Page 41 of Easton Island: Old-Fashioned Christmas
“Grandmother recently remodeled the guest rooms. I think she did a great job.”
Naomi stepped over to the bed and lightly pressed down. “It’s not even hard as a rock.”
Morgan laughed out loud. “Do you think Grandmother would give you a room with a hard bed? Don’t answer that.”
“I mean…” The woman wrinkled her nose. “I probably deserve a hard bed, and I certainly don’t deserve Elizabeth’s kindness.”
“No, you don’t. Grandmother can be tough as nails, but she has a generous heart. There’s no way she would let you or anyone else freeze to death. In fact, had you gotten stranded in a snowbank, she probably would have sent Jax out to rescue you.”
“Prissy told me about how you helped her when she sprained her ankle,” Naomi confided. “It left an impression on her. As you know, she wasn’t a fan of the Eastons either.”
“No, she wasn’t.”
Fast steps caught Morgan’s ear. Priscilla peeked around the corner. “I thought I heard your voice. What are you doing here?”
“I wasn’t able to make it to the airport. I saw Morgan’s SUV at Looking Glass Cottage and stopped to ask if she had an extra room at Locke Pointe.”
“I don’t have power either. Naomi had nowhere to go, so I called Grandmother to ask her if she had an extra room.”
Her jaw dropped. “Elizabeth knows you’re here?”
“She does. I chatted with her downstairs. She put me in this room to be next to you.”
Prissy plopped down on the edge of the bed. “You had better not start causing trouble. You’ll get both of us kicked out.”
Morgan turned away, covering her mouth to hide her smile. The irony…had someone told her six months ago Priscilla Finkpin and Naomi Renaud would be sitting on the bed in one of Easton Estate’s guest rooms, she would have laughed in their faces.
Yet fate had once again stepped in and intervened in a most unusual way.
“Dinner is at seven on the dot. Mrs. Arnsby is whipping up a Christmas Eve feast, so don’t be late. Easton Estate has a dress code. No jeans, T-shirts, hats or casual wear are allowed at the dinner table.”
“Got it.” Prissy gave her a thumbs up. “I brought a dressy dress. This might be the only time I’m ever invited for dinner, so I’ll be minding my p’s and q’s.”
“Unfortunately, I didn’t plan on a formal dinner,” Naomi said. “I might have to eat in the kitchen.”
Prissy’s eyes flitted from Naomi’s head to her toes. “I brought a couple of extra dresses. You’re thinner than I am, but I think one will do in a pinch.”
“I’ll let you settle in. Remember…seven sharp.” Morgan slipped out of the room and headed down the hall toward her grandmother’s apartment.
Elizabeth had hit the nail on the head. Christmas Eve at Easton Estate was shaping up to be one of the most interesting holiday gatherings Morgan could ever remember.
Chapter 18
“I’m stuffed.” Morgan leaned back in her chair and patted her stomach. In celebration of the holiday, she’d splurged and sampled every single dish Mrs. Arnsby and her culinary staff had set before them—roasted turkey, carved ham, mashed potatoes with gravy, stuffing, sweet potato pie, green bean casserole and made-from-scratch dinner rolls.
As soon as the dinner dishes were cleared, a server made his rounds, refilling glasses with eggnog and sparkling water. When everyone had a full glass, Elizabeth lifted hers. “A toast to a warm home, delicious food and good company.”
Gerard and the guests raised their glasses. “Here. Here. Merry Christmas, everyone.”
“Merry Christmas,” a murmur of echoes replied.
“Jane.” Elizabeth reached out to stop the cook, who was darting back and forth from the table to the sidebar. “Please have a seat.”
“I was making sure the desserts were ready.” The cook reluctantly perched on the edge of her chair, sandwiched in between Jax and Ben.
Elizabeth cleared her throat. “As is the Easton family tradition, each of us will share one thing we’re thankful for. I’ll start. I’m thankful for each and every one of you, including our new guests, Jeff and Tristan.”
Gerard grasped his wife’s hand, his eyes shining with love. “I’m grateful to have my first Christmas with my beautiful bride. I love you with all my heart.”
