A Christmas Spark (Hudson House Holiday #2)

Chapter Six

O n silent feet, Dori approached the kitchen and listened to the clink of pots on the stove blending with the hum of voices talking while the women worked.

Slowly, she edged around the doorway and managed to take three photos of Dulcie and her kitchen staff before she was spied.

“What are you doing?” Dulcie asked, hands going up to her hair as though she needed to make sure she was presentable.

“Just taking photos. Pretend I’m not here.”

Dulcie gave her a dubious look, but turned back to the stove where she stirred a bubbling pot.

Dori moved into the kitchen and took photos of Dulcie at the stove and of the girls at the worktable chopping vegetables. Everyone looked stiff, unnatural.

“Did you hear Mavis singing her latest Christmas carol?” Dori asked.

“Deck the walls with balls and dollies,” two of the kitchen girls sang before they all laughed.

Dori took several photos, snatched a piece of divinity candy from a tray on the counter, and wandered downstairs where Mavis was more than happy to pose for photos as well as sing a few carols.

When Vera wiped her hands on her apron, Dori knew she wanted a photo of the mother and daughter, who looked so much alike, together.

“Vera, might I impose on you to allow me to take a few photographs of you and Mavis?” Dori asked, already posing the woman and child in her mind.

“I don’t know, Miss Stanford. Don’t I need to comb my hair, put on a clean dress?” Vera asked, glancing down at her soap-and-water-splotched apron.

“Just take off your apron.” Dori held her hand out to Mavis who eagerly clasped it with her own tiny fingers. She retrieved a chair that had been pushed into a corner and positioned it so the light coming in through the semi-circle windows would fall onto Vera. “Have a seat.”

Once Vera settled onto the chair, Dori made a few adjustments to the woman’s hair, smoothed her collar, then had Mavis stand on a box of soap with her hands placed on her mother’s shoulder.

“Now tilt your heads toward each other.” Dori was thrilled with the pose and the tenderness on Vera’s face. She took several photos, then had Mavis move onto her mother’s lap.

When the little girl spontaneously threw her arms around Vera’s neck, Dori captured the image.

After taking a few more photographs, she nodded at Vera. “Thank you for accommodating my request.”

“Of course, Miss Stanford.” Vera rose and set Mavis on her feet.

Dori bent down until she was on eye level with the little girl. “You keep singing, Mavis. Your songs have brought us all so much Christmas cheer.”

“I will, Miss Stanford.” When the child gave her a hug, Dori hugged her back, enthralled with the feeling of the little one in her arms.

Although she was young and in no rush to wed or become a mother, she hoped one day to have a little girl like Mavis who sang silly lyrics to songs and brightened the world around her with her giggles.

When Dori thought about the man who would be her husband and a father to their children, she’d always thought in vague terms of a good, kind person with an open, caring heart.

Now, though, since spending the past weeks at Hudson House with Kase, his was the face that popped into her thoughts, leaving her unsettled and contemplative. What would a future with him look like? Would he continue on the path to healing he’d been on in recent days, or would he detour back to living in a hard shell of loneliness that cut him off from everyone who loved him?

Dori didn’t know if it was the holiday season or something else that inspired the changes evident in Kase. She couldn’t help but hope her presence and the wonderful moments the two of them had shared had something to do with his change in attitude.

Full of questions to which she had no answers, Dori wandered through the expansive house, taking photos of the people working there, the rooms decorated for the holidays, and the outstanding architecture that was so much a reflection of Brant Hudson.

One evening, when they had gathered in the sitting room after dinner, Sarah had mentioned her father had designed the house. Dori had been surprised to learn he was the one who’d penciled out the details for each and every room.

They had then all gone to the library where Brant had retrieved a large bound book that held the house designs, letters from the architect, and even sketches and watercolor paintings of rooms in the house as well as the exterior. Dori had studied the designs, then taken a few photos of the family looking at them.

She loved the library, with its two stories full of books and the massive fireplace that made the room feel so warm and inviting on a cold winter’s day.

With her camera in hand, she went there now, hoping to catch Brant at work, but the room was empty. She took several photos from the main floor, then climbed up the spiral stairs to take more from the elevated view.

