Under the Kissing Bough (18 page)

She snuggled closer to him, pressing her body against his, delight dancing in her heart. "You are not just saying that?"

He pulled away from her. With a glance at the trapped mistletoe berry, he set it aside and then came back to her arms.

"You do not need mistletoe to have my kisses last forever, Eleanor. But in case you need reassurance of that…"

With the church bells ringing for Christmas, he took her into his arms and set about showing her that not only would his kisses last forever. His love would last much longer.

The End

Author's Note

As with any customs, wedding and Christmas traditions have changed over time.

In ancient days, a Christmas wedding would have been impossible for the English Church held a "closed season" on marriages from Advent in late November until St. Hilary's Day in January. The Church of England gave up such a ban during Cromwell's era, even though the Roman Catholic Church continued its enforcement.

Oddly enough a custom I expected to be ancient—that of the bride having "something borrowed, something blue, and a sixpence in her shoe"—turned out to be a Victorian invention.

For Christmas customs I relied on those that have carried down through the ages: the Yule log from Viking winter solstice celebrations, the ancient Saxon decorations of holy and ivy, and the Celtic use of mistletoe on holy days, which transformed itself into a kissing bough. The game of Snapdragon is a very old one. It's played by placing raisins in a broad, shallow bowl, pouring brandy over them and setting the brandy on fire. Players then must show their courage by reaching through the spirit-flames to snatch up raisins. And the game even comes with its own song:

Here comes the flaming bowl,

Don't he mean to take his toll,

Snip! Snap! Dragon!

Take care you don't take too much,

Be not greedy in your clutch,

Snip! Snap! Dragon!

It’s also worth noting that the early 1800’s had seen the beginnings of many reform and charitable movements. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was founded in 1824. Among the reforms were William Wilberforce who spent his life working for reform, including working to pass the 1807 bill that abolished slave trade in England.

For more information on the Regency period and my other books, visit www.sd-writer.com.

RWA RITA Finalist, Best Regency Romance

More books by Shannon Donnelly

A Compromising Situation
– Golden Heart Winner, Best Regency Romance