It was more like a morning in early spring than in December , for there was no snow or frost , and the air was moist and balmy . Alexina was up at daybreak , cleaning and decorating at a furious rate . By eleven o'clock everything was finished or going forward briskly . The plum pudding was bubbling in the pot , the turkey -- Burton 's plumpest -- was sizzling in the oven . The shelf in the pantry bore two mince pies upon which Alexina was willing to stake her culinary reputation . And Stephen had gone to the train to meet Uncle James . From her kitchen window Alexina could see brisk preparations going on in the Tracy kitchen . She knew Josie and Duncan were all alone ; their parents had gone to spend Christmas with friends in Lessing . In spite of her hurry and excitement Alexina found time to sigh . Last Christmas Josie and Duncan had come over and eaten their dinner with them . But now last Christmas seemed very far away . And Josie had behaved horridly . Alexina was quite clear on that point . Then Stephen came with Uncle James . Uncle James was a rather pompous , fussy old man with red cheeks and bushy eyebrows . `` H 'm ! Smells nice in here , '' was his salutation to Alexina . `` I hope it will taste as good as it smells . I 'm hungry . '' Alexina soon left Uncle James and Stephen talking in the parlour and betook herself anxiously to the kitchen .
She set the table in the little dining room , now and then pausing to listen with a delighted nod to the murmur of voices and laughter in the XXXXX .
Duncan James Josie Lessing Stephen Tracy morning o'clock parlour pudding