A Pair of Christmas Blessings

A PAIR OF CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS

CHAPTER 1

“Hurry Susana! Joanne is waiting for you in the drawing room.” Mrs. Kimberly Balfour called out to her daughter.

“Why should Joanne wait for me? Kindly tell her to come up here.” Susana requested; what a true angel at heart would request.

The moment Kimberly walked into her daughter’s room and realized that she was not even close to being ready for the ball, she hurried back down to invite Susana’s best friend in. She would not have the poor visitor wait for hours on end for a girl who was never in a hurry.

“Please go into her chambers.” Mrs. Balfour said ushering the blonde towards the stairs. She had the most beautiful voice Joanne ever heard but it was in fact the message of her speech that thrilled Joanne more. She had never gone into the house beyond the Tea room and the drawing room, and now they were inviting her into a core part.

She believed that the moment one was invited into the privacy of another; such a person has ceased to be a visitor but a family member. That was it; the Balfour now regarded her as family. It felt so good.

She walked up the stairs gingerly, amazed by the beautiful portraits that were carefully arranged along the walls. These were the portraits she had peeked at stylishly whenever she was in the drawing room waiting for her friend.

Now, Joanne was knocked off by the affluence of the Balfours. In her hearts, she wished she could touch some of those grand portraits, but she was smart enough to know that the Balfours’ calmness could not be taken for carelessness. They would not tolerate a reckless treatment of their possession. Joanne simply walked by, with her eyes focused on her destination.

“Thank you ma’am.” Joanne said when she was about to enter her friend’s room.

“Come on in.” Susana called from the room.

Joanne and Susana had become friends since the previous Christmas. They had met at the Nightingale Lavish holiday ball and they had instantly felt connected to each other. Susana had spilled ink on her frock, and miraculously, Joanne had helped her use a grape seed and lime to get rid of the stain.

Susana believed that the friendship between them was due to a natural attraction, but in Joanne’s reality, Susana had been drawn to her instant intelligence.

Susana Balfour was the only daughter among three other children of prominent elite. Her father’s wealth far outweighed that of anyone at Merriment Square. He was rarely ever around since the family moved into town the previous year. He traveled a lot and had a lot of businesses in several other towns, which he liked to monitor himself every now and then.

Joanne Hemphill’s father however, was a knight whose glory had dwindled with his wealth. The Hemphills still enjoyed the once-upon-a-time prominence of their father, but it was an open secret within their family that their prominence was a past glory.

“You look beautiful!” Susana exclaimed from where she was seated. She had barely seen Joanne, but she knew that everything Joanne wore fitted her perfectly.

“Thank you. But what do we have here? The most ravishing lady in London.” Joanne replied sincerely. It would have been impossible to lavish so much on clothing and accessories without having the sparkling result of the beauty that was Susana.

Susana was in the midst of three maids who were taking their time to meticulously apply the accessories all over Susana.

“Thank you dear.” Susana said, in the manner a person would when she was told something she expected. This time, it was a clear fact.

“But we are already getting late for the ball.” Joanne said.

“And that is what is expected of the most adorable beauties. We are not to rush at all. We should take our time and walk gingerly.” Susana replied.

Joanne felt the irritation within her spirit, but like many other circumstances, Susana spoke from her abundance, while she on the other hand always saw the risk involved in things.

Joanne was more desperate to be at the ball now, even though it was Susana that made it possible for her to be invited. She needed social gatherings like this where she could get the attention of worthy men who were capable of financing her family.

That was a secret however, close as Susana felt they were, Joanne would not mention anything about it to her friend. The knight’s financial purse had gone down terribly, although he did not mention anything about owing anybody, Joanne knew that they were practically living on loans.

She walked around the room, admiring the very beautiful fittings in it. It was a god gesture, and one needed to be expressed.

“Your chamber is beautiful too. Now I see why only beautiful things come from this place.” Joanne expressed.

Susana smiled. “Today is my lucky day, I guess. On other days, I leave my room in a mess. You have come on such lucky day.”

“I find it hard to believe that.” Joanne said.

