Amie Bernstein; Chapter 15

 

Amie Bernstein; Chapter 15

© 2022 by Amber Wright

NEW YEAR, 1902

Date: Winter 1901

Place: London, England

The 12 days of Christmas passed beautifully, each day filled with love, life and laughter—along with plenty of food. On Thursday came New Year’s Eve. The December sky was lit with millions of stars once again and the air was cold and crisp. Just perfect for an end of a year, crisply finished and ready to begin the new year. Tomorrow, 1902.

The sleigh taking the Bernsteins was ringing merrily with bells as they rode under the moonlight on that last night of 1901. Their voices bubbled amidst the bells, laughter filling the air with a certain holiday sparkle. They arrived at the white-pillared church, half-frozen and eagerly rushing into the warmth of the vestibule.

“Br-r—I’m frozen! Well, almost.” Amie whispered between her mitts as she stood there shivering. Gad began helping her out of her coat. “Do I have to?” her teeth chattered.

“You’ll soon be warm and glad you left your coat here,” Gad smiled as she shrugged out of her coat, “instead of burning up on the pew.” He winked.

“Thank you.” Amie then followed everyone to their seats. Kitt grabbed her sleeve, and she glanced back at him with a stern frown.

“I’m freezing.” Kitt glanced wildly at the coatroom with a bewildered face.

“Like Oncle Gad said,” Amie whispered back to him. “You’ll soon be warm and glad you left your coat. Just cross your arms once we sit down. That’ll help.” She smiled.

Kitt nodded. The New Year’s Eve service began.



New Year’s Day, 1902 dawned.

The day began with the sun shining brightly and the air a cold, biting nip. The walls rang with voices, Christmas music from the living room and the servants rushing to and fro preparing for the day's events. There was to be a big breakfast first. The Flemings were already there, Mrs. Flemings eying Amie through her eyeglass with a little smile. Amie flashed her a silly grin back.

Finally, it was time to eat and fill her growling stomach.

Amie was eating breakfast when she realized outside looked a little less white. “What’s happened?” she pointed with her fork and scrambled egg dropped onto her lap.

“You dropped your food, that’s what’s happened.” Kitt’s eyes were dancing.

Amie shot him a scowl and scooped up the eggs with her napkin. She asked again, “What’s happened? I hear a little drip-drip and everything’s looking…” She paused, debating which word to use.

“A little more eggy!” Kitt teased as he clapped his fist over her head. “Don’t you feel it all dripping down your face and glooping up your nice beautiful blue sweater?”

Amie gave Kitt a hard stare, then smiled sweetly. “Today’s New Year so I shall not let you upset me. Besides, today is a time to try to be better.”

“You say that every year,” put in Noah, Oncle Aaron’s son, from across the table with a grin.

“Well, this year I mean it!” Amie said with emphasis, closing her eyes briefly. She snapped into a merry grin. “At least I don’t say, This year I’m going to be even worse.”

“Good girl.” Gad winked down at her and put his arm around her shoulder. “We can never improve ourselves too much, can we? I say, every day…” He smiled, tilting one eyebrow up.

“Make a difference!” Kitt suggested, looking hopeful.

“Right.” Gad turned his eyes to the dining room window. “I say, let’s finish up and take another ride before the snow melts off, shall we?”

“Snow, melting?” Amie stuffed her mouth and frantically swallowed. Her white Christmas wonderland was evaporating already! She had to have just one more sleigh ride. Just one more…on the first day of the New Year. “I’m ready.” She wiped her mouth with her napkin and rushed to get her wraps.

“Al-right.” Gad sang out as he shook the fur lap robe over them and started out of the drive. “How about taking the lines, Amie. Want to?”

“I’d rather not.” Amie said flatly. “I’d rather chatter. And I can’t chatter and drive at the same time, can I?”

“No, because you have too many important things on your mind, hmm?”

“Precisely.”

“Like what?” Kitt kept his arms tightly folded, just as she had told him to do last night to stay warm.

“I wonder when the war will end and just things like that. Don’t you ever think important things like that?”

“I’d rather not.” Kitt pulled his gray wool slogger to his eyes, slouching down a bit.

“Say,” Amie began brightly and looked at Kitt with dancing eyes.

Kitt suddenly sat up and grinned, “Yes! The graveyard. Let’s go back to find our good holiday spirit we left behind, oui?”

“Oui, let’s!” Amie bounced in her seat under the lap robe.

“Good holiday spirit, hmm?” Gad gave them each a frown. “Explain, s’il vous plait?”

“Well, it all hap—” Amie began.

Kitt cut her off short, “Amie and I were investigating and heard this creepy howl coming from the graveyard.”

“But we don’t know for sure yet that it’s a real spirit or not,” Amie cut in.

“But it might be.” Kitt’s brown eyes were large and starry, mystery written all over them.

“And Kitt got really scared,” Amie had to add with a little smile.

Kitt immediately looked the other way, upset, arms crossed more tightly than ever. Amie mentally kicked herself, knowing she'd hurt Kitt's feelings. She did not know what to say next.

Gad noticed Kitt's injured air so he said casually, “Alright, we’ll go to the graveyard to explore. But don’t start crying, Amie, when you find your little holiday spirit is just an old tramp.”

Amie giggled then, understanding and feeling relieved. She turned to Kitt. “We both got scared, didn’t we? I almost swallowed my tongue,” she added importantly.

Kitt stared at her and a grin surfaced his frowning, injured-looking face. Gad laughed and shook the reins. They began trotting off towards the old graveyard to explore.

How fun! Amie thought as they flew along over the still-snowy streets. What a way to begin a new year—exploring—just like Sherlock Holmes would do! Fantastic! She glanced up at the beautifully deep blue sky and wondered what other fantastic happenings would happen in this New Year, 1902.

French/English translation:

Oncle…………………… Uncle

oui……………………… yes

s’il vous plait…………… please