Christmas day approached, Clara woke up at the same time as she did everyday, and she dressed quickly, grabbing her long black sweater, and a blanket, wrapping it around herself, before she emerged out of the tent.

“Guess, we couldn’t get a warm Christmas huh?” Clara asked sitting down.

“A little cold are we?” Tavington asked handing Clara the cup of coffee, she drank every morning.

“Yeah, it’s a little cold, I’m glad there’s some snow on the ground though.” Clara replied looking at the small layer of bright white snow, blanketing the ground. “Not Christmas, without snow, well there is the lack of Santa Clause, but I can’t have everything”

“Santa Clause?” Tavington asked

“Yeah, jolly old fat man, in a red suit. Brings children gifts on Christmas?” Clara asked.

“Ah yes. Isn’t he uh, fictional?” Tavington asked with an amused smile “And usually meant for children?”

“Yeah” Clara replied smiling “You can never be to old to get gifts from Santa! Well, it wasn’t from Santa, dad just always had a few gifts laid aside, and put “from Santa”, I knew they were always from him, but it was a nice thought.”

“Good morning Colonel Tavington, Miss. Edwards and a Happy Christmas to you” a cheerful voice exclaimed.

“Happy Christmas” Clara replied back looking up at Cornwallis standing over her. His red coat looking lake it was flaming ball compared to the whiteness of snow.

“I have gifts for you!” Cornwallis exclaimed nodding to the few boxes in his arms. “Something arrived from your sisters; I myself have something for you and Lady Eleanor Domtar also has something for you. She wanted to ensure you got something to open today.”

“Oh. Well thank you!” Clara said as Cornwallis placed the gifts down “You really didn’t…”

“Nonsense!” Cornwallis said grinning “It’s Christmas!”

“Alright” Clara said as she began to open the gifts. Cornwallis had given her silk white gloves, by the looks of them, they would were meant for a ball, or elaborate dinner party. She had a letter from Anna, along with a handful of cards, drawing, letters and paintings from Megan. She finally opened the box, from Lady Eleanor Domtar, gasping in surprise at what she saw. “It’s beautiful”. In side was an elegant, ball gown, light blue with intricate silver design elegantly sewn through it.

“There is going to be a ball in the spring. And she thought you might want something, to wear.”

“Thank you”

“It was our pleasure. I’ll let her know you like it. Now I must be off, but maybe I’ll see you later. I hear you are making dinner for some of the men.”

“Yeah” Clara said smiling as Cornwallis left, before she turned to Tavington “Well, I guess I got my Jolly fat man in the red suit, bringing me gifts after all”

Tavington snorted his coffee, and tried to hide a laugh. “What did your sisters get you?”

“Anna just wrote a letter. Apparently on her seventeenth birthday she will be getting married. She’s ten years younger than me, and will me married before me! She was nice enough to remind me of that. I see my aunt’s personality rubbed of on her. But Megan sent me pictures.” Clara explained “There is this one, with me and her in the hammock….well more or less, once you recognized the different shaped neck less people. I used to read to her there. And this one, another favourite, it says on the back, its me riding my horse, killing the bad man.” Tavington looked at it; the picture all it looked like a stick figure on a giant blob.

“She has a…. uh vivid imagination!”

“Yeah.” Clara said smiling

“Good morning! Miss. Edwards!” a few soldiers exclaimed, including Wilkins “Very Happy Christmas to you!”

“And to you!” Clara replied.

“We, all chipped in, and got you something, well a few somethings, as a thank you….you know for helping out here, and making dinner. And, it’s Christmas and all” a young private, explained smiling, handing Clara small box.

“Oh, thank you!” Clara said taking the gift and opening up, inside was a knitted winter scarf and a few smaller silk ones. “I didn’t get any thing for you guys!”

“Anything? You’re making us dinner. There is going to be three apple pies and two cherry! That’s plenty!” the private said.

“Alright, well I better, uh go finish those, or you won’t be eating anything!” Clara explained.

“Alright, we will see you later tonight” the private said as he left with the others.

Clara turned back to Tavington “Seems to be a few jolly fat men in red suits”

Tavington raised an eyebrow, slightly amused, deciding to toy with Clara “What about me? I’m wearing red. Do I fall into the jolly fat man in the red suit?”

“No….not at all you look very” Clara began thinking a bunch of words in her mind “Sexy, hot, jump worthy,..” she thought, before she finally found the right one “Er hansom”

Tavington smiled slightly, as he watched Clara turn a deep shade of red, she sat in silence for a moment before standing up.

“Anyways I should go and finish with the dinner. Oh but before I forget” she said kneeling down beside Tavington lowering her voice, and whispered in his ear “I kind of burnt the crust for the cherry pie yesterday, so you might want to stick with the apple.”

Clara began to stand, as Tavington grabbed her arm, pulling her back “Cla..er Ms. Edwards?”

“Yea?” Clara asked

“….Happy Christmas”

“You too!” Clara replied with a smile.

That night, dinner went wonderfully, everyone enjoyed the food, were cheerful and celebrating. It was cold, but no one minded much. Everyone kept congratulating Clara on the dinner and no one seemed to mind the cherry pie was burnt. Tavington watched her, she smiled non stop the entire day, he was happy to see her finally smile. It was the first time he saw her that happy, since she got there.

It was late into the night when Clara walked back to her tent; she went to look for a warmer sweater, a scarf and gloves. She had always gone for a walk with her brothers at midnight, every Christmas, which always turned into a fierce snow ball fight. She grabbed gloves and the sweater off her bed, when she noticed a large, black leather book sitting there. She lit the lamp, to give more light, before picking it up in her hands. She opened the book up, to see in scrawled lettering “To Clara. From W” She flipped through the book, to see it was full of short stories and poems. “W?” Clara whispered to herself. She sat at the edge of the bed, reading through the book, immediately noticing the poem, that was marked by the long ribbon bookmark “The Moonlit Hill” before she set it down, and emerged out of the tent, pulling gloves on. She looked around, and started walking around the camp. She walked up the hill slowly, the very same one she fell asleep under a few weeks before, to see someone standing there, his back turned to her.

