08-12-2024, 04:15 PM
A grimace passed over his face, as if her words physically hit him and caused a sudden, sharp pain, when she pointed out that he had missed Pippa's condition for months. He felt it. He had felt it, as soon as he had realized what was going on. But he was too agitated with his sister to admit it - or to really listen or respond to anything she said after. He merely stepped out of her way and let her storm off.
Then he began to pace. Who did Penelope think she was? Showing up unannounced, long outstaying her welcome, meddling in the affairs of his household and now this?! He half expected she'd have the locks changed, the next time he went out! It was high time he got married and set up an own home to run, instead of taking over his! Was this why she had left Newcastle? Had her brother actually let her go from her former position? Perhaps she'd been telling Silas how to run his business! Probably he thought she was an expert at that as well!
When he had gotten some of that out of his system with angry self-talk, he remembered the short letter and the very errand he had started the conversation with. The last thing he wanted to do now was go out and deal with more facets of this complicated case. He'd be perfectly happy to retreat and play hermit in his bedroom for the next week or so. He'd probably sleep for most of that time. But he knew something would have to happen about Pippa very soon, and the more he knew, the better he could decide what that was. If this was a hoax or worse, well, he'd smoke them out soon enough, and Pippa would never need to be disturbed about that at least. If it was not, who knew... He'd have to tread carefully either way. And that meant certainly not telling his sister what his errand was about. He was sure she'd have a volume's worth of opinions on that was well.
Actually, that was probably why she wasn't married with a home of her own yet, was his churlish reflection.
He returned to his study, pocketed the missive and put the letter he had been writing away in a drawer. Then he went downstairs to his practice, picked up a small bottle, put on his hat and coat in the hallway and reluctantly made his way to the kitchen. He managed to enter with a calm and civil air, although he felt the tension in his body. He placed the bottle on the kitchen table and spoke with the same civil detachment: "I will not be long, but if Pippa should wake up in distress and she cannot calm down, put one drop of this in a handkerchief and let her breathe it in."
Then he began to pace. Who did Penelope think she was? Showing up unannounced, long outstaying her welcome, meddling in the affairs of his household and now this?! He half expected she'd have the locks changed, the next time he went out! It was high time he got married and set up an own home to run, instead of taking over his! Was this why she had left Newcastle? Had her brother actually let her go from her former position? Perhaps she'd been telling Silas how to run his business! Probably he thought she was an expert at that as well!
When he had gotten some of that out of his system with angry self-talk, he remembered the short letter and the very errand he had started the conversation with. The last thing he wanted to do now was go out and deal with more facets of this complicated case. He'd be perfectly happy to retreat and play hermit in his bedroom for the next week or so. He'd probably sleep for most of that time. But he knew something would have to happen about Pippa very soon, and the more he knew, the better he could decide what that was. If this was a hoax or worse, well, he'd smoke them out soon enough, and Pippa would never need to be disturbed about that at least. If it was not, who knew... He'd have to tread carefully either way. And that meant certainly not telling his sister what his errand was about. He was sure she'd have a volume's worth of opinions on that was well.
Actually, that was probably why she wasn't married with a home of her own yet, was his churlish reflection.
He returned to his study, pocketed the missive and put the letter he had been writing away in a drawer. Then he went downstairs to his practice, picked up a small bottle, put on his hat and coat in the hallway and reluctantly made his way to the kitchen. He managed to enter with a calm and civil air, although he felt the tension in his body. He placed the bottle on the kitchen table and spoke with the same civil detachment: "I will not be long, but if Pippa should wake up in distress and she cannot calm down, put one drop of this in a handkerchief and let her breathe it in."
