The night of Mikhail’s wedding, she’d said she didn’t want Bryony to know about them, but it was starting to feel like he didn’t have a choice. Should he pull his newest sister-in-law aside after dinner, explain the letters, and ask her to meet Rosalind on the usual day and time in his stead? Rosalind might not show up, since she knew he’d be out of town, but maybe she’d go to the cove anyway, just to spend a little time by herself. She always seemed to enjoy the walk out there.
Besides, it just might be easier for Rosalind to keep her typical schedule. It was already hard enough for her to get away from her father, but he was used to Rosalind visiting Millicent once a month. What her father didn’t know was that Rosalind and Millicent’s visit took up only half the time Rosalind was gone. Walking out to the beach where she typically met Yuri might be easier than changing her schedule and then needing to answer her father’s questions.
“You’ve been quiet tonight, Yuri.”
Yuri snapped his head up to find Alexei watching him.
“That’s not like you.”
“I’m just thinking,” Yuri muttered, reaching for his drink.
“Don’t hurt yourself,” Sacha snapped.
Yuri rolled his eyes. “Iamcapable of deep thought from time to time.”
“That’s debatable,” Mikhail murmured.
“No, Yuri’s right.” Evelina sent him a sickeningly sweet smile. “He had a deep thought just last month at Thanksgiving.”
“Exactly.” Yuri puffed out his chest. “And I’ve been recovering ever since.”
Bryony shook her head. “You’re all impossible.”
Kate smirked, then reached over and squeezed Nathan’s arm. “At least my husband was raised properly.”
Nathan grinned. “That’s why I married into the family. Someone needed to bring civility to this lot.”
Bryony snorted. “I think you failed.”
Laughter erupted around the table, but Yuri barely heard it. He was back to thinking about Rosalind and the letters.
By the timethe meal was finished, Yuri still hadn’t decided whether to tell Bryony about Rosalind’s letters. Everyone around him was cleaning up, but he stood against the hutch, drinking a second cup of tea and observing the activity when Mikhail came up beside him.
“Can I talk to you for a few minutes?” Mikhail’s voice was low and severe.
Too severe. Yuri didn’t need some other serious thing to deal with, at least not until he’d figured out what to do about Rosalind’s letters. He tilted the side of his mouth up into a smirk before even looking at Mikhail.
“Talk to me? Why? And why do you look so serious? Wait, don’t tell me.” Yuri snapped his fingers. “You spent the day with Alexei, didn’t you?”
Mikhail rolled his eyes. “Just meet me in Alexei’s study.”
He widened his eyes. “That does sound serious. I’d best bring my tea with me. Sounds like I might need some liquid courage for this conversation.”
Mikhail just shook his head and left the kitchen muttering something under his breath that Yuri wasn’t sure he wanted to hear.
Yuri lingered in the kitchen a few seconds longer, then pushed himself off the hutch and followed Mikhail down the hallway. He had no clue what his brother wanted to talk to him about, and he’d only been half joking about bringing the tea with him for courage.
Alexei’s study was quieter than the rest of the house, closed off from the chatter and laughter still coming from the kitchen.
Yuri would have closed the door behind him, but Bryony rushed into the room before he could shut it.
“Did he tell you? I’m so sorry, Yuri. I didn’t mean to do it. It was an accident.”
“Didn’t mean to do what?” Yuri swung his gaze to Mikhail, who was standing beside Alexei’s desk holding a letter.
“Bryony accidentally opened one of your letters this afternoon.”
That’s what this was about? A letter? He’d already received all six of Rosalind’s letters for the month of December, so whatever Bryony had opened would be harmless.
