Chapter Thirteen #2
Prudence’s eyes glistened with unshed tears, and Pippa had her answer. “As I understand it, you feel the same for Millie’s infant son. You took a blade in the back for Roarke.”
The knock on the door allowed Pippa the time to swallow past the lump in her throat to reply, “Millie is more than a friend—she’s like a sister to me. I would protect her and Roarke with my life if need be.”
Lady Phoebe nodded to the footman who delivered the tea tray, then thanked him. “You and Millie share a quality I noticed Prudence and Caro have with myself, and I have with my sisters-in-law—Persephone and Aurelia—and our closest friend, Calliope.”
“Oh? What would that be?” Pippa inquired.
“Your are as strong, brave, and true as the men we have married.”
“But Dillon and I aren’t married—”
“Yet,” the baroness said with a smile as she poured out cups of tea. “This time tomorrow you will be.” Their conversation was interrupted by another knock on the door. “Enter.”
Caro stuck her head inside the room and asked, “Have you seen Prudence?”
Lady Phoebe smiled. “Caro! There you are, and just in time for tea.”
Caro smiled, but shook her head. “I need to find Percy and Phineas before I run out of energy.”
“Do join us,” the baroness said, glancing over her shoulder at the wardrobe again. “I made sure we would have enough for you to have tea with us.”
Prudence frowned at the direction of Lady Phoebe’s stare, and then slowly smiled. Pippa wondered if she had finally caught on to the fact that her cousins were closer than she realized.
Prudence’s next words confirmed that she had. “It is such a shame that we have two large plates of iced teacakes and my poor little cousins are going to be missing out on the scrumptious treat—”
The door to the wardrobe burst open and the boys spilled out on to the floor one on top of the other.
Pippa could not contain her laughter at the sight of Percy and Phineas scrambling to their feet, brushing their hands down their clothes, and rushing over to their cousin.
“You knew we were here all along, didn’t you, Cousin Pru? ” Percy asked.
“Of course she did,” Phineas answered for her. “You heard the way she raised her voice mentioning scrumptious iced teacakes.”
Percy smiled at his brother. “She knows we love them.” Turning to the baroness, he asked, “May we join you?”
“We promise to use our best manners,” Phineas added.
Lady Phoebe’s eyes were damp with tears that she quickly blinked away. It was obvious to Pippa that she held great affection for the twins. “We would love for you two gentlemen to join us, wouldn’t we Pippa? Millie? Caro?”
Millie scooted over in her chair and patted the cushion. “There is just enough room if one of you wants to sit with me.” Percy dashed over to sit beside her.
Pippa moved to make room for his brother.
“And I have a spot for you, too, Phineas.” Once he sat, and the boys had been served half cups of tea with cream and sugar—as the baroness explained, the cups were otherwise too full and easy to tip over—Pippa noticed that all three of the woman who were carrying their first babes were sniffing back tears.
The love and caring in the room for two little boys who were not their own, the realization that these three women—from different levels of society—had formed a friendship, humbled her.
The lines were blurred. She would feel comfortable here at Summerfield Chase and could imagine life here with Millie and Roarke, Lady Phoebe, Prudence, and Caro as friends… married to Dillon Flaherty.
“Pippa?”
“Hmm?” She glanced at the teacup in her raised hand and blinked. Had she gotten lost in her thoughts while taking a sip of tea? Embarrassed and bit surprised, she lowered the cup to its saucer and placed it on the table in front of her.
Phineas patted her on the arm. “It’s all right, Pippa. Cousin Pru did that a lot before she married Garahan.”
Percy grinned at his brother. “She still does!”
Prudence laughed. “That’s enough of that kind of talk, you two. You are far too young to speak of such things.”
Phineas snickered. “Like what we heard you say about Garahan’s pectoral muscles?”
Prudence gasped and nearly choked on her tea. Caro patted her on the back, while Lady Phoebe was clutching her belly, laughing so hard she was crying.
“Mind if I ask what is going on in here?” Summerfield stood in the doorway for a moment before striding into the room and over to his wife. “Phoebe!” He went down on one knee next to her. “You’re crying. Where do you hurt?”
