Only a couple of days to go till the Christmas Ball at Huntington Hall.
The outdoor staff have been busy placing lanterns on poles either side of the driveway to light the way for the carriages to the front door. The drivers will be sent to the kitchen for a glass or two of warming mulled wine and no doubt some hearty pies to eat.
Everyone is running around with holly, ivy and mistletoe to decorate the entrance and ballroom itself. The gamekeeper and his boys had the job of cutting it from the woods, their final task was to bring in the yule log for the fire.
The staircase is swathed in ribbons and bows and large bunches of red berries. and ballroom mirrors shine to perfection reflecting the garlands about the room.
The stone fireplace with it`s roaring log fire has been swept and made ready with a huge basket of logs to be placed appropriately, ready for the arrival of the huge yule log which is to be placed on top.
The maids have been cleaning and polishing for days and are laying the buffet table with a long snowy white tablecloth. the candelabra`s are polished and gleaming and placed at intervals along the length of the table.
The Butler is making sure the footman are setting out the silver cutlery and glasses correctly and ordering some flowers from the hall`s extensive conservatory to decorate the table.
Cook has been preparing for days, getting in a good stock of fruit and vegetables and flour and lard for the pies, the kitchen under maid has been peeling vegetables for days and will be glad when it is all over, but of course the most delicate of desserts and sweets and syllabubs can only be made the day before and stored in the cool pantry or ice house in the garden. So it looks like cook and her staff will be working very late for the next few nights.
Lord Edwin and Lady Esther will be entertaining some of their friends from London who will be staying for the Festive Holiday so rooms have to be made ready with clean linen and freshly picked flowers and a fire in each room to air them.
Lord Edwin has left instruction with the butler that some of his vintage port is to be brought up from the cellar for this occasion.
All is now ready.
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