Chapter 2: Keep It Clean
No one was sure how old Christabel really was. They only knew that she was a woman; she had all the natural bodily signs to prove it, and that was enough for her father to decide it was time. So she was to travel to her father's for her final reminder that she, Christabel Estelle Elizabeth DelAdrea, daughter of the Lord of Upshire, step-daughter of the Lady of West Bank, granddaughter of the Duke of Eddington, and so on, was a grown woman and ripe for the marrying.
There were some things Elizabeth could never prepare Christabel for. She reflected on this as they made a bumpy arrival into her husband's, regarding her step-daughter's excited eyes and nature, and painfully she wondered if she had prepared Christabel for the next few months.
"Christabel..." Elizabeth cleared her throat, "Christabel, dear..."
"Yes mother?" Chistabel turned to her stepmother, her face a look of excitement mixed with curiosity and mild concern at Elizabeth's sudden sincerity. "What is it?"
Elizabeth smiled tightly, "Oh...nothing. Look, love, we're here. And look!" she gave a strained, half-laugh, "Oh, look! It is-"
"Huxford! Oh my goodness! Huxford!" Christabel squealed. She didn't wait for the carriage to stop; with excitement she threw open the carriage door, and half fell half jumped onto the snow. "HUXFORD!" she shouted, and stumbled across the snow.
On the stairs, Huxford was doubled over, laughing and slapping his knees. They embraced the moment she reached the stairs.
"You are healthful!"
"Never better."
"But..."
"It was the training." He grinned, and she surveyed him in dismay.
"You have lost your boyish-ness."
"And you have not changed a bit."
"Oh, there you are, Macallister." Behind Huxford, Macallister was making his was slowly down the stairs. He grinned sheepishly at his sister.
"Sorry I am late, Christabel. I had to make sure Spellfire was okay."
Huxford rolled his eyes, "He is practically obsessed with that gelding."
Together the three of them were walking back to their father's manor, forgetting that Elizabeth had arrived with Christabel.
"Is he new?" Christabel asked in genuine interest, "Spellfire...what does he look like."
"He is a absolutely wonderful." Macallister said dreamily. Huxford rolled his eyes.
"Good job, Christabel. Now you've got him all dreamy."
"You have!" Elizabeth corrected sharply from behind, causing all three of them to jump. They twisted around, each turning an identical colour red, but she was smiling. "How are my little step-boys doing? Huxford, I see you are doing well."
"Yes, ma'am!" Huxford replied, with a sharp nod. "Like I told Christabel, Father's training has been good for me."
Elizabeth nodded in an approve manner, "And you have finally found your passion, Macallister? Well done! A horse, no less. Fine choice, fine choice."
"Excuse me, Lady Elizabeth. Lady Christabel." A somewhat elderly woman had shuffled up to them, "Lord Westerly would like me to take you to your rooms. He informed me that Lady Christabel should get plenty of sleep; he informed me that her day will be busy tomorrow."
Christabel sighed, and looked to Huxford and Macallister.
"You should go," Macallister stated matter-of-factly, and Huxford nodded.
"Don't want to be tired for tomorrow. Lady Christabel; good night."
Christabel rolled her eyes, and shoved her brothers playfully, "Sweet dreams, Little Monsters."
There were some things Elizabeth could never prepare Christabel for. She reflected on this as they made a bumpy arrival into her husband's, regarding her step-daughter's excited eyes and nature, and painfully she wondered if she had prepared Christabel for the next few months.
"Christabel..." Elizabeth cleared her throat, "Christabel, dear..."
"Yes mother?" Chistabel turned to her stepmother, her face a look of excitement mixed with curiosity and mild concern at Elizabeth's sudden sincerity. "What is it?"
Elizabeth smiled tightly, "Oh...nothing. Look, love, we're here. And look!" she gave a strained, half-laugh, "Oh, look! It is-"
"Huxford! Oh my goodness! Huxford!" Christabel squealed. She didn't wait for the carriage to stop; with excitement she threw open the carriage door, and half fell half jumped onto the snow. "HUXFORD!" she shouted, and stumbled across the snow.
On the stairs, Huxford was doubled over, laughing and slapping his knees. They embraced the moment she reached the stairs.
"You are healthful!"
"Never better."
"But..."
"It was the training." He grinned, and she surveyed him in dismay.
"You have lost your boyish-ness."
"And you have not changed a bit."
"Oh, there you are, Macallister." Behind Huxford, Macallister was making his was slowly down the stairs. He grinned sheepishly at his sister.
"Sorry I am late, Christabel. I had to make sure Spellfire was okay."
Huxford rolled his eyes, "He is practically obsessed with that gelding."
Together the three of them were walking back to their father's manor, forgetting that Elizabeth had arrived with Christabel.
"Is he new?" Christabel asked in genuine interest, "Spellfire...what does he look like."
"He is a absolutely wonderful." Macallister said dreamily. Huxford rolled his eyes.
"Good job, Christabel. Now you've got him all dreamy."
"You have!" Elizabeth corrected sharply from behind, causing all three of them to jump. They twisted around, each turning an identical colour red, but she was smiling. "How are my little step-boys doing? Huxford, I see you are doing well."
"Yes, ma'am!" Huxford replied, with a sharp nod. "Like I told Christabel, Father's training has been good for me."
Elizabeth nodded in an approve manner, "And you have finally found your passion, Macallister? Well done! A horse, no less. Fine choice, fine choice."
"Excuse me, Lady Elizabeth. Lady Christabel." A somewhat elderly woman had shuffled up to them, "Lord Westerly would like me to take you to your rooms. He informed me that Lady Christabel should get plenty of sleep; he informed me that her day will be busy tomorrow."
Christabel sighed, and looked to Huxford and Macallister.
"You should go," Macallister stated matter-of-factly, and Huxford nodded.
"Don't want to be tired for tomorrow. Lady Christabel; good night."
Christabel rolled her eyes, and shoved her brothers playfully, "Sweet dreams, Little Monsters."
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