Hum, she thought to herself, she and Randall would finally have an opportunity to be alone. Proximity to each other almost daily now without being able to express their love physically had become almost unbearable for both of them. Thinking about it more, Claire suspected her parents understood this when they suggested that she remain at home and oversee the decoration of the estate for the holiday. She was only too happy to agree to this.

The weekend after Thanksgiving, Suzanna and William left for the countryside. Claire thought they would have a wonderful visit. It had been snowing lightly and she could imagine how beautiful the country estate would be with snow outside and fires burning in its huge fireplaces.

***

The second evening after the Bradleys left for the country, Claire and Randall enjoyed a quiet meal, neither of them eating much; then took tea in the sitting room where Claire, Bobbi and Polly had decorated the lovely tree that morning.

The room was beautifully decorated in red and gold with pine swathes on the mantle. The red and gold glass balls mingled with the pine reflected the light of the roaring fire beneath. Red and gold crystals dropped from the tree’s branches and made the light from the fire twinkle all around the room. It might as well have been as drab as a monk’s chamber because neither Claire nor Randall had eyes for anything, but each other.

“Claire,” Randall kissed her and their love for each other drove both of them to the brink. “Claire, I want to make love to you.”

“Yes Randall, yes.” Claire had longed for them to have this privacy.

“Let’s go upstairs,” he said as he lifted her into his arms.

“You’ll kill yourself getting me up that stairway,” Claire giggled in his ears.

“Hum,” he stopped at the bottom of the enormous curving staircase and looked up to the top which seemed a mountainous height from where he stood. “Would you be hurt if I put you down and then started over again at the top,” he looked at her sheepishly.