Page 48 of The Sound of Seduction
“Not precisely,” Pippa said with a sigh, frowning at the sketch before pushing it aside. She studied Wendy with a most serious expression, as though about to announce a grave situation. “It’s… well, it’s hedgehogs.”
“Hedgehogs?” Wendy echoed, her brow lifting in amused surprise.
Pippa nodded solemnly, adjusting her spectacles as though preparing to deliver an important lecture. “Yes. A whole family, right in the middle of where we planned to connect the orangery to the carriage house. Two adults and—” she paused for theatrical effect—“five tiny babies.”
“Five?” Wendy asked, clasping her hands together, her tone caught between curiosity and delight.
“Yes,” Pippa confirmed, her tone grave, as if the tiny creatures had personally thwarted her grand architecturalvision. “Happily nesting in the very path we intended to clear. They’ve undone all forward progress, those prickly little sweethearts.”
Wendy angled her head, smiling fondly at Pippa’s dramatics. “Do tell, what shall be done about such formidable opponents?”
Pippa huffed softly, gathering her composure. “The adults are clever and hardy—no doubt they’ll find a new home soon enough. But the little ones…” She trailed off, the line of concern creeping back to her brow. “They are so small, Wendy. Little bundles of quills and fur who’ve no concept of avoiding harm. And the nights, though not frigid, are hardly kind to such defenseless newborns.”
Wendy bit back a laugh, though her smile couldn’t be helped. “And so, five tiny hedgehogs have outmaneuvered the architect and delayed the grand designs of Cloverdale House?”
“They may soon be under your purview,” but Pippa paused and seemed to bite her tongue.Whatever did she mean?
With a resigned shrug, Pippa tossed her pencil lightly onto the table. “They cannot possibly understand the inconvenience, poor dears. I suppose we’ll delay the work. For their sake, of course.”
“For their sake, of course,” Wendy repeated, attempting a tone as serious as Pippa’s, though her lips twitched with amusement. “And what shall become of them now, these interlopers?”
Pippa hesitated, fidgeting with the corner of a parchment roll. “I-I may have requested that the workers guard their nest.” She glanced up with a shy smile, her cheeks tinged pink. “Just until they’re big enough to manage on their own.”
Wendy pressed a hand to her mouth to stifle her laugh before leaning forward warmly. “Pippa, do you mean to say that the progress of construction halts entirely at the mercy of five hoglets?”
“Well,” Pippa said with a trace of defiance, though her smile clung to the corners of her mouth. “They’ve lived here as long as we have, I dare say. Perhaps longer. It’s only right to consider such longstanding tenants before proceeding with any eviction.”
Wendy couldn’t stop the giggle that spilled at that. “You’ve a softer heart than you care to admit, Pippa. And a most noble ambition—even the hedgehogs of Cloverdale are shielded under your stewardship.”
“They hardly asked to be born in the middle of my plans,” Pippa replied, crossing her arms with mock indignation. Her eyes, however, sparkled with humor.
“Indeed,” Wendy said, nodding thoughtfully. “I should think history will remember this moment—how Cloverdale House came to a halt for the smallest and prickliest of residents.”
Pippa laughed at last, shaking her head and straightening the plans before her. “It isn’t ideal,” she admitted ruefully. “But neither is the work of disturbing what’s already well-settled. And besides…” she smiled, a little sheepishly now, “theyarerather delightful.”
“I’d love to see them,” Wendy said warmly, wondering not for the first time how Pippa balanced her exquisite plans with such endearing sentiment. Certainly, Cloverdale House was all the better for it.
“I can take you outside right now if you’d like,” Pippa said, pushing her chair back and standing with a small stretch. “There should be a worker keeping watch over the nest, lest a predator decide to have a late supper.”
“Or early breakfast?” Wendy’s eyes lit with interest as she set the excavation report down.
“Yes, of course. They are nocturnal.” Pippa furrowed her brows and hooked her hand into Wendy’s arms.
“You are quite serious about this, aren’t you, Pippa?”
“Entirely,” Pippa replied, adjusting her spectacles with mock gravitas before gesturing toward the doorway. “Come, Wendy. Let me show you.”
Chuckling, Wendy stepped past her, and the pair made their way through the quiet halls of Cloverdale House. The oil lamps along the walls lent a warm glow to their path, while their footsteps echoed softly against the wooden floors.
When they stepped outside, the cool night air greeted them with a gentle hush, carrying the faint scent of earth and greenery. The crescent moon hung low, casting a silvery light on the neatly tended grounds. Fireflies blinked lazily in the distance, dots of luminescence dancing just above the hedges.
“Do you think they have any idea how much trouble and expenses they’ve caused you?” Wendy teased, clasping her hands behind her back as they strolled toward the orangery.
“Not one whit,” Pippa replied, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “Though I daresay I would expect no less from nocturnal creatures. They are far too busy scampering about and causing mischief under the moon’s watchful eye to concern themselves with anything so tiresome as construction plans.”
“Scampering and causing mischief?” Wendy repeated, unable to suppress a grin. “You make them sound like tiny rogues of the garden.”
“Oh, they are,” Pippa said with mock indignation, lifting her chin. “But animals are rather fascinating, wouldn’t you agree? The world changes so at night—it belongs to different creatures entirely.”
