At least she was wearing a lovely green dress Louise had lent her, the skirt shortened so that it worked for Pip’s height. A cute dress always made a girl feel more confident.
The gates opened as they neared, the guards waving to Fieran. As the roadster passed through, Pip felt the shiver of Prince Farrendel’s magic where it was embedded into the ground, just waiting to spring into a mini Wall at the first sign of danger.
Ahead, a tall, brick manor house sat to the right of the drive. More or less across from it behind a screening layer of evergreens stood a stately wooden house with gray clapboard siding, white trim, and dark blue accent trim.
Fieran turned the wheel as he guided the motorcar down the smaller drive toward the wooden house, pulling to the side where a carriage house sat with its double doors wide open. After pulling the roadster into the carriage house, Fieran shut off the engine and shot Pip a grin. “We’re here.”
Her stomach twisted. She wasn’t ready. This was a big step. A huge step.
And yet she was ready. She was falling for Fieran, and his family was a big part of who he was, the same as her family was to her. He’d already come to know her brother, her only sibling. She’d love to introduce him to her parents just as soon as they returned from their diplomatic mission to the dwarven mountains.
Fieran reached for the door handle on his side, still moving far more slowly than he usually did.
Pip was too nervous to sit there waiting for him to totter his way around the vehicle. Besides, Louise in the back seat needed to get out her side as well.
Instead, Pip climbed out of the motorcar and shoved her seat forward to let Louise climb out by the time Fieran was even partway around the roadster.
“You’ll at least let me carry your bag, right?” Fieran raised his eyebrows as he switched his direction to head for the back of the motorcar.
“As long as you don’t fall over in the attempt.” Pip eyed the way he occasionally reached a hand out to the roadster, steadying himself, as he strode toward the trunk. At least she’d left her wrench at the AMPC. Her bag didn’t weigh all that much with only a few clothes, toiletries, and odds and ends in it.
“I’m fine. Really.” Fieran’s grin might have been more convincing if he hadn’t paused at the rear of the motorcar, leaning against it. He was likely trying to pass it off as waiting for Louise to get out of the way, but he wasn’t all that convincing.
Louise already had the trunk open as she retrieved her own bag. She grinned first at Fieran, then at Pip. “I’ll let everyone know you’re here.” With that, she slung her bag over her shoulder and strode from the carriage house.
Fieran grabbed Pip’s bag and shut the trunk. He stood there for a moment, as if he wasn’t sure if he should offer her an arm or his hand.
Pip wasn’t sure either. She hadn’t seen him since they’d officially started courting. How was a courting couple supposed to act?
Who cared how they were supposed to act? She and Fieran had such an easy friendship before they’d started courting. No reason for things to get awkward now.
“Well, I’d better hold your hand. Just to be on the safe side.” Pip sidled to him and took his free hand as casually as she could manage.
“Come to think of it, I am feeling a bit wobbly.” Fieran strolled steadily out of the carriage house, swinging their clasped hands. “You’d better stick close and hold tight.”
“Just to clarify, if you start falling over, I’m letting go and jumping out of the way. I don’t want to be squished.” Pip grinned up at Fieran and lengthened her quick stride to match his long-legged amble.
“Good plan.” Fieran shared a grin with her before he faced the gravel drive and gestured at the gray clapboard stately house with the hand holding her bag. “As you probably guessed, this is Treehaven House, where I spent much of my childhood when we weren’t in Estyra. That brick manor across the way is Treehaven Manor, the original manor house for the area and where UncleLance, Aunt Illyna, Bennett, Liliana, and Maria live. I don’t think you’ve met Liliana or Maria yet?”
Pip shook her head. “No, I haven’t. I’m not sure I can even say I’ve truly met Lance Marion yet either. He’s been pretty wrapped in his inventions every time I’ve run across him at the AMPC.”
“That’s Uncle Lance. And Bennett. He takes after his father.” Fieran shook his head.
Pip laughed. “Very true. It took a couple of days until Bennett remembered my name. I’m pretty sure he mentally thinks of me as ‘iron magic girl’ or something like that. Not that I mind. There are worse things to be known for.”
Fieran laughed, a sound that encouraged those around him to laugh along. How Pip loved that sound.
Then Fieran’s laugh and grin faded as he pointed again. “We can’t see it from here, but Treehaven Lodge is tucked into the trees behind Treehaven House. That’s where Uncle Iyrinder, Aunt Patience, Merrik, and Kari live.”
Treehaven Lodge was empty now, all its occupants scattered.
A lump filled Pip’s throat as the images crowded her mind again. Merrik’s too pale face. The bloody mangle of his lower legs. The grim way his dacha tightened the tourniquet.
She shook the images away. She’d break if she dwelled on those thoughts.
Clearing her throat, she forced a lightness back to her tone. Neither she nor Fieran were at a point to talk about Merrik. “Treehaven Manor, House, and Lodge? Isn’t that confusing?”
“Somewhat, yes. The whole estate is considered Treehaven, so when Dacha and Uncle Iyrinder had the House and Lodge built, they needed a way to distinguish each home from the others.” Fieran rolled his shoulders in a shrug, though it was still more tense than easy. “We still sometimes get mail andtelephone calls to the wrong house, but it’s easy enough to sort out.”
