Chapter 44

It felt as if every family in Wylder had come out for the Christmas party.

Buckboards and buggies of all sizes were parked on the back street, Old Cheyenne Road, and the end of Wylder Road nearest the school. Corrals and stalls in and near the livery were full. Carriages, both plain and fancy, angled beside each other against snowbanks.

Horses were tied to hitching posts. One had its reins dangling in the wishing well. Some wore feed bags while others nickered in the cold evening air.

Conversation and laughter filled the schoolhouse. Folks who saw each other at weddings, funerals, or community get-togethers like this one had a lot to say—and a few hours in which to say it all.

Everyone who walked into the schoolroom complimented Violet on her teaching success. The community seemed pleased to have her, and that was a mighty big blessing.

Lin remained by her side. Violet introduced her as a dear friend from South Carolina, and no one seemed to suspect the untruth. They had discussed the falsehood with Sheriff Hanson beforehand. He agreed it best if Wylder’s citizens did not know that a princess resided among them. It would be a shame if word got out and prevented Lin from living a peaceful life in town. She deserved some calm after the storms she had weathered, and giving her a cover story would get her that.

Mister Lui arrived at the party and, after hanging his jacket and hat on the pegs beside the door, made a beeline for Lin and Violet. He came with a smile on his face and a gift in his hands, which he handed to Violet with a tiny bow.

“For the wise teacher. I hope you heal easily and that when you no longer require an arm bandage you would use this as a shawl or for another useful purpose.”

Violet was wearing the dragon print wrap that he had wound around her broken arm when she fell. It had enough red in it that it coordinated with her red holiday dress. The piece of fabric he gifted her now featured a green background with yellow lotus flowers embroidered onto it.

“Mister Lui, this is gorgeous. Thank you so much—you really are too kind.”

He smiled at her display of pleasure. “In Chinese culture, the lotus is a very meaningful flower. It can grow from mud and make exquisite blooms. It does not need an ornate garden to bring beauty to life.” The gentleman turned a palm up and swept it to the crowded room. “Yellow is the color of enlightenment so the fabric tells the story of one who brings wisdom and blooms beautifully wherever planted. You are our lotus blossom, Miss Bloom.”

Violet’s mouth opened but she didn’t have words to put to her feelings. Mister Lui knowingly nodded, smiled, and turned to Lin.

He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a rectangular velvet box. “This is a token of my affection. I hope you will wear it and think fondly of a man who is pleased to meet the magical Chinese woman who accompanies him in his dreams of home.”

The box contained a bracelet. A row of black pearls adorned a gold chain. Watching him fasten it onto Lin’s delicate wrist, Violet thought that it must be very precious.

But when the Chinese pair spoke softly in their native tongue, she saw the truth. They were precious, together.

Violet had heard of love at first sight, but until this very moment she had not believed it possible. Watching Lin and Mister Lui, she saw that she had been mistaken. It was possible—and very touching to witness.

Pulling herself from the scene, she turned to the room and looked for her pupils. She had instructed them to be near the singing platforms at precisely seven o’clock. They were there, waiting for her with expectant smiles on their cheerful faces.

They all knew that after their singing presentation Santa might visit the schoolroom.

And after that, there would be food and gifts for all.

Violet walked over to the children. They were so eager to show off for their families that some of their cheeks were apple red. A few were nervous so she patted a couple of shoulders and murmured words of encouragement. Then she directed them into place, with the taller children in the back row and the younger, smaller ones in front.

She smiled at Alexia, who returned the gesture. The girl stood shoulder to shoulder with her new best friend, Brenda. They both wore dark green dresses and looked like sisters.

Violet had learned that Alexia’s mother and younger brother died during an influenza outbreak the previous winter. Her grieving father had sold their homestead to his brother and bought a home in town. Then he sent his daughter to stay with family back east when he became too devastated to care for her.

It had been nearly a year since the tragedy, and both were on their way to healing. The fact that Alexia had come home, remained with her father, and now they were beaming, represented a huge step forward for them.

A little Christmas miracle.

She looked at Beatie Milligan who stood in the center of the bottom row. Violet had been wondering if the child would consent to sing with the others. It pleased her to see her pupil apparently had a change of heart. She winked at the little girl and got a fast wave in return.