She finally found a seat for herself on the bed staring at her unperturbed friend as many other accessories were applied to make her much more beautiful. It was impossible not to be envious of Susana.

Someone knocked very briefly and tossed the door open. Joanne’s eyes were immediately directed toward the young man, and she caught his biceps from the transparent white shirt he was clad in.

It was clear the intruder was not expecting to see Joanne, and when he did, his eyes sparkled with delight.

Joanne noted dark curly hair and his blue eyes; it was the same eyes she had seen in the brief moment she stared at Mrs. Kimberly Balfour.

If he had not quickly cautioned himself to deliver the message he had for his sister, Joanne would have assumed that he found her irresistible.

“I have told you not to barge into my room without knocking properly.” Susana cautioned.

“At least I knocked.”

“You could have done that properly.” Susana insisted.

The maids were done just at that time, and she stepped away from them elegantly.

“I only came to inform you that I shall not be attending the ball.” The man informed. His voice melted Joanne’s heart, it was baritone and confident, unperturbed like her sister while she delayed getting ready for the ball.

“If you decide not to attend any balls in your entire life, that has nothing to do with me.” Susana replied. “Meet my friend though, I don’t think you have met her. Joanne, here is my eldest brother, his name is Michael.”

Joanne curtsied as Michael took a slight bow. “It is nice to meet you.”

“The pleasure is mine.” Michael replied, panning his gaze from Joanne almost as soon as he had acknowledged her presence. In the next minute, he was gone from the room.

Something in Joanne wished the man had taken note of her, more at least, than the brief notices he had shown. She quietly thought about it, if she was able to win the heart of such a gentleman, then her family would be pulled from their sad situation.

“Do not mind my brother’s rude intrude.” Susana said as they walked the stairs down to the drawing room form where they would connect the front door to exit.

“He seemed like a gentle man to me though.”

“Looks can be quite deceiving.” Susana assured as they walked out of the house. A white carriage was waiting for them outside, with the finest stallion.

As she sat beside Susana, it occurred to Joanne that even if Michael had any feeling for her, Susana was probably the one who would extinguish such flame. She simply leaned on the window of the carriage and listened absentmindedly to the incessant chats of Susana.

CHAPTER 2

In all the events they had both been to after the lavish ball, Joanne had consistently noticed the manner in which people related with her. It showed that most of the people knew about her father’s depreciating finances.

She often caught people whispering into each other’s ears when she walked by. She chose to believe that in such moments, people were talking about her father. Whether or not Susana herself knew about it too was not shown in her actions. To win the heart of a prominent man like Mr. Balfour, Joanne knew people would go as far as exposing little secrets like his daughter’s friend’s family affairs.

Since no action had been taken by Susana to depict that she was in the know, Joanne knew most of her thoughts were mere assumptions.

As soon as they walked into the ball room, the nobles who had attended the ball in search of a capable bride and who had earlier been standing by instantly took notice of Susana. Joanne did not even need to pretend to herself that it was the sight of her that swept the men off their feet.

That was an understandable fact, many of the people naturally wanted to do anything that could put them in the good book of the man with all London’s wealth. Impressing his only daughter was one certain way to ensure that easily.

Where they both stood, three of the most striking men in the hall, walked up to Susana, at different intervals within half an hour. Their aims were to have the honor of dancing with the elegant lady.

“These men seem desperate to me.” Susana said to her friend quietly.

“You deserve all the attention dear. If I was a man on this floor, I would equally be desperate to have the honor of having a dance with you.”

Susana liked speeches liked that, although she shrugged it off and cackled. Joanne knew she loved the attention. If she did not, she would not have spent the entire day making sure that she was the brightest in the hall.

While they waited at one corner of the room, watching with admiration, the gracious sight of the ladies and gentlemen who started the dance, Joanne could hardly contain herself. She was very interested in dancing with someone, at least when other men saw how well she lifted her feet, they would approach her for a subsequent challenge. Susana however was standing because she had not found the right man, of the abundance of men that had approached her.

