He wasted little time, leaving Jensen to carry his bags to the master suite, where I’d made two beds separated by a nightstand and a single lamp. More like bunkmates than wedded couple, I flirted with the idea of placing them together as a surprise, but thought better of it. Miss Farrington and I finished decorating the house from top to bottom according to Lady Archibald’s wishes. Indeed, the enormous tree sparkled with carefully wired taper candles, slices of dried apples, and small oranges strung with ribbon and embellished with whole cloves. Shimmering against the candle glow were Lady Archibald’s prized brightly painted German ornaments. This afternoon, we sat at the kitchen worktable, the three of us, as Jensen demonstrated how to fold foil papers into bright, small stars to hang on the branches. With the addition of Lady Archibald’s heirloom tin star at its top branch, another gift from her grandmother when she married, the tree rivaled anything ever described in a classic Christmas tale.
