The Angel and the Mistletoe

C.C. stared daggers at the boy sitting in the chair across the room from her as he played with his handheld video game with a smug smirk on his face. The incessant shrill beeping of the game was making her hair stand on end. In her mind, she was plotting the slow and painful death she would inflict on the toy store clerk who had advised her the game would be the perfect Christmas gift for a boy who was approximately chest high.

"Dad," Brighton whined, "Miss Babcock is staring at me!"

"I'm not staring at him, Maxwell," she replied sweetly. "I was just admiring how cute he looks in the sweater his grandmother gave him."

"Sure you were!" Brighton sneered.

"Brighton Sheffield," his father corrected sternly, "I expect you to respect your elders."

As soon as Maxwell turned his back, Brighton stuck his tongue out at C.C.

"Brat," she silently mouthed.

C.C. rued the day she wrangled an invitation to accompany Maxwell to England on a business trip. Following a quick meeting with a potential investor in Maxwell's theater production company, C.C. had planned on a romantic vacation alone with him. She had been not-so-subtly chasing Maxwell for years, and her intention was to seduce him while they were away and get his mind off of Fran Fine, his children's low class, but attractive nanny, who inexplicably had Maxwell under her spell. However, at the last minute, he had decided to bring his three children along and use the trip as an excuse for an early Christmas celebration with his mother, Elizabeth, who lived in London. C.C. had envisioned them staying in a quaint inn, but Maxwell, wanting to make the most of the opportunity for family togetherness in the hopes he wouldn't have to visit his mother for another year, had insisted they stay with Elizabeth. Unfortunately, she was in the process of renovating her house, and the constant hammering, drilling, and sawing by the carpenters had everyone moody and irritable, especially C.C. The renovations had forced her into sharing a bedroom with Maxwell's daughter, Maggie. The self-involved teenager was boy crazy and constantly talking on the telephone. "Who the hell does she know in England, anyway?"C.C. wondered. To make matters worse, Niles, Maxwell's butler and the bane of C.C.'s existence, would be arriving shortly, and his parents were stopping by for a visit, too. She fully expected Niles' parents to be as obnoxious as he, and she was not looking forward to meeting them. C.C. was miserable; her seduction of Maxwell had utterly failed, and her nemesis and his parents were arriving soon. The only saving grace was that she was flying home later this evening.

Maxwell's youngest daughter, Grace, tugged on his jacket, "Daddy, when will Niles' parents get here?"

He glanced at his watch, "Anytime now, sweetheart."

"I hope they get here soon. I want us to have time for a long visit before we have to leave. I can't wait to see them!"

Elizabeth plucked a stray thread from her impeccable navy dress and adjusted the strand of pearls around her neck. Plastic surgery and a strict diet and exercise regimen had helped her hold onto the regal beauty that had turned Maxwell's father's head so many years ago. Along with the regal beauty came the nasty temper of a tyrant queen. One of the many reasons his parents' marriage had fallen apart. "I cannot believe I am entertaining my former servants in my own home, the ingrates."

Maxwell nodded in the direction of his youngest daughter. "Mother, please. Don't do this now."

"Maxwell, I have no desire to see those traitors!"

"They're not coming here to see you. They're coming to visit with the children and me and to pick up Niles. If you'd rather not see them, I'll make your excuses for you, but after all, opting to continue to work for Father after you were divorced does not make them traitors."

"It does in my book!" Elizabeth spat with contempt burning in her eyes.

"Mother, their family has worked for the Sheffields for generations. You can't have expected them to leave Father to work for you."

At the mention of his father, Elizabeth forgot about Niles' parents and switched gears. "Speaking of your father, I am so hurt because you're abandoning me to spend Christmas with him."

"Mother, we are not abandoning you, we celebrated with you, albeit a few days early."

"It isn't the same. A good son would want to spend Christmas Day with his mother," she whined with a pout of her collagen pumped lips.

Maxwell's shoulders tensed and he could feel a vein near his temple begin to throb. He tried his best to block out his mother, but there was no escape from her piercing voice. "Father is the one who is coming to the city to visit us. If you want to be with us on Christmas, then you are welcome to come to New York, too."

"I don't want to be on the same planet with that man let alone in the same city," she huffed. "Please, son, stay here with me for a few more days. I don't want to eat Christmas dinner all alone."

"This is rich," C.C. mused. She knew Elizabeth had no intention for them to extend their stay. Yesterday, C.C. had overheard her talking on the telephone to someone named Antonio, discussing in vivid detail what she planned to do to his body as soon as her plane touched down in Madrid later tonight. "She's laying a big, fat guilt trip on Maxwell." All week long, C.C. had watched as Maxwell jumped through hoops to please his mother. Elizabeth reminded C.C. a great deal of her own mother, B.B. Babcock. Both women were experts at manipulation and power plays. "I might as well be visiting my mother. That's all families are good for - to twist the knife." She toyed with the idea of telling Maxwell his mother was only yanking his chain, but she decided to let Elizabeth have her fun. "Maxwell has it coming. I worked my ass off scrambling to find gifts for his children and his mother before we left, not to mention the small fortune I spent on silk pajamas and a robe for him, and all he gave me for Christmas was a damn electronic day planner."

Rubbing her forehead, C.C. closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The racket of the carpenters, coupled with Brighton's unbearable videogame, was driving an ax through her brain. She gave a tug at her aching ear, a gesture she had repeated many times over the past several days. Air travel had always bothered her ears, but this time, one of her ears had yet to return to normal since their plane had taken off in New York. C.C. swallowed hard, trying to relieve the pressure. Exhausted, she could not wait to get out of England, and yet, she dreaded the trip home.

Leaping from her post at the window seat, Grace squealed as she ran to the front door, "They're here, Daddy! They're here!" The high-pitched sound of the little girl's voice hit C.C. like a lightning bolt, and she nearly jumped out of her chair.

"C.C.," Maxwell asked, "is something the matter with you?"

"No, why?" she asked sharply.

"You look peculiar."

"I'm just a little warm." She fanned herself with her hand. "Is it hot in here to you?"

"No, I'm fine. Are you coming down with something? You look a bit green around the gills."

Her voice dripping with scorn, she retorted, "Gee, Maxwell, I can't imagine why I'd be coming down with something. I'm sure it wouldn't have anything to do with your kid throwing up in my lap. She ruined my favorite suit."

Maxwell breathed a frustrated sigh. Why must the women in his life be so difficult? "C.C., how many times do I have to tell you Grace was airsick, not actually sick? And I offered to buy you a new suit."

You bet you will, buster. An expensive one! I'm thinking Armani or Chanel. "Whatever...but remember, I am not sitting next to her on the flight home."

"You can sit next to Brighton. He won't bother you. The game you bought him will keep him occupied all the way back to New York. Right, Brighton?"

"Right!" Brighton agreed with a diabolical grin.

C.C. glanced over at the boy who once again, stuck his tongue out at her behind his father's back. Beginning to wonder what she ever saw in Maxwell, C.C. was about to respond with an acid remark when an elderly couple appeared in the doorway of the living room. Grace proudly stood between them, holding each by the hand. They were obviously Niles' parents. In fact, the man was an older version of Niles. Like Niles, he was not tall, but was solidly built. His thick mane of hair was snow white rather than Niles' dark blonde, and both father and son shared the same vibrant blue eyes. The woman was tall and willowy without the stooped shoulders or bent back that afflicted many women her age. Clearly, she had once been a great beauty. She had wide-set green eyes, an open smile, and lovely skin, which belied her age. Unlike Elizabeth, nothing about Niles' mother's looks was artificial or surgically manufactured.

"We didn't mean to barge in," the man explained, "Miss Grace was waiting at the door."

Maxwell rushed over to give them an affectionate embrace. "She's been simply bursting to see you and so have I! Joseph, Marise, welcome!"

Putting aside his game, Brighton stood for inspection. Marise gave the boy a hug and pinched his cheeks. "Look, Joseph, look how he has grown!"

Joseph ruffled Brighton's hair. "My, he has sprouted up since the last time we saw him!"

Elizabeth stiffly extended her hand and spoke briskly, "Marise, you're looking well. Joseph, nice to see you again. If you will excuse me, I'll go check on the coffee. I ordered it to be served twenty minutes ago."

Maxwell hoped the flurry of the greetings covered his mother's rudeness as apparently, she intended to have the coffee served well before Joseph and Marise's arrival.

"Maxwell," Marise inquired, "Where is Miss Margaret?"

"Maggie is upstairs; probably on the telephone. I'll call her in a few minutes, but first," Maxwell directed their attention to C.C., "I would like you to meet -"

Marise interrupted him, "Oh, don't tell me! This must be your business partner, Miss Babcock!"

"Yes, C.C., I'd like to present to you Niles' parents, Mr. and Mrs. -"

Joseph cut him off, "Miss Babcock, please call us Joseph and Marise."

C.C. politely offered her hand to him. "Pleased to meet you. Uh, you may call me C.C."

"C.C., we feel like we know you already," he told her as he took her hand into both of his and shook it warmly.

"Oh, yes," Marise continued obviously delighted to meet her, "Niles keeps us in stitches with stories about the silly pranks you pull on each other."

C.C. did not consider most of the pranks Niles played on her such as putting a live tarantula in her purse silly, but Joseph and Marise seemed nice enough, and she saw no point in bad mouthing their son to their faces. "Niles and I have loads of fun," she lied with a forced smile.

Maxwell motioned for them to sit. "Please, make yourselves comfortable."

"I take it Niles hasn't arrived yet?" Joseph asked Maxwell.

"No, I called the airport earlier; his flight has been delayed."

"We're getting such a short visit with him. I wish he had flown in with you and the children."

"Yes, I know, Marise, but he was very proud to be chosen as the auctioneer for the Butlers Association's holiday charity auction this year."

Elizabeth entered carrying a sterling silver coffee service, and Joseph immediately rose to assist her with it. "I'm sorry; I don't know where my maid is. Good help is so hard to find, you know. I'll have to pour the coffee myself."

With a tone, not of a servant, but as a thoughtful friend, Marise asked, "Would you like me to help you, Mrs. Sheffield?"

Elizabeth's response to her question held no note of friendliness. With a tight smile that was at once haughty and contemptuous, Elizabeth replied, "Would you? I'm sure you're much better at it than I am. You've had a great deal more experience."

If the retired maid and butler were insulted by Elizabeth's superior attitude, they did not show it. After they finished the coffee, Elizabeth excused herself to make a phone call. "Antonio," C.C. surmised. From a conversation with Elizabeth's chatty butler, were all butlers gossips or just the ones who worked for the Sheffields?, C.C. learned that Antonio was over two decades younger than Elizabeth. In fact, he was even younger than Maxwell. C.C. was tempted to rub Maxwell's nanny-loving nose in it, but she had to watch her step. What goes around, comes around, and her own mother was likely to pull a stunt just as embarassing, assuming she hadn't already. B.B. wasn't above dating younger men, if they had a big enough bank account, but as far as C.C. knew, B.B. hadn't yet stooped to bedding a man younger than her children.

Without Elizabeth's imperious presence, Maxwell relaxed, and he and Joseph and Marise happily reminisced for almost an hour. C.C. found herself strangely drawn to the charming couple and would have enjoyed herself with them had her head not been splitting and her ear aching.

"Who wants the first hug?" a smooth baritone voice called from the foyer. Niles stepped inside the living room, holding his suitcase in one hand and his overcoat in the other. He dropped them to each side when his mother flew to him and threw her arms around him.

Briefly looking up from his game, Brighton quipped, "Guess we have an answer to that question."

Joseph gave his son a bear hug. "Good to see you, my boy!"

As the family exchanged greetings, C.C. decided to make her exit. She found it odd that she didn't want to leave Joseph and Marise, but they were a package deal with her archenemy, Niles, and she certainly didn't feel up to engaging in verbal warfare with him today. She hoped to slip away before Niles even noticed she was around, but when she stood up from her chair, the room began to spin and a heavy veil of darkness blanketed her and pushed her down. C.C. hit the floor with a thud to the shock of everyone in the room.

TNTNTNTNTNTNTN

Grace started to cry, and Brighton elbowed her in the ribs. "Gracie, why are you crying?"

"Miss Babcock might be dead!"

"So?" Brighton asked with the sarcastic wit of a twelve-year old boy. Grace punched him in the upper arm. "Ow! She isn't dead, you dork. She only fainted."

Maxwell knelt down and cradled C.C. in his arms as everyone crowded around to get a better view.

Marise quickly took charge of the situation and waved everyone back. "Please, give her some air."

"Too bad Miss Babcock isn't awake to enjoy this," Niles mused spitefully. "She'd be in hog heaven if she knew Mr. Sheffield has his arms around her. Hmm...Maybe, she's faking...No, she is quite pale..."

"Niles! Niles! Did you hear me?" Marise asked impatiently as she lightly patted C.C.'s cheeks. "Mrs. Sheffield says there may be some smelling salts in the upstairs bathroom. Go fetch them!"

"Smelling salts?" Brighton snorted, "What the heck are smelling salts?"

Grace answered, her solemn brown eyes wide with concern, "They're something people use in old movies to make dead people wake up."

Forgetting the smelling salts, Niles grabbed a bottle of whisky from the liquor cabinet and thrust it under C.C.'s nose. "Here, this will bring her around."

"Niles! Go find the smelling salts like you were told!" As his mother reprimanded him, C.C.'s eyes fluttered open, and she began to stir.

"Told ya so!" Niles countered with a cocky grin.

C.C. blinked her eyes and gazed up at the faces staring down at her. "What's going on? What happened?" She was too confused and groggy to take any pleasure from being in Maxwell's embrace. "Why am I down here?" she asked as she tried to get up. "Whoa!" The room started to spin again and she sank back down to the floor.

"Take it easy, C.C." Maxwell cautioned.