Finally, the youngest son of the Earl of Nottingham approached. From the distance, Joanne was certain the man was coming for her. She closed her eyes and let air flow through into her nostril, then out and then in again.

“It has been a beautiful evening, has it not?” The gentle man said.

“Of course it has been.” Susana replied confidently.

Joanne opened her eyes to realize that the man was actually speaking to Susana. It appeared perhaps that he had not even taken note of Joanne’s presence at all.

“Shall I have the honor of having the next dance with you?” the gentleman requested.

In Joanne’s heart, the man had stopped being the gentleman she thought he was. She hated him deeply for his careless deceit. He was clearly not guilty, but she liked to think he had deliberately distracted her by walking in a manner that seemed at first that he was coming towards her.

“No sir, I shall not dance with you.” Susana replied.

Joanne could hardly believe her ears. How bold of Susana to reject such a charming man. She began to wonder what her friend really wanted. If she had no intention to dance with anyone, then she would not have attended the ball at all in the first place.

“Well, ma’am, I shall be back to see if you later change your mind about that.” The man said calmly.

“No Mister.” Susana insisted, “You shall be back to take my friend here for the next dance. I am sure she would be very interested in that.”

Joanne’s eyes widened with shock and surprise. How can she sell me out cheaply like that?

But the man was indeed desperate, as he leaped at the offer with hungry eyes. It was as though Susana opened his eyes to notice that another charming beauty was right beside her.

“Ma’am” he began, now looking determinedly at Joanne, “Would you do me the honor?”

Joanne could not believe her ears when she found herself nodding and saying, “Yes sir. I shall.” It was not her, she convinced herself. It was the desperation in her. She could not afford to lose the chance, irrespective of how miserably it was presented to her.

“My deepest appreciations ma’am. I shall be back before the dance begins.”

“My pleasure.” Joanne admitted.

“You see,” Susana said, chuckling. It was hard to relate the chuckle as mockery or appraisal of Joanne’s boldness, but the sentence was yet to be completed. “I told you she would consent.”

Joanne felt uneasy with the last part of the statement. She had indeed agreed to dance with a man who her closest friend had just rejected, how much she must seem like a desperate lady to Susana.

“Who exactly would you dance with?” Joanne could not help asking. It was all she could do to take vengeance on Susana’s sarcasm.

“You shall see when the time is right.”

“Good.”

“Good.”

Eventually, Susana would not meet the right man to dance with, and because of this she would not dance. Joanne soon realized the reason why the son of the earl was desperate to have a dance by all means. He could hardly get any of the moves right.

He consistently stepped on Joanne’s toes and made her regret her decision to do the dance. What was more annoying was the fact that he apologized each time and was easily distracted.

Joanne’s hope of being noticed by one of the other prominent man was dashed. She only had one more dance with Mr. Luxemburg; a widower who had no other interest than the dance.

When the ball was over, she walked with Susana to the carriage reflecting on the night and regarding t as another failed attempt at what she desperately needed.

They were in the carriage back to Joanne’s house and Joanne was regretting the night, when it occurred to her that the best thing to do while she was with her rich friend was to listen to her speak.

“You have said naught a word since we got into the carriage.” Joanne attempted.

“I have naught to say. If you have anything to say, you may proceed.” Susana replied brusquely.

Joanne let the rudeness slide. Susana had too many servants, she had grown too accustomed to speaking to anyone anyhow. Especially in the situation in which Joanne suspected her friend had probably heard about her family’s wealth.

“Mr. Richardson is a bad dancer.” Joanne attempted a conversation.

“I saw that.” Susana replied mirthlessly.

“Are you crossed at something…or someone?”

“No. I am just not in the mood for frivolous discussion.” Susana replied.

“I shall let you be, then.” Joanne said and she shifted her attention to the activity outside the carriage.

The street was dark; Joanne imagined what would happen if Susana suddenly became so angry that she commanded her out of the carriage. She imagined what it would be like walking outside in the cold shivering until life was almost snuffed out of her.

She tried to give a reason for Susana’s anger, but there was nothing she could think of. At least, she was certain it was not her fault. Joanne suddenly remembered the earlier gesture of Michael and for a moment, she forgot that her promise to let her friend savor her silence. She spoke impulsively.

