Weeks passed, even though it passed very slowly, as I hadn't seen Eugene in any of those days. Nor his drawings.

On Saturday the girls and I cleaned extra hard to make up for our day off on Sunday, where we would go shopping. We were going to Ravensborough again, but not the monthly market.

It was December already, and it had began snowing a bit. We were the extra chore of taking care of the fireplace. Modt of all we had less than a month to prepare for the Christmas Ball. Thinking about it, I had already been in the House of Beardsley for more than four months. While I certainly got used to the people, chores, and had made friends, there were also some things that were entirely new to me.

For example, the business going on with Eugene.

That morning there was a gentle rapping at our door after we got dressed.

"Young ladies, are you ready?" Mister Kupka asked. "The masters are waiting in the front hall, and the carriages are ready."

"Coming!" Beth threw open the door. "Good morning, Mister Kupka," she said before she raced down.

"Heavens, that girl!" He turned to us. "You all better go down too, and not keep the masters waiting. There's two separate carriages, the maids will be in one and the masters in the other."

"Yes" Clo said, and we began to file out the room and down the stairs.

There I was greeted with the sight of the masters, dressed in matching black overcoats and top coats. They looked like three wealthy apparitions.

"Good morning, ladies," Augustin said, smiling. "We will be relying on you today, so I hope we get along."

The two quieter masters only nodded.

"Us too," Beth said, smiling. Only she was on the same level as Augustin. As they stood there, bright and shining, leader of both sides, I could only hope everything would go fine today.

When we entered the carriages, helped in by the footmen, like princesses, Clo was the most excited one out of us, surprisingly.

"I love the feeling of carriages," she said. Tucking in her thick coat the color of periwinkle, which matched her hat. "Don't you?"

"I'm bad with anything that moves around too much," Beth said, still in her bright red cloak and coat trimmed with fur, but this time with a different dress. "But I'm looking forward to shopping."

Me and Rhiannon were dressed in our usual dull coats, but with thick layers of dresses underneath.

We only rode the carriage for around twenty minutes and had a small chat about our expectations for the Christmas Ball before we arrived at the department store. It was a large building and Tobias held the doors open for us. We walked in after Augustin, and all let our sequential gasps.

"Wow!" I said. "Look at the posters: they sell everything here! Fitted shoes, fabric for tailoring, cosmetics, glassware, and carpets."

"That's correct." Augustin smiled. "You're Miss Shuyan, right? You were an orphan, so is it your first time here?"

"Ah, yes," I said, suddenly reverting back into my old self, embarrassed at how much I was shouting—and I was eighteen already!

"Let's choose a Christmas tree first," Valentin said. "After all, it's essential for Christmas."

The department store was huge, but so crowded with people it didn't feel as large. There were even more people than in the market, maybe because it was in an enclosed space. It wasn't cold at all, and in fact it was cheery, with a huge Christmas tree in the middle, so tall it reached the top of the ceiling. There were stores all around it, some like booths, some with their merchandise displayed outside, some with only a stack of catalogues.

We walked to the section that had smaller Christmas trees and ornaments. The whole time, we chatted and pointed around.

"Look, Valentin!" Augustin said, "New books! That's Lord Byron's poetry collection! That's the tales of The Arabian Nights."

"We are here to buy decorations for the ball," Valentin said bluntly. Then he turned to Tobias, "Tobias, do we need to buy new silverware?"

"No, we have a special set meant for holidays somewhere in the storage. It hasn't been used in a while so we'll have the valets polish them."

"There's jewelry!" Beth tapped at my shoulder and pointed at a fancy section where they had glass partitioned tables, glistening with jewels in an assortment of all colors. Accessories also hung from hangers and rows in the back.

"You can't afford those," Clo laughed.

"I know!" Beth suddenly clapped her hands. "We should give gifts to each other on Christmas!"

"We just received pay for this month, and we're using it?" Rhiannon frowned.

"I don't mind, I don't have anything I want to buy," I said. Clo smirked.

"Me too. If you don't want to, then it's fine, Rhiannon."

"No, I'll join," she said quickly, then blushed.

"So it's decided?" Beth said. "Great! Let's tell each other what we want!"

"Doesn't that defeat the purpose—" Rhiannon began, but Clo cut her off.

"I like useful things, but cosmetics would be nice."

"I would like anything pretty," Beth said, "and if it's red or pink that's even better!"

"I guess I would like pretty fabric," I said. "I want to sew something. What about you, Rhiannon?"

She shrugged. "I don't have anything I want in particular."

Once we reached the Christmas tree store, Tobias and Valentin started inspecting the smaller trees that were lined up there. They were feeling the leaves between their hands and even smelling it.

Augustin, on the other hand, asked the salesperson for a catalogue and showed it to us.

"So which one do you think is better?" He flipped through the pages and we gathered around the counter.

"They look the same." Beth shrugged. Honestly, I couldn't tell the difference either.

