The next morning was Christmas. We woke up to Mister Kupka's cheery voice instead of the usual gongs.

"Merry Christmas! Today Otis prepared a special breakfast so hurry down and eat it before it gets cold!"

"Yes!" Even Beth jumped out of her bed and got dressed fast.

When we were all done, we all gathered our gifts for each other, now wrapped and tied up, and went down to the kitchen. The smell of eggs, milk, cookies, and even gingerbread danced around the servants' dining hall. We talked as we ate, giddy for our gifts. After we finish breakfast, the tables were cleared and we began giving our gifts to each other.

The valets had the same idea as us, and gave each each other small trinkets or chipped in for a big and fancy gift. Mister Kupka received a journal, quill pens, fountain pens, and a fancy inkstone. Matheus got new suspenders, Rudy a chain for his pocket-watch, Phillip a new hat, Holden lots of different tea, Otis a new recipe book, and Harper some picture frames.

"Now time for our gifts," Clo said, and we scurried to hand each other the according gifts. "Who wants to open their's first?"

"Oldest goes first!" Beth shouted, obviously because she's the youngest. Clo only sighed.

"Fine, fine." She tugged at the brown wrapping that Rhiannon used. Inside there was a choker with a beautiful black stone in the middle. "Holy moly!"

"It's not a real jewel," Rhiannon said, "only an onyx, so I haggled the price down until I could buy it for a cheap price."

"It's a very nice onyx," Holden says, nodding his head in approval.

"Rhiannon haggles? I can't believe it," Beth teased.

"Thank you," Clo said, and smiled softly at Rhiannon. Rhiannon's ears grew red.

"Open mine next, Clo!" Beth begged. Obediently Clo opened the next one, which was in bright pink wrapping paper with a ribbon, but handed the ribbon back to Beth. Then she took apart the wrapping and inside was the hair iron.

"Irons cost a fortune!" Otis said and gaped at Beth. We followed.

"Are you sure?" Clo asked. Beth nodded.

"I don't curl my hair, and you looked beautiful yesterday. You can even try straightening it."

"I'll teach you," Rhiannon added. Clo blushed and thanked them. Then she opened my gift, and smiled. "Scented soap! I've never used any." I felt all warm inside at my first time gift-giving.

"I know it's much plainer than what Beth and Rhiannon brought you, but I hope you enjoy it."

"Of course I will!"

Clo stood up and gave us all hugs. Then we moved on to me, as my birthday was before Rhiannon's and we were the same age.

The first present, which was in a paper bag, was Clo's, and although I knew it was fabric, I feigned surprise at it, but the fabric she chose did indeed surprise me. It was of a satiny texture, pale grey with a hint of blue when you turned it under the light, obviously expensive.

"Oh my! It's beautiful!" Beth gasped.

"I love it! It'll look beautiful with some embroidery!" I hugged it to my chest and she smiled bashfully.

Next I opened Rhiannon's gift. It was face cream, in a circular tin with little flowers on the outside.

"You had a bruise on your face last month," she said, "so take care of your skin."

"Thank you," I said, trying to laugh it off, but I was pleased with the gift. It was the first cosmetic I'd ever owned. Next I opened Beth's once again extravagantly wrapped gift, and unwrapped it to see a dazzling nightgown, crisp and fresh.

"This—" I looked at Beth, who grinned.

"I noticed how worn your nightgown was."

It was true. I had worn the same one I'd been wearing since I was at the orphanage, and it had frayed and been stitched back several times at the seams. How embarrassing. And yet I was so happy Beth noticed.

"But it must be awfully expensive!"

"It's not!" Beth waved her hand. "Accept it, please. And decorate it with some lace." I nodded. I finally found something to use the lace I brought. 

Then it was Rhiannon's turn. She opened Clo's first, which was a book—an empty one.

"Write stories in it," she said, "and publish a book some day."

"Is that her dream?" Rudy asked. Matheus smiled.

"That's a great dream!"

"I'm never telling you anything again," Rhiannon said, her cheeks flushed. We laughed at how adorable she was. Then she opened Beth's gift. It was a string of pearls. We gasped at the glow.

"Since none of you have your ears pierced," Beth said, "I chose this. It's not real, but pretty, isn't it? White suits you, Rhiannon." She thanked her and then moved on to the last one. When she saw the comb I got her, her jaw dropped open.

"I saw this, but it costed a lot."

"It's fine," I assured her. "Next time you put your hair up you can wear this on your hair. The lilies would look nice with the pearls Beth got you!"

"It's really beautiful," Clo agreed.

"And lilies do suit her," Beth added.

Finally we moved on to Beth. She opened her first present, from Rhiannon, which was a little bear of fabric.

"Aw! How charming!"

"I should've got a trumpet to wake you up with," she mumbled, but Beth only giggled.

"Thank you for not getting one." Then she opened Clo's gift, which was a silvery handheld mirror. "Oh, a mirror!"

"Because you hog the mirror," Clo said.

