The Night Before Christmas
Curled up in bed beside her five-year-old niece, Sophie Warren read aloud from a recently published children’s book. “The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads…”
She paused when she heard a loud rap on her door. “Come in.”
Clara, their housekeeper, opened the door slightly. “Miss Sophia, there is a gentleman waiting for you in the library.”
“At this hour?” Sophie asked, incredulously. “Who would call on me this late?”
“He refuses to identify himself, but he wishes to speak with you. He says to tell you that he will not leave until he sees you,” Clara replied, her dark brown eyes twinkling, possibly from the reflection of the hearth.
Glancing down at Kelsie, Sophie said softly, “I’ll be back soon, sweetling. Will you be all right?”
Kelsie nodded, her large hazel eyes already closing with sleepiness. “Clara can finish reading to me. Will Mama and Papa be home tonight?”
“Not tonight. Maybe tomorrow, okay?” Sophie whispered, kissing Kelsie on the forehead. “Sweet dreams.”
Climbing out of bed, she handed Clara the book. The elderly woman settled down in a comfortable chair next to the bed and began to read the poem from the beginning. With a sigh, Sophie picked up the candle sitting on the table. She left the room, making her way down the stairs to the library where her mysterious midnight caller was supposedly waiting. Sophie wondered for a moment whether she ought to be worried. But then she shook her head to dismiss such ridiculous notions. Jacobs, their butler, was just down the hall from the library. He would hear if something were wrong. Nothing got past him, not even a mouse.
The door to the library was slightly ajar. Without hesitation, Sophie pushed the door open and stepped inside.
“Sophie.”
Her eyes widened at the sound of his voice. Sophie watched as he stood from the leather chair in front of the fireplace. She took a couple of steps forward in disbelief. “Damien? But… How can that be? They told me that you were dead…”
He shook his head. “A mistake.”
Tears welled up in her eyes. “Then where have you been all these months?! Why did you not send word home to let me or your family know that you were alive?!”
Damien closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms. “I wanted to let you know myself. I did not realize that they had mistakenly informed you that I was dead until about a month ago. By then, it would have taken the same amount of time for a letter to reach you as it would if I returned home. I thought it better that I came home to show you that I was safe.”
Sophie buried her face in his chest and whispered, “I’m just glad you are safely home now.”
“Merry Christmas, Sophie,” he said softly and kissed her on the forehead.
