The Christmas Angel: Prequel (Love for Christmas 1) Read online

  The Christmas Angel

  Love for Christmas

  Copyright ©2015 Christina Ward

  All rights reserved.

  Copyright © 2015 by Christina Ward

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the copyright owner, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. All product names, trademarks, registered trademarks, service marks or registered service marks, mentioned throughout any part of the book belong to their respective owners. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  Cover art by BookCoverMasterClass.com Copyright © 2015

  Disclaimer: Any person depicted on the cover is a model and is being used for illustrative purposes only.

  The Christmas Angel

  Julia loves singing, hot chocolate and snow, but most of all she loves Christmas, even if she doesn’t get gifts like other children. Her father might be a wealthy man, but he knows the true meaning of Christmas.

  When young Julia meets Tim she’s suddenly confronted with a different world. The strange, always smiling orphan boy intrigues her, but his lack of faith pushes them apart, even if he does sit outside the church to hear her sing.

  Yet, while her father’s kindness extends to those less fortunate, her mother is less eager for Julia to mingle with the poor. Especially a boy. So when God calls upon Julia’s father she fears she might never see again the boy that makes her heart sing.

  Follow the beginnings of this sweet love story, as two childhood friends embark on the path to young love despite the harsh reality of the 1800s.

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  Table of Contents

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  A Mail Order Bride for the Undertaker

  Thank You!

  Contact

  Further Reading

  Chapter 1

  Hardington, North Carolina, December 1857

  Julia carefully stepped down the frosted church steps. It was getting cold and dark. She took in a deep breath, then exhaled and giggled at the wispy white cloud floating in front of her. The weather was cold, but the company was warm. She paused at the bottom of the stairs waiting for her mother. But her Mama, stood by the church door beside Julia’s father, was still busy chatting with the pastor’s wife. Didn’t she know Julia wanted to hurry home?

  She looked at the reddening faces of the people pouring into the street after the service. She smiled at them and they smiled back.

  “There you are,” her mother adjusted Julia’s scarf and extended her hand. “Don’t you run off like that. The crowded streets are no place for a child.”

  Julia blushed and grabbed her mother’s hand. Her Mama was right. She looked around at the busy road and tightened her grip afraid she might get lost in the sea of legs that stood as tall as trees.

  “Did I sing good, Mama?” she asked, tugging at her mother’s gloved hand.

  Her Mama looked down at her, a smile on the round, dimpled face. A face that never stayed angry for long. “You sang very well, Julia.”

  “Oh Hannah, your daughter is such an angel!” Mrs. Vines gushed as she and her husband stopped alongside them at the bottom of the stairs. She pinched Julia’s cheeks. “She not only looks like one, she sings like one, too.”

  “It’s true,” Mr. Vines, said, patting Julia’s head. “Will she be joining the choir for the New Year’s service as well?”

  Julia’s mother nodded. “Yes, I don’t think I’d hear the end of it if I didn’t let her sing.” She laughed and looked up to her husband. “Julia loves to duet with Jonathan whenever he sits down to play in the evening, doesn’t she darling?”

  He nodded with a silent smile and half closed eyes.

  “Oh, we had better come visit later tonight then. You’re still hosting the dinner tonight?” The mayor, Mr. Sloan, appeared beside them and laughed. His wife giggled by his side.

  Julia tugged at her mother’s arm. Of course she would sing. And of course they should all come hear Papa play the piano. She hopped from foot to foot. But they needed to go home now, not freeze in the streets.

  Julia’s father, Jonathan, grinned, and looked down at her. “Would you like to sing for these folks, Julia?”

  “Yes, Papa.” She smiled, and he patted her hair. She did like an audience.

  She hoped with that settled they would move on, but instead another man approached her parents. The grown-ups hugged and shook hands, and started talking about the holiday, which led to much laughter, congratulations, and well wishes.

  With her hands free again Julia clasped her mittens together and looked around. She wished that her parents’ friends had brought their kids along. But Lina was sick, and Allan and Denise were sent home early with their nanny. She took a step to the side to see if there was anything interesting going on around the corner.

  Just as Julia peered around her father’s legs a taller boy bumped into her, sending her sprawling onto the snow-covered ground. She sat up blinking quickly, trying to catch sight of the culprit, but by the time she shook her hair out of her eyes he had already disappeared. She struggled upright, wiping wet hands on her jacket, which now bore dirty smudges. Mama will be mad. Tears brimmed in her eyes, and she looked up, but her parents didn’t seem to be paying attention.

  Her eyes swept the busy, white street, the dark shops with their dim lights and frost covered windows, the throng of people wrapped in their thick furs and heavy dark coats. Julia bit her lip, boot-clad legs shivering. There!

  The boy just disappeared behind the general store. She chased after him, almost bumping into an elderly lady as she darted into the narrow side street. The kid looked over his shoulder and turned another corner with a wide grin on his face.

