The Most Enchanting Christmas Ever

by

Jennifer Ciavarella
(jciavare@prairienet.org)

“It’ll be okay,” said Fran as she put her arms around her husband who was sitting on the couch messaging his temples. “It’s true love, don’t you remember how happy she was during the wedding? How can we not try this?”

“Well, I guess. But do we have to scheme behind their backs? It just seems so -- WRONG?”

“Oh don’t worry,” said Fran gently hitting him on the shoulder. “We have thought of everything, what can possibly go wrong?” As Fran left the room to check on some last minute arrangements, Max grumbled to himself and shook his head.

Max loved his wife with all his heart, but he knew that when she got a crazy idea in her head, there was no stopping her. This time she wanted to play matchmaker for his sister Jocelyn and her estranged husband Lester. The plan was Max invited Jocelyn over to spend the holidays with his family, and Fran did the same for Lester. Convincing Joc that she should spend Christmas with family did not take too long, and since she hasn’t seen her nephew and nieces in a while, she jumped at the chance. Fran had to do some more sweet-talking to Lester. Since Lester’s family won’t get together, Fran simply told him that they felt bad about him having to spend this time alone. Max smiled to himself as he thought about how his wife could get anything she wanted with only her God-given charms and style. She never ceased to amaze him.

“Niles? Niles?”

“Yes Madam.”

“Okay, what time is it?”

“Madam, Jocelyn’s plane should land in 3 hours, she will come directly to the mansion and I will show her to her room where she will settle in until dinner. If she comes out early, the children are prepared to annoy her as long as necessary. Meanwhile, Lester’s plane will land two hours later. The doors will be locked after they see each other and no one will leave until after the lovebirds have nested.”

“Very good Niles. Oy, what would we do without you?”

“Well given the salary your husband pays me, you wouldn’t have that much more money to spend...”

“Okay Niles”

Ding-Dong.

 “Right on time,” said Fran excitingly looking at her watch. Ever since she married the man of her dreams, Fran has tried to make sure that everyone around her has the same happiness that she and Max have. Fran beamed at the prospect of getting two people who reminded her so much of herself and Max back together. Jocelyn and Lester. He was the chauffeur that desperately loved his boss but couldn’t say it. She was the boss that didn’t recognize the man she loved sitting right in front of her nose. Watching them, Fran knew that they loved each other, and now she had to make sure they got back together. The idea of them not having a happily ever after depressed Fran, and in her pregnant condition, depressed did not go well with her.

Niles opened the door and announced that Miss Jocelyn has arrived. Joc came charging in as Fran and Max greeted her. When the children came to give their aunt an affectionate welcome, Max saw his wife getting more excited then she should, so he excused them. Before Niles could show Jocelyn to her room, Joc said, “Oh, Niles I hope it’s not a problem, but I invited Mummy to spend the holiday with us. Can you fix her room?”

“Oh yes ma’am, no problem,” he answered to her then said under his breath, “its not like I don’t have enough rooms to clean, now I have to find room for one more and the clean up will be horrendous.”

In the kitchen, Fran was as happy as Max has ever seen her. She was positively glowing and not just from her pregnancy. “Oh honey, doesn’t she just look great? When Lester gets here and sees your sister, he will forget everything except the love they share for each other. Then all we have to do is make sure that she remembers, and you just have to trust that I can make her remember what they have. Oh honey nothing can wrong. Ma and Nadine went to Boca to spend the holidays with family. Oh honey this will be perfect in every way.”

As she gave Max a hug, Niles walked in. “Sir, Madam, where do you think we should have Mrs. Sheffield stay?”

“Well, she’s my wife, she’ll sleep with me.”

“Oh do you got that right. Once Joc and Lester are back together, we got some celebrating to do, and I already bought the party favors.”

As Max started imagining what she could possibly mean and getting excited at the prospect, Niles interrupted by opening the door and saying, “Not that Mrs. Sheffield. THAT one.”

“Honey, you know there’s no such thing as a perfect plan.”

