Page 9 of Snowed In with the Jilted Duke

Mechanically, Pippa accepted it and seated herself on the bench. Oliver stationed himself over her shoulder, clearly planning to turn the music for her.

"That is not necessary," she hissed under her breath, knowing all eyes in the room were on them now that everyone was settling in to listen.

"I know."

With a grimace, Pippa scanned the music and began to play, realizing too late that it was the sprightly old folk tune, “Blow the Dew.” She pasted a smile on her face as the family joined in with the familiar song about a shepherd boy misled by a girl he tried to seduce and the various attempts he made, only to be foiled again and again. She was far too aware of Oliver looming over her shoulder, turning the pages as she played and quietly singing along with the family, his light baritone pleasant in her ear.

She played the last few notes with a flourish and turned on the bench to face the crowd. To her alarm, Penny leaned against the arm of the sofa, eyes half-closed, the back of her hand pressed against her forehead. Pippa leapt up from the piano bench to help her sister, but Lord Hugo was already there, bending to speak to Penny as Pippa crossed the room to them.

“Penny, what is it?”

“It’s merely a headache.” Penny stumbled a little as she rose to her feet, and Lord Hugo’s hand went beneath her elbow to steady her. He frowned at her, and Penny frowned back.

“Do you need help up to your room?” Lord Hugo asked.

“Not at all,” Penny said to him, the frost back in her voice. “I shall be fine with a little rest. Good evening.”

Pippa took two steps towards the drawing room door as Penny vanished through it. “I ought to go with her.”

“You must stay,” the dowager said from her chair. “Your sister needs her rest, not for you to be fussing over her.”

Pippa bit back the sharp words she wanted to say and looked at Oliver, who had come up on her other side.

“I think she’s right,” he said. “Penelope would tell you if she wanted you with her.”

“I suppose.” Soon, her sister would be wed, and she would not need Pippa anymore. She would have her own home and family.

And Pippa would be alone.

The sharp stab of the thought sent her back to the pianoforte with a forced smile on her face. “What shall I play next?”

Pippa had to play three more songs before she was able to make her escape from the drawing room, her sister’s absence pulling at her even as she was forced to remain. First her joints aching, and now a megrim. Penny could not be ill again. Could she?

At last, the dowager announced she was tired of music and the party began to break up, some of the younger men making their way to the billiards room while others began the walk to their rooms. Oliver caught at Pippa’s elbow as she exited.

“If Penelope needs a physician, send a footman to my room right away.”

“Yes, of course. Though Sally would have sent word by now if Penny had taken a bad turn.”

Oliver nodded. He looked as though he might say something else, but one of the cousins called his name and he turned away.

Pippa looked up to see her mother storming towards her and nearly turned tail to run. She suppressed the urge and allowed her mother to grab her arm with a pinch like a crocodile’s.

“What were you about, monopolizing Kendal’s attention all evening? He ought to have been by Penny’s side. They will be husband and wife in three days.”

“I could not send a duke away, Mother. He wished to turn the pages for me.”

“It was terribly rude of him as well.” Mother’s eyes narrowed. “I do hope, Philippa, that you are not getting… ideas.”

Pippa felt her face flush, but her voice remained steady. “I don’t know what you mean, Mother.”

“You know exactly what I mean.”

Mother turned away as Pippa went first hot, then cold. Mother had seen them together. Mother knew.

4

As she pushed the door to their room open, Pippa could see Penny sprawled on the small sofa in front of the fireplace. She frowned, trying to be thankful her sister did not appear to be in too much pain, but that made Penny’s desertion in the drawing room even more frustrating.