“Today,” Joanne began, and she saw Susana stir as though to listen to her. “I thought I saw something in your brother.”

“What?” Susana was unwilling to have that talk. “My brother?” She fumed.

“I sincerely apologize if mentioning him infuriates you -”

“Do not mention Michael’s name again. Was that why you came to my chambers today? To spy on us?”

“Of course not.” Joanne pleaded, surprised at the sudden outburst. It was apparently a bad moment to talk about what she intended.

“I do not want you to have anything to do with any of my brothers. Do I make myself clear? If you do, we would be great enemies.”

“I am deeply sorry Susana, you know I would not hurt your feelings.” Joanne said as soon as they pulled up outside her house. Susana did not mention a word again and Joanne hurried out of the carriage.

It had only taken a few moments in that carriage to see the beastly side of her best friend. Perhaps there was something wrong, Joanne concluded. She could not think of anything she had done to deserve her friend’s sudden outburst.

Joanne stood outside her house and watched the carriage wheel off. How sad and miserable she felt. With Susana gone, she would hardly have any invitations to balls. She shrugged and tugged the bell of her house. In the following moment, her mother was at the door.

CHAPTER 3

No one needed to tell Joanne that a possible end had come to her friendship with Susana. As soon as she entered her room that night, she cried herself to sleep.

The fact that she had seemed so desperate to have a dance made her feel stupid. Susana’s expression revealed without reasonable doubt that she had heard things from people who knew about her family issue.

Perhaps, while she had been dancing with the terrible man, someone who envied their friendship had snuck up to the rich lady to inform her about the situation in her home.

She felt betrayed. Her father’s predicament was not hers, but apparently the entire family had to pay for it.

Joanne had imagined that she would liberate her family, but her only idea of a solution for such was premised upon her friendship with Susana. Even if the latter came back to apologize, Joanne was convinced that the bond they shared could never be same again.

She rose form bed, to the reality of her surroundings. They were now left with one maid only. She was all her parent could afford. Joanne was not surprised when she walked out of her room and a loud silence welcome her.

She made a mental picture of what she had seen sin her friend’s house, and she compared. Hers stood no chance beside theirs.

“Joanne!” her mother’s voice called out from the parent’s chamber.

“Mother.”

“Come at once.”

Joanne hurried in. She was confronted by a most fearful sight. Her father was stilled on the bed, and wrapped in thick bed clothes.

Joana hurried to him. It was when she sat beside him that she noticed that he was shivering. That made her exhale happily; he was not dead, at least.

“What has gone wrong?’” Joanne inquired.

“Your father has taken ill, ha has caught a bad cold. You see?”

Tears gathered in Joanne’s eyes. She felt slightly ashamed. The previous night, she had been in the luxurious setting of a ball, dancing with a frustrating man. All the while, she was completely oblivious that her father was ill.

“Father, you were not this way yesterday. What happened?” she sobbed.

Her mother could explain, “We have reached the end of the road. We shall have to vacate leave this house because Mr. Stanley has sent a letter, insisting that he shall no more be begged into sparing the debts.”

“Mr. Stanley? Why?” Mr. Stanley had overlooked the debt for a long time, Joanne would soon learn that the generous Mr. Stanley had found himself in a terrible financial mess, and he had to take up drastic steps. Such steps included taking back the row house Joanne had known as home all her life.

“You know the man has tried. In all frankness.” Her mother informed, “Your father is not taking the news well, and now his health is fierce.”

“What shall we do mama?” Joanne asked. At this point, she was completely uncertain what they could do to save the situation.

“Unless we are able to pay Mr. Stanley, we shall have to move to one of the cottages in a sleepy village in Surrey.” Her mother informed her. “Mr. Stanley has been good enough to agree to cutting off the many years of compounded interests.”

On some occasions, the knight had visited the solicitors to negotiate the contracts, Joanne had been uncertain about the result of the meeting. Now however, it was clear that all those meetings had ended vainly.