Niles made sure that both Jocelyn and Elizabeth were settled nicely in their rooms. Meanwhile Fran and the kids started cutting and decorating Christmas cookies. Max wanted to say a few words to his mother. He knocked on her door and let himself in.

 “Mother. Well, I must say that I am quite surprised to see you here. You didn’t come to my wedding because you disapproved of my wife, you once tried to disinherit me for proposing to her. So, why are you here?”

“Well dear, you asked your sister over and I didn’t want to be alone for the holidays. Besides I wanted to make sure that the child she is carrying will be raised properly.”

“My wife has raised my other three children and they are just fine. Fran will be a wonderful mother to this child too, I assure you. Mother I just want you to know that if you do anything to hurt or put down Fran, I will ask you to leave. Fran is my wife and my life. I love her with every fiber of my being. If you cannot respect that, I will not allow you to stay here.”

“Darling, I have nothing but the best of intentions. I know that you chose to marry, that, that, that woman, and I would never do anything to ruin your marriage. Its not like she is that abominable creature your sister married. The woman you married got use to living as a Sheffield. Lester never had that training.”

Just then Fran came into Elizabeth’s room and said, “Max, Max, there you are. I can’t find the finger paints in the bedroom and I wanted to make sure that we have something to do when everyone has gone to-- Oh uh, ma, I didn’t see you there. Max, we’ll talk later. Ma, so how are you?” Elizabeth left. Fran saw the look Max was giving her. “What? Did I say something wrong? Meanwhile, do you where the paints went?”

“Hello, Hello. Oh Elizabeth, I didn’t know that you were coming. What a wonderful surprise!”

“Well, it was a bit of a spur of the moment decision. But how I wanted to visit you. I just can’t believe that my son would marry that -- that- that --”

“I know just what you mean. The sight of them together just nauseates me. Did you know that she even has it in her head that she will put Jocelyn and Lester back together during this holiday? Can you imagine, not just Nanny Fine, but the chauffeur trying to be a Sheffield here in this house. I cannot begin to tell you -- ”

“Why no. That just cannot happen. After all the work I put into breaking them up, if that little hussy thinks that I will let her undo what I did. Well” and with that Elizabeth stormed up to her daughter’s room.

Niles saw the whole scene and came up to CC Babcock. “I know that we disagree about things like humanity. I am a human and you well. But this was low even for you. What did you hope to accomplish by sicking the oldest Mrs. Sheffield on poor Fran. CC Babcock, you have to accept that Maxwell Sheffield is in love and married. When will you finally give up this silly infatuation you have with the man and realize what you have in front of you?”

“Oh, and what exactly is that, Alice?” and with that, Niles took three slow steps forward with a look of passion in his eye that CC had never before seen. He grabbed her in his arms and with all the passion he has had pent up since he met CC Babcock, he kissed her.

 When he let her go, he said, “That for one.” He let loose of his hold on CC and she stumbled out of his arms. She had a look of half amazement and half repulsiveness. But as she walked away trying to keep as much dignity as she could, she thought that maybe Niles is not as bad as she thought. After all, he’s not that bad a kisser. Without her knowing he saw it, CC left the room with a very broad smile on her face. To himself, Niles said, “Merry Christmas Mrs. Sheffield. I will make sure that Miss Babcock stays out of the way. I just hope that someone will take care of the old Mrs. Sheffield.”

Max got Jocelyn to visit with him. He wanted to catch up with his little sister and he wanted to make sure that his mother did not have more control over Joc than she should. Max didn’t know the whole story of why Jocelyn and Lester broke up, but he had a feeling that his mother could take most of the credit. Elizabeth took the kids Christmas shopping allowing Max this time to talk to Jocelyn. Max wanted the reunion to go well as much for Fran as for his sister.

“So Joc, how have you been. I haven’t seen you since the wedding and even then I was a bit preoccupied.”

“Mother already told me that you and your wife seem to have it in your head that you will get Lester and me back together. Let me just say that I am appalled that you would try something like this. The marriage is over.”

