Chéri bent their head to the side. The servant wasn’t there, with her head. Chéri knew the feeling and knew what it looked like. They were used to observed people in detail and they often did it even without meaning to “I didn’t want to scare you.” They said, keeping their voice a little lower.

“Where you waiting for someone?” it was a more delicate way to ask why she was so vigilant. Chéri talked to Pippa using formal language, trying to keep his french respectful not so much because of her station in life, as much as for the gratitude he owed her for making this part of his so far troubled experience in Whitby a little bit easier.