Violet turned to face the assemblage and clapped her left hand on the nearest bench. When the merriment died down and she had everyone’s attention, she took a big leap of faith and began her speech to the residents of Wylder. Her tummy had a herd of reindeer dancing in it, but fortunately none of the jolly faces in front of her could see that.

“Welcome, everyone. Welcome to our Christmas program. This is the first year I have had the honor to serve the community as your schoolteacher, so I want to take a moment to thank you for giving me this opportunity. You’ve made me feel welcome in this wonderful town. You’ve given me a new home, a sense of purpose, and you have shared your children with me. You are all, for me, a Christmas blessing. Thank you.”

The applause that followed her small speech made her nearly overcome with emotion. When she looked out into the crowd at the familiar faces, she finally felt as if she truly belonged in Wylder.

Thomas stood to one side. He smiled at her and nodded when their gazes met. Beside him, a man who bore such a close resemblance that he had to be the uncle Alexia had mentioned. And near them both, their sister.

“The children have a short program prepared for all of you. They have practiced so I know you will be pleased by how beautifully they sing.”

She turned her back on the crowd and faced the children. They had rehearsed the program in its entirety yesterday so she felt confident there would be no surprises or off-key renditions now. Violet raised a hand to prompt them, and they began to sing.

“Silent Night” went off without a hitch. Every child hit every note at the right time, and they were so inspiring that as the last “heavenly peace” died out the crowd drew in a collective breath.

She had planned to go right into the next song but Wylder’s citizenry had different ideas. They clapped so long and hard that the children all giggled. Some hid behind their hands and laughed while others applauded for themselves.

Eventually, the room quieted enough for her to address the crowd. “The children have another song for you that we know will get you in the Christmas spirit.” She had placed the leather straps with the sleigh bells on a nearby bench but before she could grab them and hand them out, Beatie Milligan took a giant step forward, out of the line.

Violet attempted to get the girl’s attention, but the child would not look at her. Instead, she stared into the group and said in a clear voice, “And unto them a child was born. And it was Christmas.”

A hush fell over the crowd. The children were quiet. The adults did not move. There were no feet shuffling, no hands rubbing together for warmth, and no whispers. There wasn’t even a popping sound from the roaring fire in the belly stove.

The schoolroom went silent.

Beatie began to sing. “Rock-a-bye, Jesus, on the tree top…”

At “when the wind blows” the rest of the children joined in.

By the time they reached what should have been the final “cradle and all” the adults were singing—and they started the song from the beginning again.

Beatie wore a face-splitting grin. The children were all smiling, too. And parents, friends, and townsfolk had their arms about each other and were singing as if this were an actual birthday party for the baby Jesus.

Violet sang, too, and when she caught Beatie’s attention she gave her a huge smile that she hoped conveyed as much love and joy as the little girl had bestowed upon the crowd. As they reached the final lines of the second round, Violet handed out the jingle bells. When she held a strap out to Beatie, the child took it and began to jangle.

Everyone agreed that there had never been a jinglier rendition of “Jingle Bells” in the entire Wyoming territory—or a better Christmas program.

When the singing ended and Santa arrived, some folks went to the refreshment tables while their children were occupied by the jolly-yet-somewhat-familiar figure in the red suit.

Santa sat on his throne, handed out stockings, and ho-ho-hoed until every child had been convinced they’d met the man who drove a team of reindeer. There were so many smiles that they outshone the candles on the tree and were even more plentiful than the extra mints that sat in buckets around the room, courtesy of Finn at the Wylder Mercantile.

Violet made her way over to Thomas. She hadn’t met his brother yet, and it seemed important to do so.

“Welcome to the schoolroom. I’m Violet Bloom, the teacher here. I’m sorry but I don’t believe we’ve met yet.” Mother had been such a stickler about her daughters feeling comfortable with new acquaintances that Violet felt no trepidation as she addressed the newcomer.

“I’m sorry, I haven’t had a chance to introduce my brother.” The crowd brought them so close she caught a whiff of the tobacco Thomas favored. “Miss Bloom, Mister Theodore Harvey. My brother now owns the homestead that my wife and I undertook when we came out west. We lived there until last year. Then I sold my holdings to Theo and moved into town.”

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Bloom. I’ve heard a great deal about you.” Theodore Harvey’s mannerisms were like his brother’s, but he had a bit less polish. The man’s hands bore signs of hard work and the muscles rippling beneath his jacket looked substantial. But he had a gentle tone and a sense of humor. “Tom’s right. I live out at the homestead, all by my lonesome. You wouldn’t by any chance have an unmarried sister, would you?”