Joanne stroked her father’s head. “It shall be well father. I believe it shall be well. Soon.”

***

As far as the Christmas was concerned, everything was not well. Joanne invited a physician to their home, and he administered and recommended some medication for the ailed man.

In a bid to seek survival, Joanne visited the only uncle she knew, but he was in more pitiable state than they were.

The street along which she walked, was filled with the delights of the season. Families united and displayed emotions all around town, and every evening, Joanne would wander about the street admiring the happiness she saw in the faces of people.

On one of her idle strolls, she witnessed a hackney, driven by a reckless coachman crashing into the wares of a woman. The driver hurried his hackney away, rather than help the woman.

While helping the woman put her items back in place, someone who had been carefully watching the scene walked up to them and he helped picked some of the fruits.

“I sincerely appreciate you both.” The fruit seller said.

Joanne was about to walk away when the man; whose face she had been too busy to notice pulled her back. She turned around and noticed him instantly.

“Mr. Michael Balfour.”

“Ms. Joanne.” Michael was smiling broadly.

For a brief moment, Joanne forgot the argument she had with his sister, and she immediately remembered their first meeting. Shoving the thoughts about money aside, he was an ideal man; charming, blue eye and every woman’s dream.

“I did not now I would come by you so soon.” Joanne confessed.

“You visited us about a month ago and you disappeared just like that.” As he spoke, his look betrayed him. Joanne had concluded that they had no connection. He had not even looked at her more than a few seconds when they met, but with his new gesture, it was apparent he must have spent every night since that day thinking about her. She felt pleased about that feeling, but there was nothing that could come out of it now that her friendship with Susana had been smudged.

“I had a life to live.” Joanne informed him. “Meanwhile, how is your sister?”

Michael smiled, “You did not know?”

“What?” Joanne’s face creased into a frown, “What happened?”

Michael was immediately reluctant to speak any further on the issue, if his sister had not told her friend, it seemed bad that Joanne would have to hear it from her. He tried to do the best he could; “If my sister did not inform you, then I am not comfortable telling you about this yet.”

“Now I shall die with curiosity.” Joanne confessed. “We had a small argument, and she decided I was off her friend list. I wish she thought about it all over again I am certain she would realize that I am not the enemy.”

“Now you have convinced me to tell you about it.”

“Please do. You shall be saving a life.” Joanne said.

“She eloped with a man she met at the ball you both attended.”

Susana?... Elope?... Ball we both attended? There was no part of his confession that made immediate sense to Joanne.

“I do not understand.” She confessed.

“Of course you did not.” Michael said. Looking around, he saw a coffee café. “Do you mind having a cup of tea with me?”

She was too perplexed by the information she just heard, even if just for the chairs that would be available at the café, she said yes. In the next moment, she was dragging her feet after him into the café.

CHAPTER 4

As Christmas neared, Joanne’s father’s health improved tremendously while Mama gathered all the items in the house in preparation for an immediate move when the time came.

They would not be the first family that would have fallen from grace to grass. The truth however, was that there was never a time when they were sufficiently graced. Most of the possession they had harnessed was premised on debts and loyalty.

“Mama,” Joanne observed, “No one would send us out before Christmas. Let us enjoy the moment at least.”

“But you know that we would be kicked out on Boxing Day? I am too old to be hurried out.”

Joanne smiled, the old woman had only a few duties too, so clearing the house was also an avenue to keep herself busy.

There was a new potential source of solution to their problem, but Joanne was not certain she wanted to explore that yet.

After she and Michael had talked about Susana fleeing to Scotland with a man she loved, Michael talked about other vital matters. But those matters mattered only to him, at the time. A lady who had just heard about the sudden elopement of her best friend, was not one to be given to matters of love.

“Your sister would not like us to be together.” Joanne had simply replied Michael. He spent more time that day speaking about how he could not get her off his mind since he saw her in their house.

Knowing how chaotic her life had become however, Joanne did not give in to his temptations. She fulfilled a single desire for him, and that was giving him the exact address of her house.

The conversation ended with him promising to visit her soon, while she insisted on him helping her get across to Susana.

