Dipping his head a bit, he stepped into the room to give his new in-laws a bow. “Sir Charles, good to see you looking better. Lady Knight.”
“Looking better?” Pip immediately retorted. “Did you see him here as well?”
Finally, he looked just a bit uncomfortable. “In passing only. Chuffy, good to see you. Got a note that you broke the code.”
“With my Mae here,” Chuffy said, beaming. “Mae, this is—”
“The missing husband,” she said, looking down from her regal height that had not been dimmed a bit by her short, darkened hair.
Beau gave her another bow. “Not missing. Just misplaced. Is Drake here? He sent me a note to come. Looks like he sent everyone else in London the same note.”
“Question of the hour,” Chuffy said with a huff.
“Tea?” Pip’s mother asked, lifting the pot a bit. “We can have a nice coze, Lord Drummond.”
Pip almost burst out laughing. “Mama, you have known Beau since he was six. Getting all formal now will not intimidate him.”
“Don’t be too sure of that,” Beau muttered.
More introductions were made, which made Pip’s palms itch. Beau had that look on him that presaged rough weather, and she would far rather get through it. In private. She was just about to get to her feet when Wilkins returned leading another guest.
“Mr. Christopher Braxton.”
A rail-thin gentleman with blonde hair and a military posture took a step into the room, which was when Pip noticed that his one sleeve was empty.
“Oh,” she said with delight. “You’re Kit.”
He bowed. “Here as well because of a seemingly erroneous note. Drake isn’t around?”
Every shoulder rose and fell.
“It hasn’t been that long,” Chuffy suggested.
“Have some tea,” Pip’s mother chirped. “Wilkins, another tray if you will.”
Furniture was rearranged and a message was received that Sarah Ripton and Ian Ferguson, the twins’ brother, were heading over to Hawes House with ‘the boys’, whoever that was. Pip decided not to ask. Her mother was in her element supervising tea, and everyone talked around her, which gave Pip the space and time to fret. And remember.
“You are not supposed to be here,” Beau growled beneath the bright chatter.
Pip sipped at her tea, thinking she would prefer brandy right about now. Or whiskey. “Why not? Everyone else seems to be here…well, except for Drake. And actually, I wasn’t here. I went to my parents, but then I found out they were here. What was I to do?”
“Never leave Delamere, as I instructed you.”
She shrugged, struggling to convey ease. “I had to come to London. There is so much I need in order to redecorate the master suite, and the village simply does not have the variety I require.”
He seemed to freeze. “The Master Suite? But I don’t sleep in the Master Suite.”
Now she looked at him. She caught his gaze and refused to look away no matter what her own body did. “I know you do not. Which made it extremely difficult to establish myself as the new viscountess when your aunt and uncle had claimed the position of authority. Especially when you weren’t there.”
“They saw you marry.”
“They saw you inherit your title at twelve. It didn’t seem to disabuse them of the notion that they were still in charge.”
He stared at her as if she’d turned around and bitten him. “What did you do?”
She gave him a bright smile. “I moved them.”
He actually sputtered. “What do you mean, you moved them?”
