Page 26 of The Spinster’s Stolen Heart (Willenshires #5)

Pippa hesitantly opened her eyes, and then immediately closed them again. The light was blinding.

There was a dull ache in the back of her head, uncomfortable but not the searing pain she remembered from last time she was conscious.

She was lying on her bed, on her side, pillows and blankets tucked up all around her.

Carefully, Pippa opened her eyes again, this time just a crack.

Morning sunlight filtered into her room. How long had she been asleep?

A snore caught her attention. Gingerly pushing herself up into a sitting position, Pippa at once found the source of the snore.

Bridget sat slumped in an armchair, angled towards Pippa’s bed. A book was half-falling out of her hand.

“The Ghost of Morendale Manor ,” Pippa read aloud, barely suppressing a smile.

Bridget gave another snort, then her eyes opened. They widened when she saw Pippa sitting up. In a flash, she was at Pippa’s side, clutching her hand.

“My darling girl, you’re awake! You’re awake !” she gasped, tears spilling down her cheeks. Pippa barely had time to marvel at the fact that her mother was crying before Bridget threw her arms around her neck, squeezing her tight.

“I… How long was I asleep?” she stammered.

Bridget pulled back, wiping away a tear from the corner of her eye.

“Two days,” she whispered. “Stay here, I must let the others know. Your cousins are all staying here, and the physician visits three times a day.”

Before Pippa could say a thing, her mother had bounded across the room, hauling on the bell pull.

“Two days?” she quavered.

“Yes, my darling girl. You hit your head rather badly. It… It was my fault.”

Pippa glanced away. Her memory was intact, it seemed. She recalled the argument with her mother, the fight over the violin, the push, the fall.

“It was an accident,” she murmured. “You didn’t mean to push me down the stairs.”

Breathing in deeply, Bridget perched on the edge of the bed. It took Pippa a moment to interpret the expression on her mother’s face.

Guilt. It was guilt. She… she’s ashamed.

“I told Katherine everything,” she said, her voice quiet. “Including… including you and Lord Whitmore on the balcony. Katherine was shocked and furious. Furious at me. She told me I had been a terrible mother, and frankly, she is right. I’ve been blinded by my own ambition. I forgot my promise to your father and I forgot what I owe you , as my daughter. I’ve had several days, sitting here by your bedside, to think about my behaviour. Katherine’s scolding helped. I saw myself through her eyes for once, and I did not like what I saw. Can you ever forgive me, Pippa?”

Pippa was silent for a moment, with Bridget waiting anxiously for her reply.

“Water,” Pippa managed at last, her throat dry and her voice hoarse. Bridget scrambled to pour her a glass, and Pippa sipped, grateful.

“Of course I forgive you, Mama,” she whispered, once her mouth felt less numb. “But truly, I can’t marry Lord Barwick. I am sorry.”

Bridget swallowed, looking away. “William did some investigating. It seems that Lord Barwick has a great many debts, and not much money to offset them. He… He was hoping to get a settlement from William and assumed that a large dowry would be settled upon you. When William told him that under no circumstances would such a thing happen, then Lord Barwick quite promptly withdrew his interest.”

There was a little silence.

“I see,” Pippa said flatly. “I am glad that I did not like the man, then.”

Bridget closed her eyes. “I cannot believe how blind I was, how foolish . Oh, Pippa, can you forgive me? I cannot undo what I’ve done, and I can only be glad that you were so determined not to give in. If you were engaged to the man by now, heaven only knows how we would extricate you from such a predicament.”

Pippa smoothed the blankets beneath her palms.

“Well, I am not betrothed to him, so let’s be grateful for that. Has… has Lord Whitmore come to visit me? He was meant to call on me the morning of my accident.”

“Ah, yes, I do recall some guest arriving when the physician came. He was sent away, of course. We were all in an uproar.”

Pippa swallowed. “And… and was he told the reason?”

Bridget frowned. “I’m afraid I don’t know. Why?”

Why? Because Nathan might think I cancelled our meeting, that I have no desire to court him after all.