Instead of answering him, she wrapped her arms around him and held tight.
The baron grumbled, “You’d best answer in the next three minutes, or I shall be forced to summon Dr. Higgins.”
“It’s my fault,” Phineas said.
“It is!” Percy agreed. “He was the one who reminded Prudence that she mentioned Garahan’s pectoral muscles.”
Pippa put her hand over her mouth to keep her laughter contained.
The baron eased back and stared down into his wife’s smiling face, then brushed the tears from her cheeks and sighed. “I hope you did not add anything to that particular conversation.”
“She said it first,” Phineas told him.
“Yeah,” Percy added. “Do you really stare at her when you take off your frockcoat, unbutton your waistcoat, and—”
Prudence interrupted, “I think you two should finish one last teacake and head to the schoolroom for lessons.”
When they ignored her, and Percy opened his mouth to continue, Caro spoke up. “Why don’t I just put a few cakes on this plate? The two of you can come with Prudence and me to the schoolroom.”
“Er…yes, boys,” Prudence agreed. “Lady Phoebe looks positively worn out. I’m certain she could do with a nap.”
Percy tugged on Phineas’s arm and grumbled, “I don’t think she rests at all whenever the baron joins her.”
“If you want another teacake, you’ll be quiet and come along,” Prudence ordered them.
Millie nearly snorted her tea, quickly grabbing a napkin to cover her face.
“I do believe those two hooligans have been hanging around our private guard too long. Don’t you, Phoebe dear?” Summerfield asked.
Pippa did not quite know what to say. She had picked up quite a few interesting ideas from the married women, and wondered what her reaction would be when Flaherty removed his frockcoat and unbuttoned his waistcoat. Would his pectorals engender a similar reaction from her?
“Don’t you agree, Pippa?” Millie asked.
“I beg your pardon. I was woolgathering.”
Summerfield pressed a kiss to the top of his wife’s head and rose to his feet. “If you are finished with your tea, my love, I think you should rest.”
The boys had just walked through the door, but obviously were still in hearing range. “I told you so,” Percy said.
“We should ask Garahan what he thinks,” Phineas added.
The baron’s mouth was still hanging open when Lady Phoebe slipped her arm through his. “I cannot imagine life before the twins moved in with us. Can you, darling?”
Summerfield shook his head. “Do you think our son will be as precocious and outspoken as those two?”
Lady Phoebe sighed. “Oh, I do hope our son or daughter will be just like Percy and Phineas.”
Millie and Pippa shared a look as the baron and baroness followed the others out of the nursery. “I have no doubt that Roarke will be a younger version of those two,” Millie predicted.
“Growing up under the same roof as Dillon, I would have to agree,” Pippa replied.
“Why don’t you have a look at the three gowns her ladyship said she had delivered to your bedchamber? It’s quiet now, and I could use a few moments to close my eyes while Roarke is still sleeping. His appetite won’t let him sleep too much longer.”
“I still feel so bad that we are reduced to accepting charity—”
“It is not charity,” Millie said. “I don’t think they feel loaning us gowns to wear, or providing a roof over our heads and food in our bellies, is a charitable act.
I believe it is out of the goodness of their hearts.
We should accept their friendship and all that it includes graciously, and promise in turn to help those we see that are in need. ”
“You have a much kinder heart that I, Millie Trentchester.”
“Ah, but I’m rubbing off on you.”
Pippa smiled. “You will let me know if you need me, won’t you?”
“I will—now run along and see which lovely gowns the baroness has found for you to try on.” Millie waited until Pippa had her hand on the door to the room before adding, “You will be a lovely bride.”
Nerves had Pippa’s skin tingling, her heart beating faster. “I hope Dillon thinks so.”
Millie was smiling when she motioned for Pippa to keep walking. “I have no doubt on that score.”
Pippa wondered if she was ready to be in the same room with Flaherty when he removed his frockcoat—let alone his waistcoat or anything else! “Dear Lord, what have I gotten myself into this time?”