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Later that night as everyone slept, Sarah got up. Mrs. Price, being a person of older age and believer in folk tales, had included a gooding onion in the gift basket. It was legend that one would place a gooding onion under her pillow to dream of her future husband. Sarah took it from its resting place and quietly entered her mother's room. Being careful not to wake her, she slipped it under her mother's pillow.

"Bless you, mother, in the coming year. May you again find the happiness you lost when Papa left us."

Sarah kissed her mother lightly on the cheek so as not to disturb her sleep and returned silently to her room.

Elisabeth knew nothing about the onion under her pillow and Mrs. Beckett never told her what she had found.

"Sarah? Amy? Annabelle? Are you girls ready? We must go into town this morning and do some shopping. I want to look for some new hair ribbons and combs to go with your new dresses. And I also want to get a gift for the Vicar and his wife. Hurry along girls."

When they got into London, their first stop was at Millicent's Dress Shoppe on Bond Street. Elisabeth picked out a tortoise shell comb, and two hair ribbons--one in green and one in red. After making her purchase she and the girls then went to Pendleton's Book Store. After searching the racks briefly she walked over to the sales clerk.

"Good morning, I'm hoping you can help me. I'm looking for the new book by Mr. Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol. Do you have it?" she asked.

"Yes, you are most fortunate; we have but one copy left. We had several dozen, but the book has sold quickly. Shall I wrap it for you?"

"Yes, please. It's for the Vicar at our church. He favors Mr. Dickens' writings and I thought this would be the perfect gift. He's extended so many kindnesses to myself and my family."

After making her purchase, Elisabeth and her daughters then left for their next stop, the Penny Bazaars. They had no sooner stepped outside, however, from across the street could be heard, a group of carolers singing merrily, if not a bit off-key. Also from where they stood they could see a puppet show taking place.

"Please can we stop for a time, mother" begged Amy.

Elisabeth agreed and crossed the street so that they could listen for a while. The music was so cheerful that they couldn't help keep from joining in the singing.

As the carolers sang their songs of Christmas, the wind began to pick up. "We'd better go, girls; we've more shopping to do and it feels like a storm is in the air."

Taking Annabelle's hand she turned quickly, bumping into a gentleman who was standing behind her. Elisabeth looked up.

"Oh my! Lord Whitcombe. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I didn't realize that anyone was standing behind me."

"No need to apologize, Mrs. Ashton; it was my own fault for standing so close."

"And how are you today, ladies," he asked the girls.

"Doing a little shopping?"

Her knees began to give way under her. Nervously Elisabeth replied, "yes, your Lordship, we are. The holidays have come upon us rather quickly this year and there are some more gifts we need to buy. And with this wind, I fear that a storm may be on its way and I don't wish to get caught in it. We bid you good day, Sir."

Elisabeth could not get away fast enough. Why after all these years was she beginning to feel like that young girl of 14 again.

Upon arriving home, they discovered that the staff had placed a tree on one of the tables in the sitting room for the children to decorate. The girls were very excited. They ran to put away their coats and ran back downstairs. They opened box after box of decorations--pine cones, hand-made paper cornucopias; paper flowers, ribbons and dolls. After the girls finished, a member of the household staff carefully placed candlesticks upon the sturdiest of the branches. The candles, of course would not be lit until Christmas day.

Amy then took the kissing bunch which had been made from the mistletoe they had received as a gift and gave it to one of the man servants who hung it up in the center of the room. In just a short while the house looked and smelled of Christmas. They all sat down together in front of the fireplace and each took a turn reading a Christmas story.

Later that evening when Elisabeth kissed her daughters good night, Sarah, who had noticed her mother's nervousness in the presence of Lord Whitcombe decided to ask her about him.

"Mother, why were you so upset today when you bumped into Lord Whitcombe? It's as if you were afraid of him."

"Sarah, I'm not afraid of him, dear. Wherever did you get that idea?"

"Well, mother", she replied, "you couldn't stop apologizing to him."

"My bumping into Lord Whitcombe just took me by surprise, that's all, Sarah."

"But mother, that still doesn't explain--"

"Good night, Sarah, and sweet dreams."

Elisabeth shut the door and made her way to her room, wondering how she could possibly explain her behavior to her daughter when even she herself could not understand it.