Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Rhys gets into the Christmas spirit

 RHYS BOWEN; For most of us it's going to be a quiet sort of holiday this year, isn't it? No big family celebration around the table, no silly games and paper hats and laughter. Just John and me alone for Christmas dinner (we're hoping the crab season kicks in as crab would be a treat). We hope to see our dear ones at least to exchange gifts and eat a mince pie together but it has to be outside at distance. Heavy sigh.

So one thing that has warmed my heart recently is that I have been doing final edits on my upcoming Royal Spyness books that is actually set at Christmas, in a house on the Sandringham estate where the royal family spends the holiday. So I was able to live Christmas vicariously--describing fun, games, meals, decorations.. in short my perfect Christmas of long ago. No commercialism. Not really any huge presents.  The closest I've come recently was when we took a Christmas market cruise up the Danube river and stopped at all the little enchanting towns. A real old fashioned Christmas. I hope to do that again some day, when we can travel.




Anyway, since everybody loves reading about food I'm sharing Christmas dinner from the book. I'm sure you'd rather read about that than the few murders that seem to occur. The book is called GOD REST YE ROYAL GENTLEMEN and the story is about a possible attempt on the life of the Prince of Wales


Then came the main event. One platter contained the turkey, another a goose, both brown and glistening with crispy skin. There were roast potatoes, roast parsnips, Brussel Sprouts, chestnut stuffing, oyster stuffing and gravy. Binky was asked again to carve the turkey while the major attacked the goose. I thought Binky did the better job but nobody was about to complain as plates were piled high and silence reigned. I noticed Mrs. Simpson had taken very sparingly.
 “So many calories,” she muttered to me. “I have to think of my figure.” 
I glanced across to my mother, whose plate was piled as high as any. I hoped I had inherited her metabolism so I never had to worry about my figure in future. But then the Duchess of York was becoming a little chubby and she didn’t seem to mind. 
 When nobody felt they could eat another morsel the plates were cleared away, a bell was rung and Heslop the butler appeared carrying the flaming Christmas pudding.
 “It’s got fire on it!” Addie exclaimed and was told that the fire was on purpose. 
The maid cut the pudding and the footman handed around slices. 
“Remember the custom of putting silver charms in the pudding,” Lady Aysgarth warned. “I believe you might find some in your slice so chew carefully.”
 We took generous helpings of brandy butter and started to eat.
 Colonel Huntley got a boot. “That means travel,” Mrs. Legge-Horne said. “Which is appropriate as you’ll be going back to the States soon.” 
Fig got the pig, which meant she was a glutton, which was absolutely untrue as she was rail thin. She was not amused. 
Podge got the silver button. “the bachelor button, Podge. You’re not going to get married this year,” Binky said and we all laughed. 
Then Mrs. Simpson exclaimed, “What on earth…?” 
And she was looking at the bone button from Queenie’s uniform now residing on her fork. 
“Oh, you’ve got the bone button!” I exclaimed. 
“How quaint,” she replied. “What does it mean?” 
I was trying desperately to remember what explanation Darcy had come up with. “It’s an old custom in our part of Sussex, made from the bone of a stag killed on Christmas Day,” I managed to say. 
“Yes, but why put it in the pudding? What on earth is it there for? Highly dangerous, if you ask me. I could have swallowed it.”
 Now my mind went blank. “Mean?” 
“It means opportunity,” my mother said smoothly. “The person who finds the bone button has a new door open for them during the year.” 
“Well, fancy that,” Mrs. Simpson said, clearly pleased at this good fortune. “Lucky I didn’t break my tooth on it.” 
Mummy caught my eye and we exchanged a grin.

So here's wishing all of you fond holiday memories and the happiest time that restrictions will allow. And the good thought that next year we'll all be together with loved ones again and the world will be a safer place.

