brother
Thomas
Dorothy folded the pages. Unlocking the bureau, she placed it beside his previous correspondence. Afterwards she took out another letter, one addressed to Molly Johnson. Many times she had considered destroying it too, but something had restrained her.
When Thomas arrived two days later, they were all waiting in the drawing room: Lizzie, her mother, even her grandmother had come for the occasion – everyone except Sir William. When the carriage stopped in the courtyard, Dorothy was the first to the door, opening it before Whitstone or the footmen had time to get there. Lorenzo stepped down from the box and held the horses while the grooms ran towards him. At the same moment, the dogs dived down the steps and hurled themselves at Thomas. Dorothy followed, throwing her arms tightly around her brother’s neck.
‘Are you trying to kill me before you have said hello?’ he asked, laughing.
‘Well now, quite the handsome gentleman, aren’t we? I’m sure you must have cut a dash amongst the female population of Windsor.’
‘And you are as pretty as ever, if a little taller, and still with the same impossible tongue!’
Dorothy laughed and glanced at Lorenzo.
‘Good afternoon, Miss Dorothy,’ he said, his gaze fixed upon her.
‘Good afternoon, Lorenzo,’ she replied.
Seeing Lizzie in the doorway, Thomas ran up the steps towards her.
‘Lizzie!’ he said, taking her hands. ‘How I have missed you.’
‘I have counted the days until your return,’ she said.
Finally he walked towards his mother. If the sight of her careworn face startled him, he did not show it. ‘Hello, Mama.’
‘Hello, my son. And what a fine young man you are.’ She put her hands either side of his face. ‘How proud I am.’
‘Where’s Father?’ Thomas said at last.
‘He’s in his study; he wanted us to let him know when you arrived,’ she lied. ‘I suggest you go to him.’
‘I’ll go now, before I change,’ he said, his disappointment obvious. ‘I hope we shall be dining together tonight?’
‘Of course, my darling, at thirty minutes past the hour, as usual.’
Dorothy walked with him to their father’s study. ‘You go in, Thomas. I’ll wait for you here.’
‘Thank you, Dotty, but please come in with me.’ He knocked and carefully opened the door.
‘Oh, it’s you,’ their father said gruffly.
‘Yes, sir.’
‘How was school? Have you learnt anything?’
‘I have learnt a great deal, sir.’
‘Well then, perhaps you should now finish your education at Oxford. You’re seventeen years old. It’s time you went.’
Her father’s words rekindled Dorothy’s resentment; her poor brother had only just arrived.
‘I would like to stay home for a while, if I may? I have spent so much time away from my sisters.’ A hint of sarcasm sharpened his tone.
‘Very well, but Oxford soon. Now forgive me, I have work to do.’
As they walked out along the passage, Thomas smiled wryly at his sister. ‘That was a jubilant welcome, was it not?’
Dorothy squeezed his arm. ‘I’m sorry.’
Molly hurried past, her head turned away from them. Dorothy dropped her hand from her brother’s arm.
‘Molly, is that you?’ Thomas asked, bewildered.
Molly turned around. ‘Hello, sir.’
‘It’s me, Master Thomas.’
‘Yes, I know, sir.’
‘Is that all you have to say?’
‘I don’t know what you mean. Should there be anything else? Forgive me, I have to go.’
Whitstone pushed through the servants’ door. ‘We appear to be going somewhere in a hurry, Miss Johnson. Anywhere in particular? Oh, Master Thomas. I’m sorry, I didn’t see you. I hope you have had a pleasant journey.’ It took the butler a moment to regain his composure.
‘Yes, thank you, Whitstone,’ Thomas replied. ‘I would like to bathe and change for dinner. Please, will you have the water brought up for me, and would you get Hawkins to put out my evening clothes?’
‘Of course, sir, immediately.’
When he
Thomas
Dorothy folded the pages. Unlocking the bureau, she placed it beside his previous correspondence. Afterwards she took out another letter, one addressed to Molly Johnson. Many times she had considered destroying it too, but something had restrained her.
When Thomas arrived two days later, they were all waiting in the drawing room: Lizzie, her mother, even her grandmother had come for the occasion – everyone except Sir William. When the carriage stopped in the courtyard, Dorothy was the first to the door, opening it before Whitstone or the footmen had time to get there. Lorenzo stepped down from the box and held the horses while the grooms ran towards him. At the same moment, the dogs dived down the steps and hurled themselves at Thomas. Dorothy followed, throwing her arms tightly around her brother’s neck.
‘Are you trying to kill me before you have said hello?’ he asked, laughing.
‘Well now, quite the handsome gentleman, aren’t we? I’m sure you must have cut a dash amongst the female population of Windsor.’
‘And you are as pretty as ever, if a little taller, and still with the same impossible tongue!’
Dorothy laughed and glanced at Lorenzo.
‘Good afternoon, Miss Dorothy,’ he said, his gaze fixed upon her.
‘Good afternoon, Lorenzo,’ she replied.
Seeing Lizzie in the doorway, Thomas ran up the steps towards her.
‘Lizzie!’ he said, taking her hands. ‘How I have missed you.’
‘I have counted the days until your return,’ she said.
Finally he walked towards his mother. If the sight of her careworn face startled him, he did not show it. ‘Hello, Mama.’
‘Hello, my son. And what a fine young man you are.’ She put her hands either side of his face. ‘How proud I am.’
‘Where’s Father?’ Thomas said at last.
‘He’s in his study; he wanted us to let him know when you arrived,’ she lied. ‘I suggest you go to him.’
‘I’ll go now, before I change,’ he said, his disappointment obvious. ‘I hope we shall be dining together tonight?’
‘Of course, my darling, at thirty minutes past the hour, as usual.’
Dorothy walked with him to their father’s study. ‘You go in, Thomas. I’ll wait for you here.’
‘Thank you, Dotty, but please come in with me.’ He knocked and carefully opened the door.
‘Oh, it’s you,’ their father said gruffly.
‘Yes, sir.’
‘How was school? Have you learnt anything?’
‘I have learnt a great deal, sir.’
‘Well then, perhaps you should now finish your education at Oxford. You’re seventeen years old. It’s time you went.’
Her father’s words rekindled Dorothy’s resentment; her poor brother had only just arrived.
‘I would like to stay home for a while, if I may? I have spent so much time away from my sisters.’ A hint of sarcasm sharpened his tone.
‘Very well, but Oxford soon. Now forgive me, I have work to do.’
As they walked out along the passage, Thomas smiled wryly at his sister. ‘That was a jubilant welcome, was it not?’
Dorothy squeezed his arm. ‘I’m sorry.’
Molly hurried past, her head turned away from them. Dorothy dropped her hand from her brother’s arm.
‘Molly, is that you?’ Thomas asked, bewildered.
Molly turned around. ‘Hello, sir.’
‘It’s me, Master Thomas.’
‘Yes, I know, sir.’
‘Is that all you have to say?’
‘I don’t know what you mean. Should there be anything else? Forgive me, I have to go.’
Whitstone pushed through the servants’ door. ‘We appear to be going somewhere in a hurry, Miss Johnson. Anywhere in particular? Oh, Master Thomas. I’m sorry, I didn’t see you. I hope you have had a pleasant journey.’ It took the butler a moment to regain his composure.
‘Yes, thank you, Whitstone,’ Thomas replied. ‘I would like to bathe and change for dinner. Please, will you have the water brought up for me, and would you get Hawkins to put out my evening clothes?’
‘Of course, sir, immediately.’
When he
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