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Helen was still half asleep when Nanny Beth came into her room. Still tucked up snugly within her covers, she could hear her flitting about the place, turning on the small lamps dotted about the walls and tidying furniture as she moved.
It was very early still, and apart from a single set of dim, clip-clapping hooves, the city outside her window was silent. Without making a single sound Helen opened one eye, watching from her pillows as nanny picked up the iron and poked the fire back to life. Embers flew up at the first touch, glowing deep red in the dark little grate, and then a log was thrown in, and another, and slowly Helen could feel the room grow steadily warmer as the flames began to lick at the fresh pieces of wood.
Sighing as she stood up straight Nanny then pushed her hands out towards it, rubbing them together before moving on to rummaging through the cupboards and draws.
It was the same every morning, even today of all days nothing had changed.
Nanny would now ruffle about with the clothing for a few minutes until she settled on an outfit for her to wear. Something fitting for whatever was planned for the day.
Not daring to move even her fingers or toes, just in case she was made to rise, Helen stayed quiet while she watched her holding each petticoat and flannel up briefly, checking them against the low light of the lamps. Nany also pulled out several long sashes that flashed a perfect white against the fire and Helen recognised them as the ones her aunt had gifted her last year.
And, because Nanny was kind like that, she then refolded them and placed them neatly on a chair not far from the fire’s warmth.
Helen had learnt a few weeks ago when Nanny Beth had been ill that this wasn’t something everyone does, and she had missed her Nanny dearly while shivering when getting dressed.
She would leave soon after this Helen knew, and as predicted, she took a few seconds to fuss over straightening the rug then bustled from the room closing the door quietly behind her.
Shortly she would return with hot water and Helen couldn’t help letting out a small, irritated, little huff at not being allowed any extra time to sleep in.
Opening her other eye now that she was alone, she trailed them both over to the window, feeling that usual twinge of sadness when she found the sun had yet to rise as well.
The winter months had their moments she thought glumly, snow was always fun, and frost could be pretty, but in the summer, there was a thin line of orange light that surrounded her curtains, it was often the first thing she saw, and she missed watching it reach slowly across the walls and floors.
Everything in the winter though, had to be done in the dark.
It would be hours before the sun lit up her room, Hours before it reached as far as her bed and probably well after breakfast before it was bright enough to even read by.
If it shined at all.
There were footsteps again just outside, and sighing, Helen rolled onto her back resigned, grabbing hold of her blankets as she pulled herself into a sitting position, her messy blond curls falling loosely over her shoulders where she refused to have them tied the night before.
“Good morning miss Helen,” nanny Beth said as she came back in, another maid held the door open and once she carried the bowl of steaming water to the dresser she turned with a bright smile adding “and merry Christmas to you.”
Helen tried to give a smile back, but she could feel herself failing to do so as a giant yawn captured her in the same moment, turning her words into a near howl.
In the next second she was scowling at the sheets as Nanny Beth chided her for not covering her mouth.
If she thought she could get away with it she would have rolled her eyes too, but now nanny was paying too much attention and according to her it was un-ladylike, (which only made Helen want to use it more.)
“come now, miss Helen,” she said brightly once more, probably trying to keep the morning merry, and then she started to tell her all about the lovely things that would be happening today.
But Helen wasn’t really listening, it wasn’t going to be much fun when she was all by herself anyway.
Instead, she looked about her bed, trying to locate the blanket she went to sleep with the night before. It wasn’t long before she found it, a single corner still clung to her mattress, and craning her head a little higher she found the rest had fallen in a heap over the floor. Helen wriggled over the side on her tummy to scoop it up, but then had to stop halfway down, slumping with her hand dangling just over the edge because nanny’s skirt had blocked it from view, sweeping straight over it as she came to stand in front of her.
“Are you listening miss Helen?” she asked her voice full of humour.
“Yes, nanny Beth,” she grumbled back, not bothering to lift her head, and she heard light chuckling from above.
She rolled back over with a huff when she felt a hand touch her shoulder and looked back up into Nanny’s warm brown eyes.
“I said,” Nanny repeated, amused, “your father is home, he arrived early this morning.”
Helens eyes went wide as the words sunk in, it couldn’t be, she never heard him come in, did she?
Her shock so quickly turning to happiness she twisted back over, her nightdress tangling about her feet as she launched herself at Nanny for a hug. She Caught her before she went tumbling off the bed and Nanny Beth laughed loudly as she staggered with her in her arms.
“He’s home? Fathers home?” Helen hooted. “He said he wouldn’t be back until New Year’s Eve!
“yes, your father’s home,” nanny repeated, reaching out to brush back some of her unruly curls. “And he wants to see you as soon as your…”
But Helen didn’t hear the end of what nanny was trying to tell her, she scrambled from her hold and was out of her room in a flash. Rounding the corner of the landing she bounded down the stairs, her hand catching the ribbons that held the garland, loosening the ties and sending a torrent of pinecones bouncing down the steps behind her.
