Instant Attraction

Chapter 20

            Cheyenne rested in her bedchamber the next morning and while the aunts, along with Sir Humphrey and Lady Geraldine, were busy helping sort out the many Christmas ribbons and other decorations. The remainder of the family and guests left soon after breakfast to cut greenery, holly and the selected Christmas tree. They took with them one large and several smaller wagons to bring the tree back to the castle in along with the other greenery.

            Cheyenne was under the watch of two valets’, Cummings, Devlyn’s valet and Jensen, Tony’s valet along with Eehee and Kyla. Both valets’ were handy with knives and guns. Cheyenne was once again on the sofa by the fireplace while the two maids did some mending in chairs near by keeping her company while they waited for the others to return from their day in the woods.

            Most of the groundskeepers and a few grooms accompanied the Christmas party with Ramsey leading the way. Tony, Devlyn and Jamie rode alongside of each other as they followed the trail into the woods. Lilith and Amanda were the only two women along for the outing. Haa’estahetane rode on one side of Amanda while Oliver rode on the other. Lilith was farther back riding with Marcus and Jeffery.

            In a clearing, Ramsey divided the party into several groups, with two groups to cut greenery, another to cut the holly needed, while still another to cut the Christmas tree and the last group to search for mistletoe. Jamie wanted to ride with those searching for mistletoe since someone was needed to climb the trees it grew in and cut it down. Oliver went along with Jamie, as did Amanda, Charles and two groundskeepers. Tony, Devlyn and Haa’estahetane stayed with Ramsey to cut down the tree. The others were sent to cut the greenery and holly needed.

            ‘How far is it?’ Jamie asked one of the groundskeeper’s who rode with them leading the way.

            “Not far, my lord,” the man answered him. “There is a stand of trees just over the rise up a head that has some growing in them. We saw the mistletoe the other day when we were out in search of the Christmas tree.”

            “Will it be easy to climb up in the tree to cut the mistletoe?” the boy asked.

            “Yes, my lord,” the man replied smiling at Jamie.

            As much as Amanda wanted to tell her son to let someone else climb the tree, she knew Jamie would be embarrassed if she made him stay on the ground. Standing by and watching her child do something that was dangerous and keeping quiet was one of the hardest things about being a mother. Amanda tried to tell herself it really wasn’t much different from when he climbed one of the masts of the ship with her.

            In a short time, they arrived at the location and set about tethering their horses before Jamie and Charles climbed the trees. Biting her tongue to keep from telling Jamie to be careful she watched him climb the tree going high in the branches. Coming to a large branch with mistletoe growing on it, Jamie extracted his knife from his boot and cut away at the mistletoe until a large chunk fell to the ground for his mother to place it in a big burlap sack for the return trip to the castle.

            “I have it,” she hollered up to him smiling.

            “Good,” Jamie hollered back. “I’m going up higher for some more.”

            “Be careful,” she mumbled under her breath as she kept an eye on her son’s climb farther up the tree. She was glad she was wearing the clothes she wore on board her ship in case she would need to climb up after Jamie for some reason.