Rapidly, she walked to the main entrance and opened both of the doors. Iciness flowed into the room and even the salon as she did, but it did not dampen her excitement. Granted, while she insisted Julius was her most annoying brother, she was happy to see him. Perhaps absence really did make the heart grow fonder.
Finn stood and shifted closer to the door so he could see. It might be a surprise for Julius to see him, and in the state he was in, too.
The gravel crunched as the carriage came around, the horses excited to be home again. They pranced a little with their eagerness to return to their stables. The driver jumped down and nodded to Octavia before opening the door.
Julius’ head popped our first. “Home!” he said and stepped out. “Come on, my sweet,” he said as he turned back to the carriage and helped Cressida out, who certainly didn’t look worse for wear.
Even Lord Hennington came to join him at the door.
“It’s so good to be back,” Cressida said. “The most exciting journey, but it’s not home, is it?”
Octavia smiled through gritted teeth. Only an idiot wouldn’t see that she found her new sister-in-law unbearable. “Welcome home,” Octavia said with a forced smile.
“I hope the place hasn’t fallen apart in our absence.” Under Octavia’s watch? Not likely.
“How was the continent, brother?”
“Still there, I am happy to report.”
“Venice was marvelous,” Cressida said. “They had some truly gifted seamstresses. The most amazing velvet brocade.”
“We explored what must have been every shop in Italy,” Julius said wryly. Then he looked over. “Father, … and Lord Fortescue?”
“Mr. Hennington,” Fortescue said with a nod. “I’m just passing on my way to London.”
“Ah, right,” Julius said as if there was nothing curious about it. “Anyone fancy a drink? Something reviving is called for.”
“Yes, please take the trunks out to our bedrooms,” Julius said to the footman. “The new rooms, not the old.”
They all walked inside and Octavia rubbed her arms to release the chill in the material. Cressida pulled off her hat pin and then handed her hat to Octavia without a word, as if she was a servant.
With an even tighter smile, Octavia took it and Cressida walked into the salon.
“I suspect you are in for a joy of a time,” Fortescue said quietly.
“I don’t know why she insists on treating me like I’m going to serve her.”
“She’s making a clear statement of rank.”
“I know that,” she replied with annoyance. “I simply don’t care about her rank. That’s not how things work in this family.”
“Is it worth your time to engage in a dominance fight with your brother’s wife?” he asked.
“I’m not—,” she started, but couldn’t fully support her own argument, because she was engaging in a tussle for dominance. Perhaps not one she’d started, but she was in it all the same. Finn had never realized there was such a competitiveness between women and where they stood. “I just can’t stand the fact that I no longer feel comfortable in my own home.”
Walking over, she placed Cressida’s hat on the nearby table and left it there, clearly refusing to engage in an outright tussle with Cressida’s dominance attempts. Stopping for a moment, she stroked her forehead and exhaled. Julius’ return also brought back the new sister-in-law, and this change had forced her to leave her house and home. It couldn’t be a nice position to be in, but from what he saw, she refused to crumple with it. That strength in her served her now.
“What’s that contraption you’re wearing?” Julius asked when he joined the others in the salon.
Chapter 27
HAVING JULIUS’ NEW WIFE was trying for Octavia, but she did her best to rein in her temper. Not successfully, or particularly gracefully, but she did the best she could. By the look of it, Octavia wasn’t used to reining in her emotions or expressing her thoughts.
Lord Hennington didn’t budge his schedule one bit. People had to work around him and put up with it, and Finn did admire the man’s lack of caring for the foibles of others. Unfortunately, that lack of caring also extended to Octavia’s struggles, particularly as Cressida felt she needed to take over the running of the house.
Change was difficult, particularly when one didn’t choose it. Exactly like he hadn’t chosen this injury. Everything in his life had changed, and there had been nothing he could do about it. For him, though, his life would return to the way it had been—hers never would.
“I shall leave tomorrow,” he said to her in the salon after supper.
“Are you well enough to travel?”
“I’m stronger every day.”
She smiled. “Good.”
“We met some truly marvelous people,” Julius said and Octavia’s attention was drawn away. Finn turned to Julius, too. “We met Frederich von Zweibrücken.”
“A bona fide prince,” Cressida added.
“Lovely man, who is going to join us in London in a few weeks.”
“Inordinately handsome,” Cressida said. “Loves spending time in Italy.”
“Actually, he seems quite keen on travel. So we are to host him.”
“We’ll throw a proper ball in his honor. You’ll all have to come,” Cressida said excitedly.
“And you’ll be interested, Fortescue,” Julius said. “The man has some interesting ideas of opportunities in the Far East.”
Finn’s success was based on investing in areas he knew, not wild speculation, but he would certainly listen. Julius wasn’t a fool that gambled more than invested, so if he said it was interesting, it probably was. “I look forward to meeting him.”
“I expect I will return to London shortly as well,” Octavia said.
Something in him wanted to offer that she travel with him, but it would be inappropriate.
“I have to retire,” he said to her. He could feel his energy finally running out.
“Yes, of course,” she said, looking