Marise put her hand on C.C.'s forehead and smoothed her hair. "You fainted, darling. How do you feel? You're awfully hot."

"I'm kind of dizzy." She shook her head and rubbed her face, trying to clear the cobwebs from her brain. "But I'm okay."

"Niles," Marise ordered, "help her up."

Niles took C.C.'s hands and ostentatiously grunted as he pulled her up as if he were heaving a gigantic weight.

"Niles!" His mother had the same warning glare on her face she used to give him when he was a little boy and about to cross the line. Meanwhile, Joseph stepped over to help his wife off her knees.

As C.C. got to her feet, another wave of dizziness hit her, and she stumbled forward.

Now genuinely concerned, Niles folded her in his arms, and she rested her forehead on his shoulder for a moment. He whispered into her ear, "You haven't gone and gotten yourself a bun in the oven, have you, Babcock? Should we be looking forward to hearing the pitter-patter of little hooves around the house?"

"No! Just give me a second, you imbecile!" she hissed into his sweater.

"Okay?" Niles asked seriously after giving her minute.

"Yeah, it's passed." He eased her into a chair, and Marise rushed to her side.

Joseph handed C.C. a glass of water. "Here you are, young lady. This will make you feel better."

Marise helped her hold the glass. "Sip it, darling."

Embarrassed by all the attention, C.C. laughed self-consciously, "I'm fine...I'm fine."

Marise ran her hand across C.C.'s face. "You have a high fever, dear. You had better see a doctor. Niles will drive you."

"What?" Niles groaned.

"Oh, no, Marise. A doctor isn't necessary. I'm feeling much better...and, I don't have time. I'm flying home with Maxwell and the children this evening."

"There's time enough for a visit to the doctor. Dr. Young's office is good about working in unexpected patients. Joseph, go pull the car around."

"No...I..." C.C. let out an involuntary moan and covered her mouth. "Ugh, I think I'm going to be sick."

Fearing for her Persian rug, Elizabeth interjected, "Yes, yes, Niles, by all means, take her to the doctor."

"I have just spent over eight hours on a plane," Niles groused. "Why can't someone else take her?"

Dodging the unwanted errand, Maxwell shrugged, "I have to make sure the children are all packed and ready to go."

"Niles, stop arguing." Marise gave him yet another look that said she meant business.

Anxious to get her increasingly green guest out of her house, Elizabeth left the room and quickly returned with Niles' and C.C.'s coats. Marise helped C.C. into hers, and then Joseph escorted her out to the car.

"Take good care of her, Niles," Marise commanded as she pushed him toward the front door.

He gave her a lighthearted peck on the cheek. "Yes, mother dear."

TNTNTNTNTNTNTN

"Where are they?" Maxwell asked no one in particular as he glanced at his watch for the tenth time in less than five minutes.

"Do you think Miss Babcock's dead, Daddy?" Grace asked morbidly.

"Grace, please!" her grandmother admonished.

Maxwell patted her head. "Of course not, sweetheart. Why don't you go upstairs and try to get Maggie off the phone. We'll have to leave for the airport shortly. We can't wait much longer. We'll miss our flight."

As Grace ran up the staircase she yelled, "Maggie! Daddy says get off the phone!"

A door slammed, rattling the house, and Maggie screamed, "Shut up, Gracie!"

Elizabeth cringed. Their plane couldn't take off soon enough for her.

Marise peered out the window. "Oh, my, I hope nothing's terribly wrong with C.C."

Joseph crossed the room, took her by the hand, and led her back to the sofa. "Now, Marise, don't get yourself worked up into a lather. You know how doctors' offices are. They take forever."

Finally, Niles and C.C. returned, and Maxwell strode over to them. "Niles! It's about time! C.C., are you all right?"

C.C. dropped into a chair and closed her eyes. Niles answered for her, "The good news is, Miss Babcock's going to be fine. The bad news is, Miss Babcock's going to be fine...and...she cannot fly."

"What?" Maxwell gasped.

C.C. spoke without opening her eyes because for the past few hours, whenever her eyes were open, the world began to whirl as if she were on a never ending amusement park ride. "I have an ear infection, Maxwell. It was probably caused by the sinus infection I had a couple of weeks ago. The doctor said I can't fly until it's cleared up. You and the children will have to go on without me."

Maxwell patted her shoulder. "Oh, C.C.! That's too bad. You'll stay here with Mother, of course, until you're better."

Elizabeth colored and sputtered, "Er, yes, C.C., you're welcome to stay with me, but perhaps, you'd be more comfortable at a hotel. My house is such a wreck."

C.C. wasn't too ill to enjoy making Elizabeth squirm. She cracked one eye open so she could watch Elizabeth try to wriggle out of Maxwell's invitation. "Oh, the renovations won't disturb me," she said innocently.

C.C. smiled to herself as Elizabeth become more agitated. "Really, C.C., since you're ill, a hotel might be the best idea, but do stay here if you wish."

C.C. let her off the hook because she wanted out of the house as much as Elizabeth wanted her out. "I appreciate the offer, Elizabeth, but I don't want to impose. You've been too kind having me here this past week. I'll go to a hotel."

Elizabeth looked relieved and half-heartedly added, "Oh, you would be no imposition, but I think you would get much more rest in a nice, quiet hotel room. The carpenters are going to start knocking down a wall tomorrow. I'm paying them double to work right up until Christmas."

"C.C. will stay with us," Marise stated with conviction.

"Oh, god," Niles grumbled under his breath.

C.C. was in no way in favor of staying with Niles and his family. She liked his parents well enough, but she wouldn't be caught dead staying under the same roof as Niles unless, of course, it was Maxwell's roof. "You're very kind, Marise, but really, I'd much prefer a hotel."

"It's the holidays. I'm certain you wouldn't be able to find a room."

C.C. knew with her Babcock money and connections finding a hotel room would be the least of her worries, but she refrained from throwing her bank account into the caring woman's face.

"Furthermore," Marise continued, "I simply will not leave you in a lonely hotel room. Not only is it Christmas, but there is your health to consider as well as my peace of mind. I wouldn't be able to get a wink of sleep for fear you had fainted again with no one there to help you."

"There's no need to worry, Marise. The doctor gave me something for dizziness and nausea, and some high powered antibiotics. The medication will kick in soon, and I'll feel better. I don't think I will be having any more fainting spells."

"There, it's settled." Niles rubbed the palms of his hands together as if he were dusting off the matter. "If Miss Babcock says she's fine and wants to stay in a hotel, then so be it."

"Niles!" Marise warned. "No, C.C., I insist."

Maxwell, eager to get the issue resolved so he and the children could get going, put an end to the discussion. "Well, now that that's settled, we have to get underway. I'll go get the children."

"Niles, Margaret and I packed C.C.'s suitcases while the two of you were gone. Go get them, and we'll be on our way, too."

As Maxwell and Niles ascended the staircase, Maxwell laughed and clapped him on the back, "Sorry, old man."

"The only thing on my Christmas list this year was not to be on the same continent with Miss Babcock, but look how things turned out. Santa Claus is a wicked old elf."

TNTNTNTNTNTNTN

Niles finished brushing his teeth and clicked off the bathroom light. As he passed the guest bedroom, he heard his mother call for him. "Is everyone decent?" he asked before entering the bedroom.

"Yes, yes, son, come in. We need your help."

Niles stepped into the room and caught his breath. Dressed in a scandalously sexy black negligee, C.C. looked far from decent. Niles quickly averted his eyes, and C.C. blushed a bit and pulled the bedclothes up around her. The negligee had been intended as a seduction tool to use on Maxwell, but she had never gotten the chance to use it. She knew that she was over-dressed, or under-dressed as it were, for sleeping in a cottage with an elderly couple and Niles, but the only other nightgown she had brought with her was a little red number that made the black gown seem tame in comparison.

Squinting at one of C.C.'s medicine bottles, Marise was too preoccupied to notice the look of lust in her son's eyes or the embarrassment on her guest's face.

"Do you need something?" Niles asked the rug.

"Yes, dear. C.C. needs these drops put into her ears, but I don't have my glasses with me. Here," she handed him the bottle, "read the dosage, and put the drops in for her."

"I can do it myself, Marise."

"No, darling, let us take care of you." Marise leaned down, took C.C.'s face in her hands, and put her cheek to her forehead. "You still have a fever, but I think not as hot. I have a bottle of aspirin in the kitchen. I'll go down and get it." She scampered off humming happily.

Niles sat down next to her on the edge of the bed. "Okay, Miss Babcock, let's see what this says."

"Niles, since I am a guest in your parents' home, I suppose you can call me C.C. for the time being." She snickered, "But when we get back to New York, all bets are off."

"I'm honored, C.C." he replied insincerely. Then, he added sincerely, "I want to thank you for putting up with my mum's fussing." As soon as they arrived home, Marise had tucked C.C. straight into bed and had spent the evening tending to her as if she were a sick child.

"She isn't a bother, Niles. Your mom is one of the kindest people I have ever met, but she shouldn't be going to so much trouble over me."

"Are you kidding? Mum is having a ball. Normally, it's only she and dad here. She's on cloud nine with two extra people in the house to mother hen. So, let her take care of you if you don't mind, but if she gets to be too much, let me know, and I'll talk to her."

C.C. shrugged, "Why would I mind? I've never been pampered so much in my life."

"Thanks for being a good sport." Niles turned his attention back to reading the label on the medicine bottle." All right...Let's get down to business…It says to put 4 drops into each ear, and you have to keep your head cocked for a few seconds so the medicine doesn't drain out."

C.C. scooted closer to him, and he gently turned her head until her cheek rested in his palm. With his other hand, he brushed back her hair and then carefully dropped the medication into her ear. He continued to hold her head in his hands as the liquid seeped in. "Ready?" She nodded, and he repeated the process with the other ear. He straightened her head and gave her temples a quick rub with the pads of his thumbs. "Okay?"

"Okay. Thanks."

Niles examined the other bottles of medication on the nightstand. "What else are you supposed to take?"

Marise trotted in with the aspirin and handed it to Niles. "Sorry it took so long to find it. Your dad hid the bottle from me." Speaking of the devil, Joseph could be heard from the bathroom down the hall gargling and blowing his nose, and generally clattering around as he prepared for bed. "Niles, see that C.C. takes the rest of her medication while I try to quiet down your dad. Goodnight, children."

Niles did as his mother asked. "Feeling better?"

A slurred, "Umm hmm," was C.C.'s sleepy reply.

Niles was relieved. At the doctor's office in true Babcock fashion, C.C. had proceeded to tell the doctor what she would and (mostly) would not do as far as her treatment was concerned. No, she would not remain in England until she was fully recovered. No, she would not get bed rest. No, she would not take the enormous horse pills he had prescribed. Niles couldn't help but be concerned when the doctor privately pulled him aside and used words like serious infection and permanent damage if C.C. did not cooperate and take care of herself. He was thankful for his magical mother who could charm the savage beast, even C.C. Babcock.

C.C. snuggled into the soft down pillows, and Niles watched her for a long moment. Sleep appeared to be quickly overtaking her. The doctor had told him that rest was the best thing for her, and he was happy Miss Babcock had stopped fighting everyone's attempts to take care of her. He pushed himself off the bed. "If you need anything in the night, call out for my mum, but you'll have to yell loud for her to hear you over my dad's snoring. I'll be downstairs on the living room sofa if you want me."

C.C. looked up at him through drooping eyelids. "I've screwed you out of your bed, huh?"

"I wouldn't go that far," Niles said with a leer. However, in her ill and drowsy condition, C.C. did not pick up on the double entendre so he did not pursue it. "The sofa's fine by me. Besides, it's warmer downstairs in front of the fire. They're having an unusually cold winter here. It's freezing outside."

"Yeah, this house is kind of drafty."

"I've begged my parents many times to move out of this little shack, but they won't hear a word of it."

"It isn't a shack, Niles. I like it. I think it's cozy."

"You must really have a high temperature if you like this place."

"Niles!" he heard his mother calling, "Oh, Niles! Come here, please."

"I'd better go see what Mum wants. Goodnight, C.C."

She yawned, "Night."

TNTNTNTNTNTNTN

Mere seconds after his head had hit the pillow, Joseph was softly snoring. Niles quietly slipped into his parents' bedroom and waited while his mother rummaged around in a chest of drawers. Finally, Marise held up an antiquated nightgown - clean, but yellowed with age. It was floor length with a high collar and lace at the collar and wrists. "Take this to C.C."

Niles stifled a chuckle.

"C.C. said she accidentally packed the wrong nightgown for her trip."

"Yeah, right," he mumbled.

"She needs something warmer than the slip of lace she's wearing. Give her this."

"Uh, Mum, I don't think-"

Marise picked up a blanket and pushed it along with the nightgown into his arms. "Hurry up, son. I need to get to bed." She affectionately glanced at her snoring husband. "Your dad's just getting warmed up. I have to get to sleep before he starts shaking the walls, or I'll be up all night." Before Niles could give her any more arguments, she impatiently herded him out of the bedroom and closed the door behind him.

On his way back to C.C.'s room, Niles stopped at the closet in the hallway and hid the nightgown behind some linen. Then, he peeled off the New York Yankees sweatshirt he was wearing and knocked on C.C.'s door. "C.C.? C.C.? Are you asleep?"

"Isn't that what one usually does in a bedroom? Sleep?" she snapped, grumpy from being awakened so soon after nodding off.

Remembering her black silk lingerie, Niles considered the loaded question. "I could think of a lot better uses for your nightie and a bedroom than sleeping," he muttered.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing," he replied innocently.

"What do you want?"

"Mum wanted me to give you something. May I come in?"

C.C. sighed, "Yeah, come on in."

Niles stepped inside and snapped on the light, causing her to blink her eyes against the sudden brightness. The red-blooded woman in her immediately appraised how his form fitting white T-shirt set off his muscular chest. "Too bad such a great body is being wasted on Butler Boy."