49 comments:

  1. What a lovely Christmas scene, Rhys . . . thanks for making our day a bit brighter!

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  2. Rhys, being food-obsessed, I love reading any elaborate food scene in a book. Thanks for sharing this Christmas dinner scene from God Rest Ye Royal Gentlemen. I was salivating and almost feeling stuffed just reading it!

    I also got a chuckle when reading the pudding scene. Thank goodness Lady Georgie and her mummy were quick-thinking enough to explain Queenie's gaff and "the bone button".



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  3. Rhys, what a lovely dinner scene! I could just picture them around the table. What company though, Fig, Clare, and Mrs. Simpson. I can hardly wait to read about how they all ended up together for Christmas with Queens in the kitchen. Wonderful!

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  4. Love this Rhys and can't wait to read the whole thing! Poor Queenie, she never quite gets it all together:)

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  5. Georgie's mum and Mrs. Simpson together at a house party? Goodness, there will be fireworks! I love your scenes with them sparring deliciously, Rhys.

    Now I'm curious who the Duchess of York was at the time.

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    1. Although the Duchess of York was supposed to be "chubby", she was still considered a beauty. I read many accounts about Elizabeth the Queen Mother / the Duchess of York being a beauty.

      And unfortunately the Duchess of Windsor was NEVER considered a beauty even though she was a slave to dieting and fashion.

      Diana

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  6. Clever scene! Charms real and by mistake in the Christmas pudding. Were they intended as keepsakes or used again the next year? I grew up with Christmas pudding served with "hard sauce" (butter and sugar flavored with brandy). Merry merry to you and yours. We'll all be toasting to next year together with our families.

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    1. They had to return the charms to be used every year. We used silver three penny pieces in our puddings. They were tiny little coins

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    2. I make a Greek new year's day cake with a lucky coin (usually a dime).

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  7. When this book comes out, I'll get to have Christmas all over again--love the scene and the characters. Thanks, Rhys! Wishing you and John will have a special, magical Christmas together this year!

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  8. [I commented an hour ago, but it disappeared. Will try again!]

    I love the scene, Rhys! And I wish the Reds and commenters the same as your wish: fond holiday memories and the happiest time that restrictions will allow.

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  9. As always, I was right there with Georgie and her family . I'm so looking forward to this next Royal Spyness.

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  10. What yummy food to think about, Rhys. Thanks for the vivid description. And I share your thoughts for next year. Here's hoping...

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  11. I remember the other Christmas book you did and I enjoyed it so much so I'm really looking forward to this one. Any idea when it will be available?

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  12. We can always count on Queenie!

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  13. This scene is fabulous - and now, I want fruitcake - or ate least goose. Can't wait to read the entire book.

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    1. Yes, it is. It has to be hung like duck. My brother served it annually at Christmas. There was something unique about the flavor.

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  14. What a fun scene. My grandmother's family was from England, and she often made a plum pudding at Christmas. I do remember the flames and the brandy butter, but I don't remember any tradition of charms. That would have been fun, too, if we kids had had charm bracelets to add to. I hope there are silly games and paper hats and laughter at your Christmas, Rhys, even if it is just you and John.

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  15. Thank you Rhys.. Can't wait for that one..Mummy was there too..Hmmm.. where was Darcy,, Guess that's why Georgie was there..

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  16. Hilarious as usual with Queenie! Something to look forward to for next Christmas. I am going to reread the Twelve Clues of Christmas to keep me in the spirit of the season.
    I had goose for Christmas once in France with my roommate's family. Her mother made it with chestnut stuffing and it was delicious. My sister cooked goose when she lived in the Netherlands because that was what she could get and thought it was OK. Tricky to cook because could be fatty.
    Hope everyone has a happy if smaller Christmas.

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  17. Rhys, I am laughing and laughing. I love this snippet from the next Royal Spyness novel. I hope to see the novel published in time for next Christmas so I can buy copies.

    This year's Christmas will be different. For the first time in years, I am NOT sending out Christmas cards because I do not want to take chances with the pandemic out there. I am hoping to find out more about online cards so perhaps I can send digital cards via email?