The last of the garland overtook her racing towards the ground in a burst of red and green as it fell across the last step.
She didn’t slow down when she reached the bottom.
Jumping across the messy barrier and tearing left, her eyes locked onto the small gap between an oncoming maid and the crates that had appeared overnight in the entryway.
Without thinking she quickly wriggled through the gap jostling everything in her path.
“Sorry Mary Anne!” she shouted a second later as she heard the tray (with what was probably her breakfast) go crashing to the floor, which was also followed closely by a muttered “dear lord.”
Helen felt a little guilty, but she couldn’t stop now, running the rest of the way she headed straight for her father’s study. Slamming into the door, she gripped the handle and twisted it hard until it gave way, gasping when she caught sight of him.
“Father!”
He was sat behind his desk, still wearing his heavy woolen coat and his arm half way down a leather bag. He looked up hearing her voice, chuckling as a wide smile spread across his face.
“Merry Christmas my love!” he said walking round so he could hold his arms wide open.
“Merry Christmas,” she squealed back happily, crossing the last three meters at full speed, he caught her with little struggle, and she wrapped her arms around his neck when he lifted her off the ground and hugged her tightly.
Gregory couldn’t help laughing some more at the small, muffled voice that followed, Helen was so desperately trying to talk to him but wouldn’t pull her face from where it was now pressed against his shoulder.
“I missed you too my darling.”
When she could think of nothing else more pressing to say Helen went quiet, and then the world began to sway as her father rocked a little with her in his arms.
It was going to be a good Christmas after all, she thought sniffing a little as she rubbed her cheek against his rough coat, a really good Christmas, because everyone she cared about was now here.
The moment was interrupted though all too soon. And Helen tightened her grip as a short rap at the door had Gregory looking up from his daughter.
Peeking up just enough to see what was going on, Helen spotted a rather stressed looking Nanny Beth standing in the entrance of the office, holding what looked to be a small green satin dress.
Gregory arched a brow at the small girl in his arms and Helen smiled up at him sheepishly.
“I’m sorry sir, she was so excited on hearing your arrival…”
“It’s alright Nanny, I know how quick she can be,” he said still smiling at Helen, “you seem to be running about the house in your nightdress my dear.”
“I’m sorry father, but… I really did want to see you,” she admitted.
That earned her a bigger smile and another tight hug before he set her back on the ground and let Nanny hurry her off to get dressed in the adjacent room.
When she was deemed ready for the day, Nanny gave her a nod to be on her way so she could see to setting them both up a proper breakfast.
Feeling a little calmer now, she gave a polite knock before she went back in, though she opened the door before her father had time to answer. He still smiled, sitting by the fire he patted a spot on the sofa beside him.
“Much better,” he told her as she got herself comfortable, and she remembered what nanny said about swinging her legs and tried to sit still. It wasn’t too hard though because the fact that her father had brought something over to the sofa with him hadn’t escaped her notice.
On his lap was a wooden box, about the same size as the almanac they had in the library. It didn’t look verry fancy, just plain wood with a tiny silver latch to keep it shut.
“Did you bring me something?” Helen asked hopeful, and Gregory chuckled, wrapping his arm around her as she shuffled closer.
“As a matter of fact, I did.”
He passed it over to her, letting her fumble with the latch until she could lift the lid and peer inside.
“Be careful Helen,” Gregory warned gently, “its real glass.”
It was verry pretty glass, she thought. There were at least ten small, thin, circular disks that mimicked her father’s scientific slides inside, all a different translucent colour. Beside them was a spy glass and Helen held it up turning it slowly so she could see it better in the light.
“Here, darling let me show you.”
Lifting one slide, he placed it delicately in a slot just behind the front of the spy glass and then held it for Helen to see through.
She frowned, the world had gone a brilliant blue and all the reds a slightly darker shade of purple, he helped her try another slide, this one turned it green, and another turned it grey.
“Do you like it?”
“Yes, thank you, it’s beautiful,” Helen replied, smiling as she tried the next slide along, then she paused, turning it again as she gave it a quizzical look.
“Father?”
“Yes?”
Helen looked up at him, and he gave her a reassuring squeeze to continue.
“I’m not sure what its for.”
He chuckled warmly, reaching over he lifted one of the slides up to hold in front of his eye and looked through it himself.
“It makes the world look like it’s a different colour,” he told her simply and then passed the slide to Helen who frowned a little more.
“But what for?” she asked again.
And he sighed as he thought about it some more, a look coming across his face Helen new meant he was trying hard to teach her something.
“Sometimes,” he told her after a long pause, “you have to be able to see the world in a different light.”