He offered his sweatshirt to her.

"Didn't you just have this on?"

"Mum thought you needed something warmer to wear so she sent me with one of her nightgowns, but it looks like something Whistler's Mother might have worn. I thought you'd rather have this. Don't worry; it's relatively clean. I have had it on for less than an hour, and I put it on after I showered."

C.C. was genuinely grateful for something warmer and less shameless than her current sleeping attire. She had bought the negligee in the hopes of beating Nanny Fine at her own trampy game with Maxwell, but what must Marise be thinking about it? "Thanks, Niles," she said simply.

"Here, let me help you." She raised her arms, and he slipped the sweatshirt over her head. Then, she wiggled back under the mountain of blankets and quilts. "One more," he told her as he tucked the new blanket around her.

"Goodnight again, C.C."

"Thank you, Niles. Goodnight." C.C. was puzzled as to why she even cared about what Niles' mother thought about her, but she was too tired to give it much thought. She quickly drifted off into a deep sleep.

TNTNTNTNTNTNTN

The next morning, Niles entered the kitchen and found his father with his head buried in a newspaper and his mother preparing a breakfast tray.

"Good morning, Niles," Marise chirped brightly as she put a daisy in a chipped, blue Wedgwood bud vase, one Niles recognized as a hand-me-down from the Sheffield estate, on the tray. Once it had been chipped, Elizabeth had no longer wanted it. Nothing less than perfection was good enough for her. Niles wondered where his mother managed to find a fresh flower in the middle of winter just for C.C.'s tray, but then remembered she was a master at specials touches, a talent that had made her the most popular servant in the Sheffields' employ. "How does C.C. take her coffee?" Marise asked as she moved the daisy from one side of the tray to the other, trying to find the perfect location for it.

"She likes half and half," he answered dryly. "Half coffee and half whisky."

Marise exhaled an exasperated sigh.

Helping himself to the coffee he said, "She likes two lumps of sugar and a splash of cream. You shouldn't go to this much trouble for Babcock."

Marise ignored him as she poured the coffee and put the finishing touches on the tray. "It's ready. Here, take it up to her, son."

Niles was leaning against the kitchen counter sipping his coffee and scanning the Sports page over his father's shoulder. "Me? Why do I have to take it to her?" he asked petulantly like a spoiled child.

"Because I need to finish preparing you and your dad's breakfast."

"I'm sure C.C. doesn't expect breakfast in bed. She is accustomed to eating her slop outside at the trough with the rest of the hogs."

Marise wagged a finger at him. "How you can say such cruel things about the woman you're in love with is beyond me, son."

Niles was so taken aback by his mother's comment that he choked and spewed coffee on his father's newspaper.

Joseph, who up until then had been oblivious to the conversation going on around him, poked his head out from behind the paper and wiped droplets of coffee off his shoulder. "Son, are you quite all right?"

Marise ran her hand over her husband's hair and patted him on the back. "He's fine, dear, go back to your paper." Joseph was all too happy to obey his wife. He didn't like to be disturbed with domestic problems so early in the morning.

"Mum, if you continue to say such ridiculous things, I'll have to assume you're getting senile. I'll have to look into putting you into a home for the aged."

"I'm not talking out of my head. You're acting exactly like you did when you were ten years old and in love with the gardener's daughter. What was her name? Beth? No, Betty."

"Betsy," Niles corrected as the image of a little girl with red hair and freckles and a gapped tooth grin bounced into his mind for the first time in decades.

"Oh, yes, Betsy. I remember how you tormented that poor girl. You used to call her names and pull her pigtails and throw rocks at her. You were crazy about her the same as you are crazy about C.C. You moped around for weeks after she moved away when her father got a new position."

Niles rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Mother, I am hardly ten years old, and I was hardly in love with Betsy...or C.C. for that matter."

"You're in love with C.C. A mother can always tell."

"Shh! Mum, will you please stop saying that? She may hear you!" Niles jerked up the tray. "Give me this. I'll take it up to her if you will button your lip." As he climbed the staircase to C.C.'s room, he could hear his mother laughing in delight. "She has bats in the belfry,"he mumbled to himself as he tapped on C.C.'s door. "Speaking of bats...C.C.? Are you awake?"

"Yeah, I'm awake. What is it?"

"May I come in? I have your breakfast."

"Yes, Niles, come in."

Niles put the tray on the desk and helped arrange her pillows behind her back. He noted she looked better today, but traces of illness still showed on her face. "Are you feeling better this morning?" he asked as he placed the tray over her lap.

"Yes, and I'm hungry." C.C. skeptically surveyed the oatmeal on the tray.

"Is something wrong?"

"No," she answered and she took a sip of coffee, "but don't I smell bacon frying?"

"I assume Mum thought porridge would be easier on your stomach than bacon and eggs."

"Uh, Niles, it was wonderful of your mother to go to the trouble of making me oatmeal. Really, it was, but do you think you could get rid of it for me without her finding out that I didn't eat it? I hate oatmeal. Would you please tell her I ate it? And that I liked it? I don't want to hurt Marise's feelings."

"I tried to tell Mum that you would be happier down at the trough..." he trailed off.

"What were you saying, Niles?"

C.C. looked so endearing with her blonde hair mussed from sleep and dressed in his sweatshirt that he decided to save the insults for later. "Oh, I was saying that you'll like this porridge, trust me."

"No, I won't. Oatmeal tastes like wallpaper paste."

"Not my mum's." He sat down beside her on the edge of the bed, picked up the spoon, and held it to her lips. "Come on, C.C.," he coaxed as if he was feeding a baby, "open wide."

"Niles!" she protested. He jabbed the spoon into her mouth as she spoke his name. First reluctance and then delight skipped across her face. "Ooo! This is good. What's in it?" she asked as he put another spoonful to her lips.

"It's my mum's special recipe...brown sugar and nutmeg and ginger, I think." He held up another bite.

"Niles, I am capable of feeding myself."

He handed over the spoon and reached out with his finger to wipe some porridge off her lower lip. He licked his finger. "Yes, this is good. I haven't had any of my mum's porridge since I left home."

"Then by all means, have some," C.C. said with an impish grin and unexpectedly stabbed the spoon at his lips. She missed his mouth, and a blob of porridge ended up on his chin. They both laughed, and C.C. wiped his face off with her napkin.

Niles stole the spoon away from her. "I am capable of feeding myself," he mimicked.

"Hey! Get your own!" They playfully wrestled for the spoon until C.C. yelped, "Ouch! My finger!"

Fearing he had hurt her, Niles stopped; the spoon suspended in his hand in midair. "I'm sorry, C.C. Did I hurt you?"

She grabbed the spoon from him. "Sucker!"

He crossed his arms. "Fine. There's more where that came from!"

Niles continued to sit next to her, and she settled into her pillows and greedily polished off the oatmeal. "Thanks for bringing me breakfast in bed."

"Don't thank me; thank my mother. It was her idea, and she prepared the tray."

"Then, thanks for bringing it up to me."

Borrowing a Yiddish word from Nanny Fine's vocabulary, he replied, "I couldn't have my elderly mother schlepping trays of food up and down the stairs."

"Excuse me, but your elderly mother was schlepping trays long before you were ever born. I can out schlep an amateur like you with one arm tied behind my back."

Niles looked over his shoulder at his mother standing in the doorway and bowed his head in mock shame. "Yes, ma'am."

"C.C., how are you feeling this morning?"

"Better, thank you, Marise."

Marise bent down and took C.C.'s temperature using her special touch method and then kissed her forehead. "You still have a bit of fever, darling. Today, you'll stay in bed. Niles will keep you company."

"Oh, no, I won't. I'm spending the day with some of my old cronies." Before his mother could object, he beat a hasty retreat. "Good morning, ladies." He bid them farewell with a jaunty wave of his hand.

TNTNTNTNTNTNTN

Late that night, Niles heard a loud thump and a muffled cry of pain. Reluctantly, he left his warm bed on the sofa and went into the kitchen to investigate. He turned on the light and found C.C. sitting in a chair at the kitchen table, rubbing her foot. She was dressed in his Yankees sweat suit and a pair of his gym socks. He liked the way she filled out his sweat suit almost as much as he liked the way she looked in her black negligee.

"I see you raided my suitcase. I wondered where my sweatpants had gotten off to."

"Do you mind?"

"Nah, you look a lot better in them than I do."

C.C. flushed a little with awkward pride. Niles seldom gave her compliments.

"What are you doing up?" Niles asked with more concern than he would like to admit. He sincerely hoped she wasn't worse. "I looked in on you after I got back; you were asleep."

"You must have stayed out pretty late. Did you have a good time with your friends?"

"Yeah. It was fun to see the old gang again, but...oh...I don't know...each time I see them, we have less and less in common. All of them except for me are married or have been married at least once. They all have children, some even have grandchildren. After a couple of hours, stories about dirty diapers, soccer league, and the high cost of college tuition get old. All the divorced guys wanted to do was brag about their latest sexual conquests." He felt a pang of sadness. "I guess I feel a bit like a misfit with them."

"Couldn't you have joined in with ones who are divorced? But I suppose your Inflate-a-Date doesn't count as a sexual conquest," C.C. jeered mischievously.

"You would know more about Inflate-a-Dates than I would," he countered with a smirk. "You didn't answer my question. What are you doing up? Aren't you feeling well? I must admit you look better. Your complexion has almost returned to its natural ashen pallor. Green is not a good color for you, Babcock."

"I'm feeling much better. In fact, Dr. Marise has deemed me well enough to get out of bed tomorrow. She wouldn't let me get up today. I swear, your mother must have surveillance cameras hidden upstairs. As soon as I set foot out of bed, she instantly appeared to shoo me back in. I napped and read all day long, and now, I can't sleep. I wanted to make myself some hot milk..." she glanced around the kitchen, "...but I don't see a microwave."

Niles laughed, "That's because my parents don't have a microwave. My mum believes a real cook would never deign to use one. Also, she is firmly convinced that microwaves cause cancer. She won't have one in her house."

C.C. sighed pitifully, "I really could use some hot milk to make me drowsy." She looked over at him with big, blue, pleading eyes.

Niles threw up his hands in defeat. "Oh, all right! Stop looking at me like that before your evil eyes turn me into stone," he teased. "I'll even go you one better. I'll make you some of my world famous hot chocolate."

"With marshmallows?" she asked hopefully.

"I'll see what I can do. Go on out to the living room sofa and get under the blankets before you catch a chill."

"Thank you, Niles," she replied with exaggerated sweetness.

Several minutes later, he returned to the living room to find her lying wrapped up on the sofa. He set two steaming mugs of cocoa with whipped cream on the coffee table and put his hands on his hips. "Are you going to sit up, or do you want me to pour yours in a baby bottle?"

C.C. yawned and lazily stretched full length in a graceful feline fashion. "The fire is glorious. I could lie here all night."

"Trust me, there's a spring in the sofa cushion that begins to feel like lying on a rock after a while."

She sat upright, and he plopped down next to her and tugged at the blankets. "Hey, you have all of the cover." He tucked the blankets snugly around them before handing her a mug. They both relaxed and sipped their cocoa in silence as they watched the orange and yellow flames dance in the fireplace.

"Yum, Niles, this hot chocolate is the best!"

"Of course, it is. I made it."

C.C. looked around the dim room. She had felt so badly and Marise had hustled her upstairs so quickly when she first arrived at the house, she had taken no notice of its furnishings. Feeling better now, she was curious to see how Joseph and Marise lived. In the dim light, she could make out that the living room was filled with worn, but comfortable looking furniture. A bookcase dominated the far wall and stacks of books took up every inch of available space in the small room. C.C. inhaled the soothing scent of burning wood, pipe tobacco, and furniture polish. She loved the charming, homey feeling of the house. People live here and love here. They don't crash here after work. "Hey, Niles, turn on the light."

"Why?"

"Turn it on, just for a minute."

"You're lucky the light switch is within reach," he complained as he stretched his arm against the wall and flipped the switch.

The room was decorated with boughs of holly tied with bright red ribbons. "Oh, how beautiful!" C.C. exclaimed. "Your mother must have done this today while I was in bed."

"Tomorrow, Dad and I will go buy a tree. We'll decorate it tomorrow night."

"Will I get to help?" she asked with the enthusiasm of a child.

"Sure, if you want to. May I turn off the light now?"

"Yeah. I only wanted to see the holly."

Niles wondered if she was still running a high fever. It was unlike C.C. Babcock to get excited about Christmas decorations. As far as he knew, she never put up a tree in her own home. He winced and shifted closer to her. "Sorry...the spring."

"Do you want me to go sit in the chair?" she asked.

"No, I'm good if you are."

"Do you want to trade with me tonight? I can take the sofa, and you can have the bed."

"Mum would have my head. Honestly, no. The sofa is fine."

"My bedroom upstairs...it used to be your room, right? It has a lot of your things in it: model airplanes, cars, toy soldiers, books...I borrowed 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' today. Your name is written in it."

"It's one of my favorites. I love Sherlock Holmes. To answer your question, yes, it was my bedroom." With a shrug of his shoulders, he added, "I don't know why my mum doesn't put away my childhood stuff. I suppose she leaves it out for when her grandnieces and nephews come to visit."

"I thought you lived in the main house with Maxwell and his family while you were growing up."

"I did for a while. You see, my grandparents worked for Maxwell's grandfather, and in turn, my parents worked for Maxwell's father. When my grandparents retired, they were given this cottage on the edge of the estate to live in. Dad and Mum and I lived in the manor, as it's called, until my grandparents both died, and then my parents were given the cottage."

"Moving from the mansion into this little house must have been quite an adjustment."

