Linnea couldn’t speak.
“Granted,” Pandora said, “his family doesn’t have much money. And the house isn’t all that grand. But the man will someday in the not too distant future inherit the title and all the responsibilities that title brings. Gordon will have to live in England. In Rochester, to be precise. Where his ancestral lands are. Do you understand what this means? Your dream of him moving to the United States is just that. A dream.”
“What I understand,” Linnea said, “suddenly and with great clarity, is why you’re in hot pursuit. You don’t want Gordon. You want his title.”
“That might have been true last summer,” Pandora admitted. “But the more I spent time with you both, the more I realized how much I really like him. Everything about him. Maybe even love him. It drives me crazy to know you aren’t sure you want him, when I… I want him so badly.”
Linnea was stunned by her honesty. “Why didn’t you talk to me about it?”
“What would I say? ‘I want your boyfriend’?” She shook her head. “I couldn’t.” Pandora looked at her hands. “Full transparency. I tried to kiss him. Just once. I knew he felt something for me. But he wouldn’t. He said he cared too much about you to do that.” She scowled at Linnea’s shocked expression. “Don’t look at me like that. You kissed him when you knew I liked him.”
“You weren’t dating him. And he told me he thought of you like a sister.”
Pandora flushed.
“Thanks for telling me about Gordon. All of it,” Linnea said after a moment.
“I’ve wanted to tell you, so many times.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“I swore to Gordon I wouldn’t. But after tonight… I told you to help you make up your mind. Because you have to, Lin.”
Linnea leaned back against the pillows with a soft groan.
“Will you tell Gordon?” Pandora asked.
“I have to talk with him about all this.”
“It will make things easier for all of us.”
“I know.”
Pandora pulled herself together and rose from the bed. “I’ll leave the tea and be going.”
“Yes. Good night. Thanks for the tea.”
She closed her eyes and heard Pandora’s footfalls cross the room, the door softly closing behind her.
* * *
LATER THAT EVENING, Anna sprawled out on Linnea’s bed, her head perched on her palm. Across the room, Cooper sat on the cushioned chair, hands on his knees. Linnea leaned against a pile of pillows with Luna in her lap.
“A viscount?” Anna asked.
“His only heir.”
“I… I don’t know what a viscount is.”
“He’s royalty,” she replied. “I admit, I had to look it up myself. A viscount is above a baron and below an earl.”
“What the hell?” said Cooper. “All this time and he didn’t tell us.”
“No,” said Linnea.
“It sure explains a lot,” Anna said.
“What do you mean?” asked Linnea.
“Why Pandora has the hots for him. She wants his title!”
“She says not.”
Anna snorted. “Yeah. Sure. Come on, Lin. She’s so status-conscious. Honey, he’s got the ultimate brand. Of course she wants his title.”
“He should marry her,” Cooper said.
“What?”
“It makes sense. He’s got the title, she’s got the money. If this was the Victorian age, he wouldn’t have a choice. His family would pressure him to marry her.”
“What are you going to do?” asked Anna.
“Talk to him,” Linnea said.
“Does it make a difference?”
“His being a viscount? No,” she answered. “Surprisingly, it doesn’t. Him not being able to move here?” Linnea pursed her lips. “That’s harder for me to answer.”
Cooper crossed his legs. “Would you move there? If you do, I’m coming with you.”
She tried to laugh, but it came out more of a snort. She shook her head in mock dismay. “Love’s breaking up that old gang of mine.”
“Speaking of which…” Cooper said. “I’m giving you my notice. I’m headed up to Columbia in two weeks. Some guys found a house and asked me to move in. Senior year, baby!”
Linnea was stunned. “You mean, they’re going to open for classes? What about Covid?”
“There’ll be required masks, testing, social distancing. Some classes are offered online. It’s not great, but it’s happening. Classes start August twentieth, but I’ll need to get there early to settle into the house, get books, and, yeah, get tested for Covid. It all takes time.” He spread out his hands. “Thanks for letting me stay.”
“Of course.” She petted Luna in her lap. “I have to say, I didn’t expect this. I thought you’d take classes online and stay here.”
“Nope.” He looked at Anna.
“Uh, Linnea…” Anna said.
“What?” Linnea asked with suspicion.
Anna tried not to smile. “I’m giving my notice too.”
Linnea sat up, sending the puppy sliding from her lap. “You’re joking, right?”
Anna shook her head. “I’m moving to Columbia too.” She grinned, eyes sparkling. “I’m going back to school. I’m doing it. I’m going into politics. I want to get things done. I’m getting my master’s in political science. I got my application in just in time, and I was accepted.”
“But…”
“Tuition? Yeah, I thought that would be the big problem, but it wasn’t. I got a student loan,” she said with glee. “I can’t believe it, but, Lin, it all came together. And I have Gordon to thank for it. He put the idea in my head.”
Cooper slapped his knee. “What about me?”
Anna smiled at him. “And mostly Cooper. He really pushed me to apply to the program. You know me, I didn’t think I’d get in. Dragged my heels.”
“Bitching and complaining…” added Cooper.
“But I got in. Then he pushed me to get the loan. To believe in myself.”
Linnea saw the excitement in her eyes, her joy, and felt her own bubble up. “That’s great. Really wonderful. I’m speechless. I just… wonder why you didn’t tell me?”
“I didn’t tell anyone until it was settled,” Anna said. “I was going to announce it tonight at the party, but then…” She shrugged.
“Yeah…” said Linnea. Then a piece of the puzzle settled in her mind. “Wait a minute. You’re moving in with Cooper, aren’t you?”
“Busted,” said Cooper.
“But…” Linnea was flabbergasted. “What was all that about a summer fling?” She made quotation marks in the air: “It’s nothing serious.” She dropped her hands. “The Covid Couple?”
Anna laughed and blew a kiss to Cooper. “Hey, Covid’s still ongoing.”
“You’re not mad?” asked Cooper. “With us cutting out on you?”