“Jocelyn, come on. Tell me, what happened. Why are you divorced from him.”

“Well, I guess that I should warn you, big brother, since you are headed down the same road. Classes cannot mix. I thought I loved Lester for the things that made us different. I thought that I loved his unique charm. But when it came down to it, I could not live with a person that is so beneath me. It was just not a good match. He couldn’t attend parties without making a spectacle of himself. Certainly you know what it is like to live with a person that does nothing but embarrass you.”

“Okay stop it right there. I expect this from mother. She never truly loved anything but money and power and class. But you Jocelyn, you were different. You didn’t care about class. You knew that you didn’t love the Duke and so you didn’t marry him. You followed your heart and you married Lester, a man that may not have the same stature in the world as you, but a person that you know is better than you are. I know that because when I gave you away, I saw something in your eyes that I only saw one other time. I saw it when I looked at myself on the day I married Fran. So Jocelyn, let me get one thing straight with you before you see any other member of my family. I don’t give a rip if you and Lester get back together. From your attitude I can tell that you don’t deserve Lester. But I want you to understand that I love Fran and you and mother will not ruin our holiday. I will celebrate with Lester alone before I allow you to do that. You can stay, but don’t you even try to pull anything on Fran. In return I will make sure that we do not try to reconcile you and Lester.”

 Jocelyn was dumbfounded, she had never seen her brother take that tone with her or anyone else. She quietly agreed and excused herself to her room. Max slammed the door behind her and started to pace around the room and rubbing his temples. When he turned around, he saw Fran sneaking into the room. Max took a deep breath and said, “So, I assume you heard all that?” With a smile Fran shook her head yes. ”Well, go ahead. Tell me that I was too hard on her. Tell me that I didn’t have a right to say all that to her. Its just that she indirectly put you down and I couldn’t stand it. Why can’t my family just accept that I am in love with the most wonderful woman in the world. Oh honey, I am so sorry that this Christmas is not going to end up the way you wanted. I thought with your planning, this would be the most enchanted Christmas ever. I should have known that involving my family would only ruin it.”

By this time Max was sitting at the foot of their bed, his head in his hands, on the brink of tears. Fran walked over to her husband and put her arm around him. For the first time in her life she carefully chose her words. “Honey. Don’t you know that I love you. I love you for your passion. Honey you stood up for me, for us. Spending this Christmas with you, with our family is what will make this Christmas the most special ever. Honey, all I need is you. All I need is our kids, and little Schoolroom” Finally Max looked up and laughed with his wife.

Niles worked in the kitchen wondering where the lady of the manor was. They were suppose to get ready for Lester, but obviously Fran was held up as usual. “Dear God,” thought Niles, “Do they ever give it a rest. She’s pregnant.” Despite his jealousy, Niles knew that the Sheffield's needed some time together. He did feel bad for Fran. She wanted this to be a perfect holiday. She believes so much in true love and thought that Jocelyn and Lester had it. Heck, Niles even thought they had it. So, as Niles finished putting a turkey in the oven to keep it warm, he shook his head to himself. “Poor girl.” He said, almost inaudibly.

“I beg your pardon?” It was Jocelyn. She had just came down from her talk with Max and she was near tears. Niles didn’t know what happened, but he had a few words for Jocelyn. Looking at Niles she knew what she was in for. Niles had seen her grow up and probably knew more about her than anyone. Niles just glared at her.

“What happened to you? I can remember a time when you did whatever your mother told you not to just because she told you not to. You had a passion, a fire that no one else saw. You went out, you didn’t bring guys home. You worked hard to get your mother’s disapproval. Why are you allowing your mother to control your life like this? Why did you let her split up your marriage to Lester?”

“She did no such thing. I made the decision on my own. I discovered that we were not suited to each other. My mother had nothing to do with it.”

