𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 | b. bridgerton

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐎 | pride and prejudice

It was spoken almost as if it was an exhale.

Samuel stepped forward, in a way that seemed cautious although that was not what he had intended, like he was approaching a wild animal. Finally, his mind was clear and he took in the sight of his niece properly.

Jo's face was impassive, her jaw lightly clenched. All vivacity had been stripped from her face and her cheeks were hollowed and gaunt like someone had taken a knife and carved them down. It was odd to see her eyes so vacant of emotion, especially when Samuel had seen Jo so distraught and broken down the last time he visited. Her under-eyes looked almost bruised, they were so disturbingly dark. She had grown both taller and thinner since Samuel had last seen her and the last traces of youthfulness that had been clinging on before had finally vanished.

He remembered that Alma had written to him a year ago to say that Jo had been afflicted with a small case of influenza and that he should wait for a few more months before coming back again. Stupidly, Samuel doubted the credibility of her story, speculating that the woman was covering for Jo in order to secure the girl a few more months of peace before she was thrust back into the thick of it. But it was unfair of him to think that of Alma, and, by the looks of things, only such a horrid illness like influenza could explain just how... wrong Jo looked, like a stranger in her own body.

Samuel wondered whether if he had delayed the move any longer and her health had declined further, if she would even be capable of enduring the trip back. The journey was taxing, even for him who was much more acclimated to it. So it was no doubt worrying to consider how Jo would fare at sea.

He knew his niece, and she deserved to be awed and respected in the way that her birthright would assure; not withering away in some odd corner of Europe, the world oblivious to her brilliance. Samuel could not lie and say that his motivations were entirely selfless and noble. London and its Ton had grown complacent; they had lived far too long without witnessing the true might of the Howard family, and they needed to be reminded. He selfishly longed for the satisfaction that would come with Jo finally taking up the mantle of 'Duchess' from his sister. But now that Samuel was actually seeing the girl in the flesh, and she was no longer just a memory or a hypothetical in his head, he had half a mind to march back to England at the soonest availability and never disturb her again.

Jo was not decorated with jewellery and she did not seem to be wearing any makeup, which would have been expected for girls of her age. Upon further inspection, Samuel could see that the only ornamentation across her entire appearance was the Howard ring he had given to her on her eighteenth birthday and another small silver ring next to it, which he presumed to be the one the Fernández boy gave to her while they were courting. Jo's hair was unbound and unkempt, and had definitely grown longer in his absence, her mass of chestnut curls reaching just past her waist.

She was dressed like a widow, not like a young duchess. She wore a navy dress that even he knew was at least thirty years out of fashion, with a black modesty piece fastened so tightly around her neck that he was surprised it didn't seem to be restricting her breathing. The colours made Jo's skin look pale and sallow, and oddly made her appear both younger and older than her actual age. Her dress was a couple of inches too short, as if she had outgrown it, and he could see her black slippers peeking out the bottom. She was also sporting a thick, black wool shawl over her shoulders which she held together defensively at her waist. It looked like Jo did not usually dress for dinner, in the sense that the clothes seemed to be propping her up like she was a doll. She also seemed vaguely out of breath, probably from getting ready so quickly.

"Jo," Samuel said, his face breaking out into a glad smile.

He was walking over to hug her before he could stop himself. She did not hug him back though, her stiff arms remaining at her side. Jo turned her head further away from him as he put his chin over her shoulder. When Samuel eventually registered that she had flinched when he hugged her tighter, he finally pulled away. Jo's gaze remained downwards even as he ran his eyes over her again, holding her at arm's length. Recognising her impassivity, Samuel dropped his arms and walked behind his niece to pull the chair out for her to sit on.