Lavinia chuckled. “It’s certainly nice to have siblings.”
They reached a long, wide stretch of corridor, the doors painted different colours. They stopped before a blue door with a plaque readingThe Blue Room.
“This is yours,” Lavinia said, gesturing for her to step inside. “Go on, see what you think.”
Pippa gingerly turned the handle, not quite able to believe that she washere, that she waswelcome.
There was a chance to be something beyond a miserable, penniless spinster.
She stepped into a room larger than their sitting room back home. The room was square and high-ceilinged, with a four-poster bed that seemed bigger than her entirebedroomback home. The room was tastefully furnished, and a wide, high window looked out onto rolling lawns and rose gardens.
My mother left all of this behind when she married my father,Pippa thought, in a rush of surprise. That selfless act did not seem to fit in with Bridget’s desire to improve their lives now.
She must have loved him so much.
A lump rose to her throat when she thought of her father. The two years since his death had numbed the pain a little, but not enough. It would never be enough, really.
“It’s beautiful,” she said at last, turning to face Lavinia. “Thank you so much, you and William, for your hospitality.”
Lavinia gave a wry smile. She was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed, watching Pippa thoughtfully.
“I hope you’ll be comfortable. Now, I shall go and make sure your boxes are being sent up.”
She turned to go, but Pippa spoke again, stopping her in her tracks.
“The letter… the one from the old duke… it mentioned me, did you say?”
Lavinia lifted an eyebrow. “Yes, it did.”
“I find that so strange. He was angry at my mother for the marriage she made, and never showed any interest in us. After my father died, Mama wrote to him for help, and he refused to help us.”
She shrugged. “We were surprised too. The old duke was not a good man, but he was a surprising one at times. For example, he thought that Timothy Rutherford was a good match for Kat, despite him being a poor second son.”
Pippa bit her lip, remembering her mother’s contemptuous words regarding that marriage. They would have to be cautious with their words in this company, lest they offend their patrons.
“What did he say, then? I mean, what is William meant to do for Mama and me?”
She was not speaking well. Pippa felt like a clumsy, countrified simpleton. How was she going to manage in London Society?Ifshe went into London Society. Perhaps they had no intention of bringing her out at all. They certainly had no obligations towards her. Even their hospitality was more than what she had expected.
Lavinia did not seem upset or offended, however. She only eyed Pippa carefully for a long moment, a faint smile curling her lips.
“He said that you may wish to marry, and William should help you find a suitable match,” she said at last. “I might guess that your mother wishes you to marry, too.”
“Indeed,” Pippa confessed. “I don’t feel inclined to marriage myself, but there’s no other choice, is there?”
Lavinia tilted her head to one side. “There is always another choice, my dear. But you must be tired, and you’ll want to settle in. We can talk about this later. Do you like riding?”
“Riding? Horses? Um, well, I suppose so. I don’t mind.”
She grinned. “I like to ride. You can come with me, sometime. Kat won’t be coming, on account of the baby, and nor will Abigail.”
“Who is Abigail?”
Lavinia chuckled. “You have much to do in order to catch up with this family, Pippa. Take your ease and allow yourself to rest. You shall require your strength,” she added, and slipped out of the door, closing it behind her.
Chapter Four
A tap at the door made Nathan flinch. He tore his eyes away from the column of ledgers, unable to swallow his annoyance.
