—one boy under each arm. And Miss Clouston was opening the curtains.

Hattie flew down the stairs, followed by the Colonel and Mrs. McGavock, already dressed. Same for Mrs. Winder and Mrs. McGavock’s cousin, Miss Templeton, who were still with them. They all exchanged greetings, then each of the children burrowed beneath the tree to find their present.

Andrew pulled out a box wrapped in blue paper. “This one has my name on it, Mama!”

“So it does.” Aletta smiled, watching Andrew stare at the box for the longest time even as Winder and Hattie had already opened their gifts.

“Santa brought me a doll!” Hattie held up a beautiful porcelain-faced doll then hugged her tight.

“Look what he brought me!” Beaming, Winder help up a box full of painted toy soldiers all standing at attention, perfectly in a row.

Aletta looked back at Andrew. “Aren’t you going to open yours?”

Andrew nodded, then tore into the package, and Aletta could hardly wait to see his reaction.

He held up the box, a smile on his face. But it wasn’t the smile she’d expected.

“It’s a train,” he said. “A blue one.”

Aletta knelt beside him. “I know it’s not the color you wanted, but it’s got cars that attach and the locomotive even has a bell that rings.”

He nodded. “I like it!” But she could see that it wasn’t what he’d wanted, and her heart fell.

Miss Clouston distributed the rest of the gifts beneath the tree, then paused. “Andrew . . .” She glanced at Aletta, a question in her gaze. “You have another gift, dear. But it’s in the tree. And this one . . . isn’t wrapped.”

Andrew put down his train and walked over. He looked at where Miss Clouston pointed and his face lit. “My train! This is the train Papa promised me!” He pulled a little red engine from the branches of the tree. “And it’s red. Just like I wanted!”

Confused, Aletta joined him, and Andrew held up the toy, a tag bearing his name hanging off the smokestack. “All really good trains are red, Mama,” he said, as though everyone should know that.

The train was hand carved, not nearly as detailed as the one she’d ordered from the Nashville mercantile, and it had no railcars and certainly didn’t make any sounds. But when she turned the train over and saw the writing on the bottom, she felt the prick of tears. I love you, buddy, Jake.

She read the inscription aloud, and Andrew’s eyes lit. He raced over to Jake, who knelt and hugged him tight.

“I love my train!” Andrew drew back. “Does this mean I get to call you Jake now?”

Jake looked across the room at her, much like everyone else, and Aletta smiled. “I imagine that would be just fine.”

Andrew gave a loud shout and went to show Winder his red engine. Aletta joined Jake, who stood quietly off to the side.

“How did you know?” She searched his gaze. “That was the kind of train he wanted? And that he wanted red?”

“I didn’t. But that’s the kind of train I had when I was his age. Besides . . . aren’t all really good trains red?”

“Mama, it’s snowing!” Andrew called, racing back into the entrance hall.

Sure enough, Aletta looked outside and saw big, fat flakes of snow drifting down. Watching the children peer out the window, she turned beside her. “Thank you, Jake. For everything.”

“My pleasure, Aletta. And I have something special to share with you later today too. It’s a Christmas gift, of sorts. But we’ll need to ride into town to see it.”

“Into town?” She eyed him. “Well then, Tempy and I best get back downstairs and finish getting brunch—” Her breath caught. She grabbed Jake’s arm for support. “Oh . . .” She grimaced, a sharp pain arcing over her belly.

“Aletta!” His arm came around her waist.

“Oh, Missus Prescott.” Tempy came alongside her. “Are you all right?”

Aletta’s breath came in short, sharp gasps.

“Mrs. McGavock!” Jake called. “Come quick! Please!”

“I’m coming. Is something—” Mrs. McGavock stopped in the doorway, eyes going wide, same as Miss Clouston’s. “Oh my . . .”