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Back The Winter Garden Save as PDF
Chapters (54)
  1. COVER
  2. About the Author
  3. ALSO BY ALEXANDRA BELL
  4. DEDICATION
  5. Prologue
  6. Part One
  7. CHAPTER ONE
  8. CHAPTER TWO
  9. CHAPTER THREE
  10. CHAPTER FOUR
  11. CHAPTER FIVE
  12. CHAPTER SIX
  13. CHAPTER SEVEN
  14. Part Two
  15. CHAPTER EIGHT
  16. CHAPTER NINE
  17. CHAPTER TEN
  18. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  19. CHAPTER TWELVE
  20. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  21. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  22. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  23. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  24. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  25. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  26. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  31. Part Three
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  34. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  35. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  36. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  37. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  44. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  45. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  46. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  47. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  48. CHAPTER FORTY
  49. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  50. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  51. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  52. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  53. Acknowledgements
  54. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

October 1836

Dear Beatrice,

I have some very exciting news that I am finally able to share with you! Eustace has asked me to marry him, and I have accepted! We are to be wed in the new year.

As you can imagine, I’m extremely busy making preparations, so I’m afraid the detailed description of the pop-up book will have to wait. I promise to get around to it as soon as I possibly can.

As for the author and publishing house, I have not been able to find mention of these anywhere in the book at all. It is as if it simply sprang into existence by itself. So perhaps you are right, honey, and there really is a magical Winter Garden travelling the world, filled with fairies and crowned frogs and other wondrous things. How marvellous if that were so! I feel I’m living in a fairy tale myself at the moment. If it’s possible for someone like me to become an English duchess and have all their wildest dreams come true, then who’s to say that your fantastical garden cannot exist also? I sincerely hope to see it one day for myself.

I do wish I could invite you to the wedding, Beatrice, but I’m sure you’ll appreciate that would be quite impossible, given the circumstances. I hope you will think of me when the time comes, though, and give me your blessing.

All my love,

Rosa

December 1836

Dear Rosa,

Firstly, allow me to congratulate you. If marriage to Eustace is what you truly desire, then I wish you every happiness in the world. I am quite certain that you will make a far better wife than I ever could. Certainly you have my most heartfelt blessing, and I trust your future will be filled with much joy and happiness.

Thank you for your information about the book. If you could get those page descriptions to me as soon as you possibly can, I would very much appreciate it.

Your friend,

Beatrice

CHAPTER SIX

December 1836

Rosa walked into the Winter Ball on the arm of the duke, Cookie trotting at her heels, and felt as if she might float away on wings of happiness. She wore a ruby gown specially sent from Paris for the occasion. The corsage was cut low enough to expose a hint of the cream chemisette beneath, the sleeves formed a triple bouffant and were adorned with elegant butterfly bows. A twisted bandeau of the palest ivory gauze ribbons adorned her hair, containing a single bird-of-paradise plume held in place with a sparkling ruby pin.