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Frida liked to think of herself as quite self-aware, thank you very much. So it was with some chagrin that she was forced to admit that the above goals could quite readily come to terms with the fact that visiting the House Andrei lands personally wasn’t necessary in the grand scheme of things. The Vancewell plans could already be readily achieved as it was, so this little diversion had very little to offer other than perhaps sating Frida’s idle curiosity. Why she remained so curious about the home and kin of the insufferable Andrei knight, well Frida hadn’t quite figured that out yet.
Upon the reception received at Castle Andrei, however, Frida was beginning to wonder whether it was at all possible that she had made something of a <span class="mu-i">slight</span> miscalculation.
<span class="mu-i">“Let me see if I have this clearly.”</span> Lord Nikolai Andrei’s furrowed brow matched the disbelief in his tone, or perhaps it was disapproval. <span class="mu-i">“You have travelled to our fair Duchy, as Ardenrise sets its icy grip on our realm… for dinner?”</span>
<span class="mu-i">“Manners, darling.”</span> Lady Andrei chided gently, though in her arched eyebrow the matron of the household carried the same weight of scepticism as her husband’s dark expression. <span class="mu-i">“You must forgive my husband, we hadn’t expected the pleasure of your company so soon.”</span>
Now it was Lord Andrei’s turn to raise an eyebrow. <span class="mu-i">“We hadn’t expected the pleasure of your company at all.”</span>
<span class="mu-i">“Darling.”</span> But Lady Andrei’s warning had come too late, and if the twitch in Young Lady Roselyn Andrei’s gloved hands was any judge she too realised the err in decorum. Why, that was the courtly equivalent of slapping one’s hand against one’s forehead. These Andrei women really needed to keep their men in better check.
<span class="mu-i">“Oh but my Lord, I hadn’t realised my own presumption!”</span> Frida adopted her practiced expression of abject embarrassment. <span class="mu-i">“When I received that lovely letter from your delightful wife on the subject, I amended my plans to visit relatives at the Duchess’ Court accordingly. I thought I couldn’t risk missing out and, well, it -was- on our way there…”</span>
Lord Andrei, and the Young Lord too for that matter, both cast a sidelong glance at their spouse and sibling respectively.
<span class="mu-i">“As I recall, that same letter also mentioned spring.”</span> Young Lady Roselyn Andrei parried back. My, my, so even the little ladies of Romaine aren’t afraid to speak up when the men are talking.
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