"Actually, I hated living in the manor. I always had to mind my behavior. No running about the house or raising my voice; being careful of the expensive furniture. I didn't have a bedroom of my own, either. I had to share a room with another servant's son. He was older than I, and a bully. He was jealous of my relationship with Maxwell, and he took it out on me with his fists every chance he got. I despised him, but he toughened me up."

"Maxwell told me once, when I was trying to convince him to fire you, that he loves you like a brother."

Niles laughed at her honest remark. "Well, I'm glad you didn't succeed in getting me sacked."

"It was right after you put the rotten egg in the pocket of my new mink coat… Please, tell me more about your childhood."

Niles was surprised and, yet oddly pleased, that C.C. wanted to get to know him better, and he was only too happy to oblige her. "Well, when we were boys, Maxwell and I were inseparable, like brothers. Contrary to popular belief, I am not that much older than Maxwell."

"I wasn't allowed to play with our servants' children," C.C. confided. "My mother wouldn't let me. Our cook had a couple of girls about my age. They used to play behind the stables. I used to watch them from the hayloft. They always had a lot fun, giggling and running and playing games. One day, I went to them and demanded they play with me, but they refused. I went crying to my mother, and she spent the rest of the afternoon lecturing me on how a proper young lady of my social standing does not mix with the hired help."

"Indoctrinated at an early age," Niles thought. He continued aloud, "Elizabeth Sheffield wasn't thrilled with Maxwell's friendship with me, either. Like your mother, she was against it, but whenever she tried to keep us apart, Maxwell moped and whined until she changed her mind. She'd rather let Maxwell play with me than have him in her hair. Maxwell's father, on the other hand, encouraged our relationship. I suppose that's the reason why Maxwell doesn't hold the same...uh…" he groped for the least insulting word he could think of, "prejudices as some people."

"Yeah, I guess," C.C. answered quietly, knowing his last comment was directed at her. "So, you didn't mind leaving the mansion?"

"No. Maxwell and I still spent as much time together, and I enjoyed having my own space. You see, being friends with Maxwell was and at times, still is a double-edged sword. When we were kids, Maxwell never lorded over me or treated me as anything but his equal, but I was still on the outside looking in, and sometimes, it hurt."

"How do you mean?" C.C. asked.

"For instance, we used to play all morning together, but at lunchtime, Maxwell ate at the dining room table while I had to eat out in the kitchen. I had to wait until the Sheffields were finished eating, and then I ate whatever was leftover from their lunch. Oftentimes, when we were playing, I was called away to work - small errands and chores to help my parents if they were running behind. Maxwell never had to lift a finger to do anything. At the candy store, he could buy all the candy he could carry and have the proprietor charge it to his father, but I could only afford a couple of pieces at a time. Maxwell used to share with me, but it wasn't the same. He had the best of everything...clothes, toys, education...Any type of lesson you can think of...riding lessons, tennis lessons, foreign languages...Lessons for any musical instrument that caught his or his parents' fancy. None of that was available to me, and he took it all for granted and never stuck with any of it for long. However, I never really wanted to trade places with him, and that's what helped keep my green-eyed monster in check."

C.C. looked at Niles with obvious confusion. "Why wouldn't you want to trade places with Maxwell?" she exclaimed. "He had everything."

"No, not everything. I had something money couldn't buy. I had a kind of happiness Maxwell never knew."

"What do you mean?"

"I had a family who loved me and who loved each other, and Maxwell didn't. C.C., his family was so unhappy. His mother was too busy playing the socialite to pay any attention to him or his sister, Jocelyn. Elizabeth worried more about keeping up with the latest fashions and what she would serve at her next dinner party than her children. Maxwell's father was a good man, but he was unintentionally inattentive to his children. He was trapped in a miserable marriage in an era when divorce held a certain stigma, and he spent as much time as possible traveling on business. His affairs with other women were common knowledge. My dad and mum were much better to Maxwell than his own family. When his parents were both in the house at the same time - watch out! They were constantly at each other's throats, especially late at night after they'd had a few drinks and they thought everyone was asleep; as if their screaming at the top of their voices wouldn't wake the dead. I used to sneak into Maxwell's room and keep him company while his parents tore each other to pieces. There was a tiny room that adjoined his bedroom with a cot in it. I used to sleep on the cot and then sneak back to my own room early in the morning before anyone else was up. Maxwell would never admit to it, but I could hear him crying in the night. After my family moved into this place, it was Maxwell who did the sneaking. He would climb the trellis, and I'd let him in through the window. He used to sleep on the cushion on the window seat. Isn't it ironic that a boy who lived in the lap of luxury would rather sleep on a window seat in a servant's home than in his own home?"

C.C. sighed, "It's a shame about Maxwell taking his parents' problems so hard. My parents divorced not long after I was born. Even so, they battled any time they were in the same room together, but it didn't bother me. Their divorce had no effect on me."

"Sure, it didn't influence you. You wouldn't know real love if it slapped you in the face," he thought to himself. Niles continued to regale her with stories about his childhood until the pressure of her head resting against his shoulder and her soft, rhythmic breathing told him she was asleep. "So much for my charming personality."

Being careful not to wake her, he gently removed the empty mug from her hand and settled in beside her. He let his mind drift until the thought suddenly occurred to him that he was partially living out a fantasy. After years of spending Christmas alone, he had nursed the simple dream of spending the holidays with his family, not only with his mother and father but with the woman he loved, his wife. A wife to curl up with in front of the fireplace after a busy day of holiday preparations. A wife whom his parents adored. A wife to spoil with presents. And a wife who would buy him underwear and socks and power tools, or in his current situation, kitchen appliances, that would only be used once before they were forgotten in a dusty storeroom.

He gazed down at the face next to him and softly chuckled. Miss Babcock certainly wasn't whom he had in mind when he concocted such a fantasy, or was she? C.C. had been haunting his thoughts and dreams for years. When she was near, he was inexplicably drawn to her. Granted, he was usually insulting her, but that was all part of the game. They traded verbal punches until one of them came out on top, and then the game started all over again. He loved the way her face flushed and her eyes sparkled when they were on a roll and the insults were flying fast and furious. When she wasn't around, he missed her. He missed his playmate and, perish the thought, he missed his best friend. He tended to spend his free time thinking of ways to top her, new ways to keep the dance going lest she grow bored and indifferent to him and find a new partner.

Niles reached over and touched her hair and lightly caressed her cheek. "Mum accused me of being in love with you," he whispered almost inaudibly. "Can you believe that? She must be crazy, right?" He took her hand and leaned into her until his cheek rested on her head. "Yeah," he sighed, "crazy," as he drifted off to sleep.

Sometime during the night, Marise got up to check on C.C. and, not finding her in bed, went to look for her. She found C.C. and Niles asleep on the sofa hand in hand. Marise noiselessly clapped her hands in delight before she crept back upstairs to her room.

His mother's footsteps on the creaky stairs awakened Niles. The annoying spring was stabbing him in the back. He tried to change positions without waking C.C., but he was unsuccessful and her head popped up.

"Ow, my neck," she complained.

"What's wrong?"

"I have a crick in my neck," she informed him with a sleepy yawn.

"Turn around and let Mr. Magic Fingers do his stuff." He massaged her neck and shoulders until she moaned in ecstasy. "Better?"

"Oh, yeah. You could go on like this all night."

Niles sincerely wished he could, but touching her so freely was suddenly too much for him. He wanted more. He wanted to kiss her and hold her and make her cry out in the kind of pleasure that was not caused by a neck massage. It took a supreme act of will to put an end to this encounter, but Niles managed it. "Sorry, but all good things must come to an end."

She groaned in dissatisfaction and playfully collapsed backward onto his chest. "Come on, Niles. Just a few more minutes."

He buried his face in her silky hair for a brief moment and ran his hands down the sides of her arms before pushing her forward. "Nope. It's off to bed with you."

TNTNTNTNTNTNTN

"Good morning, Mum," Niles called cheerfully as his eyes darted expectantly around the kitchen. Then, he stepped into the living room and returned asking, "Where's C.C.? She isn't upstairs."

"She was up early this morning. She's out looking over the Sheffield estate."

Appalled, he barked, "C.C. shouldn't be traipsing about the grounds in this weather! It's freezing outside!"

"My, aren't we concerned about her!" Marise teased him with a twinkle in her eyes. She handed him a cup of coffee.

Niles regretted his telling outburst and with an ever-so-casual manner, he stirred cream into his coffee and said, "Who's concerned? You're the one who has been treating her like an invalid the past couple of days."

"C.C.'s well on the road to recovery. Besides, she isn't traipsing about the grounds. Joseph took her out in the car. Niles, why is it so hard for you to admit that you care about her?"

"Mother, please...I do not care about C.C. If you had to clean up the mess she made in the car on the way to the doctor's office, you wouldn't want her to have a relapse, either."

"Whatever you say, son," she replied in a patronizing tone which annoyed Niles.

"I do not have feelings for Miss Babcock!" he exclaimed with such violence that coffee sloshed out of his mug.

"You could have fooled me. I saw the two of you asleep on the sofa last night - asleep in one another's arms."

He reddened as he wiped his dripping hand on his jeans. "You're exaggerating. We weren't in each other's arms. We simply dozed off together. Don't make more of it than it is. Can we drop this subject?"

"For years, not a day has gone by that I don't ask God to send my son a nice girl to make him happy."

Niles exhaled forcefully, "Here it comes..."

"Niles, do you remember a couple of years ago when you came to visit and brought a girlfriend with you?"

"Of course, Peggy, the elementary school teacher."

"Do you realize how much I would dearly love to have a grandchild before I die?"

He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "But you digress. What about Peggy?"

"For years, I have prayed for you to find someone to love, but when you brought Peggy home, I got down on my knees and prayed she wouldn't be the one you asked to marry you."

"There was nothing wrong with Peggy," he retorted with righteous indignation. "She was sweet and smart...and...and...children and animals love her."

"Yes, yes. However, she was not the right person for you, son."

"And you think C.C. is? I assure you, Mum, C.C. Babcock is one of Satan's minions. The only reason she is being so docile is because she's ill. Otherwise, she would be hell on wheels."

"Niles, now that I have seen the two of you together, I realize my prayers have already been answered. God has sent my son the perfect match, but I was unaware of it until now."

"Mum, you have absolutely gone round the bend!"

"As soon as C.C. walks into the room, it's as if you are transported to another realm. Your entire body language changes, and you get that look in your eyes."

"What kind of look?"

At a loss to explain, Marise tapped her index finger on her lips and thought for a moment. "It's hard to put into words. It's a combination of love and admiration and obscene thoughts."

Niles couldn't believe the direction their conversation had taken. Were mothers even supposed to notice intimate things like this about their children? "Mother! You're being quite shocking!"

She took his hands and pulled him to a chair at the kitchen table. "Son, it's just the two of us. Talk to your old mum," she urged. "Tell me how you really feel about C.C."

Niles learned a long time ago that it was pointless to try to deceive his mother so he gave in and told her the truth. "Mum, I...I...okay...I'll admit it. I do have feelings for C.C. I suppose I have for years. Somewhere along the line, I went from hating her to..."

"Loving her," Marise finished for him.

He nodded and groaned into his hands.

Marise beamed with a triumphant smile. "Now, was that so hard to admit?"

"Mum, please, promise you won't say anything to her about it."

"You know better than that, son. In any case, C.C. wouldn't want to hear it from me; she would want to hear it from you. When are you going to tell her? You're wasting precious time with her."

"Tell her? I can never tell her!"

"Why not?"

"At best, she would laugh in my face. At worst...I shudder to think about what Miss Babcock could do at her worst."

"Niles, what I said about being able to see your feelings for her on your face, that goes for C.C., too. Her feelings for you are written all over her face. Trust me."

Niles considered what his mother said for a moment. "Whether or not that's true, we can never be together. I have no future with C.C. so there is no sense in discussing it. There is no reason to tell her how I feel. It would be embarrassing for both of us."

"Why, Niles?"

"Mum, it's complicated. You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

"C.C. is of a different social class than I am. She's a Babcock. One of the Babcocks. Her family practically came to America on the Mayflower. Her family's fortune makes the Sheffields look poverty stricken in comparison. She has a pedigree that would put a prize-winning show dog to shame. I can assure you that no Babcock ever married a domestic. People of her ilk have affairs with servants, but they never marry them. The Babcocks are arrogant, pompous, and snobbish. Don't let C.C. fool you, she is the same way."

"Niles, I was never more proud of you than when you decided to follow in your father's footsteps and become a butler. I know it wasn't an easy decision for you to make, but being in service is an admirable, honorable profession, and it doesn't make you any less of a man. We have always tried to teach you that."

"I know, Mum, and I do take pride in my profession. Unfortunately, the privileged class does not see being a servant as anything to take pride in, and as a rule, they do not mingle with the help."

Marise was quiet for several seconds as she turned something over in her mind. Niles waited patiently for what he was certain would be another lecture on how servants were no worse than anyone else, a speech he had heard many times over the years, especially when he was a child and someone had tried to make him feel inferior because of his parents' profession. "Niles, I am going to tell you something I had hoped you would never have to know, but now, I feel I have to tell you for your own good."

"What is it, Mum?" Niles asked, his eyes wide with concern. He couldn't remember his mother ever looking so serious.

Again Marise was silent for a long moment, and Niles could see in her eyes that whatever she was about to say wasn't easy for her. "Son, this is going to come as a surprise to you, but I was born into a family that was every bit as powerful and prominent and yes, wealthy as the Babcocks."

Confusion washed over him like a tidal wave. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I know a wealthy person can fall in love and live happily with someone who is not wealthy because I did."

This stunning revelation was the last thing Niles expected to hear. "I don't understand, Mum. You never mentioned this...no one has ever mentioned..."