Now, she was thinking of it all, and she knew that telling Michael about her family’s challenge would justify Susana’s claim of her taking advantage of him.

The deadline they were given was fast approaching however, and the pressure gave only a little time to consider morality and decency.

“Joanne, you have a visitor.” Her mother informed, before adding; “A gentleman!”

Joanne knew who it was, but she had not expected him to already be sitting on a couch in the drawing room.

From where he sat, he could see the furniture, portraits and other items of value which had been plucked from the wall of the house, in preparation for movement. Joanne felt embarrassed to see him staring about but she kept quiet about it, and appreciated the fact that he said nothing about it.

“I hope all is well.” Was the closest concern he showed towards the items.

“All is well.” She replied calmly.

Every other thing he said remained the same. His desire to have her ended in her insistence that Susana was not in support of such union. He promised her that he would not give up on his trial. She was convinced that he wouldn’t give up. What she feared however was that when she and her family had moved to Surrey, he wouldn’t come visit them there.

“How are you planning to spend the Christmas?” he inquired.

“Here with my family.” She replied smiling.

“I wish I could come spend it with you.” He told her charmingly.

“That is quite a great compliment, but I am certain my parents wants this to be a family occasion.” She lied. It was clearly written in her face that she was telling a lie, but he ignored it and smiled.

When he left the house half an hour later, Joanne tried to imagine the possibility of a relationship ever happing between them, but the chances were narrow.

It would only take a miracle to make that happen. First, his sister had promised to be her enemy forever if she crossed the line, and then there was the financial challenge of her own family. All that happening at the same time willed the possibility. If he could not reckon with that yet, she was certain he would when she and her family had moved.

***

On the twenty-fifth of December, Joanne raced down the stairs with her socks and dressing gown, wishing herself a final Merry Christmas in a house that would not be theirs again in a few hours.

She hurried back up the stairs, into her parents’ chambers. Their way of celebrating Christmas was lying side by side sharing fond memories of the house.

Then there was the door bell, and in her excitement, she hurried down to attend to the visitor.

“Merry Christmas ma’am.” A young man said and handed a parcel to her.

“Merry Christmas!” Joanne yelled back as she retrieved the parcel. The man was gone almost as soon as he had come.

Joanne hurried up to her parents. “Someone actually sent me a Christmas parcel.”

“Open it, let’s see.” The old knight said.

Joanne opened the parcel to see the most unexpected gift of her life there. In it was a long letter from the sender of the gift, and after the letter, there was the document that would change their life.

“What is this papa?” she handed the documents over to her father. “I just need to be certain.”

Her father looked intently at the content. “This is the documents of this property. It has all been paid for in your name. In your name Joanne!”

“We are not leaving this house again?” her mother inquired in a bewilderment that was mixed with intense joy.

“No, we shall not be leaving as planned. The property is ours now. Ours!”

Christmas, as it turned out, magically transformed the lives of the Hemphills.

EPILOGUE

Here is the letter attached to the property.

Joanne,

By the end of this letter, you would realize that I bought the property on which I was told your family has lived in since you were born. It was a quick but well thought about decision. I have decided to put this first because I do not wish to break the news to you as a thing of surprise. This was absolutely done as a concerned friend. (Not as an admirer or your lover.)

Yesterday, I found a long letter written by my sister, it was deliberately left on her table and as I read through it, I realized she might have been writing it for the both of us. I shall visit you with the letter after Christmas, but let me make a quick summary.

In her letter, she explained that she realize the look in our faces that moment I walked into her chamber and saw you. It was the fear of us being together that made her strike up an envious anger in that carriage with you, and now she wishes us well if ever we have any plans to be married.

She promised repeatedly that her love and blessings are with us wherever she is.

I hope you are not crossed that I could not help noticing the need of the family at the moment; I wish to repeat again that the gift is not premised on my desire to be with you forever.

I shall make my proposal as soon as I can, and you are at complete liberty to reject if you do not want to spend the rest of your life with me.

Yours truly,

Michael Balfour.

THE END