Silence descended again. Pippa was suddenly struck by howquietit was. Back home – not that those rooms had felt like home – there was always noise. Chatter and rattling cartwheels from the square outside, or conversation from the shop below, or pacing footsteps from the attic above, which was leased out to another family. There was always something to break up the silence.
Not here. Here, the lack of noise was like a soft, heavy blanket, covering ever corner of the room and smothering their own desire to speak. Pippa wasn’t sure that she liked it.
However, the silence meant that they could hear approaching footsteps well in advance.
Exchanging a nervous glance with her mother, Pippa rose to her feet. Wordlessly, they turned to face the door, hearts hammering, and waited.
The door flew open, and Pippa grabbed at her mother’s hand for support. Bridget squeezed back.
A tall, stern-looking man strode in, olive-skinned, with dark hair and sharp green eyes. He was followed by a beautiful woman with a mane of red hair, wearing a simple muslin riding gown.
There was a tense pause, the four of them staring at each other.
“Aunt Bridget,” the man said at last, expression unreadable. His gaze landed on Pippa. “And you must be… you must be Cousin Pippa.”
Pippa recovered herself at last, remembering that she was facing a duke. She began to sink into a curtsey.
“It’s good to see you, your Grace…” she began, but in a flash, the man was in front of her, raising her up by her elbow.
“Enough of that,” he said, flashing a somewhat awkward smile. “I am uncomfortable enough with being curtsied to as it is. We’re family, there’s no need for that. Or any of thisyour Gracebusiness. My name is William.”
This, Pippa reflected, was a good start. She rose up, glancing at her mother. Bridget stepped forward.
“I apologise for coming without warning, my letter must have gone astray,” she lied smoothly. “I shall be frank, William. Our families have never been close, mostly due to my brother. Your father. He never forgave me for my marriage, and…” she cleared her throat. “Enough of that, I think.”
William’s face tightened at the mention of his father but said nothing. Bridget continued.
“I wanted to visit and try and make amends, but there never seemed to be a right time. I’m sorry if we have arrived at a bad time.”
“No, nothing like that,” William assured her. “This my wife, Lavinia.”
There was a softness on his face when he introduced his wife, who stepped forward with an easy smile. Pippa felt a pang of jealousy. What must it be like to have such a relationship with somebody? There was clearly a great deal of love between the two, a genuine thing that one saw rarely in Society.
Pleasantries were exchanged, and the butler duly reappeared with a tea tray and genial smile for Pippa. The four of them sat down, eyeing each other nervously.
“Family is important,” Lavinia said, while they sipped their tea. “I should like us to see more of you two, especially as you are widowed, Lady Bridget.”
Bridget smiled. “We could stay nearby for a while, to spend time with you?”
“Oh, no, you must stay here,” William said at once. “We have plenty of rooms. You can have a bedroom each, and a private parlour for yourselves.”
This, of course, was exactly what Pippa and Bridget had hoped for. Perhaps it wasmorethan what they’d hoped for. Barely biting back a triumphant grin, Bridget inclined her head.
“I’d like that, thank you. You were always such a generous boy, William.”
He gave a tentative smile. “My father mentioned you, you know, and Cousin Pippa. We were reading his last letter to me only today, for the first time, and he mentioned my responsibilities towards you.”
“You must not feel obliged towards us, William,” Bridget said, at the same moment that Pippa said, “Why did you only read your father’s last letter to you today?”
She immediately wished she hadn’t spoken, because William shifted uncomfortably, glancing at his wife.
“It was to be opened and read by me only on my wedding day,” he said at last. “I didn’t open it immediately. I would have sent word to you in a few days, however. My father wanted…” he paused, glancing at his wife as if for help.
“You must be exhausted from your trip,” Lavinia spoke up. “I’ll show you to your chambers, and you can settle in. Have you brought any things?”
“We have a few cases,” Pippa spoke up, and immediately flushed. Now they would think that she and Bridget had come with the hopes of staying with them. Which, of course, theyhad, but still.
“I’ll have them fetched for you,” Lavinia answered at once, not even missing a beat. “The rest of the family will be thrilled to see you. Both of you.”
