November 26th, 1892 - Wintertide Hunt, Breakfast
Basil Foxwood

While her invitation to the Dashwood hunt was not unexpected, Torie still held a small level of trepidation for the whole thing. She was of course, elated to be going, the weekend held so many thrilling possibilities, not to mention it would be spent among some of her new favorite people, but she had also sincerely made a fool of herself in front of Mr. Aldterton earlier this month and she was still trying to recover. Hence why as soon as she had arrived this morning with her family, she had made a beeline straight for Basil's company. Fortunately, their little public connection, though nothing more than a friendship, was helpful in that they were often sat together for meals and she could talk his ear off.

Her day dress was a beautiful pale lavender, to which she would change into a habit to ride later, but first she had some research to do. "Basil," She nearly hissed in his ear as she sat beside him at their breakfast table. Automatically she reached for a cider, one of her favorite drinks, relishing in a sip before she settled in on what she needed to do. "As we are now good friends, I need you to tell me everything about your cousin Mr. Aldterton, the eldest." She had very nearly called him by his given name, but thought better of it. "I fear I made a spectacle of myself in his company at a recent event, but he was ever so kind about it and now we are all to spend the weekend and I need to know should I make myself scarce or perhaps does not think me a fool?" Torie did not often worry about what others thought about her, aside from her close friends and family, but she was very entrenched into the Foxood family at this point she didn't want it to be awkward in any way!

"I suppose I should have written to tell you sooner," But he had been going through his own problems and this was trivial in the grand scheme so she hadn't wanted to bother him. "You weren't there, at the Halloween masque I swooned on him and it was so embarrassing." She hid her face behind one hand, ashamed still of how waifish she'd been! Malfoys were made of stronger stuff! "He was such a gentleman and so accommodating, but I do hope I am not  a funny anecdote being told at family dinners!" Oh, how mortifying that would be!

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   Basil Foxwood

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Red again! June 1894

Basil Foxwood was not the most thrilled to be in Surrey this weekend. After… so much that had happened with Lissington and the funeral, not to mention Edmund’s appearance and Atticus apparently knowing all about the whole debacle… it was more of a headache than Basil was prepared to face with a grin. It felt as if recently his entire life had been overcome by dramatics and the days of peaceful essays and research were lost to the abyss of a once wonderful dream…

This weekend he was actively avoiding his family as much as possible, despite the fact that he was trapped in his aunt’s house for the entirety of his stay. Luckily everyone seemed to be chittering still over Atticus’ engagement to the (albeit) lovely Ms. Mountbatton who too had been invited to stay for the house party. A few others had been invited to remain as well, namely Cassian Valenduris who Basil was unfamiliar with, and Kristoffer Lestrange which… seemed bizarre given the company. It was of no matter to Basil however, as Ms. Victoire Malfoy had also been asked which, all in all, was not surprising in the least. (He felt a small pang of guilt at the thought of continuing to lead his mother on as to the nature of his relationship with Ms. Malfoy, but he was too selfish to let it dictate his actions accordingly.)

This morning, as he descended the broad staircase to join the guests for breakfast, he scanned the small crowd for a familiar and friendly face. Poppy, for all her chittering, could be counted upon as a distraction but she was already engaged. Tillie, whom he much preferred, was nowhere in sight and Ms. Victoire… was also missing in action. Basil sighed as he made for a place at a table. He hoped Atticus would leave him be before the hunt. There was still time to feign illness, but Basil desperately wanted to participate in the days activities. The foxhunt was one of his favorite pastimes and, given it was such a rarity to find time in his schedule, he should like to take advantage of it.

Seemingly out of nowhere, a familiar voice hissed his name and Basil almost startled out of his seat. Alarmed, he turned grey hues onto Ms. Victoire who had appeared like a banshee from nothing. It was a welcome sight once he got his bearings and Basil almost laughed at her impeccable timing. “Miss Victoire,” he replied playfully to her hiss.