  Julia clenched her fists. She wouldn’t give up this easily. But the busy square she followed him into confused her. She squinted turning her head left and right frantically searching for the boy who dared to push her.

  Then, something hard hit her face and her cheeks stung from the cold bite of a snowball. Her face crumpled, and she bawled.

  “Hey, there. Don’t cry,” a sympathetic voice chimed in right beside her.

  She sniffled into her gloved hands as she glanced at the boy stood before her.

  “You o’right? Chuck’s such a meanie.” He glared over Julia’s shoulder, where a scowling boy hid behind a tree. “Sorry he hit you.”

  “‘It’s… not your fault,” Julia said, wiping her tears.

  “It kinda is,” the boy said. “He was tryin’ to hit me.”

  He shrugged, and she couldn’t help but notice how loosely his threadbare jacket hung on him.

  “Tim Smith.” He extended a hand clothed in woolen mittens riddled with holes.

  Julia tilted her head and stared into his brown eyes.

  “My name’s Julia Bennet.” She lifted
the edge of her skirt a bit, handed her right hand to the boy, and curtsied like her mother had taught her.

  Tim looked at her hand.

  “You’re supposed to kiss it like a gentleman.”

  Tim chuckled. “Ain’t no gentlemen here!”

  Julia crossed her arms.

  “Everyone should be a gentleman, my Papa said.” She peered down at him, realizing that he was shorter than her as she straightened out. “I think I’ve seen you somewhere before...”

  Julia paused and placed a finger to her chin.

  Tim smiled. “I heard you singing in the church.”

  “Were you at the service?” She pouted. “I didn’t see you there…”

  He shook his head and grinned at her. “No, but your voice carries beyond the church.”

  Her eyes widened. “Oh! You were outside!” Then she frowned. “How do you know it was me singing?”

  “I heard people talk.”

  “Oh.” Julia blushed, but then she remembered what he said. He wasn’t at the service…”It’s not good to play outside during church time.” She pouted again. If she ever tried to do that, her Mama would spank her. How did he get away with it?

  But Tim simply hung his head, his dirty boots kicking snow around.

  “Where are your parents anyway?” he asked as a couple with babbling children passed by.

  Julia whirled around, just remembering that she’d left her parents at the church. “I don’t know. Outside the church?”

  She held her hands closer to her breath, feeling cold despite the layers she wore. She wasn’t even sure which way was the church any more.

  “Do you live nearby?” he asked. “I live on Fifth Street at Ripwell Road.”

  Julia furrowed her brows. She didn’t know where that was, but she’d heard the name mentioned before. Her Papa once said he was going to the Anderson Orphanage on Fifth Street. “I live on Prudence Road.” she finally said.

  “Want me to take you there?”

  She shook her head. “My Mama said I should stay where I am till she comes back to find me.”

  “My Mama said the same, but she never came back.” Tim looked up and pointed at the dark sky full of stars and wispy clouds. “But whenever I’d get lost, she said I should just look up at that really bright star.”

  “Why?” Julia asked.

  Tim shrugged. “She always said someone’d find me.”

  “Tim!”

  He then looked over his shoulder. A tall woman with a bonnet on her head approached them, her lips set in a grim line. Despite the holiday, she didn’t look to be in a festive spirit.

  Tim looked ready to dash, but still he paused.

  “I need to go.” He scratched his head. “But I can’t leave you here alone.”

  The words were hardly out of his mouth when Julia heard a familiar voice. “Julia! Where are you?”

  She turned around to see her mother beside a boy pointing in Julia’s direction. Her mother looked up and frowned as their eyes met.

  “Julia!” Her Mama straightened up and strode towards Julia with an annoyed look on her face.

  “Guess I can go now,” Tim said.

  Julia pouted. Just when she’d made a new friend... “Will I see you again?”

  Tim nodded.

  “Promise?”

  He blinked, then stepped towards Julia and kissed her on the cheek. “Promise.”

  With that, he turned around just as the woman with the bonnet glared at him and pointed off to a different direction.

  Julia’s cheek burned from the boy’s kiss. She rubbed the spot slowly. Only her Mama and Papa had ever kissed her, sometimes her nanny, but never a boy!

  “Julia, what are you doing here?” Her mother ran to her and took her hand. “Don’t run off like that. What if you got lost?”

  “I met a boy, Mama.”

  Her mother sighed. “That’s nice, dear.”

  “But Mama -”

  “Julia, don’t give your mother a fright like that again.” Her father appeared beside her Mama, but his expression quickly softened as he knelt down. In one sweep of his large arms, he had her cradled to his chest. “Come my little angel, hot chocolate is waiting at home.”

  Distracted by the thought of the warm and sweet, brown drink, Julia laid her head on her father’s shoulders. He lifted her up and carried her home.

