By this point, they neared the house. The larger gravel drive wound to a circle drive by the front door while a smaller path branched off beneath a white lattice arbor to head toward the back of the house.
Pip’s steps slowed, hesitating, as she eyed the two paths. Would Fieran take her around to the front? Or to the back? The one signified a more formal introduction to the family. The other a warmer, informal meeting, as if she was already a part of the family.
She shouldn’t have doubted. Fieran turned down the path beneath the arbor without a pause in his stride.
The two of them walked through a blooming garden, the flowers bursting and colorful in a way that made Pip almost wish she could name more than a handful of them.
As they turned the corner toward the back of the house, the gravel path transitioned to brick where it led up to a broad patio extending from the back of the house. The landscape dipped into a large hill descending from the house, and both the path and the patio were edged with black, wrought iron railings.
Large windows at the back of the house overlooked the patio and the forested hill beyond while two sets of double doors led into the house.
A pale, almost ghostly face appeared in one of the windows of the second story, but as soon as Pip glanced that way to get a better look, the face vanished.
Fieran marched right up to one of the sets of doors, though he had to pause for a moment to juggle her bag and turn the knob. He led the way inside and closed the door behind them.
This particular set of double doors led straight into what seemed to be a parlor, all done in rich deep greens and gold accents.
A girl in a light blue dress, which contrasted with her long red hair, sprawled on one of the couches with her feet propped on the armrest and her head on a pillow, a book in her hands. She didn’t so much as glance away from the book at the sound of the doors. Perhaps she hadn’t even registered the sound.
“That’s my youngest sister Ellie.” Fieran gestured toward the girl.
Her name must have caught her attention because she arched her back, tilting her head to peer behind her without getting up. Taking one hand off the book, she gave a brief wave. “Hello.”
“Hello.” Pip gave a wave in return, but Ellie had already returned to her book. Pip smiled, something in her relaxing at the casualness of the gesture. It would have been more awkward if Ellie had made a big production of welcoming her.
More than that, it was exactly what Pip would have expected, given all Fieran had told her about Ellie, especially while they’d been waiting in line to get Star Forest novels signed. It was almost as if Pip already knew Fieran’s family, even if she hadn’t met all of them in person yet.
Fieran strode across the room, and Pip trotted at his side through the large, framed doorway into a hall. Directly in front of them, a wooden-paneled stairway wound upward while the hall stretched in either direction.
A small boy with silver-blond hair and large green eyes peered between the rails at the top of the stairs. Likely the face Pip had spotted in the window earlier. As before, when Pip glanced at him, the boy disappeared back out of sight.
“That’s Tryndar. He’s shy.” Fieran’s smile held a wry tilt. “He’s most like Dacha in that way. Most of us ended up more gregarious like Mama.”
Pip opened her mouth to reply, but footsteps sounded down the hall before Fieran’s mama Princess Elspeth strode into sight.
Princess Elspeth gave Pip a warm smile, her eyes twinkling. “Welcome to Treehaven House, Pip. I’ll show you to your room so you can get settled.”
She turned and strode back the way she’d come. The corridor was too narrow for walking side-by-side, so Pip rather reluctantly released Fieran’s hand so she could follow his mama. Fieran took up the rear, still carrying her bag for her.
The princess led all the way to the end of the hall, where the final room on the left opened into the base of the corner turret of the house. The many windows set into the walls overlooked the forested hill behind the house. A very elven view, here in Escarland.
The room itself was done in pale pinks and greens. A white four-poster bed stood along one of the few windowless walls, spread with a quilt made of floral fabrics. The drapes on the windows were pink overlaid with white lace, and the rest of the furniture was white on top of the green rugs.
It was an adorable guest room. A bit frilly and pink, but in a comforting, homey kind of way. Not the type of room Pip would have decorated for herself, and yet exactly the kind of guest room she’d love to stay in.
“Make yourself at home.” Princess Elspeth gestured around the room. “The kitchen is at the end of the hall back the way we came. Feel free to ask if you need anything. The water closet is through the door there. Towels are on the shelves in the cabinet while there are spare toiletries as well. Help yourself. Thanks to Illyna, we always have extras.”
Fieran set Pip’s bag on the bed before he retreated into the hallway. “Once you’re settled, Pip, I’ll show you around the estate grounds. We can take the zip lines.”
“Zip lines?” Pip turned right around and headed for the doorway. It wasn’t like she had anything she really needed to unpack. She planned to just live out of her bag for the weekend.
“Supper is in an hour,” Princess Elspeth called after them as Pip hurried after Fieran.
“Got it,” Fieran called back without turning around or slowing his pace.
Pip hurried to catch up and took his hand, smiling when he clasped his fingers with hers.
Despite her worries for the squadron, her frustrations over the interrupter gear, and her nerves at meeting Fieran’s family, she was going to enjoy this perfectly lovely weekend where she could just fall in love and forget about the war for a few blissful hours.
