When she reached the back of the cottage and pushed open the door, her nose was immediately assaulted with the aroma of fresh evergreen.
Curiosity pulled her inside only to find the parlor decorated with greenery across the mantel, along with candles, while Demetrius stood on a chair in the doorway between the parlor and the entry, hammering a nail into the ceiling.
“What are you doing?”
“Creating a place to hang the mistletoe,” he answered with a grin.
“Where did all of this come from?”
“A man named Old Jacob. I learned yesterday that he comes in early the morning of Christmas Eve with his wagons loaded with greenery, mistletoe, and yule logs, but I didn’t get one of those.”
All Lavinia could do was blink at him.
“I had to get there early because I was warned that he sold out of items quickly. I only purchased enough for this room, well the mantel anyway, and of course mistletoe, though I don’t really need that to kiss you.”
Heat stained her cheeks.
“I thought this might help us feel the Christmas spirit since we are without family.”
“It does help,” she admitted. The indoors definitely smelled like Christmas and she rather liked it.
“I was, however, wondering if you were going to sleep all day.” He chuckled.
“How late is it?”
“Nearing ten.”
That wasn’t so late. At least, not for her. Maybe Demetrius was an early riser. “We were engaged rather late last evening.”
All he did was grin at her.
“I would likely still be asleep if Max hadn’t licked my face.”
“See, I told you he was smitten.”
“Likely he needed out.” Lavinia chuckled and removed her cloak.
“A breakfast basket was delivered a short time ago. I put it in the kitchen.”
Ice swept through her body. “What did you tell them?”
“What do you mean?”
“Why you were here and I was not?”
“I said that you were searching for something upstairs and that I had offered to help decorate.”
Relief swept through her. In the future she needed to remain in her cottage. She was more than happy if Demetrius wanted to remain with her, and she truly hoped that he did, but from now on, she needed to be the one who answered the door for when the meals arrived.
She placed her cloak on the back of a chair. “I will see about preparing us plates while you finish with the kissing ball.”
Lavinia made her way into the kitchen and could not help but smile.
There was such a sense of domesticity within the cottage. Just her and Demetrius and no servants. She was going to prepare plates so they could eat and he was hanging decorations so that they could enjoy Christmas. Not that such made the holiday more joyful, but made it seem more like Christmas.
By the time she returned to the dining room, the mistletoe had been hung and the chair gone from the entry.
“I am quite famished,” Demetrius announced as he came into the dining room.
