Christmas was only two days away and Vicki was really looking forward to it. With Flo and Bob, she was spending the holiday at the school. There was going to be a huge gathering, including the Mantons, Harmonds and the boys, now numbering twelve. Charles was in his element planning everything. He had chopped down a large tree on his estate, and it was standing in the corner of the school dining room, brightly decorated, with parcels heaped beneath it. All the food was coming from his farms. He was thoroughly enjoying himself, determined that the school and the boys had a Christmas to remember.
Over the last few weeks, Vicki had gone down there as often as she could, anxious to see how Bill was coping and what he was going to do now he had his memory back. She knew Harry had been worried in case he decided to return to his teaching post at Harrow, but, to everyone’s relief, Bill had just told them that he was where he wanted to be. Harry was elated. He now had two men capable of taking over the school in the future.
‘How are we going to carry all this?’ Flo exclaimed when she saw the piles of luggage they wanted to take with them.
‘Edward’s thought of that,’ Bob told her. ‘He’s bringing the bus for us tomorrow.’
‘Oh, thank goodness for that. It means I can pop out and get a few more presents.’
‘Tie her down, Vicki!’ he laughed. ‘We’ve already got enough.’
‘Not if the bus is coming for us.’ Vicki laced her arm through Flo’s. ‘Let’s go shopping.’
On Christmas day, the tables had been arranged in a square, and Charles had engaged a top chef and his staff to do all the cooking, leaving Pearl free to join in the fun. The pile of presents around the tree was enormous, and they would be opened after lunch, but all the boys had woken up to find big stockings at the end of their beds. This had caused great excitement as none of them had ever experienced anything like this before.
During lunch, crackers were pulled and paper hats worn, causing much laughter. Once the tables were cleared, it was time to hand out the presents. Charles and Harry took charge of this. The children were given theirs first, and each child had a great many. Everyone had bought presents for them, and all the boys were wide-eyed with joy at the number of parcels they had to open. Soon the floor was littered with wrapping paper and boxes as the presents were ripped open. The noise was deafening with squeals of delight.
Vicki knew exactly what they were feeling because she had come from the same sort of home as these youngsters, where there had never been presents or any Christmas celebrations.
By the time the presents had all been handed round, Vicki, like everyone else, had a lot of parcels in front of her. She was about to start opening them when Bill came and sat beside her.
‘Thank you for the books by Shakespeare and Dickens, Vicki. I shall enjoy reading them.’
‘Are they what you like?’ she asked, feeling sure he had already read these books. ‘I didn’t know what to get, but you did tell me you liked reading.’
‘They are perfect. I am going to start putting together a library of my own, and these will be a lovely start to the collection.’
She smiled with relief and watched as he pulled a brightly wrapped present from his pocket.
‘This is an extra little present from me. Happy Christmas, Vicki.’ He kissed her on the cheek and put the package in her hands.
She opened it and gasped when she saw the leather-bound book she had treasured so much. ‘Oh, Bill, I can’t accept this. It’s yours and must mean a lot to you.’
‘I want you to have it as a reminder of our first meeting. I don’t know where I would be today if you hadn’t been determined to find me. You have given me my life back, and so much more.’ He gazed around the room full of happy people. ‘This is beyond price.’
‘Bill, I don’t know what to say?’ her eyes misted over.
‘“Thank you, Bill” will do nicely.’
She smiled. ‘Thank you, Bill; I will treasure the little book on English grammar.’
‘Mr Bill!’ Jack ran towards them, his face glowing, quickly followed by Dave and Alfie. The three had become firm friends. ‘We’ve got trains! Can you show us how they work, please?’
He stood up, smiled at Vicki, and then turned his attention to the boys. ‘We’ll have to clear a space on the floor first.’
Vicki watched the excitement going on all around her. She had never seen Charles so happy. Flo and Bob were laughing with the Harmonds and Bill’s parents. Peter and John were crawling around the floor with a couple of the younger boys. The presents in front of her remained unopened as she took in the scene. All this had come about because two men had helped her. The school would continue to give some youngsters a chance of a better life.
And that wasn’t all. Charles had never mentioned any family, but he wasn’t alone any more, and Bill was no longer drifting, not knowing who he was. Like her, they were now happy and part of a huge family – her family. They had reached out to her, and the thought that their kindness had been rewarded made her so happy. Her affectionate gaze went from Charles to Bill.
The blessings had started with two strangers and had rippled out to touch so many lives.