From there, she wandered along the second floor taking photos of the décor in the hallway as well as rooms she knew weren’t occupied, and even her own guest suite filled with the holiday decorations she’d brought with her.

On a whim, she went up to the third floor and all the way to the attic. The first few years after Brant and Holland had wed, the annual Christmas Ball was held there, but the space was eventually needed for storage, and some of the older community members who attended had a hard time navigating all the steps. The ball had been moved to the carriage house in the stable complex and the date changed to New Year’s Eve.

Dori looked forward to experiencing the ball that had grown into an all-day event. On New Year’s Eve morning, anyone who wished was invited to join the family in decorating the carriage house. Of course, most of the decorations were completed ahead of time, but the finishing touches were added in an atmosphere of friendship and anticipation, or so Sarah had told her. A simple lunch of soup, bread, and cookies was provided, then those who could went sledding and ice skating. The ball started with a dinner at six, followed by dancing and festivities that ended when the clock struck midnight.

She and Sarah had purchased their outfits in San Francisco. Dori just hoped they wouldn’t freeze. Sarah had talked her into dressing like a flapper with a sleeveless dress, a headband accented with a single plume, and satin elbow-length gloves, plus they planned to wear plenty of glittery jewelry.

Dori wondered if Kase would attend the ball. She’d heard he stayed in his room last year and refused to come out. Perhaps this year would be different. Part of her had hoped he’d ask her to attend with him, but she didn’t think it would happen.

Besides, what good would it do to explore the attraction she felt to him, to acknowledge the sparks she could almost see when they were together? She’d be leaving soon, and he had no interest in being anywhere but at Hudson House.

Even so, she’d thought a hundred times of the kiss he’d almost given her the other day in the dining room before Sarah had interrupted them. Dori’s lips tingled just thinking of how much she’d wanted Kase to kiss her. How often she’d wanted to kiss him.

Dori stepped over to one of the attic windows and gazed out at the snowy landscape that looked like something from one of the Currier & Ives paintings her mother had so loved. From the lofty view, she could see the steeple of the Hudson Estate chapel in the distance. She looked down and saw children building a snowman by the stables. She walked to the other end of the attic and observed the winding road to Silver Bluff that was especially beautiful in the spring and early summer when the wildflowers were blooming. She noticed the conservatory and decided to go there. She hadn’t spent any time inside it and wanted to take photographs of the strange and exotic blooms.

Returning to her room, she bundled up against the cold, tucked additional film into her pocket, and rushed down the back steps and outside.

The air was colder than she’d expected. It bit at her cheeks and nose as she hurried down the slope to the conservatory. When she pulled open the door, warm air engulfed her, and she released a breath of relief. After hanging her coat and scarf on one of the hooks by the door, she explored the conservatory. She hadn’t remembered it from her previous trips, so Sarah must not have brought her there.

Dori took photographs of delicate orchids, sturdy cacti, and lush poinsettias. She was surprised all the poinsettias hadn’t been hauled into Hudson House, since an abundance of them decorated the home. She stopped to capture the image of a flower that looked like a red ball of fluff. She had no idea what it was named nor where it originated from. She studied the tiger-striped leaves of a huge green plant, then looked up to discover a banana tree growing overhead.

Amazed by the variety of plants she encountered, she started back toward the entry, pausing to admire the vegetables growing in an elevated bed. She snitched a few cherry tomatoes which were sweet and ripe.

“Delicious,” Dori muttered, then popped a few ripe raspberries into her mouth.

She returned to the entry area of the conservatory where a raised lily pond about six feet in circumference was encircled by a number of tropical trees and plants. In the midst of the greens, someone had set up two reindeer fashioned from grapevines.

Delighted to have spied the reindeer, Dori took a few photos, then moved around to get a better view from the vantage point of the entry door.

Cold air swept across her neck and down her back when the door opened and quietly shut.

“I’ll be out of the way in a moment,” she said without looking to see who had arrived.

“Take your time,” said a deep familiar voice.

Dori spun around to see Kase leaning against the door watching her.

“Hi. What made you brave the cold to come out here?” she asked, then turned back to take a few more photographs because her suddenly nervous hands needed something to do.

“You, Dori Stanford. You are the reason I limped all the way down the slope. I wanted to see you.”

