Contents
Twenty-Seven
Overview
The friends torch the Christmas tree at The Briars, celebrating an end to a brutal year. Amid the revelry, Arthur and Gwen share a charged moment, but Arthur pulls back, haunted by his entanglement with the Nighswanders and his plan to leave for Oxford. Gwen perceives his retreat and steps away, cooling a potential romance.
Summary
Arthur returns to The Briars to find the French doors open and the group gathered on the icy rock shelf, preparing to burn the felled Christmas tree. Everyone is tipsy or drunk; Colin hands Arthur whisky while Gwen quietly checks on him.
They ignite the blue spruce—Gwen lands the butt that catches—and the sudden blast of heat pushes Arthur and Gwen together. In the flare’s intimacy, Gwen wordlessly invites a kiss, and Arthur is tempted.
Arthur flashes to his moral compromise with Tana and the leverage Jayne holds over him. He also weighs his plan to leave for Oxford; kissing Gwen would imply a promise he cannot keep. He steps back, deciding distance is kinder and safer.
Gwen reads his hesitation, composes herself, and steps out of his arms. With a wry remark—“So that’s up in smoke”—she lets the moment pass as the tree burns, signaling their unspoken understanding and a cooled romantic possibility.
Who Appears
- ArthurProtagonist; joins friends burning the tree, resists kissing Gwen due to guilt and plans for Oxford.
- Gwen UnderfootChecks on Arthur, shares a tender moment; senses his withdrawal and gracefully steps back.
- ColinHosts the bonfire, distributes whisky, leads the call to burn the past year.
- AllieDrunk and laughing; tumbles in the snow with Donna, adding to the revelry.
- DonnaGoofs with lighter fluid, collapses laughing with Allie during the bonfire.
- Donovan (Van)Smokes and attempts to light the tree; Gwen finishes the job after he misses.