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This time was different. This time, Johanna had been the responsible person for the ball. She was deeply disappointed that Helene wouldn’t come. Her friend had regretfully declined, and in a personal letter she had explained that to her family, Christmas was a sacred family time and that her parents had made their usual arrangements which none of them could miss. But she was looking forward to seeing Johanna a few weeks later in town and couldn’t wait for the reunion.
Or maybe she was coming as Aunt Cäcilie’s mysterious extra guest? It would be just like Aunt Cäcilie to go for such a surprise.
It was the day before the Lossows’ Christmas ball, and the family were gathering in one of their parlours that wouldn’t be needed for the ball. They had thought of everything: a ball room, simply for dancing with lots of chairs on the outside, some musicians hired from Celle, a separate room for the buffet and the dining tables as well as another room with comfortable arm chairs and card tables.
Even Robby could come for a few days before Christmas to create some of his masterpieces, even though he had declined to be there over the holidays or during the big day. Johanna and her father-in-law were understanding and grateful that he had modelled a winter landscape out of marzipan. Not only did it have fir trees, hills, snow on the trees and roofs of the houses, but also a frozen lake with children playing and skating as well as snowmen, other wintery themed sculptures, even one or two of those foreign dome-shaped snow houses they’d heard about. Igloos, they were called, Johanna believed. There were also some stalls nearby with adults selling roast chestnuts. It was the centrepiece of the display.
She even had heard Frau Behn say that Robby had also created some of his marinades he would sell in his coffee house that they would use for the venison.
Everything was so exciting!
The butler announced Cäcilie, and right behind her entered a young man with a smile on his tired, narrow face. Light brown hair, excellent clothes and a strange familiarity. Something she hadn’t seen for a while.
“Wilhelm!” Johanna shrieked. “Why… how…” She ran towards her aunt and instead of embracing her as she would usually do, she sailed into her elder brother’s arms.
He laughed. “Your marriage hasn’t changed you yet, Hanna. It’s so good to see you again after all these years!”
“Sit down, come with me, take a seat on the most comfortable sofa!” Johanna babbled, not sure if she made sense at all. Wilhelm hadn’t made it to Holstein for the wedding, and now he was here?
She turned to Cäcilie and embraced her with all her might. “Thank you, Aunt, thank you so much!”
Cäcilie laughed. “Instead of me going down to Göttingen like the years before, I decided to take Wilhelm to Hannover and then further north here. He wanted to see how you live now, and this was the best opportunity I could think of.”
“This is the best Christmas present I’ve ever had!” Johanna jubilated, still not believing that she was having this special surprise.
Christmas itself had been bittersweet with her new family and new traditions, some of which she didn’t understand or agreed with, others similar to home; but without her younger siblings, everything seemed odd and unfamiliar. Now, with Wilhelm turning up for the ball, she finally had a little ‘home from home’ and thrived at it.
Hermann showed his most polite side, after all, Johanna’s brother was his equal, even if he was younger. Johanna overheard him invite Wilhelm to go on a hunt the day after the ball. She wasn’t happy about it but maybe it would be good for Wilhelm to find someone to bond with – but why Hermann? Why not Friedrich? Was being the heir to an estate enough to start bonding over?
Just like last time, Friedrich’s friends arrived as well, and banter and laughter was heard everywhere. Their arrival wasn’t been a surprise to anyone, but their presents, food from their respective home regions, was.
“For the family and house guests. I don’t think it would suffice for the ball,” Häschen regretted.
“Stollen?” Friedrich guessed with barely hidden anticipation.
“Two large ones,” Häschen confirmed.
Der Schmied, from the East Frisian coastal area, had brought a special tea blend and brown and white rock sugar, ‘Kluntjes,’ as he had called it.
“The only way to drink tea,” he announced, proudly. “This blend here is nothing in comparison to a traditional East-Frisian tea ceremony. Allow me to be the master of the ceremony one afternoon.”
“With pleasure,” Freiherr von Lossow agreed.
“And you?” Friedrich turned to Dornenbusch.
“A special pastry my family would have at this time of the year. It’s a yeast dough with jam filling.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Unfortunately only the recipe right now, they wouldn’t have lasted the long journey. But your kitchen, Herr Baron, promised to make them fresh.”
“Do they have a special name?” Johanna asked.
“Sufganiyot,” he confirmed.
“Suffa…” Johanna struggled at the unknown expression.
“Jewish?” Hermann asked, a hint of disdain in his voice.
“Even if,” Freiherr von Lossow interrupted before his heir could say anything he’d regret later, “I’m very curious to try it out. Thank you, Herr Rosenbaum, for bringing it along.”
Häschen, having had the longest journey, stood in front of the fireplace, rubbing his hands warm. “What’s this for a thing outside`” He sighed. “It hindered a smooth journey. At times, the groom couldn’t see two feet ahead on the roads. I never thought snow could be this bad so far north and in a flat country without any mountains or hills around!” He shook his head in disbelief. “It was such a flurry! Fine enough when inside and warm, but a catastrophe when on the roads.”
In the family parlour, just outside of the reach of the regular guests for the balls, Freiherr von Lossow had added candles made of honeycomb, a reminder of his children’s childhood and as a hope for grandchildren next Christmas. Of course, they would still take a few years before they could first roll their own candles, but the Freiherr couldn’t hide his excitement much longer and wanted to have big, round eyes around the Christmas tree and the candles and presents. Being a grandfather and thus able to spoil the little ones of the next generation looked like the perfect pastime for him!
Friedrich smiled proudly when the family waited for the guests to arrive. He still didn’t like to be the centre of everybody’s attention, but he was proud of Johanna’s beauty and grace with which she welcomed everybody and easily talked with each guest. This was her baptism of fire, the first ball she had organised. Granted, most of the actual work was done by other people, but she had the full responsibility. And fortunately, Friedrich’s father had gladly helped her find musicians, extra cooks and servants and lent his hand whenever necessary.
Johanna was wearing a new ballgown she had originally ordered for the New Year’s Ball in town, but she had obviously not been able to resist the urge to put it on today. Friedrich had a hard time to hide his grin at how predictable she was.
The guests smiled, made their social movements and wished them Merry Christmas, then, one by one or as a couple left for the ballroom where the houseguest were already waiting.