"It's adorable!" Beth turned it to the back, where there were engraving of roses. "I'm surprised you have such good eyes!"

"Excuse me?"

Still laughing her airy laugh, Beth opened the biggest gift that was my bonnet. When she saw it, her eyes lit up, and she jumped up.

"Oh heavens! Everyone, come and look at this!"

Everyone looked, even Phillips peered over his newspaper, and then they all began talking.

"You made this?"

"It's mighty beautiful! These are daisies, aren't they?"

"Yes, Beth mentioned they were her favorite flowers."

"How adorable!"

"You are really skillful!"

I flushed at the attention. Then Beth combed down her hair hastily with her fingers, placed the bonnet over her head, and tied the ribbon under her chin.

"How do I look?"

"Adorable!"

"Let me see!" She held the mirror to her face and turned this way and that.

"You're so vain," Clo teased, but we were all laughing and festive.

"Today is the best Christmas I've ever had!" Beth fell down into her seat, and then untied her bonnet. "No, the best day!"

"You always say that," Rhiannon pointed out.

"It's true, though," she said, untying the bonnet and carefully placing it on the wrapping-paper. "Ever since I came here, life has became an adventure. And it's so—so refreshing."

"Then let me serve some more biscuits and tea," Otis said. "Since we don't have work the entire day, let's clear the table, bring out the cards and play some games!"

"Yessir!"

After we gathered our gifts and placed them safely in our rooms and returned, we spotted off into different groups. Harper and Clo were gone somewhere again, Beth playing cards, and Rudy gestured first me to go to the hall, as the servants' dining hall was occupied. I followed.

"Merry Christmas, Shuyan," he said, smiling. "Thank you for chipping in for my gift, next year I promise I'll get you something."

"No, it's fine," I said. "Besides, is anything the matter?"

"It's a good thing," he said, smile growing wider. "Yesterday at the party I found out Mister Silas invited everyone who had initials of R.M., and there were three with potential."

"Oh, pray tell!"

"Here," he reached into his pocket, dug out a folded piece of paper and pressed it into my hands. "There's a man named Ralph Manning, a small shopkeeper much like Thompson, and a Robin Morris, the pen-name of a small magazine writer, which added to the mystery, and a minor noble from Wales, Raleigh Maccormack."

"This is wonderful," I breathed. "Today really is a magical day. Wait—have you told Master Tobias yet?"

"Yes. He wants to visit each of them personally with you, though. I think he has finally learned to rely on us." He smiled. "Master Eugene wasn't the only one who changed, and I am glad for that."

***

The days after the holiday passed by fast again. Before we knew it, it was New Years', and a portion of the staff had went home for the holidays. For example, Mister Kupka and Clo.

Without Clo we felt different, there was less arguments and her familiar sass. On one side I had the overactive and happy Beth, and on the other side the solemn Rhiannon who had reverted back to her old self after the Christmas tree was tossed out and the front hall cleaned up again.

Our dresses were hidden from sight, as were our Christmas gifts as few of them were practical for normal use. We realized during that time the valets were much more experienced in buying gifts that would actually be used.

During the time Mister Kupka and Clo was gone, Phillips took over as head butler and Rhiannon took over for the kids' room as well as Silas, so now we each had two rooms.

One day in the hallway I saw Rhiannon nearly bump into the smallest child, Olive.

Olive stared at her with his big blue eyes, curious and a bit confused.

He was eight, but had the stature of a six or five year-old, and seemed timid despite the curiosity.

"Good morning, Master Olive," Rhiannon said to him.

I couldn't believe what I just heard.

Rhiannon, who was always a stickler for following rules was suddenly talking to a Beardsley? More so, there was a smile on her face, which was strange.

It was a soft one, the one I saw that day in the carriage after we finished shopping in the department store, with the moonlight shining on her. She looked motherly. Like the mother I never had.

"Hello," Olive said, and then he pointed to her hair. "You're a 'rapunzel'!" I frowned at what I heard before Rhiannon chuckled softly to herself.

"Yes I am, Master Olive. Now run along, or else you'll get forgotten." She turned to where Elias was watching them. Elias immediately turned his head, pretending to not see, and then Olive ran after him and clung to him. Despite not being brothers, they shared a brotherly bond that some of the real blood brothers of the Beardsley didn't even have.

When Rhiannon turned around to walk down the staircase, I too pretended to have not seen and gave her a small smile before entering Eugene's room. He was inside, looking at the rain outside the window. He liked the rain, apparently.

"Hello, Shuyan," he said. Ever since after the holidays we've been meeting about every other day, whether it was in the morning or taking care of his pets, particularly Snow-White, and occasionally he'd show me a book he liked or two songs he could play on the piano.

"Hello, Master Eugene," I responded, and then asked, "May I ask a strange question?"

"Of course, what is it?"

"Do you have any pets named Rapunzel?"

"Rapunzel? No, why?"

I shook my head.

"Today I've seen a new side of Rhiannon." I smiled. "A very sweet side."