Page 4 of The Spinster’s Stolen Heart (Willenshires #5)

The butler looked down his long nose at them.

“Their Graces are not accepting guests yet, madam,” he said, with just a touch of incredulity in his voice. Just enough to make Pippa want to sink down into the ground in shame.

Bridget, to her credit, was not cowed. She lifted her chin.

“Do you know who I am?”

The butler wasn’t cowed either. He looked her up and down and pursed his lips.

“No, madam.”

“I am Lady Randall, Dowager Viscountess Randall. I am the duke’s aunt, and this here is Miss Randall, his cousin. We are here to visit family , if I were you, I’d change your attitude, my good sir.”

Pippa bit back a wince. Perhaps the butler was a little snobbish, but making an enemy of him wouldn’t make the family any more likely to like them.

The butler stared at them for a long moment, then heaved a sigh.

“Very well. You will be shown to a parlour while I ask their Graces if you’ll be received today.” He stepped back, and they both hurried inside before he could change his mind.

The butler shot them both a tired, disapproving stare. Pippa tried not to notice.

“Follow me, please.”

***

After two years of living in increasingly smaller cottages and finally a set of low-ceilinged, musty-smelling rooms, Pippa found herself a little unsettled in the vast hallways. The ceilings flew up away from them, cavernous and echoing. Portraits of serious-faced Willenshires stared down at them from the walls, interspersed with landscapes and works by the old masters.

Their footsteps echoed, the sound following them along the stone hallways. The butler strode ahead, leaving Bridget and Pippa to scurry along behind him.

My mother grew up in this house, Pippa thought, with a shiver. She was a Willenshire.

What was it like?

Bridget had never spoken much about her childhood, or about her brother. Aside from the brief, shining period when Pippa was brought to play with her cousin, Katherine, there’d been no connection between the family.

The butler gestured for them to step into a neat little parlour, mercifully smaller and cozier than the yawning hallways. She suspected it was an insultingly drab and small room, but could only feel relief at not being shown to some fine, huge space that was too large for them.

“Please remain here while I inform their Graces of your presence,” the butler said severely. “If they are not able to see you, you will have to leave.”

“I hope they’ll see us,” Pippa burst out, before she could stop herself. Bridget threw her an angry glance, and she felt colour rise to her cheeks. The butler was eyeing her curiously, and she smiled nervously. “I haven’t seen my cousins in such a long time. I haven’t even been able to congratulate them on their marriages.”

The butler’s expression softened. “If their Graces cannot see you today,” he said kindly, “I’m sure they will make time for you later. Please, make yourselves comfortable. Tea will be sent along soon.”

With that he withdrew, closing the door behind him. Bridget threw Pippa an annoyed stare.

“What on earth are you doing, trying to charm the butler?”

Pippa flushed. “Mama, I’m only trying to be pleasant. And he was much kinder to us after all. People only want to be treated kindly.”

Bridget snorted, tossing her head. She strode over to the window and stared out. Outside, a gentle rain began to fall, casting a dreary mist upon the windowpanes. The hired carriage with its newly fixed wheel was waiting as they’d asked, with their cases sitting hopefully on the top.

Pippa lowered herself onto a plush sofa, quietly marvelling at how fresh and soft it was, not even a little threadbare.

“I never asked, Mama,” she said, after a moment or two of silence, “but why did I spend time with Katherine? If there was such a breach between you and my uncle, why was I permitted to play with her when we were children?”

Bridget heaved a sigh, and for a long moment, Pippa thought she was not going to answer.

“My brother went abroad for business,” she said at last. “The Duchess – well, she’s the dowager duchess now, I suppose, but I called her Mary – wrote to me. You and Katherine might be friends, she thought. So, for a little while, we paid visits and you girls played together.”

“I see,” Pippa digested this. “And why did the visits stop?”

“My brother came home,” Bridget responded simply.

Silence descended again. Pippa was suddenly struck by how quiet it 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 this your Grace business. 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 was more than 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, they had , 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.”

