With another slight bow just for show, Anthony Cortland shut the door to the carriage and took his place in the driver’s seat.

Tess could see him and the back of the white horse through an open window, cut into the front of the cab, she supposed for giving instructions. Mr. Cortland leaned down and said to Tess—she was sure he was speaking to her this time—“Her name’s ‘Comet,’ by the way, just in case you were wondering, and she quite knows her way around London.”

Tess watched as Mr. Cortland picked up Comet’s reins and, without the use of any kind of riding crop or whip, Mr. Cortland clicked his tongue (or his cheek or something), making a surprisingly loud noise, which Comet responded to immediately. And, as if she was a trained trick pony used to dancing, Comet started to pull them quickly and merrily down the street, which was paved with cobblestones so that every hoof beat was like a rhythmic underpinning to the snow falling lightly all around them.

Tess imagined they were in a snow globe. One that her mother could keep on her desk, and inside it would be a horse and carriage on a cobblestoned street that was lined with gray stone mansions side-by-side. And when you turned it upside down and turned it back again, the snow would fall in tiny petals around the carriage in the glass.

~ CHAPTER THREE ~

a visit to the park

Mr. Cortland leaned his head into the window, looked at Aunt Evie and asked, “And which park did you want to be going to, M’Lady?”

Max wanted to point out that they hadn’t told him they wanted to go to a park, at all. But before he had a chance to, Aunt Evie replied, “Why Hyde Park, naturally. I know it’s only a few blocks away, but I saw you at the curb and thought it would be fun to ride in a horse and carriage and I had no idea you were waiting for us . . .”

Mr. Cortland smiled, sat back up, and clicked his tongue again, and Comet made a right turn as if the horse did know exactly where she was going.

Tess was impressed how well Aunt Evie knew London. The way she’d immediately answered, “Why Hyde Park, naturally.” Tess knew Evie had lived here with Uncle John. But she was starting to realize Aunt Evie was sophisticated, worldly, self-assured, and as they’d always suspected, quite opinionated.

As they pulled up to the park, there was already snow on the ground. Max jumped out of the carriage, as he saw some kids playing with a large slip of cardboard sliding down a hill and wanted to go join them.