Lifting a dark, black, inky cup of tea for himself, Basil listened to his friend’s demand and did his best not to grin too obviously.  Well this was a new and interesting development. “Anthony?” He queried her, tellingly. “He’s likely the most affable of our lot, frankly,” Basil replied with a small shrug. He took a sip of his tea and then replaced it carefully on its saucer. “Where Atticus and I do not always see eye to eye, Anthony is… the elder brother I always wished I had.” Basil’s eyes danced playfully across the crowd, seeking his eldest cousin out. “He’s a jokester and a wine snob, but chivalry ought to have been his middle name. I can assure you, there is no joke going around about you in the family nor would there be. Anthony is not that sort. He can be a competitive menace, but he's docile as a lamb altogether.” The brunette laughed and picked up a scone and some jam. “Just don’t bring up croquet. Poppy beat him this summer in their little rivalry game, and he’s still heartbroken over it.”

As grey hues watched his elder cousin laughing in conversation across the room, Basil wondered about Ms. Victoire’s sudden curiosity. His face took on a mischievous, impish little grin. “You swooned on him?” Basil asked, the hint of a tease wrinkling his nose. “What could the man possibly have done to deserve that? Surely he’s not quite so handsome!”

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Victoire Malfoy

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Fortunately for Torie, Basil seemed in an amenable mood to give her the information she wanted. With each virtue of Mr. Alderton's that was shared, Torie felt the knot of anxiety in the pit of her stomach unwind until she no longer felt any unease over the whole thing. Her evening at the masque had been embarrassing certainly, but thankfully it seemed she hadn't left a negative impression on Mr. Alderton. Or at the very least, if she had, Anthony was not the kind to speak unkindly about such situations.

"He was quite gallant." Torie agreed with Basil, taking another, more relaxed sip of her cider. The quip about a croquet game was quite similar to one Anthony had made as they'd meandered to find he mother at the party. "I heard it was Poppy who was the competitive one." She laughed quietly. Torie was hoping her continued friendship with Poppy would eventually earn her an invitation to a game of croquet next summer. Pall mall was a game she had only played a time or two at her time in the Pendergast garden, but aside from that, she was entirely unfamiliar with it.

In was only the nature of their friendship that had Torie nearly snorting into her cider at Basil's teasing. "I can assure you, my dear friend, that he is that handsome." Those stunning blue eyes and chestnut curls. Torie, though not usually one to get ahead of herself, had found him infiltrating her dreams on more than on occasion as of late. If she were being honest with herself, Anthony Alderton was everything she wanted in a husband and she would be lying if she hadn't thought there might be something there. He was a successful first son in a wealthy family. Though she was fairly certain that branch of the family were halfbloods, that did not altogether matter to Torie. It might matter to her mother, but not her. "Your family certainly keeps inheriting some good looks." The lot of them were all quite attractive.

"And it was because of a rat that I swooned, a very large, very ugly rat! That masque had far too many gruesome details. It was fun, but almost too much." Torie shuddered at the thought of the thing being tangled in the skirts of her beautiful ballgown. "Mr. Alderton kept me from hurting myself, it was very chivalrous of him indeed." He had handled her incredibly gently, been so patient and kind!

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   Basil Foxwood

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Red again! June 1894

Basil jammed his scone with a very piqued interest in the current developments. There was still a teasing lilt to his hum as Ms. Victoire responded that Anthony was quite gallant. Yes, he was. Likely Anthony was the best white knight of them all. Basil adored his cousins dearly, the lot of them, but Anthony… he was special. Not just to Basil and Atticus but… well to all of them. He was the eldest and as a result, he was the one they all tended to turn to. While theoretically Atticus and Lucy were the same age, Anthony was the easiest of them to approach.