“I suppose you’ve heard of all the marriages we’ve had lately?” William said, laughing to himself. “Henry got married, Aunt Bridget. Henry . And Alexander, and Kat. I wonder if you remember the Rutherfords, Aunt Bridget? Well, Katherine married Timothy Rutherford.”

Bridget’s face relaxed into a smile. “Yes, indeed, I recall. The oldest boy, yes? What a fine match that will be.”

“Uh, no, not the oldest boy, the other one. Timothy was always my friend, and Kat’s too. He is, of course, the second son.”

There was a brief pause. “Katherine threw herself away on a second son?” Bridget said, laughing incredulously. “A plain old mister ? Goodness. If my brother were alive, he would never have allowed such a thing.”

There was an uncomfortable silence after that. Lavinia and William exchanged quick, meaningful glances. Pippa pinned her gaze on the ground, red with mortification on her mother’s behalf.

“Timothy is my friend, and he adores Kat,” William said, carefully. “And she loves him. It’s quite a good match, Aunt.”

Bridget recovered herself, smiling tightly. “Of course, of course. Pay me no mind. I am happy for her, of course. Are they all here?”

“Not at the moment, but I’m sure they’ll be keen to meet you. And…” William glanced at his wife again, “… and my mother is here, too. She generally lives with my brother, Alexander, but at the moment she is staying with us. I sent a footman to find her and tell her that you’re here.”

With impeccable timing, footsteps echoed in the hallway again. The door opened, and a pale, faded woman entered.

She was a little older than Bridget, but much smaller and thinner, with long, bony hands that she wrung together. Her gown was a good one, but old-fashioned, and did not sit right on her thin frame. She said nothing, only glancing between them.

William got to his feet, edging over to his mother.

“Mother, this is Aunt Bridget and Cousin Pippa. You remember them, don’t you?” he said, his voice a little brighter than was natural, as if he worried his mother might not understand.

She cleared her throat, cloudy eyes landing on first Bridget and then Pippa.

“Of course, I remember,” she said at last. “You have grown up beautifully, Pippa. And Bridget, it is very good to see you. I’m glad you’re here. Shall we walk? I’d like to speak to you.”

Bridget nodded slowly, glancing at Lavinia and William for permission.

“I shall write to my brothers and Kat, to let them know you’re staying with us,” he said. “Lavinia, would you show Pippa to her chambers?”

Lavinia nodded, and smiled at Pippa, gesturing for her to follow.

This is it, Pippa thought, heart hammering. My life is changing, again. I wonder what the future holds for me now?

Without giving herself a chance to think twice, she followed Lavinia.

Will it last, though?

Pippa tried to keep her worries to herself, as she followed Lavinia down endless, winding corridors.

The house was vast, worryingly so. Even the house they’d lived in when things were good was smaller than this one. When Pippa had visited to play with Katherine, they’d stayed in the nursery, and somehow the place had seemed smaller.

Now, she lived in fear of losing her way.

How will I find my way around?

“We’ll put you in the Blue Room, and your mother in the Grey Room, across the hall,” Lavinia said, twisting around to smile at her. “There’s a morning-room beside the Blue Room. It needs airing, but I shall have that seen to directly, and then you can use it as a parlour. I hope you’ll be comfortable here.”

“You’ve very kind,” Pippa burst out. “We… We shouldn’t have come without warning. I apologise.”

Lavinia threw her an odd look. “I thought you said you’d sent a letter ahead, only for it to go astray?”

Pippa reddened further. “I did. That is, we did. Perhaps we should have waited, since you’ve only just gotten married.”

“I don’t mind,” she responded with a shrug. “William’s family is a little… well, I’m sure you know about the old duke already. The man was something of a monster. All of his children had strange relationships with him. His poor wife, Mary, adored him, but he never treated her well. She misses him so badly, but he was never worthy of her. Perhaps I ought not to speak so openly of it, but there has been so much trouble between William and his family because of this. It’s been… it’s been difficult. Have you any siblings, Pippa?”

She shook her head. “I always wanted siblings, though.”

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 reading The 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 was here , that she was welcome .

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 entire bedroom back 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? If she 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.