I t was Christmas Eve and most of the wedding guests had already arrived. Because the wedding was tomorrow, it had been decided that Christmas would be celebrated this evening. There had been a number of Christmas services in the small Balfour chapel throughout the day for the guests who wished to attend .

The house was alive with activity. There were so many guests, the dinner table stretched the whole length of the large dining room with place settings for one hundred. But that was only half the party, so another dining table had to be set up in the library to accommodate the overflow .

All the great public rooms were alight with hundreds of candles and great roaring fires warmed the mingling guests. Garlands of evergreens decorated each room which also had a Christmas tree. Servants were busy keeping the guests plied with mulled wine and cider, as well as eggnog and champagne. A small orchestra was playing carols in the great hall with the large Christmas tree which had all the small candles blazing. Sithens was masterfully overseeing the entire operation of the household staff—managing the dinner and the before dinner drinks .

Robert had donned a Father Christmas suit and beard and, with Diana at his side, was passing amongst the guests handing presents to everyone. They finally came to Diana’s parents who were chatting with the twins .

“Ho! ho! ho!” Robert said, pulling at his fake beard. “What have we got here?” he asked as he poked into his gift bag. “Oh, nothing. You must have been very bad boys and girls .”

They laughed. But Diana reached into a smaller bag she had and said, “Oh, look what I found. Here is one for the Brownings. And here is one for the Sinclair twins.” She handed them each a present with their names on it .

Mother opened their present. Inside was a door key. “What is this ?”

Robert said, “The key to your own rooms here at Balfour . Come and go as you wish.” He lowered his voice. “And we may call upon you from time to time to mind the children .”

Then Geoffrey opened their gift. It contained a pair of work gloves and a receipt for a year’s paid tuition at the college that Miriam was attending. They looked up in surprise .

“That is for a year at your college,” he said to Miriam. “And those gloves are for your new job as the gardener’s assistant,” he said to Geoffrey .

The twins went wild and had to be restrained by Diana or they would have disrupted the whole room by hugging every guest in attendance .

A minstrel appeared amongst the guests singing that it was time for dinner to be served. And as the guests gathered for dinner, Amelia and Ludlow came over to Robert and Diana .

“What a lovely evening, old chap,” Ludlow said to Robert. “And to think tomorrow we shall be brothers-in-law .”

“We shall. And welcome to Balfour and Happy Christmas. And may our up and coming years be peaceful and prosperous.” Robert then leaned in and whispered to Ludlow, “Oh, and by the way, I am going to be republishing my book under my own name .”

Ludlow was startled. “But is that wise ?”

“It is time for a change, my friend .”

* * *

T he dinner was magnificent. The preparations in the kitchen had taken a full week and Sithens had commanded the staff like a victorious, advancing army—and it had come off with only a few minor hitches .

The guests were so happy and boisterous that it was well after midnight before the house began to quiet down after they began to drift off to their rooms .

Tomorrow Amelia would finally become a wife and Lady Berwick. She stood before her full-length mirror and admired what she saw. She had aged well and turned toward the firelight to let it highlight her best features .

There was a knock at her door and Robert came in .

“It went very well, do you not think?” he said. “You and Diana are to be commended on your fine organization of a very large and complex event .”

Amelia was still studying herself in the mirror. “The guests seemed pleased .”

Robert went over to her and put his hands on his sister’s shoulders from behind, as he gazed at her in the facing mirror .

“Tomorrow is an important day. And you will be leaving this house after all these years .”

“I will not be far away .”

“I know. But you have been my only family for many years now. And it is not something that I can let go of lightly. I am what I am because of you, dear sister .”

Amelia reached up and patted her brother’s hand .

“It was my greatest honor to care for you .”

“And may I ask you to grant me one last service .”

Amelia turned to face him. “Of course. And what might that be ?”

“Accept Diana. I know it has been difficult for you. But she is my love and is to be my wife. I ask you to reconcile with her not only in your mind but in your heart .”

Amelia was silent as she fingered the lapels of Robert’s coat .

“Will you do this for me?” he asked, raising her chin so that he might look into her eyes .

“Yes, Robert .”

* * *

D iana’s mother and Miriam were with her in the dressing room of her new Balfour personal quarters. They were there to work on her hair and help her with getting dressed—with the assistance of her new lady’s maid .

However, Mother was doing more crying than assisting, and Miriam was talking up a storm as she sat next to Diana powdering her own face .

Amelia came into the room dressed in her bridal gown and looking quite magnificent .

“Would you ladies please excuse us for a moment? I should like to have a word with Diana .”

The ladies retired to the outer room .

“You look lovely,” Diana said, as she saw Amelia in her dressing table mirror .

“As do you,” she said, still looking at Diana but not speaking further .

“Is there a problem ?”

Amelia took another step forward. “No, not at all. Everything is going as planned. But Robert had a word with me last night about how I have been treating you. And I want to ask for your forgiveness, and to let you know it will never happen again. I want us to be as sisters and I pledge to you that I will never again treat you as I have previously .”

“I am very glad to hear that, Amelia. And I welcome that .”

She took another step forward. “My behavior comes from the fact that Robert and I were orphaned and I became so protective of him that I was never able to let him go. It became a habit that I am only now learning to break. I realize what a wonderful wife and husband you shall be, and I truly ask for your forgiveness .”

“And I grant it,” Diana said with a smile .

Then Amelia went over to behind Diana. She had been holding a necklace which she offered to put around Diana’s neck .

“This is the Balfour necklace. It has graced every Lady Donnelly for the past seven generations. And it is to be yours .”

Diana turned to her. “Thank you, Amelia, but that should be yours not mine .”

“No, you are the new Lady Donnelly. It must be yours .”

Amelia then put the diamond, ruby, and emerald necklace around Diana’s neck and fastened it .

* * *

T he great hall had been transformed Christmas morning for the wedding ceremonies. The Balfour chapel was far too small to accommodate the many wedding guests. Rows of Christmas trees decorated with candles and poinsettias lined the hall. And the dais had two more trees at the far end of the room. The orchestra was set up to the left of the dais and was playing incidental music until the ceremony was to begin .

An aisle between two banks of chairs led to where the ceremony was to be performed. The guests had already gathered and were seated, waiting, and chatting quietly amongst themselves .

Robert was the only family male who could escort Amelia down the aisle. But as he was the other groom, he was unavailable, so George volunteered to escort both Amelia and his daughter to the altar at the same time .

The grooms were already in place and waiting. And once the brides were ready, the music began to play and the bridal march began .

Diana turned to Amelia and said, “Sister, we are about to undertake our new lives. Thank you for raising such a wonderful man for me to marry .”

“And thank you for teaching me how to welcome you into the family .”

The three started down the aisle and when they arrived, the two brides were welcomed to stand beside their loving, and soon to be, husbands .