#coldwelcome

She rose, grabbed her dressing gown and made her way downstairs to greet her husband.

She slowed down when she saw him standing in the dim light of the hallway where he was discarding his travel cloak and gloves and handing them over to Scrope.

“Phineas! You have arrived. I am very pleased. I shall hope the journey was not too unpleasant and your meeting with the Minister to your satisfaction, dear.“

He looked her way, an unreadable expression on his face. She gracefully descended the last steps and made her way over to him slowly, adjusting her dressing gown, until she stood before him. Part of her wanted him to properly greet her, take her in his arms and give her a modest peck on the cheek, but she knew her husband too well by now to even hope for such a thing.

“Please excuse my improper appearance, but dinner had been served 3 hours ago and we decided to have an early night. The children are in bed already. Well, I can imagine you wish to refresh yourself and must want to eat, dear. I’ll have the servants prepare something for you in the dining room. I will go and change to join you then. Or would you prefer to have a tray in your study?“

His snarky remark about the order of the house in his absence was an insult aimed at her. If he wanted to be mean and disdainful, he couldn’t care less he had just been home for only 3 minutes and hadn’t seen her in weeks.

She kept herself silently from telling him in a firm tone that the house had been thoroughly prepared for his return and everything kept in perfect order, as always.

She wasn’t in the mood for a harsh exchange of words, though, not at that hour and with both of them exhausted from their respective day.

It was also no surprise that he had chosen to hide in his study to continue with his work (would it ever cease?) and have his dinner behind a pile of letters. He would put his prestigious position and the work accompanying it over almost everything in order to polish the name Black.

She listened to him talking about his busy schedule for the next days, more work and meetings and also the mention of hosting a dinner for the Burke’s (her task for tomorrow) silently but attentively.

He was about to make his way past her, leaving her standing there like a silly student not worth his attention, when he suddenly stopped and faltered for a moment. His demeanour changed ever so slightly when he, for the first time since his arrival, actually looked at her.

The result was not a compliment, but a sober assessment lacking honest concern.

Ursula was taken aback for a second by his unexpected question about her wellbeing but quickly regained her composure and lowered her eyes before meeting his gaze again, expertly concealing all her emotions.

“Thank you for your concern, dear. I’m not unwell but have been… indisposed… in the past days, nothing a wife should trouble her husband’s mind with. In addition to that, the afternoon has been rather eventful. I‘m sure you will be very proud to hear that Cygnus has showed his first signs of magic today even though it was in most frightful circumstance. He involuntarily made himself float to not fall down the stairs while he was crawling after Arcturus. My intention was to send you an owl to tell you the good news tomorrow, but now…

Well, I‘ll leave you to your work then. Have Scrope bring a tray from the kitchen, the roasted pheasant should be to your liking! Good night!“

Ursula turned and made her way back up the stairs, looking back over her shoulder, adding in a collected tone:

“Don‘t expect me to wait for you to come to bed, I am rather tired.“