Lord Farleigh and Miss Frost: A Regency Romance by Britton Sally

Author:Britton, Sally
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pink Citrus Books
Published: 2022-11-21T00:00:00+00:00

Simon adjusted his cravat using a mirror hanging above the hearth. The guard room was mostly silent, except for the quiet tap of shoes as a guard-turned-footman walked from one side of the room to the other, lighting candles.

Simon picked up his walking stick from where he’d leaned it against the stone frame. Tonight, they dined with a local gentleman who had been friends with Simon’s father for years. A few hours out of the castle would likely be refreshing for their guests. They hadn’t left once in the week they had been present. If the children needed a reprieve in the form of their game that afternoon, the adults would certainly appreciate the same.

Somehow, Simon had escaped the day with only that single challenge issued by Miss Frost. Sliding down the banister. A thing he hadn’t done in over a decade.

And he had enjoyed it, too.

He gave the stick a twirl in his hands, then tucked it casually beneath his arm. He couldn’t help grinning as he thought of Miss Frost sliding down the stair rail. He wished he had seen it for himself. Which was a highly inappropriate thought in need of a quick dismissal.

Taking in a deep breath, he appreciated the notes of cloves and cinnamon mingling in the air, and the softer, sweeter smell of apple. His mother always ordered the medley of dried apples and spices hidden about the room to make for a welcoming scent.

“Faith, am I that early?” a quiet, feminine voice asked from the stairway.

Simon turned on his boot heel. Lady Dunmore descended the steps to the guardroom all alone. He bowed slightly to her as she approached and made her curtsy to him. “My lady. You are not too early. I believe my mother intended everyone to gather in the Regent’s Gallery prior to coming down for the coaches. I am here to make certain all is prepared when they descend.”

“Ah.” She turned and looked at the stairs. “Would it be terrible if I waited with you? The idea of going back up all those stairs is less than welcome.” She smiled at him with a gentleness he wouldn’t dream of denying.

“Of course. We will send a man to let them know you wait with me.” He met the gaze of a footman near the steps and motioned with his chin upward. The footman bowed and went on his way to carry the message to the duchess. “There. Easy as that. Do you wish to sit, my lady?” He motioned to a chair tucked against one wall.

“No, though I thank you for the thought. I am unequal to the task of stairs at the moment because I spent the better part of this afternoon following your mother through the gardens, all the way to the straw hut.”

“That is a fair distance.” He had spent hours of his life roaming the gardens and woods, following paths artfully grown over with moss or barely visible game trails. The castle’s grounds extended around it in large, beautiful swaths of forests and fields.

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