Page 24 of Snapdragons
Lord Jonquil motioned to the young man, who dipped his head in acknowledgment.
Mr. Layton looked immediately impressed. “Well done, Wilson.”
“He was wasted as a stablehand,” Lord Jonquil said.
“You are in need of a valet,” Mr. Barrington added.
“Precisely. And Wilson is now in need of a position. Seems fate is smiling on us.”
“Grinning, I’d say.” Mr. Layton looked directly at the young man. “My valet and I can offer you some training in being a gentleman’s gentleman.”
“I would be indebted to you, sir.”
Throughout the exchange, Niles remained near the now-closed door, seemingly quite content to listen and not participate. He’d come to her defense despite his preference for remaining quietly apart. Realizing that, his defense of her touched her all the more.
Penelope walked toward him but was intercepted by Liam. “You have hardly spoken with Mr. Layton,” he said in a tense whisper.
“I haven’t precisely ignored him.”
Liam threaded his arm through hers and pulled her away from the others to the far side of the room. “He is a gentleman ofstanding and wealth, without a wife.”
She’d suspected Liam’s thoughts had turned in that direction. “He is also a very close friend of the gentleman I am meant to be marrying. I sincerely doubt he is that disloyal to his friend.”
“His friend has rather soundly rejected you,” Liam countered. “There would be no disloyalty in his pursuit of Mr. Greenberry’s...”
When the pause pulled out overly long, Penelope offered a conclusion to the observation. “Castoff?”
“That’s not what I meant.” But his attempt at denial made Penelope only more certain she’d hit close to his aim. “If there is a chance Mr. Layton would take an interest, we would be fools not to seize on it. His standing is remarkably high. And he hasn’t rejected us out of hand.”
“As unexpected houseguests,” she reminded him. “That is far different than presenting himself as a potential suitor.”
“I don’t want you to end up all alone, Penelope. And we don’t have a lot of options.” A stubborn flavor of determination washed over him. “I have to at least try.”
“Please don’t.”
But Liam wasn’t swayed. He made his way to Mr. Layton’s side. Her brother could sometimes be frustratingly oblivious to the impact of his behavior. She didn’t doubt he truly believed Mr. Layton would welcome Liam’s change in matrimonial goals for his sister, but his obtuse efforts would undermine Penelope’s attempted courtship if she didn’t begin making progress.
She returned to Niles’s side once more.
“This is a more pleasant gathering now that it is our group alone,” she said to Niles. “Our picnic partners did not prove very friendly.”
“Not to you,” he said. “Certainly not to Wilson.”
“It was good of you to remove them so firmly. They’ll not return and cause further grief.”
In a quiet yet not weak voice, he said, “You seem surprised.”
“Pleased.” She felt her smile turn a little smug. “But the lady with stanch opinions about the Irish,shewas surprised.”
He twisted his mouth a little, obviously hiding a smile of his own. “She never did repeat her comment, did she?”
Not trying nearly as hard to keep her delight tucked away, she said, “She did not.”
“Imagine that.”
Mr. Barrington called Niles over.
Penelope watched Niles leave, and her heart ached a little. She liked him. She hadn’t known him long, but she had, in that single afternoon, come to know him a little better. He was heroic in his own quiet way. He had a good heart. He was kind.
