“And Christmas?” Captain Braddock finally hung the ornament he had been holding and reached for another.
Katherine smiled radiantly. “It’s already shaping up to be the best I’ve ever had!”
Captain Braddock looked at her for a moment, hung his ornament on the tree, and then grinned. “Good.”
21 Christmas Preparations
“Now, then. I think that’s just about perfect!” Miss Harriet stepped back to survey the decorations they had just finished putting up. Mr. James had once again come early to help, and Katherine enjoyed watching the interaction between the two.
The reporter had become even more of a fixture at Miss Harriet’s since Thanksgiving, and Katherine could tell the two were easily becoming what Miss Harriet would have called “quite good friends.”
Katherine was thoroughly thrilled, and yet, she couldn’t help but wonder how things would change were Miss Harriet ever to marry. The tea shop would surely continue, for it seemed inextricably intertwined with who Miss Harriet was. Katherine couldn’t imagine a Miss Harriet without a tea shop. But the nagging question remained—would Miss Harriet continue to need her to work in the shop?
She shrugged, as if trying to shake off the thought, and turned her attention back to her fellow decorators.
“I think the lights made such a difference this fall! I’ll admit to having been a little worried that it mightn’t look different enough when we switched to the Christmas decorations, but I was wrong. The lights looked festive in the fall, but, with the Christmas garlands around the windows, they make it all look positively magical!”
Katherine couldn’t help but smile. Miss Harriet was standing in the middle of the room, hands clasped under her chin in girlish delight, with Mr. James looking at her as if he thought she looked positively magical herself. And yet, she seemed to be completely unaware.
“I’ll take the fall boxes out to your car for you.” said Mr James.
“Thank you, Harold. Perhaps we can find a place to stack the empty Christmas boxes. It does seem silly to be carting empty boxes back and forth.”
“I can take them upstairs,” suggested Katherine. “There’s plenty of space in that closet by the door.”
“What a good thought.” Said Miss Harriet. “You’re sure you don’t mind?”
“Not at all. I’ll take them up, then get started on the dishes.”
“Katherine, you’re a dear! Thank you. I’ll just see Mr. James off, and then I’ll be right in to help you.”
Katherine stacked the empty boxes and carried them upstairs. On her way back down to the kitchen, she caught a glimpse of Miss Harriet and Mr. James, chatting happily on the doorstep. She smiled and slipped quietly through the curtained doorway into the kitchen.
* * * *
She had already filled the sink and unloaded the dirty dishes off the cart by the time Miss Harriet joined her.
“Now then,” said Miss Harriet, tying her apron strings and rolling up her sleeves. “Have you decided on your plans for Christmas?”
“Well, I talked to my parents last night about their plans. They told me that they had already booked a Christmas cruise months ago. I hadn’t come for a holiday in so long, they had decided to give up and make the most of it. They offered to cancel, but I told them it was all right and that I would enjoy spending a Christmas here in Harborhaven.”
“And how do you feel about a Harborhaven Christmas without your parents?”
“Surprisingly, just fine. When they told me about the cruise, I was actually happy for them. I know they must have been saving up for a long time to be able to go. It was obvious they were afraid it would upset me, and I halfway expected to be upset with them myself, but as they told me about it, there was this sort of… peace, I guess…and I just knew it was going to be ok.”
“Sounds like God gave you grace to keep a good attitude.” Miss Harriet turned to put a teapot away on a cabinet shelf, then turned back around with a smile on her face. “You know, Dearie, on the one hand, I am sorry for you to miss the chance to spend Christmas with your parents, especially since you’ve only just begun to rebuild your relationship with them. But on the other, I am delighted you’ll be here, because…Katherine, how would you like to spend your Harborhaven Christmas with me?”
Katherine’s eyes lit up, and she threw her arms around Miss Harriet, completely forgetting about the dripping dishrag in her hand. “Oh, Miss Harriet! I couldn’t think of anything nicer than to spend Christmas with you!”
“Nor I than to spend it with you, Dearie. And you must tell me all about your Harborhaven Christmas traditions, so we can do those, and then, if you don’t mind, I’d like to show you what a real English Christmas is like. What do you think?”
“That sounds wonderful!”
The two grinned at each other for a moment, then went back to washing the dishes. Katherine looked over at Miss Harriet and asked mischievously, “And will Mr. James be joining us for Christmas dinner?”
To Katherine’s surprise, Miss Harriet actually blushed. “No. He’s heading out a few days before Christmas to spend the holiday with his sister’s family.”
“I see…” Katherine said teasingly.
“Now, Katherine,” Miss Harriet said, “If you’re implying that Mr. James and I… well, we’re just good friends, and that is all.”
“Are you sure?” asked Katherine.
“Quite sure. I admit that I have been enjoying his friendship very much, but that is as far as it goes. Besides,” she continued, reaching for another saucer to dry, “I am content with my life. I have the shop, and with the shop I have my own little community of people to care about. I won’t say I never think about what might have been, but I’ve learned to live at peace with my singleness. It’s what God has allowed in His perfect plan for me.”
“And what if Mr. James is also part of God’s plan?” Katherine asked teasingly.
“Well, that would be a different matter.” Miss Harriet put down her dishcloth and looked Katherine in the eye. “But I’m not going to go spoiling a perfectly pleasant friendship by getting myself all wrapped up in what-ifs and maybes.”
“I’m sure he likes you more than you realize.”
“You can be as sure as you like, but as long as he’s content to be a friend, so am I, and that’s that. I won’t hear another word about it.”