The brunette huffed a small laugh as Ms. Victoire turned the tables on Poppy. “Yes,” he agreed. “She too is quite competitive, but perhaps not quite so much as Anthony,” he chuckled to himself, thinking over the past few years. The rivalry had built over time as, as year after year, Poppy lost and became more and more determined. Anthony was certainly the king of teasing and he took his title as reigning croquet champion very seriously. It was no wonder their spirited, determined little cousin took to besting him this year. He deserved to be dethroned every once in awhile.

Ms. Victoire’s response to his teasing then only made Basil grin more broadly. He eyed her with a look that asked ‘are you quite alright there’ in its nature and then proceeded to laugh at her assertion. “While I thank you for the compliment, I can assure you he does not need to hear it.” Basil gave a fond eye-roll as he settled his knife on the edge of the plate, still grinning. “I’m not sure I believe this rat story however,” he continued. “How big did you say it was? At least a metric ton?”

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Victoire Malfoy

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Torie could see the game in question quite clearly, the extended cousins all vying for the win, but clearly it was Anthony and Poppy who would take it to the next level. Honestly she would not even know where to begin in regards to playing competitively, but she would enjoy being a part of it regardless. "I would very much like to see this match of croquet sometime." Torie hummed wistfully before she turned a cheeky eyebrow at Basil once more.

She surveyed him over her cider almost critically. "I shall tell him at his earliest convenience then." She chirped playfully knowing she was not quite so bold as to straight up compliment him, but she would make her appraisal known somehow. Torie was not one to shy away from some honest flirting, especially with a catch like Anthony Alderton.

"It was a rat of unusual size! I am not some delicate waif who preys on handsome gentlemen by faux swooning! I am wounded you think so little of me." She pouted, casting him a sad sort of sniffle. Torie had never even thought of pulling a stunt like that! Her embarrassment over the whole thing was genuine, there was no way she would fake it just for attention! That was an Estelle move through and through, not for her.

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   Basil Foxwood

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Red again! June 1894

Basil couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped him at Ms. Victoire’s honest little sigh. “I’m sure you will soon enough,” he replied. “Next year I shall be sure to mention it in the invitation and call you over when the game is kicking off. You can bear witness to the foolishness much like poor Mr. Prewett this year,” Basil rolled his eyes again fondly. At least it hadn’t ended in embarrassment, and he’d even made a rather keen new acquaintance out of the matter.

Ms. Victoire decided to be contradictory then and Basil took a bite of his scone in amusement. He was used to this sort of behavior from his cousins so he let it slide, realizing his gut reaction was to flick her the way he might Tillie. (How terribly rude of him, they were not family. Yet.) Instead, Basil let his amusement show on his face as he made work of the clotted cream. Thank goodness for this breakfast before a hearty day in the wilderness. He was about to respond to Ms. Victoire’s pouting with another amused tease when someone appeared behind her almost as if on queue. Basil could have laughed at the coincidence of it all (or was it?). He gave the newcomer a friendly grin.

“Ah, Anthony.” He greeted. “I was just getting a first hand account of your chivalry on All Hallows Eve. I believe you know Ms. Victoire Malfoy?” He gestured to the lady in question, brow raised in peak amusement.

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Victoire Malfoy

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Anthony was quite thrilled for the hunt his aunt, likely at the behest of his cousin Poppy, had decided to pull together this month. It was such a thrill, riding the fox hunt, and while Anthony himself was not keen on what happened when the creature was caught, it did not cease his participation. On this brisk morning, attired in a simple white shirt and waistcoat over which his hunting jacket would be shrugged, the curly-haired brunette made his way to breakfast. He was keen on getting his hands on one of those warm whiskeys with nutmeg and lemon. This time of year he was always in the mood for something warm.

As he made his way into the dinning room, Anthony caught the eye of his uncle and Basset, the rather rotund hound that followed him about. The eldest made his way over and thanked his uncle for the invitation to stay the weekend. They chatted for a moment, Anthony laughing at some ridiculous anecdote, and then - out of the corner of his eye - he spotted the very figure he was hoping might be in attendance today. Ms. Torie Malfoy.

