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“Never you ” Justin forced a chuckle
“Ha! Mark my word, Justin, but you are out on this one She won’t have you Ain’t the sort Can always tell, you know She is fresh as a daisy, but that didn’t dull her tongue any when she thought your behavior too brazen!”
“Aye, but I have not come to Bristol for Miss Winthrop, and I am not interested in Netherby Halls because of Miss Winthrop And at thisued daisy!”
~ Six ~
BY THE TIME Sassy was in the righted coach and back on her way to Netherby, the sun had dwindled and what had been a refreshing breeze had turned very cold
The coach slowed as they approached a crossroad with a fingerpost, and all at once, Sassy got a terrible ‘feeling’ A certain trepidation clutched at her insides and shouted in her head, Danger
Her witch’s senses were on the alert, and she rubbed her ring without thought This was of course, nonsense, she told herself She was going to a school for young ladies What was there to be afraid of?
They turned down a drive lined with pine trees, and when they rounded the curve of the long, sandy drive, Sassy pressed her face to the closedand peered through the dusky light It was already past five o’clock and getting darker by the moment
When they passed a pretty, winding brook and a stretch of dark, thick woods, Sassy smiled to see a rabbit scurry across the road in search of its dinner
As the sylvan darkness receded, she was met with the view of a vast field of neatly trimmed lawn They continued a slow pace, and Sassy opened her , shivered against the chill, and looked past tri ahead The huge limestone structure dated back centuries, but the severity of its design was softened with an array of flowerbeds, hardwood trees, and evergreens
They passed another far narrower road that led to a building she supposed to be the stables As they slowed to a stop in the circular courtyard, Sassy surveyed her surroundings with avid interest
The building appeared to be three stories, probably with an overhead attic, though she couldn’t be sure The front entrance boasted four thick columns that met the roof of the low portico Wide fla
gstone steps led to the double oak doors Those doors were heavily tri and grounds looked beautifully maintained, and she tried to dissipate the unease she felt
Her driver ca her a hand to help her down, and said with an accoe, Miss” He eyed her a moment “There, there, you’ll do, you will Pluck to the backbone and well able to look after these girls and yerself”
Sassy gave hiazed at the doors, she vacillated between nervousness and outright fear Soo?