"Let me explain it to you, Niles. My papa was a member of one of the richest families in France. My older sister, Mariette, and I were raised much like Miss Margaret and Miss Grace. We were my papa's little princesses and nothing was too good for us in his eyes. We were spoiled rotten with clothes and toys; whatever we desired. Our home was a study in luxury. Its furnishings were the best money could buy. My parents knew everyone who was worth knowing in Europe, and my maman kept the house filled with interesting people. Celebrities, artists, businessmen, government officials...they all flocked to our home because Papa and Maman were so kind and gracious. Everyone loved them. I suppose my upbringing was similar to C.C.'s except for one great difference. My parents worshipped the ground Mariette and I walked on, but I don't think C.C. has ever known that kind of love."

Too shocked to speak, Niles simply stared at his mother. "Mum, I don't know what to say." Then, questions started tumbling out of his mouth. "Why did you keep this from me? Did you think I would blame you for not raising me in the same manner you were raised? What was the point in keeping it a secret? I just don't understand!"

"Slow down, Niles, I'm coming to that... When I was a teenager, I attended boarding school with Anna Sheffield."

"Maxwell's Aunt Anna?"

"Yes, Anna was my roommate and my best friend. One summer when my parents were traveling on Papa's business, I went to stay with Anna and her family instead of joining my own. While I was visiting, I met the most marvelous person I had ever met in my life. He was intelligent and witty, and he had the most beautiful blue eyes and adorable crooked grin. And, he was just starting out in service; his father was training him to be a butler."

"You mean Dad?"

"Yes, Niles, I'm talking about your father. Oh, he was so handsome!" Marise had a transcendent expression on her face that made her seem almost like the madly in love teenager she once was. "I was taken with him from the first moment I saw him, and it was love at first sight for him, too. We used to steal away for picnics and moonlit walks. Anna helped cover for us, and Joseph and I spent every spare minute we could find with each other. At the end of the summer just before I left to go back to school, Joseph asked me to marry him. We were so very young! Neither of us gave any thought to social class or money. I was only seventeen years old, but I knew in my heart Joseph was the only man I would ever love."

"And your parents approved of your marriage?"

Marise squeezed Niles' arm. "Be patient, son. Let me continue. Joseph and I agreed to put off our wedding until after I had finished school, and so he could save a little money for us. At the time, I had no concept of money. Everything I wanted and then some had been handed to me on a silver platter by my parents. I had no idea what Joseph and I were letting ourselves in for or what a firestorm our engagement would cause."

"Did you tell your family about your engagement?"

"I confided in Mariette, but I made her promise not to tell Papa and Maman. Not because I was ashamed of Joseph, but because they were so protective of me. I knew Papa and Maman would think I was too young to be engaged."

"And?" Niles prompted, spellbound by his mother's story.

"When the Christmas holidays came round, Anna and I arranged for me to spend them with her family. My parents were very hurt. It was unheard of for my family not to spend Christmas together. Mariette was angry and suspicious, too. I don't believe she thought I was serious about marrying Joseph. She thought it was a lark, a fling with a good-looking servant. What you said - rich people have affairs with servants; they don't marry them. Mariette was always overprotective of me, and she thought I had gone too far when I chose him over my family. Nevertheless, I ignored my family's objections and went home with Anna. I had a wonderfully romantic reunion with Joseph, but in the meantime, Mariette told Maman and Papa about us. Papa was furious. He was convinced Joseph was after me for my money. Papa immediately traveled to England to get me. When he arrived, there was a horrible scene, and Papa was terribly cruel to Joseph. I had never seen him behave so abominably. I didn't know my kind, gentle papa had it in him to act the way he did toward Joseph." She took Niles' hands in hers. "I know now that Papa was simply trying to protect his child in the only way he knew how because I would protect you in the same way if I thought it was necessary."

"Please go on, Mum."

"Papa said terrible things to Joseph...terrible...then, he dragged me back home to Paris. Joseph and I didn't have the chance to say goodbye. I was terrified Papa's behavior had driven him away, and he wouldn't want to marry me anymore. Papa told me I would never see Joseph again. He said I was to transfer to another school, and I was to have no further contact with Anna. I was devastated, and I was furious with Mariette for breaking my confidence. We had a fight, and I said dreadful things to her. Things I'll never have the chance to take back." Marise paused as she looked at the sickening memories she was unleashing in her mind.

"Mum, please," Niles gently prodded her, "go on with your story. Were you able to talk your parents into letting you go back to dad?"

Marise wiped at her misty eyes with the back of her hand. "No, Niles, no. Back in England, Joseph was as miserable as I was. He told his grandfather - you remember seeing pictures of him. He is the grandfather you were named after. He told his grandfather our trouble, and he gave Joseph his great-grandfather's gold pocket watch, the family's only heirloom of value, to sell in order to raise the money needed to go to Paris and get me. And that's what he did. The Sunday before Christmas, I arrived home from church, and there was Joseph, sitting on my bed waiting for me. He was by far the best Christmas gift I have ever received. We ran away together, and of course, Papa came after us, but by the time he caught up to us, it was too late. Joseph and I were already married."

Niles shook his head in amazement. "Wow! Are you telling me the truth, Mum? Your story sounds like something out of a movie. An heiress runs away with a butler against the wishes of her family. It's a plot straight out of Hollywood."

"Every word of it is the truth."

"Why all the secrecy? Why haven't you told me about this before? And," he snickered impishly, "how do I tap into your side of the family's fortune?"

A strangled sob escaped from Marise's throat and a tear slid down her cheek. Niles took her hands. "I'm sorry, Mum. I was only teasing."

"No, son, it isn't you. Niles, when my papa found us, he gave me an ultimatum: annul my marriage or be disinherited. Papa said he would not have the fortune amassed by generations of his family's hard work in the hands of a fortune hunter. I could no longer be his daughter if I chose to defy him and to turn my back on the family who loved me in favor of a young, worthless scoundrel who I had known only for a few months. Needless to say, I chose to remain with my husband, breaking my poor papa's heart in the process. Papa cut all ties with me and forced Maman and Mariette to do the same. I think he was trying to frighten me into obeying his will. He told me I would always have a home with them when I returned to my senses, but until then, I was dead to them."

"Oh, Mum. I am so very sorry! Is this what you didn't want me to know? That my grandfather treated you monstrously?"

"In spite of everything, I loved my papa very, very much. I still do."

"When I was a boy, you used to tell me such wonderful stories about my grandpapa. I wanted to be like him. It's hard to find out they were all lies."

"All of the stories were true, Niles. Please, don't think ill of him. You remind me of him in many ways - your generosity and your gentle nature and the way you pace a room when you have something on your mind. Your grandpapa was a remarkable man, and I am certain he would have loved you. I never told you this particular story because I didn't want your memory of him, the memories I gave to you, to be marred by the hatred he felt toward your dad. I have to believe that in time, your grandpapa would have changed his mind after Joseph and I proved to him that our love was genuine. But," her eyes glistened with tears, "there wasn't enough time."

"You told me your family died during the war. Is that true?"

Marise nodded solemnly. "It's true. Joseph and I returned to the Sheffields, and by necessity, I went to work for them along with your dad. My parents continued to live in Paris. I used to write to them every week. The only response I received from my papa was a note saying please do not contact them until I was ready to come home. I kept right on writing anyway. Maman used to write to me against Papa's wishes, but I never heard from Mariette. Maman wrote me that she did not think Papa was a well man. He had been suffering from blinding headaches even before I was married. I was very worried about his health, but it made his rejection of me easier to swallow. I prefer to believe he had some sort of illness that clouded his judgment. Maman couldn't stand the thought of me working as a maid, not because she was ashamed, but because she didn't want me working so hard. She tried to send us money, but Joseph and I always returned it to her. I wanted to show her my husband was able to provide everything I needed." She added with emphasis, "And he did. He always has."

"I know he has, Mum. What happened to them? To grandpapa and grandmaman and Aunt Mariette?"

"The storms of war had been rumbling for many months, and by the next September, war broke out. Your dad joined the RAF. I was so frightened for him, and I would have given anything to be able to cry it out on my papa's shoulder; to be held in my papa's strong arms and have him assure me everything was going to be fine. The last time I heard from my maman, she sent me a Christmas gift and a letter telling me Papa had made arrangements to send her and Mariette to Switzerland until the war was over. A few weeks later, I received a letter from Papa simply stating that Maman and Mariette had been killed in an auto accident only hours after they had arrived in Switzerland." Marise started to weep in earnest, and Niles took her into his arms. "Oh, Niles...my dear, dear Maman...and Mariette...I never made peace with Mariette!"

Niles held her close to him. He had seen his mother shed a few tears in the past, but she had never wept so openly in his presence. He was fascinated by the story of his parents' marriage, but couldn't bear to see his mother in such distress. "I'm sorry, Mum. Please don't cry. You don't have to go on."

Marise clung to him for a long moment before pulling away. She took a deep breath, dried her face with her apron, and with great effort, composed herself. "I'm all right, now. There isn't much more of the story to tell. The next year, in June of 1940, Paris fell, and Papa lost everything. First he had lost his family, and now he had lost the fortune he was so afraid Joseph was after. He died in July of a stroke, a broken man. Niles, I want you to promise me that you'll not hold this against your grandpapa. It's important to me that you remember only the good."

Niles' mind skimmed over all the wonderful stories of his grandfather that he had been brought up on since he was a boy, like how he was a hero in World War I and how he once saved a child from drowning in a river, and wondered how much of them were actually true. "I promise, Mum. I'll remember only the good," he assured her. "You finally told me all of this because of C.C.?"

"Yes, son, because no matter how horribly things turned out between my parents and my sister and me, I would do the same thing, make the same decisions all over again to be with your father. I'm glad my wedding anniversary is so near Christmas because I am reminded of what a special gift my husband is to me. I want you to have that with C.C. Niles, C.C. will be the most important gift you will ever give yourself."

"Mum, it isn't all up to me. It's up to C.C., too."

"Yes, but you have to be willing to reach out to her. Pretending you hate her and trying to make her life miserable in order to cover up your real feelings for her will only make both of you miserable. I'm not claiming you won't have any problems, but don't let superficial things like money and social status and pride keep you from the woman you love."

Just then, C.C. and Joseph came bounding through the kitchen door with red noses and rosy cheeks from the frigid wind.

Joseph attempted to grasp Marise's face with his cold hands, but she danced away from him. "Brrr! I'm freezing! How about giving me a little kiss to warm me up?"

Trying her best to make sure her husband and her houseguest didn't notice her tearstained face, Marise instantly brightened her mood. "Joseph," she scolded playfully, "not in front of the children!" Taking his hands in hers, she blew her warm breath into them. "Where are your gloves? Didn't I tell you not to let C.C. get out in the cold?"

"It's okay, Marise," C.C. interjected. "It's my fault. I insisted he stop at the stables so I could see the horses. Chivalrous gentleman that he is, he gave me his scarf and gloves."

"Well, now, that does deserve a kiss." Marise gave him a quick peck on the lips, which Joseph promptly turned into a passionate kiss.

Niles and C.C. caught each other's glance from across the room, and they both blushed slightly.

"Joseph! Remember the children."

"They're not children, Marise, and if you ask me, they could do with some kissing of their own!"

This time, C.C. and Niles colored a deep crimson. Quickly changing the subject, Niles addressed his father, "Dad, shouldn't we get going? We're supposed to go pick out a Christmas tree today."

"Yes, Joseph, and remember, I need you to do some shopping for me. Here's the list." Marise handed him a slip of paper.

Dreading the prospect of shopping in any form or fashion, Joseph sighed, "Wouldn't you ladies rather do the shopping?"

"No, dear, C.C. and I are going to do some baking today."

"We are?" C.C. asked apprehensively.

Niles snorted, "Oh, great! We will be celebrating Christmas with food poisoning!"

"Nonsense!" Marise countered as she walked Niles and Joseph to the door.

Before he left, Niles turned and kissed his mother on the cheek. "Thanks for this morning, Mum," he whispered.

TNTNTNTNTNTNTN

"Look at this list your mum gave me!" Joseph complained to Niles as they aimlessly roamed around a department store. "All it says is gifts for C.C. How am I supposed to know what to buy? I hate shopping. Your mum should be doing this herself."

"I guess Mum doesn't have time for shopping. She's too busy getting ready for the Christmas party."

Joseph picked up a pair of black thong underwear and held it up for examination. "How about this? What the hell is it, anyway?"

Niles yanked the thong out of his hands and quickly put it back on the shelf, hoping none of the other shoppers noticed them. "It's underwear, Dad. I think we need to get out of the lingerie department."

Joseph eyed the display of thongs. "Hmm...Interesting...I wonder if your mum would like one?"

Niles pushed him away from the display. "I seriously doubt it, but if you insist on buying a pair, please do it while I'm not around."

"How about some perfume for C.C.? Women always like perfume, right?"

"Uh, Dad...I don't think you can afford the kind of perfume C.C. wears."

Dejected, Joseph flopped down on a bench, and Niles followed suit. Other last minute shoppers boiled around them. "What should I buy then? Your mother will kill me if I come home empty handed."

"Let's go down to the liquor store. C.C. would be thrilled with any bottle of cheap booze you buy for her."

"Son, be serious. What did you get her?"

"A nice flea collar."

Joseph rolled his eyes in disgust. "You certainly have a strange way of wooing women. Maybe that's why you haven't managed to get yourself a wife yet."

"I don't have anything for her. How was I supposed to know I would be spending Christmas with Babcock?"

"You'll have to come up with something. You wouldn't want to hurt the girl's feelings; not to mention your mum will skin you alive."

"I'll think of something. Perhaps a new chew toy...Uh, Dad...This morning, Mum told me the story of how you met and how her family reacted."

Joseph arched his eyebrows. "Oh, really?" He was almost as surprised Marise had told Niles the story of her father as Niles was to have heard it. "I'm relieved she finally told you the truth. She has always built up her father like a saint, and I have never agreed with it. It's good that it is all out in the open. I never believed pretending her father was perfect was all that healthy for her - if you know what I mean - but it isn't an issue we have to deal with on a daily basis so I have allowed Marise to indulge in her fantasy."

