‘There he is. Go on,’ Sebastian murmured. ‘Say hello to your old friend. It must be a while since you’ve seen him. I bet the last thing he’s expecting is to see us together.’
‘I think I’ll just grab a tea from the refreshment stand,’ she said, hoping to delay the inevitable.
But it was already too late. Theo turned and his eyes landed on her. For a heartbeat he smiled, warm and unguarded, as if he were genuinely glad to find her in the middle of the crowd. But then his gaze slid to Sebastian beside her. The change was instant. A flicker of disbelief, then calculation, then something that looked far too much like betrayal.
Heat crept up Pippa’s neck. She could probably guess what Theo was thinking, but she knew there was too much at stake for him today for him to let anything slip. Theo would remain professional at all costs. Sebastian, on the other hand, had never been good at that, far too ready to let his ego win over his good judgement.
But all she could do was stand there, clutching her welcome pack a little too tightly, silently wishing Sebastian wasn’t standing right next to her.
Sebastian walked towards Theo, and Pippa quickly followed. ‘Well,’ Sebastian said. ‘Doctor Blake himself. Congratulations on landing the Horace Vale interview. Quite the coup. Though…’ He tilted his head, as if pondering something far more scandalous. ‘One does wonder, was it your expertise that secured it, or simply that Horace needed someone… sympathetic? Someone willing to keep a few of his little secrets tucked safely away?’
Theo’s brow furrowed, confusion flickering across his face. ‘I’m not sure I follow,’ he said, his voice polite but edged with wariness.
Pippa’s stomach sank. Sebastian was acting very strangely and talking in riddles. If he wasn’t going to come straight out and say what was going on here, then all she could do was see what happened.
Sebastian smirked, clearly expecting Theo to bristle. Instead, Theo tilted his head slightly, a courteous smile playing on his lips. ‘But thank you, it is quite the coup, and I’m sure Horace will appreciate that I plan to approach the interview with care and respect. I hope you enjoy it. I know everyone in our field has waited a long time for this to happen.’ The warmth and civility in Theo’s tone made Sebastian’s smirk falter for a fraction of a second.
‘All right,’ Pippa said, looking directly at Sebastian. ‘Why don’t we all focus on the thrilling world of antique gears and not who’s got the bigger?—’
‘Pendulum?’ Sebastian offered dryly.
‘I was going to say ego,’ continued Pippa. ‘I’m not exactly sure what’s going on here but—’ She was interrupted by everyone beginning to take their seats.
‘I’m just going to nip to the bathroom.’ Sebastian slipped away as Pippa glanced at the vacant chairs.
In five minutes’ time, Dr Miriam Bowes was to take to the stage and welcome everyone to this year’s convention. Pippa was in a dilemma. Should she save a seat for Sebastian, or sit next to Theo? Before she could make up her mind, Theo spoke.
‘For what it’s worth,’ he said, without much preamble, ‘I’d assumed you were past the university politics. I didn’t expect to see you aligning yourself with him, especially here.’
‘I haven’t seen him since university– and is it really that surprising that he came? This interview is important to every horology nerd in this universe. Look, this isn’t the time… but for what it’s worth, I certainly didn’t do a runner from my own wedding to make your life a misery. I have enough going on in mine. I merely bumped into him at the café when I was having breakfast. That’s all.’
‘Okay, but we both know that back then he was always in the thick of things when it came to troublemaking. You don’t think he’ll do anything to sabotage this interview, do you?’
‘I don’t think so,’ she said, but remembering the venom in Sebastian’s voice, she wasn’t convinced.
‘And please tell me you aren’t going to invite him back to Clockmaker’s Cottage?’
‘Of course I’m not! Honestly, you’re reading too much into this.’
‘You’re honestly not here to sabotage me?’
‘No,’ she said firmly. ‘I’m here for clocks, Clemmie’s breakfasts, and possibly a fresh start. But mostly clocks.’
He exhaled and extended a hand. ‘Truce?’
She took it. ‘Truce. But I can’t say for sure what Sebastian is up to.’
‘I would never have put you two down as being friends.’
‘I think that’s stretching it a little.’
Theo’s face softened, but then he frowned. ‘Still, seeing him here makes me feel a little uneasy.’ He lowered his voice. ‘I’ve got a feeling he’s intending to make things difficult for me.’
Pippa was surprised that Theo would confide in her, and she was secretly chuffed. ‘He does seem to be very agitated about something, but I’m not sure what.’
‘From the first week of university I felt him gunning for me, though I still don’t know what it is I’m meant to have done to deserve it.’
Sebastian had merely been sticking up for her when Theo had decided to announce that she wasn’t good enough to be at Cambridge, but she wasn’t going to get into that now. This wasn’t the time or the place.