  * * *

  Julia could hear carol singers outside the house. She leaned close to the window to hear them better, her breath ghosting over the nearly frosted glass. Their voices and enthusiasm beckoned to her. She wiped the frost with her hand and pressed her face against the cold glass to get a clearer view. There were children her age playing outside in the snow.

  “Can I play outside?”

  Bessie, her nanny, crouched beside her. “It’s too cold, dearie. The weather’s not good for your throat – Mrs. Bennet says we need to take good care of your voice.”

  “But I wanna play, Nana.” Julia pouted, hoping that this time, she’d be allowed.

  Her father stepped beside them, his hands in his pockets. His moustache sat atop his lips like a live, hairy, twitching caterpillar. He crossed his arms and gave Julia a long glance. He looked like he wanted to smile, but restrained himself from doing so.

  “Julia, remember what I told you last night.” He nodded at Bessie, who stood up, and went to help Julia’s mother with the cookies and hot chocolate. “Christmas isn’t for games. It’s for celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus.”

  Julia knew what Christmas was about, but she didn’t understand why they couldn’t play games or give each other gifts like other families.

  “Do you understand, Julia?”

  He said it without anger, but she couldn’t help bowing her head like he’d just scolded her. “Yes, Papa.”

  He smiled and patted her head.

  “Just because we won’t play games, it doesn’t mean we won’t have fun.” He took Julia’s hand and led her back to the parlor. Some of the guests smiled at her when they came in, others were still engaged in conversation.

  “Let’s give them a show,” her father whispered in her ear and winked. Julia grinned from ear to ear and skipped along, following him to the piano that stood at the center of the room.

  As he cracked the piano lid open the voices hushed and all the eyes settled on them. Julia beamed at the small crowd gathered in the room and they smiled back.

  Her father started playing, and from the opening notes Julia quickly recognized the song from Psalms. She opened her mouth, and a silence fell around the room. High, but not shrill, her voice brought calm and joy to the faces around her. And when Julia’s performance ended, everyone clapped, and shared around a fresh plate of cookies.

  Julia blushed and smiled, she enjoyed the attention, but the proud look on her parents’ faces was the best reward.

  Her father ruffled Julia’s hair and stepped away from the piano. The mayor approached them and the two men walked away to chat near the fireplace. Julia took her father’s place at the stool and placed her fingers on the keys. Gently, she brushed over them, making sure not to press any. She hadn’t learned to play well yet. She wouldn’t want to embarrass her Papa – he might stop the lessons – and she loved that time they spent together more than anything.

  Just then, something moved outside the window. She looked up only to see a young boy outside staring through the frosted glass right back at her. Tim. When their eyes met his eyes widened for a moment and then his head disappeared from view.

  Julia rushed to the window, but he had vanished. All she could see was the dark garden covered by a layer of snow. She tried to follow the fresh footsteps with her eyes, but there were too many...

  “Julia darling, come here,” her mother called. “You’ll dirty your dress. Mrs. Sloan wants to talk to you...”

  Her Mama waved impatiently and Julia reluctantly turned toward the woman always shrouded by a heavy flowery scent. It made Julia’s eyes water whenever they hugged. Maybe
if she curtsies, she’ll be safe this time.

  She made a step forward, but looked over her shoulder, hoping to catch a glimpse of the boy again. No luck, there was only frost and darkness outside.

  Chapter 2

  November 1859

  Julia skipped over a puddle in the middle of the pavement, while laughing at Denise’s imitation of her friend’s brother, Allan. Denise’s fake deep voice made both Julia and Lina giggle.

  “Do you like me, Julia? Look, I’m a man now!” Denise flexed her arms and made a serious face.

  Lina laughed as they turned a corner into a busy street. The afternoon choir practice they had just attended finished right at the time when most people made their way home after work.

  “Julia!” Denise jumped in front of her, still posing and started walking backwards. “Why do you keep ignoring this fine young man?”

  The passers-by cast disapproving glances their way. But as Julia smiled at them, most smiled back. Papa always told her that her smile could change even the coldest heart.

  Thinking of her father waiting at home, she felt a rush of excitement. Madame Earhart, who was in charge of the choir, loved the girls’ performance that day. She said they all had a bright future before them. Julia couldn’t wait to tell that to her parents.

  As she daydreamed about being a professional singer like the Madame, Julia’s eyes wandered to the display of a dress shop. Her Mama said she’d buy Julia a new dress for Christmas, as all her old ones were getting too small. The one on display, a bright blue dress, with a white ribbon tied around the waist, was so beautiful it almost made her stop in her tracks.

  “You’re breaking my heart Julia!” Denise clasped her hands in front of her chest still walking backwards.

  “What are you doing?” The subject of their laughter shouted from across the street. Allan crossed the road and after quickly catching up with them he prodded Denise in the shoulder. “Father and Mother are looking for you! You should come home right after practice.”