Ultimate Nyssa Glass by H. Burke (best value ebook reader .txt) 📕

but I suppose it is wishful thinking for Father Christmas to leave her under my tree—I don’t even have a tree. He exhaled. If you want me to apologize to her, I will. Maybe I was wrong not to have faith, but that Henri … I don’t trust him.

Ellis went through his morning routine. His chair waited for him beside the bed. He slipped into it, and wheeled over to the wash basin where he splashed water on his face. Theo would be up soon.

I should go set up his present so it’s ready for him.

A few minutes later he was dressed and groomed. He slipped a box out from under his bed. Mechanical parts clanked inside.

After Theo had become part of their lives, they’d converted half of Ellis’s study into a sleeping area for the boy. However, this meant that Ellis had to creep through the boy’s bedroom in order to get to the hall. Clutching the box to avoid any more rattling, he wheeled across the carpet and out into the hall. Hopefully he’d have time to set everything up.

Pots rattled and the smell of cinnamon wafted through the house. Ellis grinned.

Good old Mrs. H. Working even on Christmas.

The narrow stairs had metal tracks for his chair’s wheels. He pulled a lever to lock the wheels in place, and the tracks pushed him upward.

The gas lights flickered at the top of the stairs. Ellis’s brow furrowed. Was Nyssa already up? Or had she forgotten to turn off the lights when she went to bed? He reached the top, and his heart did a backflip.

There, in the corner of the sitting room, glowed a massive, metallic Christmas tree.

Someone had fitted bronze and chrome gears, one on top of another, with pipes creating space between them. Incandescent bulbs shone from within the structure, glinting off the metal. Tinsel hung over the teeth as if they were the boughs of a fir, and at the top a clockwork star held a taper candle, dripping with wax.

Beneath the artful display, curled up among scattered tools, rested Nyssa, her head on her satchel.

The hair on Ellis’s arms stood up. He steered closer, set the box on the couch, then scooted from his chair so he could sit on the floor beside her. The lights from the tree, in all their lustrous glory, cast shadows over her face. He kissed her cheek. Her lips twitched, and she smiled.

“Nyss,” he whispered.

She jolted awake, blinking at him.

“Did you do all this last night?” He motioned towards the tree.

She nodded.

He raised an eyebrow. “How late did you stay up?”

“I don’t know. Three-ish. It’s not …” A yawn overtook her. “Sorry. I don’t think it’s quite right.”

“It’s perfect.”

She flushed and lowered her eyes. “Well, it’s not like the ten foot trees you had as a kid.”

“No, it’s better.” He slipped an arm around her and drew her to his chest. “My dad ordered those from some shop in the city. This … this you made, and it has your fingerprints all over it. Nyss, I don’t think anyone could have given me a better Christmas present. It’s beautiful.” He kissed her forehead.

She gripped his shirt and sniffled. “Thank you. I was so afraid you’d get me something wonderful, and I wouldn’t have anything good to give you.”

“And now I’m terrified that what I got you isn’t going to live up to this by half.” He laughed.

Ellis squeezed her closer, breathing in the scent of her hair and skin. “So …” He cleared his throat. “Is this the project you and Henri were working on?”

Nyssa frowned. “No. That blew up in my face. I don’t even want to think about Henri right now. He … he made me think he wanted to help, but he was only thinking of himself.”

“He made a pass at you, didn’t he?” Ellis chuckled.

Nyssa cringed. “You could say that. He practically stuck his tongue down my throat.”

Ellis sat up straighter. “He what?”

“Don’t worry. I bit him.”

“You …” Ellis mulled over this, rubbing his hands up and down her back. The desire to track down Henri and punch him warred with a warm glow of pride in his chest. Finally he laughed. “That’s my Nyss.” He brushed her hair from her face. “I should’ve known you could take care of yourself, but when he strode in here and you were so evasive … I’m sorry I didn’t trust you.”

“No, I’m sorry!” She shook her head. “I did lie to you, several times. No matter what my motives, no matter how good they might’ve been, I shouldn’t have done that. Also, you were right about Henri. He’s a selfish pig who thought he could swoop in and take me from you, and I didn’t see it until after it caused a fight.”

“Oh, I know I was right about Henri. That doesn’t matter. What matters is I was wrong about you, and for that I’m sincerely sorry.” He placed his finger under her chin and gently guided her face towards his. Their lips met. Her arms tightened about his waist, and love swelled within him, blurring his thoughts and quickening his heart rate.

She sighed when he withdrew. “I love you, Ellis.” She glanced over his shoulder. “What’s in the box?”

“Theo’s present. Do you want to help me set it up? It will look great under the tree.”

“Sure.” She smiled.

***

An hour later a toy train with working lights orbited the base of the tree, whistling before every station. Nyssa stepped back to admire their work. “He’ll love this.”

“The bottom of the tree looks a bit bare, though.” Ellis tilted his head. “We need more presents.”

“I’ve got you covered.” Nyssa walked into her bedroom which was off the sitting room. A small stack of presents sat in the corner. She brought them out and organized them under the tree. “I had an awful time thinking of something for you, but for Theo and Mrs. H, it was easy. I picked up a few things while Amara was