She laughed. “As a matter of fact, I have three. Lily, the eldest, then Daisy, and finally, Pansy.”

He wore a beard that he now stroked with a thoughtful air. “Hmm…I’ve always been kind of partial to lilies…”

They chatted for a few minutes before she had to excuse herself to see to the other guests. Violet made a point to visit with each family. And when they began to leave, she saw to it that they all took something home with them. There were decorations in abundance, and she wanted every home to have a remembrance from this special night.

Lin and Mister Liu did not leave each other at all during the party. Violet watched as the pair laughed, ate, and talked all evening long. The past had been harsh for the princess, but it appeared that her present, and perhaps her future, would be less arduous.

Thomas walked over to where she stood beside the Christmas tree. “Well, it seems as if you’ve put on the greatest event of the century. We’ll be talking about this evening well into next year, if the comments I’ve heard from everyone are true—which they are. We have had a wonderful time. Thank you for caring enough to put your heart into this. I know I speak for everyone when I say we are grateful.”

“You’re very kind. I want everyone to have fun. We all deserve it, don’t we?”

He looked down at her with an amused expression. His lips twitched and she stared at them, almost bewitched by the sight and nearness of the man. She remembered how his lips felt on hers, and how his kiss made her feel things she had never even dreamed of.

“We do, indeed.” He lowered his voice and leaned close enough to whisper in her ear. “I do believe that if I were to tell you how much fun I want to have with you, you might give me a Christmas slap across the face.” He straightened and met her gaze squarely. “But I assure you, it would be worth the slap.”

Her heartbeat quickened. “Why, how on earth would it be worth a slap?”

He shrugged. “Feeling your hand on my face would make it worth it.”

Violet raised both eyebrows and clamped her lips closed, not at all certain how to reply.

“Don’t worry, Miss Bloom, I won’t do anything to get myself thrown out of your schoolroom.” Suddenly, he stopped teasing, almost as if he had run into a mental barrier. When he spoke, his voice lost the playful tone and turned serious. “Honestly, I’m not ready to do any of that, and I think you should know it. I admit, I’m starting to feel like laughing again, like I’m still alive, and I’m even thinking I might be able to spend time with someone special.”

When he stopped, she did not press him to go on.

Silence often says all that needs to be said, so Violet waited a bit. Then she reached a hand out and pressed his upper arm gently. “I understand. Really, I do.”

“Thank you. I want you to know that this time we’ve spent together has shown me that I didn’t die last year. I thought for sure I had.”

“I’m glad you were wrong.”

“Me, too.” He chuckled before he turned serious again. “Look, I know how you feel about northern men and I don’t blame you one bit. You probably witnessed a lot and lost a lot more. We’re all devils to you, I know that. But I want to say—”

Violet put a finger across his lips. It was bound to cause some folks to gossip but she didn’t care.

She pulled her hand away, stuck it in her skirt pocket so she wouldn’t be tempted to touch him again, and said, “People change. My beliefs were wrong. I see that now, and I’m sorry. Let’s call it a Christmas miracle, this situation where two people find peace after chaos.”

He shook his head, as if to clear it. “Are you saying you’ll consider keeping company with me—and taking things nice and slow—now?”

“I am. And I will, gladly.”

Thomas pulled a velvet-wrapped package from his inside jacket pocket and handed it to her. “Merry Christmas.”

She recognized the green-and-red plaid bow fabric. “You’re the one who delivered the Christmas tree to my house.”

“Every house should have a tree. Are you going to open that?”

Inside the box a pair of gold earrings lay on a bed of red velvet. They were simple and classic—and resembled a pair her mother had given her when she graduated from teacher’s college.

“They are beautiful. Thank you.”

“I noticed you were missing an earring the morning you landed in that snowbank. When we got to my house, you were wearing only one. I assumed it must have fallen off when you fell so I went back to look, but I didn’t find it. I hope these please you—they reminded me of you the minute I saw them. Some things are so lovely they take a man’s breath away.”

Violet wondered how slow they were going to have to take this keeping company arrangement. Right now, she could have thrown herself into his arms and kissed him until his head spun.

Instead, she smiled and said, “I love them. Thank you.”