Clara stood there for a second before placing her hand on the figure’s shoulder “Colonel?”

He spun around, grasping Clara’s hand, that was just on his shoulder, trying to look surprised she was there. “Cla…Ms. Edwards, what are you doing here?”

“I’m just out for a walk. And….I was, sort of looking for….some….you” Clara whispered softly. “I wanted to thank you, for….for the book.”

“You got that?

“Yeah….it’s lovely.”

“I’m glad you like it. Wasn’t so sure, you received a few gifts…”

“Yeah, but….this, this is exactly what I wanted. Had thought behind it. You know me.”

“So, books are the perfect way to your heart then? Perfect gift?”

“Yeah it is, well, the only thing that beats it, is a castle. I always wanted a castle, with a moat.” Clara said softly, as Tavington clasped his hand around hers, stepping towards Clara.

“Impressive. Well, I guess I know what to get you next year. Castle with a moat” Tavington said simply, smiling at Clara.

Clara smiled, laughing slightly, as she began to shiver, her breaths, making white puffs of cloud.

“Come, we should get you inside, you’re freezing.”

“No, no, not yet.” Clara said quickly “It’s not midnight! It’s only about ten minutes away”

“What’s at midnight?”

“Every year, my brothers and I would go for a walk just before midnight. We’d stay out until just after it. Most years we’d end up having a snowball fight. But it happened every year. Same time, we would always go for a walk, come back after midnight. Never missed a year. Even the year I had the flu.” Clara explained smiling “I was sixteen, had a really high fever, but Charles and James snuck me out. Bundled me in just about every blanket we had, and stuck me in a sled. Just so I could go. Snowed that year, not heavy, just flakes, it was so beautiful.”

“Alright, we’ll stay for another few minutes, and then I’m taking you someplace warmer.” Tavington exclaimed pulling her close to him, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist, her back was against his chest, she could feel his steady breathing rise and fall from his chest, as she watched the snow falling softly to the ground.

“It’s so beautiful” Clara whispered as she stood there in Tavington’s arms, watching the snow fall to the ground. Tavington looked down at her, smiling, she had a smile on her face, a peaceful calm to her.

“What does ‘W’ stand for?”

“Hmm?”

“In the book, it said from ‘W’”.

“It’s stands for the first letter of name, William”

“William…..” Clara echoed softly “Suits you.”

Tavington smiled as he looked down at Clara, she turned around “Happy Christmas Clara”

“Happy Christmas” Clara replied, as she felt Tavington pull her closer, one hand was in the small of his back, the other was holding her face in his hand.

Clara looked into Tavington’s eyes, desperately waiting for him to finally kiss her, the same sensation swept through her as it did the day by the lake. Her heart was pounding, she was sure Tavington could feel it against his chest. His lips finally touched hers, pulling her into an endless, passionate kiss.

After what seemed like endless moments, they finally pulled apart, but Tavington still held Clara close to him. Clara smiled, staring into his eyes, taking in every moment of what happened. She had an idea, as her smile turned to a sly, playful one.

“What?” Tavington asked playfully

“Nothing…”Clara replied, as she bent down and picked up a handful of snow, throwing it Tavington.

The snow hit him in the chest covering him in icy snow, an odd look of amusement and shock spread across his face. “You know, I wouldn’t start things that you can’t finish if I were you.”

“What makes you think I don’t intend on finishing?” Cara asked about to throw another ball of snow when one hit her. Clara laughed as Tavington chased her around on the hill, him hitting her with twice the amount of snowballs as she could even manage to make. She turned around, as she tried to outsmart Tavington with a bombard of snow balls, when she slipped falling hard on the ground with a loud grunt. She sat on the ground laughing as Tavington came to her.

He knelt beside her, smiling realizing she was okay, he was about to pull her to her feet when he got a face full of snow. She tried to jump to her feet, trying to escape but he pulled her back to him, wrestling her to the ground “You can’t get away from me that easily”

Clara smiled, as Tavington, arms wrapped around her tightly, pulling her close to him, as they fell into another passionate kiss. Again, Clara found herself lost, in the comfort and warmth of it, and surprised the warmth didn’t melt the snow underneath them. They pulled apart, but Tavington still held Clara close. He smiled down at her, brushing a few strands of hair out of her face, noticing she was shivering.

“Let’s get back, before you freeze”

Clara nodded, as Tavington pulled her to her feet. They walked back through the silent camp, Tavington’s hand, resting gently on the small of her back. Clara entered her tent pulling the scarf and gloves off, and brushed the snow out of her hair. She threw them down on the table, turning to see Tavington, standing behind her. Clara stood looking at him for a moment, she raised her hand to brush the snow from his hair, but she thought better of it, and pulled her hand back midway. This wasn’t missed by Tavington, who grabbed her hand, holding it in his.

“Clara, you don’t need to be shy around me”

Clara smiled and nodded, part of her wanted to kiss him more, to get lost in a tangle of passion. But part of her knew this would be reckless and inapposite.

“You’re still shivering” Tavington said as he walked over to her bed and pulled off the large blanket, wrapping it tight around her. Clara smiled, grateful of the warmth she felt around her, as Tavington pulled her to one of the arm chairs, Cornwallis insisted on having on her tent. He sat down, pulling her into his arms, holding her tightly, she rested he head on his shoulder, she sat there, curled up in his arms, for only a few moments, before she fell asleep, her head resting on his shoulder.