It had been a few weeks since their rather unconventional introduction on All Hallows Eve. The lady had sent a brief note following with her thanks, but since then Anthony had not had a chance to see her again in society. He’d been in Porto for business before spending a few days in Paris to follow up with an export he was hoping to acquire. When he’d arrived yesterday evening the majority of the party had already arrived and retired for the night. This morning however, as he watched her out of the corner of his eye chattering away with Basil, a small worry creased his brow. He hadn’t known they were acquainted.

Alexander Dashwood excused himself in that moment and Anthony took the respite from conversation to gather his bearings. He collected one of the warm drinks he’d been craving and took a sip, relishing in the warm burn that traveled down his throat into his belly. Basil and Ms. Malfoy looked awfully familiar over there, he couldn’t help but notice. It didn’t bode well for his own interest in the lady; Basil never looked so comfortable around anyone in society. Atticus would shank him if he ruined anything even a little bit promising. Nonetheless it would be rude to ignore her now that he’d caught notice. Deciding it was best to go over and say hello, Anthony shifted in their direction.

The greeting was familiar, teasing even, as Basil addressed him. He didn’t seem jealous, not that Basil was the sort really. Anthony cleared his throat, cheeks tinging a little pink. “Yes, well, it was nothing really,” he replied. “I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.” Then, turning to Ms. Malfoy, Anthony offered her a small grin. “Good morning, Ms. Torie,” he greeted, not thinking twice about the informal slip of the tongue. “I do hope you will be riding with us today.”

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Victoire Malfoy

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Basil's assurance that she could possibly be included in their little family traditions filled her with an unexpected warmth. Even if it was just as Poppy's friend and nothing else, she could be content with that. The friendships she had formed over the last few months were certainly enough to fulfill her until she had a family of her own. Hopefully they would continue to be a part of her life from here on out.

Placated by this fact, she eased back into her seat and enjoyed a few more sips of her cider. She started to fix herself a small plate for breakfast, some toast with jam, but didn't make it far as the topic of their conversation strolled on over. He came up behind her and Torie would have never known he was there if it were for that smirk on Basil's face and the following greeting. She passed him a look that she hoped Anthony could not see before rearranging her features into something less embarrassing.

"Mr. Alderton, I was hoping to see you here this weekend." Torie was glad she hadn't stuffed anything into her mouth. He'd called her Torie again and her face was flushed now as she smiled up at him, turning her full attention in his direction. Why could she not just be her normal, charming self around him? Torie was not the girl who was easily flustered! "It was far more than nothing, my mother has recounted your chivalry many times to her friends." Zandra had wanted to know every detail. Torie was garnering attention from two eligible bachelors and though nothing would go anywhere with Basil, of their own volition, something certainly could go somewhere with Anthony. If she could get herself together!

Folding her hands in her lap, to prevent fidgeting, Torie felt a leap in her chest. "I am! I love to ride." She added eagerly, trying to reel herself in.

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Red again! June 1894

The urge to snicker was strong as Ms. Victoire gave him a look, but Basil innocently ignored her for favor of turning to his cousin. He didn’t particularly find the thought of embarrassing either of them much fun, or gentlemanly, so he nodded at Anthony’s response and pressed no further. He did, however, notice the informal, familiar way in which is cousin addressed the young lady and immediately grey hues fell to her face. A snicker did escape this time as Basil tried to hide it behind a sip of his tea. Then, giving Ms. Victoire his own look as Anthony turned away, he mouthed out ‘Miss Torie?’ to her, teasingly.

Replacing his teacup with a gentle click, Basil busied himself with preparing a small plate. It was too bad Anthony had come over so soon without giving him a chance to eat; he could have left them to their conversation without intruding. As it was, Basil was not so selfless enough to go out into the wild on an empty stomach and so Anthony would have to find another opportunity to chat with the lovely Ms. Malfoy on his own. For now, they were stuck with him.

