"Seeking the Niceties of Marriage", by Gratiana Lovelace, 2021 (Done)

Ch. 23: Christmas Blessings, Part 2

"Seeking the Niceties of Marriage", Ch. 23: Christmas Blessings, Part 2,
by Gratiana Lovelace, December 19, 2021 (Post #1433) 

(An original Regency Romance story copyrighted by Gratiana Lovelace, 2021; All rights reserved); [(1) story cover above left] 

[Illustrations: I cast my stories as I write them. So from time to time, I will illustrate my story with actors and such, including: Richard Armitage as Lord Edward Carlisle, Daniela Denby-Ashe as Lady Emily Creighton Carlisle, Blake Ritson as Lord Kittredge Wells, Polly Walker as Lady Patience Creighton the Countess of Stoke, Bill Nighy as Lord Nigel Creighton the Earl of Stoke, Christina Cole as Lady Cecily Englewood Wells, and others as noted.]

[Author's Note: This original Regency romance is a work of fiction, and as such, any character names, scenes or other descriptions were written at the creative discretion of this author. And this is a gentle and tender romance (G to PG-13), but with some frank discussions about love and marriage put to humorous effect. This is my disclaimer.]

Ch. 23: Christmas Blessings, Part 2

After their respective three hours long and quite refreshing late morning to early mid-day naps, the host couple of Lord and Lady Carlisle and their cousin guests Lord and Lady Fielding awaken at 1:30pm and dress for their formal Christmas Day later afternoon supper in the Carlisle House Music Room. The only thing missing at the moment are Lady Emily's parents Lord and Lady Creighton. But Lord Edward surmises that the snow laden streets are hampering travel in town at the moment. So Lady Emily decides to push back their Christmas meal by a half hour to 2:30pm.

In the end, setting their Christmas supper back to 2:30pm is a wise choice. This is not solely because it allows the Creightons ample time to arrive and divest themselves of their snow covered winter coats and hats—since even the short walk from their carriage and up the front steps of Carlisle House caused them to be completely dusted with snow. But rather, the Carlisle's and guests delayed start to the Christmas Day Supper gives Lady Emily's Carlisle House cook Mrs. Lamb time to finish her flourishing touches to their Christmas Supper meal. And as the amended motto goes, Happy Cook, Happy Christmas.

The Carlisle House 's Music Room is a particularly lovely room for them to hold their festive family Christmas gathering and Christmas Supper meal—with its elegant gold tones in satin and matte striped wallpaper enhancing the festive Christmas decorations—with Lord Edward and Lady Emily, her parents Lord Nigel and Lady Creighton, and their also married cousins Lord Kittredge and Lady Cecily sitting at a round table near a roaring fireplace for warmth, yet with this room's festively decorated Christmas tree [(2) above right] set against the wallpaper and flanked on each side by the front of the house's tall arched windows and in full view of the company.

And to afford the family greater privacy in conversing, their repast is also arranged buffet style—as breakfast usually is—with their servants discreetly leaving the Music Room once all is arranged. And buffet style works well, in order to allow everyone to have just what they want to eat, and in the quantities that they want. No wasted foods left on plates—nor diners pining for seconds.

The Christmas Supper buffet is Lady Emily's innovation that briefly raises her Mama Lady Creighton's perfectly arched eyebrows, before everyone relents and adopts the Christmas spirit. Naturally the very pregnant ladies' husbands carry their wives' plates and assist in ladling their wives' favorite foods onto their plates for them, then escort them back to their dining table. Then the men heartily fill up their own plates with the zeal of small boys pouncing on the Christmas culinary delights--like a hoard of locusts.

Their Carlisle's Family Christmas Supper meal of roasted goose, scalloped potatoes, creamed soups, various vegetables and breads—along with a flaming plum pudding cake as the dessert—is pronounced to be a wonderful feast. And Lady Emily shines with everyone's praise for her hostessing accomplishment.