    Hoping to set up Zoom party with my relatives so we can "see" each other during the holidays. Luckily, most of my relatives know Sign Language so we can communicate since my cochlear implant speech processors have fizzled out just before the pandemic started!

    Love the photos and thank you for sharing.

    Stay safe and Happy Christmas,
    Diana

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  18. Oh, I love this scene so much, Rhys. What a gathering it is, with Georgie's mother and Mrs. Simpson together! I can't wait to read more of what happens between those two. And, Queenie's blunder of her button in the pudding. Of course, Mrs. Simpson would get it. Hahaha! And, Fig getting the pig. So funny. I was reading right along, fully immersed in the scene, and then when it stopped, I came back to my own world wishing I could have stayed in Georgie's a bit longer. I am thrilled that this next Georgie is a Christmas book and can't wait to have it in my hands. Thanks, Rhys, for sharing that delightful scene with us.

    Christmas dinner here will be completely different than usual. It will just be the two of us, too, Philip and me. My current plans on contingent upon some deliveries arriving, and with the wild, wild West of the delivery schedule now, I'm really hoping our packages get here in time. I have country ham ordered from my home town, beaten biscuits ordered from another place, and I may just order cheese locally now. Rather a charcuterie type meal. I will have some other offerings, but it will be simple, and probably no cooking. Oh, I do have pecan pie and jam cake on hand, too, so we will have our coffee and cake to look forward to, too.

    I hope you and John have a lovely twosome Christmas, Rhys. And, I wish a lovely, peaceful Christmas to all the Reds and your loved ones who are with you in thought if not in person.

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  19. A few people have commented on Georgie's mum, sister-in-law and Mrs. Simpson at the same Christmas table, I can't wait to see how that happened. I, too, was thinking that Dungeness crab would be a nice treat this year for Christmas, Rhys. Unfortunately I think it's going to arrive too late for me to face the store right before Christmas. Maybe I can get some for New Year Day.

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  20. Rhys, I love this scene!! I can't wait to read this one! We will miss our festive gathering and Christmas crackers with the silly jokes and hats this year, too, but it should make next year all the more special. I wanted to try making mincemeat muffins, and discovered there is no mincemeat! Not available on my grocery order, and absolutely ridiculously expensive on Amazon, so I thought I might try making my own. I'll let you know how it turns out if I attempt it!

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    1. Deb, in the spirit of the season, I am listening to The Twelve Clues of Christmas on Audible, which is just a delight.

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    2. Deborah, my Arkansas grandmother made her own mincemeat with her own apples and pears, raisins and beef fat! Not to mention the lard in the crust. It was delicious. Good luck!

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    3. Good luck, Debs. I've made mincemeat before, it was a large batch... mom had to find suet from a local butcher.

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  21. Amen to that.
    And be careful of your puddings!

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  22. Oh, Rhys, you are so fabulous--I love this. It's so terrific how it draws the reader in--and so cleverly lets us know more about each of the characters. xoxoxo SO eager to read it!

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    1. Hank, I so look forward to reading the book next Christmastime. Diana

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  23. Looking forward to reading this lovely cozy book and pulling a cracker this Christmas!

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  24. I hope I get the bone button!!! LOL. This was just delightful, Rhys. Thanks you for giving us such a charming post just when we need dit most.

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    1. Jenn, I agree that post was just when we need it the most! Diana

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  25. First time I ate goose was the year we spent Christmas in Vienna. We found one restaurant open on Christmas day and had roast goose and a dumpling as big as your head. This makes me so desperate to go back to Europe - or anywhere, really!

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    1. Amen to anywhere! Now we just have to be safe and sane a little longer

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  26. Thanks for giving us a taste of Georgie's Christmas. I'm re-reading The Twelve Clues of Christmas right now to get me in the holiday spirit - it's one of my very favorite books!

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