“Do you?” He replied to Ms. Malfoy’s revelation. “How splendid! You’ll fit in well here this weekend, don’t you think Anthony?” Basil gave his cousin a meaningful look he hoped the other would understand. “I’m sure Ms. Victoire would love to see the trails around here. We should make an effort to show them to her at some stage.” It was with nonchalance that Basil stated this last part, slathering another bite of his scone with clotted cream.

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Victoire Malfoy

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Anthony was pleased by Ms. Torie’s response to him, so much so that he nearly forgot to be weary of their interaction altogether. He grinned at her commentary and shook his head a little dismissively. “There’s no need to recount anything,” he replied, preening a little anyhow. “I’m just glad to find you’ve made it through the whole ordeal safely enough to join us this weekend.”

Basil’s meaningful little look caught Anthony’s attention then as his cousin began to speak and he wondered if that meant he should make himself scarce. Perhaps there was more to this interaction that met the eye after all? Though why he’d suggest ‘we’ should show Ms. Torie anything wasn’t exactly clear. Anthony hated these types of awkward interactions. More often than not he ended up sticking his foot in his mouth or treading on someone’s toes inadvertently. He was better relied upon with all the information than in darkness.

“Yes,” the curly-haired one nodded his agreement. “There are quite lovely trails in this part of Surrey. Perhaps if you are feeling up to it tomorrow Basil or I could show you some of them. With your chaperone of course,” he added hastily. No need to repeat the slightly skeptical moments from October over again. It was at that moment that Anthony spotted Lucy emerging from the stairwell. He caught her eye and gave an easy smile. “Ah, it seems my sister has just come down to join us for breakfast,” he announced to the others. “I had something I needed to ask her before we depart. If you’ll please excuse me.”

With a small bow in Ms. Torie’s direction, Anthony made to excuse himself. He would ask Lucy first; perhaps she had more insight into this whole debacle than he. He gave Basil a small wink on his way past, making an effort to ruffle his cousin’s hair in the process affectionately.

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Victoire Malfoy

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Torie watched the exchange between cousins with vested interest, jealous of how easygoing they all seemed to be with one another. She did not miss Basil's inquiry as to the nickname, but she couldn't exactly explain. "I look forward to it," She managed to get out, about riding the trails, but she was unable to add on as Mr. Alderton excused himself rather quickly and Torie was was left reeling.

Mouth agape, she quickly shut it and hid her disappointment behind her cider. "Did I say something wrong?" She couldn't help but to genuinely pout now as she went back to fixing her plate. "Will you show me the trails then?" Torie had hoped it would be Anthony, but he seemed preoccupied now and she didn't want to be a pest.

Casting a look in the direction he had wandered off, she sulked into her toast. Perhaps she should impede upon Poppy instead this afternoon and ride with the ladies. It wasn't what she had been hoping for, but it wouldn't be a completely wasted weekend. 

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Red again! June 1894

Basil frowned as Anthony excused himself. That was… odd. He’d seemed so elated to notice the pretty redhead here this weekend. Perhaps it was worth a discussion to find out more. Not that Basil liked to involve himself in other people’s affairs, sigh. It was always more trouble than it was worth if the Atticus debacle had taught him anything. For Ms. Victoire though, he supposed he could do as much. Anthony made a right mess of Basil’s hair on his way past and the brunette huffed, swatting and ducking away from the elder. “Rude,” he muttered.

“You’ve said nothing wrong, I assure you,” Basil added then, running a hand through his hair to tidy it and turning to Ms. Victoire. “That was… a strange reception. I’m sure he must have a lot on his mind with work, is all.” Basil glanced at his reflection in a spoon and sighed. Then, he turned grey hues reassuringly to his lovely companion. “I would be honored to show you the trails, if that’s what you’d like. But don’t be discouraged with Anthony. I’m sure it’s nothing. He’d be blind to have eyes for anyone else when you’re in the room, anyhow.” Basil gave her a little wrinkle of his nose in earnest, and a sweet smile. He wanted to pat her on the arm or some such thing, but that would be inappropriate.

