Originally I was going to finish this book at this place - it had served it purpose, getting the two couples together. But then when we had our researching trip to Worcester a few months ago, I found out so much more about all the characters, that I got really involved in the next 18 chapters.

For anyone who hasn't been reading the story so far, here is a short summary. It is a gentle romance, (to placate the nervous relatives who this is really being written for) between the friends Muriel and May and the brothers John and Harold. Up til this chapter, Muriel had been trying her best to get John to marry her, although May liked him as well, but a few weeks previously Muriel found out something about John's personality that put her off him, and she has now decided to spend all her energy in trying to get Harold. Harold is 4 years younger than she is. She is 21 and he is 17. The girls have long finished with their schooling and take the odd course at the WEA or Technical Institute, but John is studying Theology at Oxford and Harold has just started at mining college in Cambourne, Cornwall.
All the dates and places and bits of specific information are acurate. For instances all the books mentioned in the story today and in all the other chapters, we have in our boockcase. I do have some letters to go by, and lots of photographs. I wish I could show you pictures of the four of the four of them to make it seem more real.
I am so wrapped up in the story that I have several times lately written cheques and dated them 1906.

John of course had much longer holidays as the terms at Oxford were only 8 weeks long. He had been back in Worcester since early December. But with being busy preparing for Christmas at the  Perdiswell Church, and with entering into the true spirit of Advent, he did not feel it was appropriate to instigate any social activities with the girls until the penitential season was over.

Muriel told May, that as far as she was concerned, she had no further romantic interest in John Day, and she would be spending her efforts in trying to ensnare his younger brother. She had patience and knew that the three years that it would be before Harold finished his course would mean that he would have time to mature considerably.

Harold arrived promptly at noon on the 23rd. The King house was decorated to the hilt – with a huge wreath on the door, and holly, yew, laurel and ivy hanging from every picture rail. The tree was huge and every inch was decorated with cranberry chains, candles, golden ribbon bows and homemade golden stars. Harold said that their house was still unadorned, as John had forbidden them to do any decorating at home until Christmas Eve, when Advent was officially over.

Muriel was very pleasantly surprised by the change in Harold. In only the four months since she had last seen him, he had grown up a lot. His moustache added maturity to his face, and really suited him. He had grown another inch or two in stature, but the main difference was that he seemed so much more confident.

She invited him in and they had a cup of coffee in the parlour with her mother. Her father of course was very busy at work with it being so close to Christmas. After coffee, Mrs. King said she needed to do some preparation for the Christmas pudding, and excused herself.

Since they wouldn’t be seeing each other on Christmas Day itself, Muriel decided they should open their gifts for each other there and then.

Harold opened his present first. “What a wonderful gift and ever so useful to me.” She had bought him a black leather covered book, Traverse Tables, with an Introductory Chapter on Co-ordinate Surveying.

“I had to get advice to know what to buy for you, and as this is a new book I was hoping that you had not already acquired it. If so, the bookshop has agreed to change it for you.”

“No, I don’t have it,” said Harold leafing through the pages and pages of charts. “I shall treasure it all the more because it comes from you.”

Now it was time for Muriel to open her gift. She suspected it also was a book, but when she unwrapped it she found three small books, all with red leather covers and gold lettering, Fra Angelic, Watteau and Burne-Jones. There were illustrations from each artist, with a description of when, how and why each picture was painted. Muriel was beside herself with excitement. “I have never had such a lovely present. Thank you so much.”

They looked into each other’s eyes, and the same emotion was evident to the other. Harold gently leaned forward to kiss Muriel on the cheek. She, being the bolder by far, and anticipating the gesture, moved her head slightly making it inevitable that his lips should meet hers.

“Oh, I beg your pardon,” he said to cover his confusion, knocking over his cup of coffee.

“Oh please don’t worry,” she giggled as she wiped the coffee up with a serviette. “You know as well as I that you really wanted to do that.”

So once again they kissed, and this time Harold hit the target exactly.

After a few more minutes, Harold said he really must be leaving, and went to the kitchen to say goodbye to Mrs. King and wish her a Happy Christmas.

“I hope we will be seeing a lot more of you, young Harold Day,” she said.

“You can be sure of that, Mrs. King,” he replied and Muriel let him out of the house with a last furtive kiss.

The dining table at the King’s house had a beautiful centerpiece made of a holly wreath complete with red berries, and a setting of white candles in the centre.
May and her family were invited to the Kings’ house for Christmas Day, and of course they had all attended church together in the morning and opened their family presents.

Dinner consisted of goose, stuffed with chestnuts, pork and apple and served with apple, gooseberry and bread sauce. Plum pudding was, of course, the dessert.
Muriel received a lace edged handkerchief from May and her family, and Kings in turn gave the Stintons a huge box of specialty chocolates. Muriel gave her father a hefty tome, The Great Boar War, by Arthur Conan Doyle, and The Poems of Robert Browning, to her mother. For May she had chosen a novel called John Halifax, Gentleman by Mrs. Craik. From her parents she received a wonderful leather bound, gold edged Complete Works of William Shakespeare, which her father said was her delayed birthday present as well, but nothing could compare to her present from Harold.

After dinner the assembled company got down to the main feature of the day: the parlour games which included Charades, and Blind Man's Buff. Then Mrs. King sat at the piano and they all sang carols until they could think of no more.

On December 27th, John Day called by Muriel’s house. He had sent a Christmas card which had arrived on Boxing Day, expressing his intension to call and asking if May might be invited to be there as well, as he had presents for both of them.

John, looking as handsome as ever, arrived promptly. Muriel and May ushered him into the parlour, and he marveled at the Christmas decorations. He presented the wrapped gifts, again, obviously books, and the girls each gave him a similar sized package.

They eagerly opened them. Muriel had been given Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore and May, The Hunting of the Snark by Lewis Carroll.

John had been difficult to buy for, but the girls had felt that religious books could not offend. May had bought him Great Souls at Prayer and Muriel after much looking had finally decided on a small red leather bound Geographical Dictionary.
He seemed pleased with both books but his smile to May, for having chosen a religious book, was that bit warmer. If he noticed a slight cooling in Muriel’s attention to him, he didn’t comment on it, but it seemed to Muriel as if he and May had grown closer since the time spent at the theatre, and was pleased that things were nicely now falling into place for the four of them.