Her evening with the Foxwood family had been nothing short of wonderful so far. It was a relief to find herself among a warm, welcoming family. It left Torie with a sense of longing for something similar for herself. Maybe someday, if she could continue to grow her feelings for Mr. Alderton, someday she could.

The Christmas tree truly was a spectacle, everything that had been described to her. Torie was not sure she had ever seen one so large or so decadently decorated. Perhaps some day in her own home she would be able to do something as grand as this. Torie had so many fantasies to see to light in her future, she rather thought sometimes she was getting ahead of herself, but Torie was not so senseless as to let herself get too carried away.

She had taken to looking out the window next to the tree, the snowfall on the grounds was every so lovely and she thought tomorrow she might sneak out and enjoy the powder like she had as a child. Speaking of children, Torie felt the bump against her skirts and looked down to see the poor dear tearing up. "Oh, wee lamb." She crouched instantly to scoop the toddler up, cradling him on her hip gently. "Did we get tangled up, are you alright?" The babe did not look injured and the tears that fell were noticeable, but she didn't see any cuts or scrapes. Perhaps just a bump or a scare. She looked around for his adult and saw an unfamiliar face approaching her. "I'm afraid my skirts won the brawl, I'm terribly sorry." She offered a wry smile, brushing the little one's hair from his face softly.