“You did? Why?” She turned back around to face him.

Kase looked so handsome with his mussed brown hair, his blue eyes appearing to glow, and his mouth lifted in a hint of a smile. His coat had sawdust on the front and a smear of white paint on the sleeve. She wondered what extraordinary creations he was making in his workshop, but she hadn’t gone to find out for herself. She feared if she found herself in close proximity to him, she might do or say something to reveal her growing feelings for him, and that would never do.

“I’ve been thinking about the kiss that would have happened the other day if Sarah’s timing hadn’t been so tragically awful.” Kase grinned at her as he closed the distance between them. “I like you, Dori. I care about you. When I see you smile, it brings joy to my heart. And if I’m being completely honest, you fascinate me.”

“I do?” she whispered, taking a step closer to him only to have her camera bump into him. She set it on the bench by the door, then returned to where Kase stood in front of the lily pond.

He took her hands in his, kissing her fingers before his arms slid around her waist. “Would you think me a terrible scoundrel if I stole a kiss from you?”

“It’s not stealing if I give you permission, Kase.”

“Oh, I see.” He grinned as his head lowered toward hers. He hovered just above her mouth, his breath warm and minty on her face.

One second of agonized anticipation turned into two. She opened her eyes and looked up to find him studying her with hooded eyes.

“Well?” he asked.

Dori swallowed and tried to find a functioning brain cell capable of deciphering what he was asking. She finally realized he was waiting for her consent. “Permission granted,” she murmured.

His lips touched hers tenderly, reverently at first. His mouth was warm and far softer than she’d imagined. She felt a tremor roll through her when Kase lifted her off her feet, holding her close as the kiss deepened and the passion they’d held in careful check ignited.

Dori realized three important things in that moment. The first was that Kase Hudson was a powerful, masterful kisser. The second was that she loved him so much, it was going to rip her heart to shreds when she left in a few weeks. The third was Kase’s arms felt like home—like the one place in all the world where she’d always belong.

Another toe-curling kiss, and nothing existed beyond this beautiful moment with Kase. She could have stayed right there in the conservatory kissing him until every snowflake outside had given way to spring blossoms, but it wasn’t meant to be. The sound of voices penetrated the cloud of yearning hovering over them. Kase lifted his head, set her on her feet, and brushed a finger over her just-kissed lips.

He grabbed her hat and coat from the hooks by the door and helped her put them on just as the door opened and his aunt Savannah walked inside with the head gardener.

“Oh, hello. What are you two doing here?” Savannah asked.

“Taking photos,” Kase said, handing Dori her camera and nudging her toward the door. “Are you working on party plans?”

“We sure are. There’s much to be done before the luncheon on Christmas Eve for all the estate staff, and the rest of the Christmas festivities. Then we’ll have to get busy with plans for the New Year’s Eve festivities,” Savannah said, stepping forward with a paper tablet in one hand and a pen in the other. “It appears you two have been having … fun.”

“Yes, we have!” Kase cupped Dori’s elbow and propelled her out the door. Outside, as they made their way toward the house, Dori started to laugh, and Kase joined her.

“I don’t think we fooled your aunt or the gardener.” Dori glanced at Kase and started laughing all over again.

“I agree, but Aunt Savannah isn’t a jabberer.”

Dori smiled at him as he held open a side door for her. “Your aunts and uncles are marvelous, Kase. You’re quite fortunate to have such a large and loving extended family.”

He nodded and helped her remove her coat, which she draped over her arm. Together they walked down a hallway, turned into another, and headed to the kitchen.

“I am fortunate, Dori, and blessed, to have so many people in my life who care about me, who put up with me when I’ve been at my worst, and encourage me, like you’ve done since you’ve been here. If I haven’t mentioned it, I appreciate the thought-provoking words you slide beneath my door each morning.”

Dori had wondered if he’d read the notes she’d left for him. Her father used to do something similar for her when she was struggling, and she thought a few words that inspired Kase might be helpful. It made her rejoice to know he’d not only read the words, but appreciated them.

“My dad used to leave notes like that for me sometimes. I always looked forward to receiving them. They gave me hope and often made me realize my problems were small compared to others.”

