Secrets of the Night

Chapter 6

Philip didn't show up for breakfast the next morning, so it was to be assumed that he would have breakfast either in his room or in the study. Which meant he was either really busy with business related stuff or was avoiding Willow. She surely was hoping that it wasn't the latter.

Back in her room after she had breakfast downstairs, Willow wondered if she should just give her brother some space or if she should go looking for him. Just a quick check up to see if he was alright. For all she knew he could be ill and in bed. Although one of their servants would have probably mentioned that to her.

She didn't want to seem too noisy though. Even though, if she were honest, she was quite curious what he was doing all day in that study and who that guest had been the other day.

One thing was for sure though. If she decided to go and check up on him, she would have to make it seem like she wasn't really there to see him and to interrogate him, but wanted something else and he just happened to be there and it would only be normal for her to start a conversation then.

It was past nine already so Willow assumed that her brother was no longer in his room. He'd show up in the study around this time at the very latest. She could just pretend to go look for another book. She hadn't finished the one she got yesterday, but she doubted that Philip would notice that it was just an excuse to go and see him. He would probably be busy with work already.

Willow could just hope that he wouldn't get mad at her for interrupting him. But if she knocked, he couldn't really get mad at her now could he? He didn't forbid her from coming to the study today and by knocking she was sticking to his rules. Even if she were to interrupt him in his work, there would be no reason for him to get mad. And if he did, she could always just leave before it ended in another fight, right?

Maybe he was glad to get a break from all that business stuff and chat with his little sister for a while. That was possible, right? Okay, the chances were slim - like, really slim but it was possible. Theoretically.

Alright, she'd go. She wouldn't keep him long. Just knock, enter, a quick hello, stroll over to one of the shelves, ask him how he's doing, maybe apologizing for being noisy yesterday (depending on his reaction of her showing up in the study) and leave again. If he by some miracle was in the mood to talk to her, they would of course keep the conversation going. She could tell him about her plan to go up to the attic today and look through some of the stuff up there. And maybe he would tell her what he was planning on doing today. He probably wouldn't though. He'd probably be very eager to end that conversation and get her out of the study again.

Willow tried not to mind that he built such a high wall around him. That he was showing her the cold shoulder constantly - well except for the start of yesterday's conversation over dinner - and that he was shutting her out like that. She forced herself to keep in mind that this was his way of dealing with the loss of his father. That he would not let the grieve, or any feelings at that, take over. Instead he would focus all of his attention on the work at hand.

Prepared for another rejection from her brother, Willow finally made her way over to the study. Her head still undecided on whether this was the right or the wrong thing to do. Shouldn't she just let him deal with the grieve his way? But he couldn't push his feelings away forever, now could he? Maybe by asking how he was, she could get him to open up a little and to let go of some of those bottled up feelings, bit by bit.

Stopping in front of the door to the study, Willow took a big breath before knocking and opening the door. Her mouth formed a silent oh, when she noticed that her brother wasn't alone. There was another man, sitting in the chair in front of the big wooden desk. Both his and her brother's eyes now on her.