 “You forget Miss Jocelyn, that I still have some connections back at the Sheffield estates. If you think your mother had nothing to do with your split up, you are very much mistaken. Don’t you see she has been putting him down since you came home and announced that you were married? It was only after she had put it in your head that he was beneath you that you decided he was. I thought you had learned your lesson after Fred.”

Upon hearing the name of her former love, Jocelyn retreated to the living room in just enough time to hear the doorbell ring. She looked over at the door to the kitchen and did not see Niles. She rolled her eyes and decided to answer the door. After all, what else could go wrong today?

She opened the door with her head down. When she looked up she saw a site she had missed for a year and a half. It was like a bolt of lightning went through her. She was not completely surprised to him standing on the other side of the door, but she was surprised at her reaction.

Lester looked at her for the first time in a year and a half, and was taken back by her beauty. He had always found her attractive, but standing at the door, seeing her look at him, he fell in love all over again. He even thought for a moment that he saw that look of love in her eyes. It was only a glimmer, but he thought, no he was sure that it was there.

“Jocelyn?”

“Hello, Lester” Jocelyn counted on her British stature to keep him from seeing what she was feeling. “I was expecting you. It seems my brother and his wife --”

“You’re sister-in-law?”

“Yes, her. They thought it would be fun to surprise us with each other’s presence. I assured my brother that our relationship is beyond repair and that no amount of scheming or manipulation would get us back together.”

“Just like no amount of manipulation broke us up in the first place I suppose?” He said to himself.

“What was that? You know dear that I have a bad ear.”

“Nothing. I was just thinking out loud.”

Jocelyn looked at her ex-husband. She felt an urge to reach out and grab him, but she fought it. “Please come in. Have a seat. Uh, so how have you been?”

“How have I been? You mean since you destroyed my life by walking out on me? Well—“

He looked at Jocelyn, who at this time had tears running down her face. He reached his hand out and put it on her face. As he began to apologize, the door opened and Elizabeth and the children came in.  The kids all ran up to Lester. They assumed the close moment they walked in on was a sign that Fran was right about their aunt’s marriage. Lester and the kids walked out of the room while Elizabeth and Jocelyn started talking.

“Mother? Why did you always hate Lester? You never did give him a chance did you?”

 “Well dear, I knew that you and Lester would never last. Look at you two. He is such a commoner and you, well, you are a Sheffield. Besides you were the one who decided he wasn’t right for you.”

Thinking, Joc finally said, “Yes, I suppose you are right”

Jocelyn found Fran, Max, and the children talking and looking at wrapped gifts by the staircase. She took a few moments to just look at their happy faces. She saw her brother and sister-in-law laughing and enjoying each other’s company. She saw Lester playing with the kids. She felt truly jealous. Jealous of what her brother found. Jealous of the kids spending time with her, her, Lester.

“Aunt Jocelyn, come on. Join us over here. We’re trying to guess what is under the tree.” Gracie grabbed her hand and pulled her to the tree. She accidentally bumped into Lester. They both looked at each and sheepishly apologized.

 Jocelyn was about to leave the scene, when Grace gave her a gift and asked her what she thought it was. Joc felt it and said, “Oh I don’t know, clothes or something.”

“No Aunt Jocelyn, you have to use your imagination. What do you hope it is?”’

As Jocelyn rolled her eyes at the lunacy of what Grace was suggesting, Lester looked at her and looked at the covered box and said, “I know what you want it to be. You want a red silk shirt. You know your aunt here loves the color red. I always assumed it was because of her fire and passion that no one gets to see.”

“And I have always been a sucker for silk. What can I say? Yes I do imagine that that is what I have in this box, a nice red silk shirt. Or maybe a pair of blue jeans. You know, no one would ever suspect that I would be caught dead is something so ordinary, so lower class. But really I want to own a pair of blue jeans.”

“Jocelyn my dear, I would not expect anything but you to want something so, what was the word you used? Ordinary?”

