Volanta

Now that she was home and done with school, Pippa didn't know what to do with herself. She didn't really have any friends at all, aside from Marlene. After leaving Oliver and her father in the library to do whatever it is the two of them did, she made her way to the hospital where she often volunteered, reading to sick children and pestering the nurses to teach her things.

She ignored the stares as she walked up the street. It was quite improper for a young, unmarried girl to be out and about without a chaperone, but Pippa had never had much interest in following silly rules. A few men smiled and tipped their hats in her direction and after glancing over her shoulder several times she finally realized they were looking at her. She wasn't used to this kind of attention; she'd been invisible for most of her life. People only knew who she was because of her parents.

Her father was well known and highly respected, and her mother had been a society darling right up until the day she died. Pippa had no idea how she would ever live up to her mother and father. She reached the hospital and several familiar nurses greeted her.

"Pippa! You certainly flowered since we last saw you. Didn't I tell you that you were just a late bloomer?" Henrietta gave Pippa a warm smile and hugged her.

"A very late bloomer," Pippa conceded.

"Well, better late than never. You'll be fending the men off with a stick now." Henrietta chuckled and steered Pippa to the children's ward.

"I'm glad you're here, Pip. The children are bored and restless today. I'm hoping that velvet reading voice of yours can keep them still for a while."

"I brought a new book," Pippa said, pulling the Barty Brave book she had taken from the library out of the pocket of her cloak. She studied the cover as Henrietta gathered the children in the play room and told them sternly to behave themselves for Miss Pippa.

Pippa sat on the floor with them, cracking open the book and starting to read. At first they still seemed antsy, fidgeting and poking at each other. But it didn't take long for Pippa to have their full attention, and they listened raptly to the tales of Barty Brave. Pippa did different voices for all the characters and read with as much flair as she could, to keep it interesting. She would never admit it to Oliver, but she was intrigued by the story. She could understand why he had loved the books so much when he was younger.

She ended up staying and reading the entire book to the children, who begged her to come back with the rest when they learned it was a series. She promised, planting a kiss on each of their heads before going home. She was unsurprised to find that Nigel and Oliver were still working in the library.

"Daddy, did you forget to eat lunch again?" Pippa asked in exasperation.

"Hmm? What's that, my angel? It's not even noon yet."

"Daddy, it's nearly five o'clock in the evening." She shot a glare at Oliver. "I can't leave the two of you alone for more than a minute," she muttered.

"Must have lost track of the time," Nigel said absently, frowning at a piece of paper in his hand. "This doesn't look right at all. What the devil?"

"I'll make you something and bring it up to you," Pippa said, bending to kiss his head and slipping his glasses down onto the bridge of his nose while she did so.

"Ah!" Nigel declared. "That's better, then. I was wondering why I couldn't read this infernal thing."

Pippa pressed her lips together to keep from giggling, and made her way down to the kitchen to whip up some eggs and toast and bacon. Since Nigel was always losing track of time and forgetting to eat properly, he often enjoyed having breakfast foods for dinner. She arranged three plates on a tray to haul back up to the library.

"Why didn't you just ask me to help, Miss Pippa?" Marlene asked, appearing in the doorway.

"Nonsense. I have nothing better to do."

"I did take some tea and cookies in earlier," Marlene said. "I know you worry when Dr. Glasswell misses meals."

"Thank you, Marlene. You're most thoughtful."

Pippa forced her father to set down his charts and books for a few minutes and eat.

"I worked hard cooking all this and I expect you to eat it before it gets cold," she scolded. She fairly shoved Oliver's plate at him, nearly spilling it into his lap. He scowled at her, moving the book he'd been poring over to safety before butter dropped on it.

"What's this?"

"Food, Oliver. It's called food. It's something us human beings consume in order to keep on living."

Oliver scowled even more but Pippa just picked up a piece of her toast and nibbled on it, ignoring him.

"This is quite delicious, my dear. Thank you," Nigel said, giving her a warm smile. Oliver seemed content just to pick at it until he realized he was hungry too. Pippa barely suppressed a smirk as both of them wound up with clean plates.

"Daddy, I will not let you starve yourself for the sake of academia," she said firmly. "You've got to remember to eat."

"Yes, yes. I know. I'm sorry."

Pippa turned her cool blue gaze to Oliver. "You'd best take care of him, Otter. If you're going to be hanging around here acting as an apprentice, I expect you to be good to your mentor, who was kind enough to put up with you. If I'm not here, make sure he eats."

Oliver looked like he wanted to argue, but Pippa had gotten a mulish look on her face that meant she'd likely jab a butter knife into his thigh if he protested. Besides, she knew Oliver and her father got on very well and Oliver had the utmost respect for him. He nodded grudgingly.

"Yeah, fine. I'll make sure he eats," Oliver grumbled. Pippa nodded.

"Don't come around here and be a bad influence."

"A bad influence?" Oliver sputtered. "I'm not a bad influence."

"You're the worst influence," Pippa sniffed. "You're almost exactly like him. You have egg on your shirt, by the way."

She stood and kissed her father again before setting the plates aside and trying to tidy up a bit. For brilliant academics, they were horribly unorganized. She slipped quietly into the shelves as they talked and muttered to themselves, finding the rest of the Barty Brave stories. She peeked around the shelf to make sure Oliver wasn't looking her way. Of course he wasn't.

Pippa rolled her eyes and loaded her arms with the other five books, stacking a few other random ones on top to hide the Barty Brave ones.

"I'll send Marlene up to fetch the plates," she said, hurrying from the library and up the stairs to her room. She dumped the books on her bed and picked one up, taking it to the window seat and curling up to start reading. She had gotten the books to take to the hospital and read to the kids, but there was no reason why she couldn't read them on her own, too.

Th next morning she was woken by Marlene knocking on the door, and she toppled out of the window seat with a squeak of surprise. She had fallen asleep late into the night, reading the last Barty Brave book. Marlene looked at her with amusement.

"Just thought you'd like to know that Mr. James Ingerson stopped by to call on you," Marlene said.

"What?" Pippa frowned. "Lydia's brother? What in heavens name for?"

"He wanted to come by at your convenience for tea."

Pippa stared at her blankly and Marlene smiled.

"Miss Pippa, you've become the most sought after single woman in Highgate practically overnight."

"I...oh." Pippa tried to finger comb her hair. "Well. I certainly won't be marrying James Ingerson."

"Elliot Lambert dropped by too, insisting that you and Dr. Glasswell join his family for dinner on Sunday."

Pippa groaned. "I think I'm going to come down with scarlet fever on Sunday."

Marlene laughed and shooed her out of the way so she could take the laundry to be washed. Pippa sat on her bed with a sigh. It was just her luck that the Lambert brother whose attention she didn't want was apparently going to persue her relentlessly, and the one she wanted to notice her barely knew she existed.