“The dining room, ma’am. Should…should I ask chef to add another setting?”
She was hungry, but she was in no mood to make small talk with those two. So, she smiled at him.
“No, no. Do not discommode the chef. If I could have a tray in my room. Cold meats and cheese would suffice if necessary. If you would show my lady’s maid Joyful the way, I will go see my new relatives.”
He obviously hadn’t noticed Joyful before the introduction. His hands out to receive Pip’s bonnet and cloak, he almost let them fall to the floor. His eyes grew impossibly big and his mouth dropped. Pip ignored him.
“And you can show Lord Drummond’s man Sullins to his room, please. My husband does not join me on this trip.”
He blinked. “Er, milady…uh, which room would be yours, exactly?”
That stopped her cold in her tracks. “I assume the viscount sleeps in the master suite?”
The young man couldn’t seem to look at her. “Um, not exactly.”
“Then exactly where does he sleep?”
“His old room, ma’am. He never, uh, moved.”
He had been viscount since his twelfth birthday. Pip was becoming glad she had made the trek. “Indeed. The master suite is empty then?”
He made a little chuffing noise, as if the words were caught in his throat. “Um, no, milady. Not exactly.”
She straightened, nodded to herself. “Well, then. I will use the viscount’s room tonight, Foster. Tomorrow after I consult with my husband’s relatives and the housekeeper, we will begin preparing the master suite for the viscount’s return. Please apprise the staff. I would appreciate a meeting in the morning with you and the housekeeper so we can evaluate needs, and then I will travel up to London for whatever I need to redecorate. I’m certain we can get a few local men in to work on it. As for now, I will speak to the Drummonds.”
Foster clutched her cloak to his chest, his hands trembling just a bit. “I’ll, uh, have someone air out your room, milady.”
With a nod of her head as if she were Princess Charlotte on tour, Pip stepped past the trembling butler and wound her way back to where the dining room was.
Pip could not imagine anyone looking so much like they were not enjoying food. From the smells coming from the chafing dishes, it seemed to be some lovely fowl and beef, and the wine glasses were half full, with one of the footmen standing against the wall waiting to refill. And yet Uncle Edward and Aunt Maude looked as if their dinner were a punishment instead of nourishment.
Their expressions grew immediately dourer when they noticed her in the doorway.
“What are you doing here?” Uncle Edward demanded, jumping to his feet.
Oh, Pip thought, she was going to have some fun. Taking a quick look around, she lifted that selfsame eyebrow. “I live here. Foster is preparing Beau’s room for me for tonight. I will be touring the house tomorrow to get an idea for Beau of what needs to be done before he joins me here. I will need some time with both of you, if you don’t mind. And then I imagine I will spend a few days in London to do a bit of shopping for wallpaper and the like.” She smiled. “I’m certain I might want to redecorate the master suite.”
Pip wasn’t certain which of them was more outraged. Aunt Maude turned the darkest red, but Pip thought Uncle Edward actually made a gobbling noise.
“What happened to your wedding trip?” Aunt Maude asked, her voice acid.
Pip smiled. “Beau had an emergency in London. Some kind of diplomatic crisis, I believe. I wanted to touch base here before I joined him. I can’t tell you how grateful I am that Beau and I will be sharing our lives here at Delamere. It has always been a special place to me.”
There was really nothing they could say to that.
“I shall leave you to your dinner,” Pip said with another bright smile. “I’ll be taking a tray in my room for tonight. It was a long journey, as I’m sure you well know. May we talk tomorrow about our schedule for transition? After all the time you have sacrificed for Beau and Theo, I know you’re anxious to return home yourselves.”
“How dare you bring up Theo?” Aunt Maude demanded, climbing to her feet. “If it weren’t for you---”
But before she could finish that sentence, Uncle Edward stayed her with an upraised hand.
“Why should we simply take your word that this is what Beau wants?” he asked Pip.
“Because, as I just said to Foster, I am now Lady Drummond.” She let her smile widen in delight, as if she really were glad the next sentence was true. “Which you know more than anyone. You were there. And thank you for that, too, by the way. I’m so glad Beau had family with him.”
Beau’s uncle said nothing. Pip suspected she knew exactly how delighted they were to see her. They now knew that she expected to take charge. Nodding her head, Pip turned for the door, amazed at the courage it took to turn her back on those two.
“Fortune hunter,” Aunt Maude growled.