“I’m truly and sincerely sorry about the loss of your parents, Dori. It had to be unbearable to lose them both at the same time, with only your grandparents, whom you barely knew, to offer comfort.” Kase stopped in the hallway and brushed his thumb across her cheek. “You’re a strong, incredible person, Dorthea Stanford. One I’m most pleased to know and quite humbled to call my friend.”

“I’m grateful to be your friend, Kase.” She continued toward the kitchen, trying not to show how much it had affected her to hear him call her Dorthea. She’d always been Dori, even if Dorthea was her given name. No one called her that, but the sound of it on Kase’s lips caused a ripple of pleasure to glide through her.

Kase tugged on her sleeve just before they got to the kitchen, held his finger to his lips, and pointed to the camera she still carried. She nodded in understanding, handed him her coat, and listened for just a moment as a man hummed what sounded like a waltz tune. Slowly, quietly, she stepped into the doorway and took photos of Denver waltzing Dulcie around the kitchen. When he spun her around, Dulcie gasped, noticing Dori there with Kase behind her.

“Can’t a man get a little C and K without being interrupted?” Denver asked with a good-natured grin. He tugged Dulcie back into his arms and kissed her square on the mouth, winked at his red-faced wife, and snagged a handful of cookies from the jar on the table before he strode past Kase and Dori and out the door.

“Hey, Uncle Denver. Wait up!” Kase handed Dori her coat and hurried after the man while Dulcie fanned her apron in front of her face, clearly embarrassed.

“What is C and K, Dulcie?” Dori asked as she set her coat and camera on a chair, then washed her hands and helped herself to a cup of coffee and a shortbread cookie.

The woman’s face turned an even darker shade of red. “Denver calls it his ‘daily cookies and kisses break.’”

Dori grinned. “That is completely endearing. Does he come every afternoon to get a handful of each?”

Dulcie nodded. “Most of the time, if he’s near the house. You must think we’re ridiculous.”

“Not at all. It is delightful and heartening to see couples so much in love years and years after they wed. It gives those around them hope they too might have a happily ever after.”

“Oh,” Dulcie said, pouring a cup of coffee and sinking into the chair beside her. “I hadn’t thought of it like that.” Dulcie took a sip of the coffee, then gave Dori a sly look. “It appears to me you and Kase might be thinking about your own C and K break.”

It was Dori’s turn to blush, which she tried to hide behind her cup of coffee.

Dulcie laughed. “Oh, honey, it’s not a secret Kase is crazy about you. We’re all just so relieved to see him returning to the land of the living. His body might have come back from the war, but our Kase has been absent for a long time. Since you’ve been here, he’s getting to be more and more like himself. We’re all so thankful for that. Whatever you’re doing to help him out of the darkness into the light, keep doing it, Dori.”

“I don’t know that I’ve done anything, other than try to encourage him.” Dori told Dulcie about the notes she was leaving for Kase each morning and the interesting talks they’d had. While Kase never mentioned anything about his time in France, Dori could feel him edging closer to opening up those painful memories to share. She was sure if he did, he’d be able to let go of the burden of carrying them alone.

Dulcie looked like she was about to say more, but the other kitchen staff hurried into the room, their arms full of vegetables and canned fruit. The cook stood, but she cupped Dori’s chin and smiled at her. “Keep being the sweet girl you are, Dori. It’s the light and warmth in you that sparks the love in others.”

“Thank you,” Dori managed to say around the sudden lump of emotion that lodged in her throat.

She took the last swallow of her coffee, set the cup in the sink, then turned to Dulcie. “You and Denver should most certainly continue his daily C and K breaks.”

Dulcie’s face turned red again, but she laughed and made a shooing motion with the dish towel she snatched off the counter and fluttered in Dori’s direction.

Amused and happy, Dori headed for her makeshift darkroom Brant had been kind enough to set up and equip with everything needed to develop film and print photographs. Hours later, a tap at the door let her know it was time for dinner.

Dori raced to her room to quickly change and comb her hair, then practically ran down the stairs, eager to see Kase again. When she breezed into the breakfast room and saw him laughing at something Sarah said, Dulcie’s words sprang back to mind.

Could Dori share enough light and warmth with Kase that it would spark love in his heart?