A Frosty Christmas Kiss by Larissa Lyons

Author:Larissa Lyons
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781949426762
Publisher: Literary Madness

8

FRIENDSHIPS AMIDST FESTIVITIES

“What happened to your governess?” Isabella wondered aloud the next time Harriet latched herself to Isabella’s side, during what was supposed to be a “restful afternoon repast”.

But who could rest when the world marched on around them, in all its exciting vibrancy? So instead, the pair had relocated to Anne’s private morning room, thus avoiding other guests while also avoiding being cooped up in their chambers.

“Primmy?” Harri had nicknamed Miss Primrose thus, cackling over the similarities to their Regent’s epithet, Prinny.

Isabella couldn’t help but smile. “Aye. Miss Primrose.”

With the advent of so many guests clustered within only a day or two, at meeting nigh on a hundred new people, trying to remember something about each so as to have any hope of recalling them again when next they crossed paths, she had quite misplaced her awareness of Miss Primrose.

She hadn’t heard the other woman in a couple of days, and now that she thought about it, Harriet had been by her side much of that time as well. “What have you done with her?”

“She left a note for you. It’s in my room,” Harriet said. “I just remembered. Told me I could read it to you unless you wanted my sister to—but I am certain I would do a better job of it. I shall retrieve it for you later, after I rehearse my recitation—”

“Harriet Antoinette Larchmont!”

“Mama.” Harriet shuffled to standing. “When did you get here?”

“Never you mind that. Be off with you now, girl, for retrieving Lady Isabella’s letter is the best thing you can do, ere I send you outside to sleep in the stables.” Lady Ballenger, Harriet’s mother, cried, sitting next to Isabella with an exasperated huff. “Please forgive my youngest, Isabella. I would like to claim she tries, but, in all honesty, one must wonder—”

“The stables?” Glee shone from Harriet’s tone. “Truly? You would let me sleep—”

“Upstairs! Show some consideration and pen your own missive to me: I want four hundred words on why self-absorption is a sin best avoided. Before dinner, young lady.”

“Four hundred? Whatever will I write—”

“Six hundred!”

Which was enough motivation to send Harriet scurrying audibly out of the room. “That was an impressive feat, Lady Ballenger,” Isabella complimented. “How long have you been assigning missives as punishment?”

“Since the ever-persevering Miss Primrose suggested it as a successful measure. The pen might be mightier than the sword, but in Harriet’s case, her tongue thinks it’s mightier than both.” Another huff. “I aim to teach her differently before she leaves the shielding bosom of our family to start her own.”

After confirming Isabella was fine on her own, Lady Ballenger scuttled off to tend other guests. Leaving Isabella to her recollections of the brief time spent with the letter-assigning governess.

Isabella had shared several quiet conversations with the equally quiet, if thoughtful, young woman since she’d arrived. One in particular had brought a calm sort of joy for all its unusualness…its normality.

Taking pleasure in an unexpectedly warm afternoon shortly after she’d come to Redford Manor, both

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