“Did he come back to see how I was?” she managed, her throat drying up again. She wanted more water, but her stomach felt hollow and empty. Already, she could feel the water she’d drunk sloshing around in there, and was a little afraid she might vomit. She was already as weak as a kitten, and vomiting would not help.

“I’m afraid I don’t know that either, darling. I have been up here with you all this time. Why, should he have come to see you?”

Pippa bit her lip, looking away. Of course, she was being silly. A man like Nathan probably had a horde of eligible ladies after him. Perhaps his attention had already been distracted.

Well, if he can forget me so easily, then he was never meant for me in the first place. That’s that.

Then why does it hurt so much?

“It’s all right, Mama,” Pippa said aloud. “I imagine I’ll miss quite a bit of the Season while I recover.”

Before Bridget could respond, the door opened, admitting Katherine. Timothy hovered in the doorway.

“You’re awake, and looking well,” Katherine said, relief in her voice. “The physician is coming to examine you soon, but he said that if you woke up today, it would be a very good sign.”

“I feel well,” Pippa admitted. “Aside from a faint headache. I’m rather hungry, actually.”

“Well, we’ll fetch you something to eat at once,” Katherine assured her. Hesitating, she glanced over at Timothy. “In the meantime, you have a guest. If you don’t wish to see him, I’ll tell him so at once, but he’s called several times a day while you were unconscious. Almost as often as the physician, in fact.”

Pippa sat up a little straighter. “He?”

Katherine hid a smile. “Why, yes. It’s Lord Whitmore. He says that he has something to discuss with you.”

She sucked in a breath. “I… I would like to see him.”

Katherine nodded. “I’ll send him up directly. And I shall chaperone you; you won’t even know I’m there. As for you, Aunt Bridget, why don’t you go downstairs and have something to eat?”

“I think I might, Katherine,” Bridget said, heaving herself to her feet with a sigh. She leaned down, pressing a kiss to Pippa’s head. “I love you, my darling girl. I won’t get in your way ever again. Losing you was…” she paused, swallowing. “It was almost unbearable.”

Pippa closed her eyes. “You won’t lose me, Mama. I’m not going anywhere.”

She spotted her violin leaning against the window seat. The wood appeared to have been oiled and polished lately. She allowed herself a small smile.

They all filed out of the room, except for Katherine, who settled herself demurely in the corner, and took out a book.

“Mama was reading one of Timothy’s novels,” Pippa remarked.

Katherine grinned. “Oh, yes. She’s reading them all. I think she’s discovered that she rather likes novels.”

There was no time for more, because abruptly drumming feet echoed on the stairs, and Nathan burst into her room.

He came to an abrupt stop, looking rather abashed at having created such a commotion, and swallowed hard, striving to compose himself.

“Pippa,” he breathed. “You’re awake. I thought… I thought you’d never…” he bit off the end of that sentence, although she could easily guess what he’d intended to say.

She held out her hand and he came towards her, taking her hand and sitting on the edge of the bed.

“I thought you would die,” he said softly. “They said I couldn’t see you until you had woken up, which I suppose makes a great deal of sense, but at the time…” he swallowed, the sentence tapering off.

He looked rather pale and tired, as if he hadn’t slept well, his hair uncombed and his clothes rumpled. Her hand felt right in his, their fingers locking together as if they were made for each other.

“It was just an accident,” Pippa said. “I’m sorry I couldn’t keep our arrangement.”

He smiled faintly.

“Don’t worry about my mother . I think Mama and I have solved our differences, I’m only sorry that it took such a serious incident to do so. She won’t make me marry Lord Barwick now , for certain. I’m free at last.”

Nathan squeezed her hand. “I rather hoped, Pippa, that you might consider marrying me .”

She met his gaze, his eyes large and hopeful. A warm feeling spread through her chest.

He loves me. I found it, Papa. I found true love, and Mama was wrong – I didn’t have to change myself for it or temper my opinions. I was simply me , and he loves me for that.

“Yes,” she heard herself say, squeezing his hand back. “Yes, Nathan. Of course, I will marry you.”