Despite his promise to keep his distance, Nikolai couldn’t help but feel the need to check up on Pippa after the tragic events. Even if it didn’t affect her directly, the news had been a shock to everyone and he was sure a fair few people were sleeping with one eye open in case the killer still stalked the castle halls. Personally he thought that killer was Lady Rose herself and she was long gone, but the thought of an angry wife murdering her husband didn’t exactly put him at ease.
His children were already asleep for the night when he departed for Pippa’s room, the two of them tucked safely into their beds with their governess sat nearby doing some needlework by the fire. Nikolai doubted he would be gone long anyway, he just wanted to check Pippa was alright and then leave swiftly so as not to intrude upon her life any further than he already had done. He knocked at her door, three evenly spaced raps of his knuckles against the wood, then cursed to himself when he remembered that had been his signature knock for notifying her that it was him at the door. Knowing that he was visiting her, his brain must have informed his body to act on instinct. Now he would be lucky if she even opened the door.
@kindblooms