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"Can you hand me the red ornament, please?" Charlotte asked Will, who had his hand in the old box of Christmas decorations.
"Much obliged," he groaned, though secretly he was pleased.
The dark-haired boy had always enjoyed decorating the tree with his parents and sisters when he was younger, and though he still did, he felt he had to make himself look reluctant if he wanted the people around him to have a holiday at all.
"Do lift up your spirits, Will," Charlotte said, still perched on top of the ladder as Will passed her the ornament. "It’s Christmas."
"I know that," he snapped. "I just don’t understand why Thomas couldn’t do this."
"I sent him to run an errand for me," she replied calmly. "He won’t be back until evening."
"Why not Henry then?"
Charlotte sighed, a slight frown of disappointment crossing her face. "I tried, but he’s too busy with his experiments."
"What about Sophie and Agatha? Surely they can do it."
"They’re already in the ballroom decorating the larger tree. You know that, Will."
"Then why are we setting up another tree in the drawing room?" he muttered, almost dropping an ornament.
Charlotte sighed again but didn’t have time to answer because a voice from behind them interjected.
"Can I help?"
Jem was standing in the doorway, looking pale and tired but better than he had that morning.
"Jem!" Will said, surprised to see him. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, you hadn’t come to bother me for over an hour. I was starting to worry something dreadful had happened to you."
"Yeah, well," Will muttered, glancing at the towering tree. "You could say that."
"Ah, Jem," Charlotte said, stepping down the ladder and guiding him to sit in an armchair. She placed the box of decorations on his lap. "If you want to help, you can hand us ornaments. I’ll tell you which ones, and Will and I will place them on the tree."
"Certainly."
And so they continued as planned for the next few minutes, working in companionable silence, until footsteps echoed down the hallway. Moments later, a blonde head and a flowing, heavy dress appeared in the doorway. Jessamine paused, looking at them with a haughty expression.
"What are you doing?"
"Jessamine," Charlotte greeted warmly. "We’re decorating the tree."
"Is she mentally deficient, or is it not obvious?" Will remarked with a raised eyebrow.
"Will," Charlotte hissed, shooting him a warning look before turning back to Jessamine with a polite smile. "Would you like to help us decorate the tree, Jessie?"
"Absolutely not," Jessamine snapped. "A lady shouldn’t have to do this."
"What are you talking about?" Charlotte, the head of the Institute, asked, frowning. "Many families decorate a tree together before Christmas."
"Perhaps," Jessamine retorted coldly, "but we are no family." With that, she turned and swept out of the room.
Charlotte’s face fell at the words, and Jem gave her a sympathetic glance.
"We are a family," he said gently. "Jessamine just misses her parents. I don’t think she meant what she said."
Charlotte gave him a warm smile, reaching over to ruffle his hair. "Yes, you’re right as always, Jemmy. Anyway, I think we’re finished with the tree here. Thank you for your help, boys. I should go check on Sophie and Agatha now."
With one last smile, she left the room, leaving Will and Jem alone in the quiet glow of the tree lights.
After a moment, Jem spoke. "Do you think Jessamine will ever feel at home here?"
Will huffed, glancing back toward the doorway. "I doubt it. It's Jessamine we're talking about."
Jem nodded thoughtfully, then added, "And what about you, Will?"
"What about me?"
"Do you feel at home here?" Jem’s gaze was steady, and for a moment, Will felt he saw right through him.
Will opened his mouth to respond, a wry smile forming as he reached for a response that would deflect the question. But before he could answer, they heard the sound of soft laughter drifting in from the hallway, followed by Sophie and Agatha’s voices as they approached.
"Well, I suppose that question will have to wait," Will murmured, grateful for the interruption. "Want to steal some pudding from the kitchen?"