"He was really hard on you, huh?"

"Marise had spoken so well of her papa. Frankly, the man I met wasn't the same person she had described, but I suppose if I had a seventeen-year-old daughter with the world on a string who ran off with a young pauper like me, I would go crackers, too."

"What was it like for you, Dad? Marrying someone so much wealthier than you?"

"Niles, my situation with your mum was quite a bit different than your situation with C.C."

Niles averted his eyes from his father's scrutinizing gaze. "What makes you think this has anything to do with C.C.?"

"It does, though, doesn't it? Even an old man like me can see you are head over heels about her."

"I don't want to be, Dad! For the longest time, I have tried to convince myself that what I feel for her is only a weird hate thing because fighting with her turns me on. But lately, I've come to realize it isn't just fighting with her that gets me going. I find her attractive no matter what we're doing. I can be watching her send a fax or talking to her about the weather, and all I want to do is take her into my arms."

"I think I already know the answer to this, but are you certain you're not simply in lust?"

"I've considered that, and I had hoped it was true, but it's not. When she has a date with another man, I get so jealous I can't see straight. When she isn't with me, I miss her terribly. And when she fainted the other day, I tried not to let it show, but I was scared to death. My heart didn't stop pounding until I heard the doctor say it was only an ear infection. As badly as I hate to admit it, what I feel for C.C. is plain, old-fashioned love. But I know C.C. could never love me in return."

"You discussed this with your mum, and that's why she told you about her father." Joseph said, making a statement, not asking a question.

Niles nodded. "Mum tried to convince me that because she fell for a servant, C.C. could, too."

"She's right, son. You two will have some problems, but the money issue will only stand in your way if you let it."

"But C.C. isn't Mum, and Mum's family lost their fortune in the end, so she didn't lose anything she wasn't destined to lose anyway."

"Niles, C.C. is a human being who yearns for love just like the rest of us. Your mother chose me over a bank account and over the rest of her family. She didn't know what the outcome would be, and I am incredibly honored. I have spent my life trying to live up to her choice. C.C. won't have to choose between you and her fortune unless you force her. Don't try to force her, son. Simply love her. The rest will fall into place."

Niles smiled and put his arm around his father's shoulder. "I don't know what I would do without you, Dad."

Joseph tousled his son's hair like he used to do when he was a little boy. "Come on. Let's go finish our shopping."

TNTNTNTNTNTNTN

"I'm so sorry, Marise! Is your oven ruined? If it is, I'll buy you a new one." C.C. stood in the middle of the kitchen waving her arms, trying to clear the room of smoke while Marise turned off the wailing smoke detector.

"No, no, dear," Marise calmly replied. "Don't worry. I've had food burst into flames many times. Just go open the door and let some of this smoke out."

On the verge of tears, C.C. sniffed, "I'm sorry I burned the gingerbread."

Marise patted C.C.'s arm. "It's all right, darling. We have plenty of ingredients. You try again while I work on the mince pie."

"Maybe, you should make the gingerbread. You said it's Niles' favorite."

"Be patient. You'll get the hang of it. The only way to learn to cook is by rolling up your sleeves and digging in."

C.C. doubted she'd ever learn to cook, and frankly, she had never desired to learn, but something about Marise made her want to try even though it seemed to be hopeless. "Okay, Marise. I'll do my best."

"Didn't your mum ever try to teach you how to cook?" Marise asked as she rolled out a beautiful piecrust as professionally as any gourmet chef.

"No. We always had serv...No, Mother doesn't cook."

"What about your family? You must miss spending Christmas with them this year."

"Oh, no. We don't celebrate Christmas together anymore. My parents have been divorced for a long time. My brother and sister are busy with their own plans, and my father always spends the holidays at his hunting lodge."

"And your mum?"

"Mother travels a great deal. As a matter of fact, I think she is somewhere in Europe."

"You mean you don't know where your mum is right now?"

C.C. absently shook her head no as she continued to labor over the gingerbread recipe.

"What about when you were a girl? Did your family celebrate when you were young?"

"Oh, yes," C.C. laughed, "we had a great time."

"Did your family have any special holiday traditions?"

"Yeah. Every year, Mother threw a huge Christmas Eve party. Everybody who was anybody was there. She always dressed my brother, Noel, in a tux, and my sister, D.D., and I wore matching velvet dresses in Christmassy colors like red or green with shiny black patent shoes. During the party, Noel, D.D., and I used to sneak around and steal the guests' drinks and cigarettes and hide behind the drapes, drinking and smoking. We had a blast at those parties."

"I suppose it is a teenager's job to get into mischief."

"Oh, I wasn't a teenager. I learned to blow smoke rings when I was eight years old," C.C. informed her proudly.

Marise was horrified, but she tried not to show it. "What else did you do, darling?"

"Well, early on Christmas morning," C.C. giggled at the memory, "we kids used to march into Mother's bedroom, blowing horns and ringing bells and singing 'Jingle Bells' at the top of our lungs. Mother hated it because she always had a hangover after the Christmas Eve party. Come to think of it, sometimes, we didn't feel so good ourselves. Anyway...we would raise a ruckus until she finally yelled at us to get the hell away from her and go open our presents. We could do anything as long as we did it quietly. It was easier when her bedroom door was locked. If the door was locked, it meant she had a...er, um...friend sleeping over and wouldn't care what we did as long as we didn't disturb them."

Pain and jealousy welled up inside Marise, and she fought the urge to tell C.C. exactly what she thought of her mother. She had had numerous miscarriages both before and after Niles was born. Niles was her miracle child, but she had always wanted a large family. It's so unfair. I wanted a whole house full of children, but I was unable to have any more after Niles, and this woman, who isn't fit to raise a dog, had three. "What did you do after you opened your gifts?"

"Waited around until Mother was able to come downstairs. Then, we'd have Christmas dinner."

"What about your father?"

"He came over to pick us up in the afternoon." C.C. laughed again. "This is where the real fun began. Every year like clockwork, my parents would get into a huge fight. And if Daddy brought a girlfriend with him when he came to get us, or if Mother was still entertaining a guest, then the fight was even better. One year, it got so bad that Daddy's girlfriend and Mother's boyfriend left together." C.C. cackled riotously. "That was the year Daddy turned over the dining room table - turkey and all, and Mother broke a lamp over his head. We spent the rest of the day waiting in the emergency room while Daddy got stitches and his head X-rayed. But normally, we'd go back to his house, and he would give us a toy catalog and let us order whatever we wanted."

"You mean your dad didn't have any gifts under the tree for you to open?" Marise asked incredulously.

"Daddy never put up a tree, and we never had any wrapped gifts at his house unless he had a girlfriend who was trying to make an impression on him by buying his kids presents."

Marise wiped her hands on a dishtowel, walked over to C.C., embraced her, and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"What was that for?" C.C. asked in a small, surprised voice.

"I just needed to hug you, dear." Marise gently replied.

TNTNTNTNTNTNTN

Squeezing Niles' ear until it turned bright red, Marise whispered to him, "You pretend this is the best gingerbread you have ever eaten, or I'll throttle you."

C.C. entered the kitchen from the living room. "Oh, Niles! You and Joseph picked out a gorgeous tree!"

"We'll decorate it tonight after dinner," Marise told her.

"Niles, have you tried the gingerbread?" C.C. asked shyly.

"Why, no," he answered with forced enthusiasm. "Where is it?"

Marise chastised him with her eyes. "It's right there next to you on the table, dummy."

"Oh, so that's the gingerbread. It certainly looks...er...appetizing." Niles selected a piece and took a bite. He valiantly resisted his mouth's urge to immediately spit out the hideous concoction and swallowed it with as little chewing as possible. "Oh, my god! It's absolutely...," he saw the stern look on his mother's face, "... fabulous!"

"You really think so?" C.C. asked with a hopeful expression on her face.

The telephone rang, and Niles jumped to answer it. "Saved by the bell," he muttered to himself.

Marise patted C.C. on the back. "You see, darling. I told you he would like it."

"C.C., the call is for you. It's your mother." Niles handed the phone to her, and asked Marise under his breath, "What the hell did she do to the gingerbread?"

"I'm not sure," she whispered, "but it's the best out of three tries. She set fire to the first batch. On the second, I think she confused the salt with the sugar. I can't figure out what went wrong with this batch, but it isn't so bad."

"Isn't so bad? It's disgusting!"

"Shh!"

"Hello, in there!" Joseph called from the living room. "Come see if the tree is straight."

TNTNTNTNTNTNTN

"C.C., I had one hell of a time locating you," B.B. Babcock snapped as soon as her daughter came on the line. "Why in the hell are you staying with the Sheffields' servants?"

"I was sick and couldn't fly so Niles' parents offered to put me up for a few days."

"Yeah, yeah. Maxwell mentioned it. I don't understand why you didn't go to a hotel."

"Well, I – "

"Never mind… I want you to get packed and get over here. ASAP."

"Mother, I don't even know where you are."

"I'm in Paris, spending the holidays with Jacques and Claudine Dubois."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"I've managed to get you an invitation to stay, too. You can thank me later."

"Why? I don't even know the Dubois family." C.C. paced around the kitchen not liking where the conversation was leading.

"Their son, Henri, is visiting them. He's about your age, handsome, wealthy, and recently divorced. He's ripe for the picking; although, I think he's a better match for your sister, but since D.D. is in Los Angeles and you're here, you'll have to do. So get yourself together and get over here."

"But I don't want to go, Mother. I'm happy where I am."

B.B. began to lose her patience. C.C. was always the most obstinate of her children. "C.C., are you telling me you rather spend the holidays in the servants' quarters with Maxwell's butler and his family instead of with your own mother and an eligible bachelor?"

"Mother, I'm having a good time, and they invited me to stay."

B.B.'s voice raised an octave. "C.C., do you realize how much trouble I went to in order to get you invited? I went on and on to them about how my poor daughter is stuck staying in a house full of servants because of an airline computer glitch. C.C., I told them you are miserable. I practically made them invite you. However, I didn't tell them about you being sick. That'd be a turn off for Henri, I'm sure. You're not contagious, are you?"

"No," she answered flatly, "and in case you're interested, the doctor says I'm going to live."

"C.C., if you don't show up after what I told them, I'll look like a fool."

"Then prepare to look foolish, Mother, because I'm not coming."

Since guilt wasn't swaying her daughter, B.B. pulled another method of getting her way out of her bag of tricks. "C.C., don't you have any self-respect?"

"What do you mean?"

"Those people don't want you there! You are intruding upon their holiday."

"No, Mother, Marise and Joseph invited me to stay."

"Maybe, they thought you'd play Lady Bountiful and spring for the meal."

"They're not like that."

"Or maybe they invited you simply because it's Christmas. You know how sappy people get around this time of year. They wouldn't throw a stray dog into the street. Have you considered they are only being polite and would be relieved if you left? You're a stranger."

"I'm not a stranger to Niles."

"Yes, and you have told me how much Niles dislikes you. He's only being hospitable because you're his employer's business partner. He's hoping to impress Maxwell. In any case, you are imposing on these unfortunate people. An extra person in the house creates more work, and it's not as if they are well off. More than likely, your presence is putting a financial strain on them. They will have to provide more food..."

"Mother, I don't think-"

"Face it, C.C., you're in the way, and if you have to be an imposition, you should be one at the Dubois' where it can be of some benefit to you. Give these poor people a break. For once in your life, stop being a nuisance."

C.C. felt like crying, but she couldn't put her finger on why. She was accustomed to her mother browbeating her in order to get her way. Something else was making her face hot and her eyes water. It hit her that Niles and his family not wanting her was almost too painful to bear. Perhaps, her mother was right; they had no reason to want her there. After all, she was a stranger, and she was in the way. "Okay, you win," she sniffled, "give me the address. I'll be there tonight."

TNTNTNTNTNTNTN

C.C. made her travel arrangements and hung up the phone just as Joseph came into the kitchen. "C.C. we need your expert opinion. Niles and Marise say the tree is crooked. I say it's straight as an arrow."

Marise followed closely behind Joseph. "Don't listen to him, C.C. The tree is crooked!"

"I'm sorry, Joseph, Marise...uh...my mother is in Paris, and she wants me to spend Christmas with her. I'll be leaving right away. I have a train to catch. I'll leave some money on the nightstand to help cover the cost of my room and board." Without giving them a chance to respond, she ran upstairs.

Joseph put his hand on his wife's shoulder. "Marise, I believe the girl was crying. What's she talking about? Room and board?"

"I'll wager her mother has a hand in this. This afternoon, C.C. told me stories about her family that would curl your hair. The sad thing is I don't think she realizes most families do not behave the way her family does. Niles! Niles! Come here!"

"What is it, Mum? Dad, I still say the tree is crooked. It's the Leaning Tower of Pisa."

Marise interrupted him, "Niles, please, go to C.C. Her mother's phone call upset her. She says she's leaving us."

"Yes, son," Joseph urged, "go change her mind."

Niles sprinted up the stairs two at a time and burst through the bedroom door without knocking. He found C.C. lying on the bed, sobbing into a pillow. Trying to compose herself, she quickly stood up and wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. "Jeez, Niles, I know this is your parents' house, but couldn't you at least knock?"

He took her by the shoulders and turned her to face him. "What's wrong? Why are you crying? What did B.B. say to you?"

"I, I, I'm not crying..."

"Oh, yeah?" Niles taunted her as he wiped her face with his handkerchief, "Then your eyes and nose must have sprung leaks."

"I'm crying a little bit," she conceded, "but only because my ear hurts."

He tugged on her hand. "Come along."

"Where?"

"To the doctor. He said to come back if your ear was still aching by now."

"Niles," she pleaded sorrowfully, "please, don't. Just let it go."

