Where he starts to relax…

If you have not read the previous week’s Sunday Snippet, I recommend doing so first.  You can find it – and all the others before it – here.
Previously on Sunday Snippets:
Graeme, settling in for a shave before dinner and an evening out, is pleasantly surprised when he realises that his very proper valet – affectionately known as Bryant the Tyrant – was teasing him.

*****

Without answering, he [Bryant] poured hot water into a one of the basins on the table, soaked a small flannel in it and wrung it out.
Graeme sat back in the padded leather chair, placed his head back into the custom-made cradle and closed his eyes as the valet gently placed the wet flannel over his face.  He let out a sigh of appreciation as the heat seeped into his skin; he’d give anything for a long soak in a hot tub, but his plans for the evening did not allow for it.  The early March afternoon had been quite cold and he’d been out walking for much of the time; even when he’d ridden in the carriage it had kept him out of the rain, but the chill air had crept inside nonetheless.
Bryant worked in silence, his movements smooth, quick and methodical, lulling Graeme into a state of drowsiness and relaxation that had him coming to enjoy the little respite that a shave came to represent.
“What do you think they discuss over there on the Duchess’s side?” Graeme wondered out loud as the muffled sounds of female laughter sounded through the dressing chamber’s connecting door.
“I’m sure I don’t have the faintest idea,” Bryant answered dryly, “not having been invited to Her Grace’s toilette.”
Graeme’s eyes snapped open, giving the older man a steely-eyed glare.  “I should hope not.”

*****

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a fun and safe New Year’s celebration.  I, for one, slept through the festivities after having been up for the previous twenty-eight hours on a cleaning binge.  I still don’t know what got into me…

Well, it is crunch time in Author Land.  There are only eleven short weeks to get this story up to scratch in order to pitch it at the conference.  I’d like to have the first five chapters completed and perfected, a synopsis, blurb copy and a two minute pitch done by then.  Ambitious?  Yes.  Doable?  I will make it so.  I see a lot of sleepless nights in the next couple of months.

For those who found me last week, a big, heartfelt THANK YOU!  It’s always a little disconcerting when I realise too late that I forgot to sign up on the WeWriWa blog, but have my snippet ready and raring to go. If you took time to comment last week, know that it was much appreciated.  We writers live on comments and feedback, you know (hint, hint).  You helped keep me alive for another week!

Happy reading and I’ll see you next week!