Deviating from the original plot

Chapter six

The next morning, Victoria woke to the soft glow of winter light filtering through her window. She stretched beneath the heavy blankets, momentarily disoriented before remembering where she was—the Everthorne estate.

The events of the previous night came back to her, along with the warmth of the conversation she had shared with the Marquis. It still felt strange, but... not unwelcome.

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. "My lady, may I come in?" Anne's familiar voice called from the other side.

"Yes, come in."

Anne entered, carrying a neatly folded dress over her arm. "Good morning, my lady. I hope you slept well. Her Grace has requested your presence at breakfast."

Victoria sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Breakfast?"

Anne nodded. "Yes, and her Grace mentioned wanting to spend more time with you before the festivities truly begin."

Victoria let out a slow breath. She supposed she should have expected this. It was clear that her grandmother was eager to make up for lost time.

She allowed Anne to help her dress, and before long, she was making her way toward the grand dining hall. The scent of warm pastries and spiced tea filled the air as she entered.

Seated at the long dining table was her family. The Everthornes greeted her warmly, her grandmother gesturing for her to sit beside her.

"Good morning, my dear," the Duchess Dowager said with a smile. "I trust you slept well?"

"I did, thank you," Victoria replied as she took her seat.

"Wonderful. Today, I thought we might take a walk through the estate. There's much I'd like to show you."

Victoria hesitated for only a moment before nodding. "I'd like that."

From across the table, Rosalie grinned. "And after that, we can go ice skating!"

"Okay," Victoria laughed.

Cedric became serious. "I hope you're prepared, cousin. We take ice skating very seriously."

Victoria couldn't help but laugh nervously at his statement.

The Marquis, seated beside the Duke, glanced at Victoria and gave a slight smile. "If you're going skating, be careful. The ice might not be completely solid in some areas."

"I'll make sure she's safe," Rosalie assured.

Her grandmother chuckled. "Before all that, though, let's enjoy breakfast. There's no rushing on a peaceful morning like this."

After breakfast, Victoria found herself walking arm in arm with her grandparents through the vast Everthorne estate. The snow-covered gardens stretched before them, the frosted trees glittering under the morning sun.

The Dowager Duchess led the way. "This estate has been in our family for generations," he said, gesturing toward the sprawling land before them. "Your mother spent many of her years here,"

Victoria glanced around, trying to picture her mother strolling through the same snowy trails. It was strange to think about—she had no memories of her, yet the way everyone spoke of her painted a vivid image in her mind.

Her grandmother smiled warmly. "She loved the snow, much like Rosalie. She and her brothers used to have snowball fights until they were completely soaked."

Victoria glanced at her grandfather. "Did you ever join them?"

He let out a deep chuckle. "Oh, they certainly tried to drag me into their games, but I preferred to watch from a safe distance. Your mother, however, was always determined to win."