"Tell me why you're crying," he asked kindly but firmly. He smoothed her hair away from her face.

"My mother is in Paris, and she wants me to spend the holidays there with her and some people she knows."

"But you don't want to go?"

Sadly, she nodded her head no.

"Then what's the big deal? Stay here."

"I shouldn't...I can't...I'm an imposition."

"Whatever gave you that idea?" Niles thought murderous thoughts about B.B. Babcock. "Never mind. I know."

"I am, aren't I?"

"Is that what your mother said?"

"Yes."

"Since when do you listen to that old bit...witch?"

"You mean, I'm not in the way?" C.C. asked in a hopeful, childlike voice.

"In the way? Don't be absurd! My mum and dad are thrilled to have you. They're on the verge of drawing up adoption papers. They have fallen in love with you."

"What about you?"

"Well," he answered with a roguish twinkle in his eyes, "I have to admit I'm a little smitten myself." He took her face in his hands and brushed the tears off her cheeks. "In fact, I think I'm more than a little smitten." He brought her face up to his and was on the brink of kissing her when he heard his parents on the landing.

"Niles? Niles?" Joseph bellowed, "Is everything all right up there?"

His eyes sent C.C. a silent plea. "What do I tell them? Are you staying, or will you break their...our hearts and leave."

"I'll stay...if you want."

"I want," he whispered in a low, needy voice as he leaned forward to attempt another kiss.

"Niles!" Marise yelled, "What's going on?"

Niles groaned in frustration then smiled at her and took her by the hand. "Come on. Let's go down and give them the good news."

TNTNTNTNTNTNTN

After much good-natured arguing about whether or not the tree was crooked or straight and what color lights to put on it, the Christmas tree was ready to be decorated. Joseph and Niles were at the tree hanging a box of brightly colored glass balls they had purchased while they were out shopping. C.C. sat on the sofa with Marise, rummaging through boxes of ornaments. Marise had packed away each decoration with special care. C.C. was in awe as she pulled out ornament after ornament. Each one seemed to have a story along with it, and many of them were older than C.C. Marise had cherished every ornament she had ever owned.

C.C. unearthed a round ornament with toothpicks sticking out of it crudely painted blue. "What's this?"

Marise took it from her and studied it. "I'm not sure. Niles made it when he was five years old."

Niles walked over to them. "Let me see it. It's obviously a star."

"Right, Niles," C.C. humored him, "a star."

"It's the Star of Bethlehem. You people don't understand art."

"And this?" C.C. held up a wooden ornament, obviously painted by a child to resemble an animal. "A dog?"

"No, I think it's a cow." Joseph interjected.

"It's a donkey!" Niles exclaimed with mock disgust. "Don't you people recognize fine craftsmanship when you see it? Oh well, all the great masters were underappreciated and misunderstood during their own lifetimes."

Marise laughed, "I kept all the ornaments Niles made whether I knew what they were or not. C.C., your mother must have saved the ornaments you made, too."

"No, I doubt it. The only way Mother would agree to put the ornaments on the tree that we made in school was if we hung them on the back of the tree, next to the wall. Mother didn't let us kids help her decorate. You know how I told you about her Christmas Eve party? Well, she would always have a fancy tree to impress her party guests. Usually, the tree had a theme - all red or all white or with gold ornaments only...whatever was en vogue that year. There was no way she would let us ruin it by putting Stars of Bethlehem or donkeys on it. After the party, she threw the tree out, ornaments and all. It wouldn't do to have the same decorations two years in a row."

Marise gave Joseph a knowing look and bit her tongue to prevent herself from saying what she thought of B.B. Babcock and her atrocious parenting methods.

"Oh, Marise!" C.C. cried with delight, "This is exquisite!" C.C. unwrapped a delicate crystal angel figurine. When it caught the light, the angel glowed as if it were lit from within.

Marise gazed at the angel with a mixture of happiness and pain on her face. "Next to Niles and Joseph, the angel is my most prized possession. It's been passed down in my family from mother to daughter for generations. By rights, it should have gone to my sister, Mariette, because she was the eldest, but Maman gave it to me instead. It was the last gift she gave me before she died." Her eyes filled with tears. "How I wish Maman had given it to Mariette," she yearned silently as she dabbed her eyes with her apron. "Family legend says the angel guards its owner and brings her good luck. It must be lucky. It's almost two hundred years old, and there isn't a scratch or chip on it. The tradition will end with me. I wasn't blessed with a daughter to pass it on to. Joseph's niece, Emma, has her eye on it, and she's a sweet girl, but I want to give my angel to someone very special to me."

"What am I?" Niles asked, "Chopped liver?" As he spoke, he fumbled the glass ornament he was holding and it shattered on the hardwood floor.

"Now, you see why I haven't given it to you yet." Marise sighed wistfully, "You'll get it someday, son."

Knowing she meant he would receive it upon her death, Niles went over to his mother and kissed the top of her head. "I don't want it for a long, long time, Mum."

"C.C., why don't you hang the angel on the tree?"

"Me, Marise? No, I couldn't. I think you should do it."

"I want you to do it, darling."

Feeling incredibly honored, C.C. went over to the tree and searched for a spot to hang the angel.

"Ah! Perfect!" Marise exclaimed, hugging C.C.'s shoulders.

TNTNTNTNTNTNTN

They spent the evening decorating the tree as well as the rest of the house. After the last decoration was in place, they gathered around to inspect their handiwork.

Marise linked arms with C.C. and Niles and announced, "I think it's the most beautiful job we have ever done!"

"Smashing!" Joseph agreed.

"This place looks like a fairy cottage." C.C.'s eyes shone with joy. "Thank you, thank all of you for letting me help. I never knew Christmas could be this much fun."

Marise hugged her houseguest. "We're so happy to have you here, my dear. Thank you for staying with us."

Joseph took C.C.'s hand and kissed it. "That goes for me, too." He yawned and patted his wife's shoulder. "It's time for me to get these old bones to bed. Come along, Marise. Goodnight, kids."

Marise pinched his cheek. "You'd better not be referring to me! Old bones, indeed!"

Joseph offered her his arm with gallant flourish. "Of course not, my love. You're still as pretty to me now as the first day I laid eyes on you." They started up the staircase, but before he disappeared upstairs, Joseph called down, "Niles, look, son! Someone is standing under the mistletoe!"

C.C. was indeed standing under the mistletoe. Niles grinned at her. "Tradition says a lady standing under the mistletoe cannot refuse to be kissed."

C.C. blushed. "Uh, Niles, you don't have to if you don't want to."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Who am I to fly in the face of tradition?" he asked as he stepped up to her and took her into his arms. Their eyes met and then fluttered closed as they shared a brief, tender kiss.

"That was nice," C.C. sighed happily as he held her close.

Niles raised his eyebrows. "Only nice?" he asked in a husky voice. "I think we can do better than nice."

"Practice makes perfect." She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he drew her into a torrid embrace.

They necked under the mistletoe for several heart-stopping minutes with each kiss growing more and more intense until Niles pulled away from her. "You'd better go on up to bed."

C.C. shook her head no and pulled him into another white-hot kiss.

Niles disentangled himself from her arms. "Yes, C.C., tomorrow is Christmas Eve. It will be a long day, and you need your rest."

"Is that the real reason you're sending me away?"

"No," he said gently as he kissed her forehead and stroked her hair, "but if we don't stop...C.C., you're lighting a fire I won't be able to put out so easily. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Okay, Niles. I understand." She slowly ascended the staircase. "Niles?"

"Yes?"

"Is this a dream?"

"It's a dream come true," Niles answered, already sorry he had sent her away.

TNTNTNTNTNTNTN

As Niles had predicted, Christmas Eve was a long and busy day. It was Joseph and Marise's year to host the family's Christmas dinner. Over twenty people would be in attendance the next day, and Marise industriously blew around the house from one project to another like a small whirlwind, trying to get everything in order. Niles, C.C., and Joseph did their best to help, and by the end of the day, the house was spotless, all the gifts were wrapped, and enticing aromas wafted from the kitchen. Throughout the day, friends and family popped in to wish them happy holidays, and no one left empty handed. Each visitor received a Christmas tin filled with homemade candy, cookies, and cake. C.C. noticed Marise did not include her gingerbread in the goody tins, but Marise explained she was saving all the gingerbread for Niles because it was his personal favorite.

Since Christmas Eve was so busy, Niles and C.C. didn't have a chance to discuss what happened under the mistletoe or try for a repeat performance, but every so often, he threw her a secret wink or brushed her hair as he passed by to assure her what happened was real, and she had nothing to be embarrassed about.

It was a longstanding tradition for the family to attend midnight church services as a way of ushering in Christmas. Not having darkened the door of a church in years, C.C. was reluctant to go, but Niles and his parents convinced her, and she was glad she went. The wonder and beauty of the ceremony transfixed C.C. The church had a high, soaring ceiling, magnificent stained glass windows, and a beautiful altar surrounded by candles. The choir sang like angels, and Niles held her hand through the entire service. Afterward, Marise introduced C.C. to her friends as if she were a part of the family. C.C. could not remember ever feeling so special and cared for in her entire life.

TNTNTNTNTNTNTN

Late that night after Marise and Joseph had gone to bed, C.C. found Niles in the kitchen preparing a small silver tray. She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Looking over his shoulder she asked, "What are you doing?"

"I'm making a snack for Santa," he told her in a serious tone.

"Oh, really? A snack for Santa? What is it?"

"It's a piece of mince pie and a glass of Sherry."

"Who's the carrot for?"

"Rudolph, silly."

"I didn't know grown men left a snack for Santa."

"Well, I've been leaving one since I was a little boy. And I guarantee you it will be gone in the morning." Niles knew it was Joseph, not Santa, who enjoyed the pie and Sherry as a late night snack, so he had continued to leave the treat for all these years.

"Santa will eat it?"

"Naturally." Niles carried the tray over to a small table by the fireplace. "Oh, I almost forgot. This is for you." He handed her a Christmas stocking.

"What's this?"

"It's a stocking. Woman, you are severely holiday impaired."

"Oh, yeah. I've seen these things hanging up at Maxwell's house. One for each kid, right?"

"Right."

"What am I supposed to do with it?"

"Hang it up at the foot of your bed. If you have been a good girl, Santa will fill it with gifts."

"And if I have been bad?" she asked archly.

"You'll get a lump of coal."

She moved seductively toward him, twisted her arms around his neck, and nibbled at his ear. "Which have I been, Niles? Naughty or nice?"

He kissed her deeply and ran his hands down her back, stopping before they dipped too low. "Well, I'd say lately, you have been very, very good."

They continued to enjoy each other's taste and feel until once again to C.C.'s disappointment, he sent her up to bed, alone.

TNTNTNTNTNTNTN

The next morning when C.C. awakened, she found Santa had filled her stocking just as Niles had promised and tore into it like an excited child. She noticed Niles peeking through the cracked door. "Good morning, Niles! Merry Christmas!"

"I see Santa paid you a visit after all."

"Yeah, look what I got...cookies...nuts...peppermint sticks... Ooo! Lavender soap! I love lavender soap! It smells divine. Look! Monogrammed handkerchiefs! When did Marise have time to make these? Thanks, Niles! The stocking was very sweet of you. When did you do it? I didn't hear you come in."

He sat down on the bed beside her. "How many times do I have to tell you? Santa fills the stockings!"

"Yeah, yeah...So, what's that you're hiding behind your back?"

Niles held a sprig of mistletoe over his head and batted his eyes. "I wanted to start the day off right." He puckered his lips. "Come on, give us a buss."

Before pushing him off the bed, she playfully gave him a noisy, sloppy kiss. "On your way, milord! I have to get dressed."

"We have hours." He tried to take her into his arms, but she shoved him away.

"No! I'm meeting your family for the first time. I want to be dazzling."

"You already are dazzling just the way you are."

"Go on, get out of here before you turn my head, you sweet talker."

TNTNTNTNTNTNTN

Dinner was scheduled for 2 p.m., but by noon, the house was overflowing with family, all of which belonged to Joseph's side. His brother, Edward, and his wife, Glenda, arrived with their aunt, Hattie. Edward resembled Joseph a great deal, but his eyes were a soft hazel rather than Joseph and Niles' striking blue. Glenda was a short, plump woman with a boisterous laugh. Aunt Hattie, who was nearing one hundred years old, lived with them. She immediately settled down in a rocking chair near the fireplace where she napped most of the day. Edward and Glenda had two daughters and a son. Their daughters, Emma and Evelyn, were in attendance with their husbands, Donald and Roger, as were Emma's four small daughters and Evelyn's teenaged son and daughter. Emma and Evelyn were both employed by the Sheffield estate. Edward and Glenda also had a son, Jonathan, who arrived with his wife, Lindsay, and their two young boys. The house was crowded to the rafters with people. They spilled out of the living room and into the kitchen. Some had to perch on chair arms and on cushions on the floor, but no one seemed to mind the close quarters. Everyone was talking and laughing and carrying on at least two conversations at once. The children played games and swapped stories about what Santa had brought them.

When C.C. came downstairs and saw the mass of people, she turned on her heel and tried to escape to her bedroom, but Niles took her firmly by the hand and led her into the throng. C.C. felt as if she was entering a lion's den, but to her surprise, everyone was genuinely nice to her. No one judged her by her clothes or her hair or the size of her bank account. In fact, only Niles and his parents knew she was an heiress. Everyone was interested in Niles' new friend, but no one asked her any rude questions or made her feel like an outsider in any way. The children didn't make smart remarks or stick their tongues out at her. C.C. felt as if she belonged there, as if these people were old friends.

Before dinner was served, the family joined hands, and Joseph said grace. He gave thanks for the food, the family, and for their new American friend, and Niles squeezed C.C.'s hand. The children ate at card tables while the adults crowded around the dining room table. The menu consisted of traditional British Christmas favorites such as turkey, stuffing, chipolata sausages, roast potatoes, and brussel sprouts. There was enough food to feed an army, and everyone, including C.C., had seconds. At the end of the dinner, Joseph presented a flaming dessert.

