num_pages: 0
description: It was coldso miserably cold. Athena knew by the numbness in her own fingers and toes that Annabels Martas and Bronwens must be frozen stiff. Yet she hoped that their merrimentin singing Christmas carols on the doorsteps or in the parlors of those who opened their doors or invited them inside for a momentwould offset their discomfort. After all a happy heart warmed many a frigid soul as well as ice-cold appendages.As a child Athena had adored caroling. It was with warm fondness that she thought back on all those Christmas seasons of the past when her entire family would carol to their neighbors. Always her mother had made puddings cakes and other sweet treats to bring with them to give as gifts of affection to their kind townsfolk and friends. And once the caroling was at an end the Monroe familyAthenas father mother and sisters Annabel Marta and Bronwenwould return to their own home to sit before the fire and enjoy roasted chestnuts and wassail.But this Christmas seasonthe season that had always been bright and shining the season that had always been to Athena a time to consider others to give and servethis Christmas season was stark in opposition!Never had Athena imagined that she would find herself in such dire desperate circumstances as she did then. As she followed her younger sisters to the next door on the row of lovely houseshouses so similar to the one in which she and her sisters had spent only the very last Christmas seasonshe hoped that the next kind family to open the door might offer her sisters (and herself as well) a token of goodwilla warm mug of wassail a small butter biscuit anything for their stomachs...
language: None
title: The Object of His Affection
publisher: Smashwords Edition