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It all started when Jasper came running into the sitting room wearing a tiny Santa hat on his head two days before Christmas. Ileana had found it while out in town looking to buy wrapping paper to wrap the gifts she would give. It was quite an adorable sight, and to the surprise of all those around, Maxim was the first one to comment on it.
None were more shocked than his daughter, who after a moment looked at him with a raised brow and a knowing smile. “Look at you, being all festive,” Lydia said.
Maxim scoffed in mock offense, retorting, “I’ve always been festive.”
Lydia shook her head, knowing that this was not at all true. Mere months ago she would’ve been angry with her father for the lie, but her relationship with him since the inquest was closed had improved by miles. There was little trace of the coldness and resentment he had previously shown her. Yes, she felt safe enough to banter with him.
“Last year, you forgot Christmas was coming until the day before and spent the day of in your room,” she pointed out with a little laugh.
Maxim’s expression darkened for a moment. Last year had been the first Christmas after Rebecca died, and neither of them had been in a very celebratory mood. It was mostly his own fault, he knew, but he also knew Lydia had brought it up lightheartedly. At least she showed no overt resentment over it. It was, by all means, a Christmas miracle. “I was depressed this time last year, Schätzchen. We both were,” he reminded her. He did not often refer to her by any kind of nickname, not since she was very little, but he had begun to do so every now and again since he had confessed his darkest secret.
“I intend to remedy that this year,” he continued. “I will show you festive.”
Lydia smirked, an idea coming into her mind right then and there. “Is that a challenge?” she goaded teasingly.
Maxim had not expected that question, but it awakened something within him. That competitive spirit he had as a boy when he and Beatrice would have to do any task ever. “If you like,” he nodded.
“Then I accept,” Lydia replied.
Ileana, who had entered the room unnoticed by her husband and his daughter as they decided upon taking this challenge, smiled broadly. This was her first Christmas as a de Winter, and her first as part of a family since the death of her parents. She had hoped to make it one to remember, but this was beyond her expectations. “I have an idea,” she chimed in. “I’ll be the deciding vote, and whoever wins gets to decide our next destination.”
Lydia and Maxim looked at each other with a determination that was clearly hereditary to anyone who cared to look. Since Manderley burnt down in September, they had been traveling the continent with no permanent home in mind. They had stayed in a little villa near Paris until the end of November when Maxim decided they needed to move farther away from England and took them to a small town in Spain. They intended to leave again after the new year, but there was still the question of where they would go. They had a few places in mind: Switzerland, Italy, even the United States if push came to shove; but nothing was fixed, and both father and daughter had their preferences.
Lydia had taken up baking as of late, so her natural starting point the next day was to bake as many Christmas themed sweets as was possible in their little hotel. Thankfully the kitchen staff were entirely alright with her raiding the space for a while as long as she cleaned it afterwards. She returned to their suite that evening bearing a large batch of cookies in the shape of gingerbread men, and a cake that was decorated to look like a Yule log, which the locals called a buche de noël. The decorating of the buche left something to be desired, but she was sure it would taste just as well.
“You’ve taken this quite seriously,” Ileana giggled as the three of them enjoyed the desserts.
“This is serious business, Ileana,” Lydia said before biting the head off of a poor unfortunate gingerbread man.
Maxim, though impressed with the food, looked at his wife and daughter with a smug expression. “This tastes very good, but I’m quite certain that I’ll win this little game once you look outside.”
And look outside they did. Ileana and Lydia laid their eyes on a large snowman dressed in a winter cap and a wool scarf. It had two twigs for arms, which had gloves haphazardly shoved onto the ends, and two old and used buttons for eyes. The snowman was flanked by two other, much smaller, snowmen who had not been dressed up. Just behind the three snowmen were a strand of electric Christmas lights tied to the branches of a large tree.
“You built all of this?” Lydia asked incredulously. She had rather underestimated her father. This was very cute.
Maxim nodded, proudly patting the big snowman. He had made sure to build it so that it would remain sturdily in its place and not fall apart if touched. “Indeed I did,” he answered, then turned his attention to his wife. “Have you made your decision, darling?”
Ileana just shrugged her shoulders, telling them that they would have to wait until tomorrow.
Lydia and Maxim both took this verdict as an invitation to step up their game. Neither of them were known for healthy sleeping habits, and so they went to work while Ileana slept soundly. Lydia had managed to get her hands on the unused wrapping paper, as well as a stapler, and wrapped all the doors of their suite. Maxim, having seen what his daughter had done, hung tinsel on the doorframes, as well as mistletoe on the door to the room he shared with Ileana.
Thankfully neither of them managed to wake Jasper. The dog would’ve given the whole thing away.
To say Ileana was in awe of the new decor the next morning was an understatement. It was like she was a child all over again, and it made her very happy. The effort they had put into this was incredible to her, and they were just as excited to show her their handiwork. Maxim, still very rare to show any physical affection, had even kissed her under the mistletoe. She knew she’d have a hard time deciding on a winner.
The three of them wished each other a happy Christmas and exchanged gifts after a hearty breakfast. Ileana received a new sketchbook and drawing pencils —she had said a few weeks ago that she was running out of pages in her current one— and a brooch in the shape of an azalea; Lydia, a silver locket with little pieces of sheet music pressed inside it —her father said that he would’ve gotten her proper sheet music had they had access to a piano— and a mint green dress; and Maxim, a book of German poetry and a new pocket watch.
With their gifts opened, Maxim and Lydia looked at each other with playful intensity, then looked to Ileana as if she held the key to all the world’s ancient secrets. “So, what’s the verdict?” Lydia asked, smiling.
Ileana tilted her head to the side a little. “If I could pick both of you, I would, but since I have to choose, then I think Lydia was most festive,” she declared.
Maxim stared right at Lydia with a mischievous grin. “I will get you next year,” he vowed.
“We’ll have to see about that,” Lydia giggled. Her father responded by gently patting her arm.
With their challenge complete, the de Winters settled in an Italian village right by the Mediterranean. Their stay was temporary, but no matter where they ended up, the Christmas challenge remained a yearly tradition.