"These are dwarf evergreens, so they should be smaller," Rhiannon said, pointing to the page. "For the ball we want to make a big impression, so let's get a big one." We flipped some more pages until we reached two illustrations of huge trees.

"These must be the prettiest. Tobias, Valentin, come here!" The two came to us and then we were all looking at the two trees.

One was more of a sharp triangle, and seemed a bit sparse, while the other was more rounded and had much more branches and was dense with needles.

"So what do you think?"

"I don't know. Why don't we let the girls choose?" Valentin said. They turned to us.

"I like the first one, the red cedar," Rhiannon said.

"I like the second," I whispered.

"I like the fluffier one too," Beth said.

"While I don't think it looks fluffy, I like it too," Clo said.

"Then it's decided," Tobias said. He turned to the salesperson. "We would like to order the biggest—so three meter—silver fir tree."

"We can deliver it on Wednesday. Please write your address and the recipient on this slip of paper."

As Tobias and the clerk did their business and payment, Augustin turned to us.

"Thank you! After choosing ornaments and carpeting you girls can have free time to do your own shopping."

"This is pretty fun," Beth said, eyes shining. "I've actually never been to a department store, too."

"Then let's head over to the ornament store," Valentin said. "Since Tobias is finished."

There we chose a number of fancy ornaments. Since they were rich, all the ornaments we chose were handmade glass ones. There was one of each color, in various shapes, and in designs of angels, birds, and bells.

When I saw them in the box, also to the delivered in a few days to the house as it was too much to be carried, I whispered,

"They look like the stained windows in my church."

"They do," Beth said. "And candies!" Clo and I laughed at that.

Everything went smoothly; we chose red carpeting, because it was Christmas, new table-clothes, some ribbons and banners for the windows, and mistletoes for decoration.

"We can separate and shop for gifts now," Augustin said, "but let's gather in two hours at the Christmas tree."

We all nodded and then split off. Although the day was fun, I couldn't help but think of Eugene at home. I wondered if he was upset at what I said last time.

I was weaving through the crowd when I felt someone tap my shoulder. I turned around to see Tobias.

"Master Tobias?" I whispered, then looked around to make sure no one was looking. He pulled his top hat down lower.

"Would you mind if I shopped with you?" he whispered, as though hiding. I smiled. It was awfully kind of him, and I did miss talking to him alone recently—and it might get my mind off Eugene.

"No, of course not. But don't you have to shop for gifts too?"

"No, not really. We give each other he same gifts each year, and they don't really have any meaning. What are you buying?"

"Maybe scented soaps," I said, stopping at a store selling scented soaps. They were pressed into fancy shapes, and had matching boxes illustrated with flowers and cupids. "I think Clo would like it, as they are practical but also nice." I looked around the store with Tobias standing there and looking out of place until I made my decision and brought a rose-scented soap.

"What's next?" he asked.

"Hmm, Beth said anything pretty, so maybe accessories? Oh, maybe some fabric to make her a bonnet."

"You can make a bonnet?" Tobias looked incredulous. I nodded and smiled proudly.

"As long as I have the pattern for it. I'm good at sewing and decorating things. After leaving the orphanage I sold my embroidery and handmade hats and bonnets. Even my handkerchief was made by myself—" I suddenly remembered and turned to him. "Do you still have the handkerchief?"

"I'm sorry," he clenched his jaw. "I must have lost it."

"No, it's fine," I quickly said. "I'll get another one."

When we went to the fabric store, I saw Clo there.

"Oh, I think we should leave for now," I whispered to Tobias. "She's probably looking for a gift for me."

"Sure."

"Next is Rhiannon's gift." I tapped at my chin. She said she didn't want anything, so it was going to be hard. I suddenly remembered her, always sitting before the vanity mirror and combing her hair. "Combs!"

Tobias jumped at my exclamation. "Did you decide on a comb?"

"Yes! I'm sure they should have it in accessory stores." We walked around until I settled on a mature store that sold accessories, and began to look through the assortment of combs. Some had butterflies on it, others were thin and wiry, and others thick and made from ivory. I glanced around until one caught my eye.

It was decorated with lilies framed with gold and their green stems intertwined and made a beautiful crisscrossing pattern.

"This is it!" I looked at the price. "It's quite costly."

"Let me pay for it," Tobias said, walking up to the counter where the combs laid.

"No!"

He leaned back at my firm shout.

"I'm sorry, Master Tobias, but I cannot budge on this," I said, softer this time.

"Why?"

"It's a gift," I stated. "I need to use my own money or else it won't have meaning. And it's fine, I can do without a handkerchief as of now."

Tobias looked at me blankly. Then he sighed.

"Fine."

I smiled.

"I can't understand how you are able to do everything, from sewing and cleaning to treasuring your friends so much to the point of giving up your own things."

I laughed. "I've actually learned to put my own needs above others quite a bit since before, actually, thanks to Clo."

When I faced away from him and to the salesperson, I could feel my face warming up.

Did Tobias just compliment me?

This was an early Christmas miracle.