Niles watched this scene and smiled. He knew that Jocelyn and Lester were well on their way to a reconciliation. Even though he knew how happy this would make Fran, he was really happy for his good friend Jocelyn. Niles grew up knowing what kind of man Jocelyn was attracted to and knowing what lengths Elizabeth would go to keep those men out of Jocelyn’s life. It wasn’t that she had bad taste in men, but Elizabeth just would not let her marry out of the Sheffield caste. He watched the warmth between Jocelyn and Lester and he remembered what Jocelyn was like when she was happy. Then he remembered Ralf, and the heartbreak.

 Niles knew that he must do whatever he could to keep Elizabeth away from the happy couple. Right now Elizabeth and CC were out doing the last of the Christmas shopping. No doubt Elizabeth was talking CC into going after Maxwell. Sometimes he just absolutely hated that woman. What sometimes? Niles could not think of a time in his life that Elizabeth Sheffield was not making somebody’s life miserable. He had no concern about Fran and Max, they were solid and if they did become vulnerable, Niles knew where he could get some cookies that would make sure they were occupied. Briefly he thought of the cookies for Lester and Jocelyn, but looked down at them again and he saw the mutual look of love in their eyes and decided that they didn’t need any help.

He was about to leave when he saw them. The door opened and there they were. First CC with that greeting that at times calls for his attention and really turns him on, but this time it grated on him like nails on a chalkboard. Right behind her was Elizabeth. He was dusting the staircase, or at least he had the materials needed to do so. He hoped that if he could get downstairs before the older Mrs. Sheffield saw her daughter and son-in-law, he might be able to disarm the situation.

He emptied his hands and walked downstairs like the dutiful butler (at this thought he laughed to himself). Then He offered to take the coats first Elizabeth’s then CC’s.

“Why Niles,” exclaimed CC, “I don’t think I have ever seen you take my coat so much like a butler. What are you planning?’

“Why nothing Miss Babcock.” He moved in closer to her and gave her a look of pure desire. He took a deep breath through his nose so that he could really smell her hair and that wonderful perfume that she wears. Then using his low voice he quietly said, “Well, its the holidays. I was thinking we could play nice for a little while.”

CC was obviously intrigued by the suggestion. She was about to respond, but before she could, she saw the look of disapproval form Elizabeth. Elizabeth was intent on breaking up any possible unions that would mix people different classes. “Well I am sure that CC appreciates the gesture, but we have some gifts to put under the tree.”

Niles knew that the family had not heard any of this. They were completely oblivious that anyone came through the door. Certainly Max has picked up on the fact that things are actually going well with Lester and Jocelyn. Oh what was he thinking? Max couldn’t identify love if it came up and introduced itself. He had to warn them of Mrs. Sheffield’s arrival. He found one of the traps that Fran put up for Lester and Jocelyn. He knew it was extreme, but if he could bring attention to himself, then maybe Jocelyn and Lester would investigate separately and Elizabeth would have no reason to say anything to them.

“Miss Babcock. Look at that. You’re standing under some mistletoe aren’t you?”

As Niles walked towards her to fulfill the silly Christmas tradition, CC told him to stay away from her. He had to go through with it because if she responded to a nicely planted kiss, Elizabeth’s wrath would go to CC instead of Jocelyn. He grabbed CC in his arms and kissed her. Much to his surprise, she kissed him back and it was an enjoyable experience.

 When the kiss finally ended, no one was prepared for the aftermath. They both obviously enjoyed it. Max and the kids walked up to Niles in amazement over what they saw. Brighton even asked him if he was okay. But what Niles saw next, he wasn’t sure was a good thing or a bad one. Jocelyn and Lester walked behind the others holding hands. It was what he wanted to see, but not with Elizabeth so close. Then once Fran walked into the room, all hell broke loose. She immediately noticed the spectacle that everyone was staring at -- Niles holding CC. Fran got excited. She went up to Niles and CC and congratulated them. She told them that she always thought they had more going on than just bickering. Then she zeroed in on Lester and Jocelyn who still had their fingers intertwined. Niles doubted they even noticed this. Niles saw Fran’s face light up, and as she ran towards the lovers, he saw Elizabeth. Her eyes nearly bulged out of her head as she seethed over the idea that her daughter may be getting back together with someone so beneath her.