"What's that?" C.C. asked Niles.

"It's Christmas Pudding. It should be right up your street. It's made with dried fruit, nuts, and brandy." She playfully elbowed him. "There's a silver coin hidden inside. Whoever finds the coin gets to make a wish."

The family dug into the pudding, wondering who would be the lucky one to find the coin.

"Eureka! I've found it!" Joseph announced. The family burst into applause and cheered him as he paused to consider his wish. "There," he said with finality, "I made my wish." As everyone went back to their dessert, Joseph leaned over and whispered to Niles, "I made a wish on your behalf, my boy. I hope it comes true."

Niles winked at him. "If you're wishing what I'm wishing, I hope your wish comes true, too."

TNTNTNTNTNTNTN

After dinner, Marise served eggnog, and the family gathered around the old piano to sing Christmas carols. C.C. stood away from the group, watching them. She marveled at the way they all got along so well; even the children were well behaved. There was no bickering or backbiting. No sarcastic remarks or hurt feelings. All she saw were happy faces, people singing and laughing, warm hugs, and affection. It was all too much for her and with tears in her eyes, she quietly retreated to her bedroom. Niles saw her slip away and followed her. He softly knocked on her door. "C.C.? C.C.? May I come in?"

"Of course, Niles."

He found her sitting on the edge of the bed wiping her eyes. He sat down beside her and took her hands. "What's wrong, C.C.? Aren't you having a good time?"

"I'm having a great time. Everyone is terrific."

"Then why are you up here by yourself, crying?"

"It's so weird, Niles. As a kid, I thought Christmas meant drunken parties and fights and piles of toys. As an adult, at least up until now, it meant being alone in my apartment, just me and a bottle of gin, and I thought I liked it that way. But spending time with your family...Niles, it's like stepping into another world. It's the type of Christmas you see on greeting cards and long distance telephone commercials. Is this how Christmas has always been for you?"

"Yeah, mostly. It's always a special time of the year, but until this year, it's also sort of lonely for me. Everyone is a matched set - my parents, my aunt and uncle, and my cousins and their spouses, but this year, having you here with me...Well, it has made my holiday much, much brighter than I ever thought possible."

"Really?"

"Really," he murmured into her ear as he put his arms around her and kissed her neck.

C.C. drew him back with her onto the bed, and he settled his weight on top of her as they continued to kiss with fervent passion. Niles was nearly mindless with desire, but her tugging his shirt out of his waistband and undoing the buttons at his collar brought him back to his senses. He broke away from her, took her hands, and pulled her off of the bed with him.

"Don't you want me, Niles?" she asked softly as tears flooded her eyes. "This is the third time you've pushed me away." A horrifying thought struck her, "Oh, my god!" she gasped as her knees buckled, "Have you been leading me on as part of one of your games?"

Overwhelmed with love and desire, Niles immediately caught her in his arms and held her tightly. "C.C., my feelings for you are no game. I've never been so serious about anything in my life."

"Then why, Niles? Why did you stop? Why do you always stop?"

"Because," he answered her between kisses while he planted them around her face and neck, teasing her lips. "Because when I make love to you...when I make love to you...we are not going to be in a room surrounded by model airplanes and toy soldiers, and there's not going to be a party going on downstairs...when we make love, we're going to be in a great, big bed in a room filled with roses and candles...and we will have chocolate and champagne and strawberries and whipped cream...and I'll have all the time in the world to explore every curve, every secret spot, every soft place on your body...C.C., I want to know you inch by inch...body and soul...and when I'm finished, I'm going to start all over again." Finally his lips met hers, and she kissed him with such heated intensity, Niles wondered if he would be able to go through with his vow to wait until the time was right.

"Niles! Niles!" His father's voice brought them back down to Earth. "Come on down! It's time to open the gifts. Hurry up! The kids are going crazy!"

"The kids aren't the only ones," he rasped. After one last kiss, he took C.C.'s arm and led her toward the door. "We'd better get back down there. Everyone's waiting."

TNTNTNTNTNTNTN

"C.C., it's awfully late, dear. Why aren't you asleep?"

"I could ask you the same question, Marise. You must be worn out."

"I don't sleep so well without Joseph next to me. I've been that way since we were married. It's a shame Jonathan's car wouldn't start. They live two hours away. I'm glad Niles was here to go along with Joseph to keep him company on the drive back."

"I wish Jonathan and Lindsay would have taken you up on your offer to stay here for the night. I'd rather have Joseph and Niles here, safe and sound, than out on the road at this time of night."

"Me, too, but Jon and Lindsay are hosting a Boxing Day breakfast for her family first thing in the morning. They really needed to get back." Marise tucked C.C.'s covers tightly around her. "I'm sure our boys will be home before we know it. You should try to get some sleep. You and Niles have to leave for the airport quite early."

"Wait, Marise. I want to tell you something."

"What, darling?" Marise sat down on the edge of the bed and waited for C.C. to go on.

"I wanted to thank you and to apologize to you."

"You don't have anything to thank me for, and I'm certain you have nothing to apologize for."

"Thank you for having me. You have been incredibly kind. You took care of me when I was sick, and you gave me the best Christmas I have ever had in my life."

"It was our pleasure. You are a very easy person to be kind to, C.C."

"My mother wouldn't agree."

"Your mother," Marise tenderly played with a lock of C.C.'s hair, "if you'll forgive me, doesn't deserve such a lovely daughter as you."

"Don't, Marise; you'll make me cry."

"It's the truth. If I had a daughter, I would want her to be just like you."

C.C. thought of some of the names Niles had called her in the past. "You mean selfish, temperamental, and stuck-up?"

"No, I mean funny, feisty, and pretty as a picture."

"I'm sorry, Marise."

"For what?"

"It's my fault Niles has to leave tomorrow. If it weren't for me, he could have stayed through the new year."

"Niles has to work. How is that your fault?"

"Because I'm the one who convinced Maxwell to throw a New Year's Eve party for our business contacts. Maxwell didn't want to work during the holidays, but I insisted. The holidays have never been anything to me but regular days. I never understood why people cared whether they had to work during the holidays or not. I mean, as long as they are getting paid, why not work? Now, I see what I have been missing all these years. I'm very grateful to you and Joseph for opening my eyes."

"We are the grateful ones; grateful we had the opportunity to get to know you. I have one more gift for you, C.C." Marise went out into the hallway and returned with a small cardboard box.

Nestled inside white tissue paper, C.C. found Marise's beloved angel figurine. "Oh, Marise! I can't possibly accept this!"

"Darling, I want you to have it."

"You said you wanted to give it to someone special."

"I am giving it to someone special. I'm giving it to you."

Tears welled in C.C.'s eyes. "Marise, I wish you were my mother."

"I am, C.C. If you'll let me. I wanted to keep the angel in the family, and as far as I'm concerned, I am. I'm giving it to my new daughter, if not by blood, then in spirit. C.C., I want you to have the angel no matter how things turn out with you and my son, but when Niles comes back at Easter, I hope you'll be with him."

"Me, too, Marise, but..." C.C. turned her head and stared at the wall.

Marise reached out and turned C.C.'s face toward her. "But what?"

"I'm not sure how Niles feels about me. The past few days have been amazing, but I don't know what's going to happen once we get back home."

"I can't speak for my son, but I have a feeling you don't have anything to worry about." Marise kissed her forehead. "You go to sleep now."

"Goodnight, Marise. Thank you. Thank you for everything."

TNTNTNTNTNTNTN

"Niles? Niles, are you still awake?"

"Yeah." Sitting up, Niles reached out and pulled C.C. down next to him on the sofa. "We got back a little while ago. I didn't come up because I was afraid I would wake you." He gave her a quick kiss then asked, "Why aren't you asleep?"

"I can't sleep. I'm too keyed up."

"Did you have a nice time today?"

"You know I did. Your family is unbelievable."

"But?"

"But what?"

"I don't know...I just thought I heard a but in there somewhere. Are you upset about what happened between us in your bedroom?"

"No, not exactly."

"C.C., I hope you know I want nothing more than to make love to you, but I want the time and the place to be as perfect as the woman I am going to be with." He kissed her deeply. "Understand?"

"Yes, I understand."

"However," he continued, "I want it to be soon. In fact," he gave her a wicked grin and an illicit kiss, "I'm hoping we can ring in the New Year with a bang."

She laughed, "You have a dirty mind, Niles, but it sounds good to me."

She returned his kiss, but he could sense something was still bothering her, and he became serious again. "Hey, tell me what's wrong. Please."

"Your family was very good to me. I can't believe everyone had a gift for me, even your cousins. It was on such short notice, and they don't even know me. I'm embarrassed because I didn't have anything for them."

"C.C., they were trying to make you feel welcome. They understand that your visit was unexpected because you were ill. They don't want or expect anything in return."

"As soon as I get back to New York, I'm going to send all of them something. How do you think Jonathan would feel about a new car?"

Niles chuckled, "I think a car is going a bit overboard. I'm sure they would appreciate anything you give them, but really, you don't have to do anything. C.C., I can tell this isn't what's weighing on your mind. Please, just tell me the truth."

"Well, Niles," she answered slowly, "it's that everyone gave me all of my favorite things. I got a box of my favorite chocolates, a vanilla scented candle, a sweater and scarf in my favorite color, my favorite hand cream. Your father gave me a book of poetry by John Keats who just happens to be my favorite poet."

"Didn't those things make you happy?"

"Yes, of course they did."

Niles shrugged his shoulders. "Well? I'm sorry C.C., but I am lost in a fog."

"Niles, you obviously coached everyone on what to give me."

"And? I was only trying to give them some hints."

"And, I guess I expected more from you than a sweater that said Merry Christmas from Joseph, Marise, and Niles on the gift tag."

"You didn't like the sweater?"

"Of course I liked it, Niles, but considering what has happened between us, I was expecting something more from you than a sweater from you and your parents."

"You wanted something more expensive?" he asked in dismay.

She kissed the palm of his hand. "No, I wanted something more personal from you, more intimate. Something that couldn't have just as easily come from your aunt or your cousin."

Niles put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to his side. "I know, C.C. I hoped you wouldn't notice."

"I'm sorry, I don't want to make you uncomfortable, but...I, I noticed."

"C.C., I racked my brain, trying to come up with a gift for the woman who has everything."

"I don't want anything expensive. I-"

He quieted her with a quick kiss. "Shh. Let me finish. I could think of only one gift I wanted to give you, but at the last minute, I chickened out."

"Why?"

"Because I was afraid you wouldn't want it."

"What was the gift?"

"Me," he said softly.

"You?"

"Yes. Me."

She took his face in her hands. "What makes you think I could ask for a better gift than you?"

"C.C., I would like to lay the world at your feet, but all I have to offer you is my heart, my heart filled with love."

"Niles, I don't want the world. I want only you."

He got up from the sofa and disappeared for a moment. When he returned, he sat down in front of her on the edge of the coffee table. Then, he opened a small black velvet box. Inside a one karat pear-shaped diamond set on a plain gold band sparkled in the firelight.

She caught her breath, "Oh, Niles!"

"C.C., I know that in a way this is very sudden, but in another way it isn't. I think our entire history together from the first day I met you has been building up to this one moment. C.C. Babcock, I love you. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife? Will you please marry me?"

Instantly, her arms flew around his neck. "Yes, Niles! Yes! Oh, yes!"

They shared a passionate kiss before Niles took the ring out of the box and slipped it on her finger.

"It's a perfect fit. Just like us."

"I'm sorry. I wish it were bigger..."

This time, it was her turn to silence him with her lips, and then she looked him in the eyes, "It's perfect, Niles. I love the ring. I love you."

TNTNTNTNTNTNTN

"Are you sure you have everything?" Joseph asked.

Niles looked out the kitchen window and eyed the mound of luggage the cabbie was trying to fit into the trunk. All the bags except one belonged to C.C. "I have all my stuff and I don't see how C.C. could possibly have anything left."

C.C. and Marise entered the room hand in hand. "I don't know when the wedding will be," C.C. was saying. "Niles and I haven't discussed it yet, but I do know one thing. I want to get married in this house."

Marise was practically dancing on air. "Oh, I can't wait!"

Joseph embraced C.C. and Niles at the same time. "Congratulations. Niles, you are a very lucky man."

C.C. gave Marise one last hug. "I'm the lucky one. Marise, I can't thank you enough for the angel. Are you sure you want to give it up?"

"I'm sure, C.C. I want you to have it."

Niles was taken by surprise. "I didn't know Mum gave you her angel."

"I was so excited about our engagement that I forgot to tell you. She gave it to me last night while you were out. It's already brought me good luck." She wiggled her engagement ring in front of his face. "See?" She turned to Marise, "Honestly, Marise, I don't know how I'll ever repay you."

"I know a way," she replied mysteriously.

"How?"

"By giving me a new Christmas angel next year."

"What do you mean?" C.C. asked with confusion.

"She means a baby, C.C." Niles informed her.

"A baby?"

"You know - a baby - a little short person who wears diapers and cries a lot."

C.C. smiled, "I think maybe it could be arranged, Marise."

Stunned by her remark, Niles grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the door. "Come on, C.C., the meter's running, and I have to get you out of this house. You're becoming far too domesticated."

Joseph enveloped Marise in his arms as they stood at the window and watched the taxi whisk Niles and C.C. away.

"Do you think they will be happy together, Marise?"

She lovingly gazed up at his handsome face now lined with age, but with the same twinkling blue eyes. "If Niles can make her half as happy as his dad has made me, then their lives will be bliss."

He kissed the back of her hand. "Come, my love."

"Where?"

"Let's go stand under the mistletoe."

The End

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