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Victoire Malfoy

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Brows furrowed, Torie sighed softly. Maybe Basil had it right. Perhaps Mr. Alderton was just preoccupied with something else. Torie didn't want to be a distraction if that was the case. Maybe she had misunderstood the situation in its entirety. Despite fainting on him, they had seemed to get along well enough. Maybe that was just how he was with everyone? Basil had said he was the most affable. Maybe there wasn't anything special about her at all.

Taking a few pensive bites of her toast, Torie tried to rationalize her disappointment, but found it almost overwhelming. She had almost lost her appetite altogether and so went back to sipping her cider. "I'm sure I shall figure it out." She said absentmindedly, looking out the window at the misty morning beyond the glass. Maybe she could simply retire to her room, feign a headache and avoid the rest of the day for as long as she could. It would be odd, certainly, but she had expressed such an interest in coming, hopefully her mother would assume she was being truthful and not investigate too much.

Perhaps now was as good of a time as any to excuse herself. "I am feeling unwell, I think I should go lie down. I will see you later." She passed Basil a faraway smile as she stood, one hand grazing his shoulder as she made her way past.

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Red again! June 1894

Basil took another bite to finish off his scone as he watched his friend sink into herself. Grey hues narrowed a touch as he swallowed the bite down with a cold sip of tea. This was about to become a situation, he could sense it. And all over stupid Anthony and his blind oblivion to her interest. What a dunderhead. Basil replaced his tea in its saucer and creased his brow together as her absent gaze seemed to look past him. “Oh dear,” the brunette muttered more to himself than to her.

Scrambling to stand as the debutant floated past, Basil tossed his napkin onto the nearly full plate of food he was about to abandon. He caught up to her then and gently looped his arm through hers, uncaring in that moment how it looked to the rest. “My dear Ms. Vicotire,” he said, pausing in his tracks and halting her progression with him. “Please do not let one unworthy gentleman’s opinion set you out of sorts. You are a marvel and I’m sure in time even my idiot of a cousin will realize that.” He offered another little reassuring smile and then began to float in the direction of the main hall.

“If you are really unwell, I will let you go here, and offer to fetch anything it is that might make you feel better,” he offered quietly, releasing her as they reached the stairwell. “But if it is just this morning that has so dampened your spirits, then I beg you simply change into your habit and come find me again. I would like to show you about Dashwood Hall; there are some beautiful gardens and perhaps you can even meet Charles, Poppy’s giant terror of a horse.”

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Victoire Malfoy

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Basil saw right through her bullshit and it was both irksome and endearing. Torie was not usually quite so dramatic (she left that up to Estelle) but this whole thing had her turned around and upside down. It was disheartening and just a bit confusing. As Basil looped his arm through hers and steered her toward the main hall, Torie could only sigh.

"I will, when I am feeling more myself, but please enjoy your day." Her love of riding would pull her from her gloom sooner or later. Plus if he was to show her the grounds, she would very much enjoy it. Their easy friendship certainly helped. Not to mention Poppy and her friends would also likely boost her mood. There wasn't much like a good (friendly) gossip session with her fellow debutantes to cheer her. Torie had to wonder if Miss Twiglett had managed to procure an invite; that as always cause for a laugh. While Torie hated to be that way about her fellow ladies, Miss Twiglett repeatedly served to embarrass herself. She was also mildly unpleasant to be around.

Putting her hand on the railing, Torie cast one last smile in Basil's direction. "You're a good friend, Basil, thank you." Hopefully just a few moments alone to clear her head would help. Torie assumed her mother wouldn't leave her be for too long. She would be able to put on a smile and get through the day. If she still felt run down by the end of the hunt, she would excuse herself from this evening's activities.

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   Basil Foxwood

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Red again! June 1894