“Oh, you two are getting back together! I am so happy for you. You know that ever since I put your wedding together for you, I have always thought you were ideal for each other. You were so different, but so obviously in love. Just like Maxwell and me. Oh I am so happy.” And with that she hugged the now confused couple.

Finally Elizabeth had enough. She started screaming. “There will be no such reconciliation. My daughter divorced this no class servant because he was not right for her. I knew it would happen and I was happy when it did. Jocelyn, come here. We’re leaving.”

Jocelyn looked at Lester who was now holding her tight with his arm, then she looked at her brother and Fran, and then finally she looked at her mother and back at Lester. She broke free from her husband, and Fran had a tear roll down her cheek. Max held her tight, he knew that Fran thought if Lester and Jocelyn couldn’t make it, their marriage couldn’t last. He stroked his wife’s hair as she hid her face from having to watch.

“Mother, I respect that you want to do what is right for me and that you want me to live the way you think that a Sheffield should. However, it took me a long time to learn that the Sheffield way of living is not the only way to live. Few people know this, but I was only in love one other time in my life. His name was Ralf. He was such a great man. He didn’t have the same amount of class as we did, but he was still a fine, fine man. I loved him deeply. Then you took him away. You did to him what you did to Lester. You put him down repeatedly until he thought that he was not worthy of me and I even began to believe it. Of course Ralf wouldn’t give up on me, so you had him sent away. Now here I am with a man that I truly love yet again. I made the mistake of believing that because we do not have the same amount of class, we do not belong together. For that Lester, I am truly sorry. Because you see mother, I know that Lester, and that Fran and that even Niles has more class than you ever will. I can only hope that some of their class will rub off on the rest of us.”

With that Max went to give her sister a hug. He was so proud of her. Jocelyn then went to Lester and asked for his forgiveness. Lester looked at Jocelyn and smiled at her. Before he could speak, Elizabeth said, “Dear you are a Sheffield. You do not need to ask forgiveness from that man. After all, even he knows that you could do so much better than him.”

 “No mother,” started Max, “I would have to say that those of us in this room who have found our soul mates with someone of a ‘lower class’ are the lucky ones. I dare say that any of them could do better than us. And mother, I don’t care if you agree with me or not, if you cannot accept both your children and their choices for mates, then you can just leave. The only people welcome here are those who can accept all people no matter how different they appear to be.”

Elizabeth looked horrified to be talked to by her son like that. “Well I never --”

“And ma, you probably never will.” added Fran.

Elizabeth turned to walk out of the house When Sylvia, Nadine, her husband, Morty, and Yetta came walking in.

“Ma, what are you doing here?”

“Well we went to visit your Aunt Frieda in Boca, but would you believe her last husband just died and she is moving back to Flushing now.”

“Oh that’s terrible. So why ya here?”

“Well were else am I going to spend the holidays. You are all my family.”

At the sight of Sylvia walking towards her with her arms open for a hug, Elizabeth ran out the door. The family cheered once the door slammed behind her.

Niles noticed that CC had separated from the rest of the group. He went into the kitchen hoping to find her there, and he did. He saw that she was crying and he really felt compassion for her. He knew that he had used her and played with her feelings since Elizabeth arrived, and now he wanted to make it right.

“Go away Niles. You’re the last person I want to see right now.”

“Oh so we have something in common.”

CC looked up at him and was not amused. “You used me. You made me think. And then you, you, you--”

Quietly Niles walked toward her until he was again able to take in her aroma. He took her head in his hand and made her look into his eyes. “I what?” And with that he kissed her. This time not to distract anyone, this time not to lay the groundwork for making a point. But he kissed her for real. He kissed her because he wanted to, not that he didn’t want to in the past, but this time his motives were pure. When it was finished, there was no question in either of their minds how they each felt.

“Tidy Bowl Man’

“Brunette”

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