The Book of Love (Books 1-3): A Regency Romance Collection by Meara Platt

Author:Meara Platt [Platt, Meara]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: Romance, Anthology, Fiction
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2020-11-07T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

Nathaniel. Test frog. Day Three.

Earls make terrible test frogs.

Poppy was late coming down to breakfast the following morning, hoping to avoid everyone. Apparently, everyone had the same idea, for all were now seated around the table, just about to dig into their food.

The silence as she walked in was deafening.

Pip was the only cheerful one. “We’re to have more company on Friday, and a dinner party on Saturday,” Pip said, knocking over his glass of milk as she settled in the chair beside him. “Bollocks! I didn’t mean to do it. I swear.”

Poppy shot out of her chair and quickly righted his glass, then set her table linen over the spill to sop it up before it dripped onto the floor. She moved aside as one of the footmen properly attended to it. “Oh, Pip.”

“I’m so sorry, Poppy.” His smile crumbled and he looked as though he was about to cry.

She quickly forgave him, for there had been enough tears spilled this past day, along with this morning’s milk. She couldn’t bear to see another sad face. “It’s all right. We are all off stride this morning.”

The men looked hungover. One would think Pip had exploded a cannonball in their ears, the way they’d cringed and moaned in response to the light thunk of the glass as it fell over on the table.

Penelope’s eyes were red and swollen. She must have cried herself to sleep last night and cried some more this morning. Lavinia and Goose were nursing headaches, no doubt a result of dealing with Penelope and the men.

Even Periwinkle had his paws over his eyes and his head bowed as he sat on Lavinia’s lap.

Was it wrong of her to hope the Duke of Winthrow and his daughter would be abducted by pirates and put on a ship sailing to the opposite end of the world?

She supposed it wouldn’t do.

Nathaniel looked like the Grim Reaper.

His aunt and sister looked as though they were about to burst into tears again.

“Well, isn’t this charming,” she muttered. “What a jolly party.”

Pip, who had resumed his seat now that his milk spill had been cleaned up, was the only one to laugh at her mirthless jest. “Oh, Poppy. You got a letter. I saw it sitting on the salver in the entry hall. Did Soames give it to you yet?”

“No, I’ve only just come down.”

Pip hopped to his feet again, this time almost knocking over her cup of tea. “Oops, sorry. I’ll get the letter for you. It isn’t from your sister or your parents.”

Nathaniel frowned at the boy. “Sit down, Pip. Leave Poppy alone and stop snooping. The letter is none of your business.”

“But I always snoop. You don’t usually catch me at it.” He grinned and ran off to fetch the letter.

Poppy inspected it when Pip handed it to her. She did not recognize the handwriting either. “Hmm, there’s no indication of who wrote it.” Since no one was talking anyway, she decided to open it at the table.

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