Page 59 of Snapdragons
He stiffened his posture and squared his shoulders. “Penelope, you cannot simply say, ‘Go away, Liam, I don’t need you’ until the day having me around would suddenly be terribly convenient for you, then twitch your finger and expect me to do your bidding.”
“You, as you pointed out this morning, are the head of our family now. You cannot simply refuse the responsibilities that come with that.”
“Family is more than a collection of people for you to use for your own benefit.” Liam quite suddenly sounded very tired. “I keep waiting for you to realize that, but I’m beginning to think you never will.”
Use for your own benefit.That was not what was happening between them. He had threatened to not sign a marriage contract should the need arise.Hewas turning his back on his family member, not the other way around. Yet he was attacking her.
He walked away from her. “Have the Barringtons decide what they mean to do about a lady’s maid for you since Gracie is technically in my employ and, I suspect, would like to return to Ireland.”
To her dismay, Penelope realized she’d not even thought of the impact of her decision on her abigail.
“I wish you luck, Penelope,” he said as the distance between them grew. “Do what you feel you must. I intend to do the same.”
Use for your own benefit.
Until the day having me around would suddenly be terribly convenient for you.
Do what you feel you must.
Penelope swallowed down the lump in her throat, pushing back with it a surge of unexpected emotion. She’d spent so much effort attempting to convince herself that she wasn’t cruel or dishonest. Maybe her greatest shortcoming was selfishness.
?
Penelope had arrived for the evening meal that night more than a little nervous. She didn’t know how Liam would behave or what he might say to her. But he had requested a tray in his room, sending the excuse that he wished to direct his valet in packing his belongings. Though no one in the group said as much, Penelope felt certain they all realized that not only did Liam’s valet not need help doing his job, but he also didn’t need to begin packing two nights before departure. No one was looking at her with disapproval, so Liam likely hadn’t shared with any of them his evaluation of her character.
But he had told her, and that was enough. The passage of hours hadn’t lessened the impact of his accusations.
Family is more than a collection of people for you to use for your own benefit. I keep waiting for you to realize that, but I’m beginning to think you never will.
When she’d ridden out on Midnight that morning, it had seemed a perfectly ordinary day. It had proven, instead, exhausting in every way. She’d had to change every plan she had. Moments of worry had mingled with heart-warming friendship. Niles had held her hand more than once, and he seemed to have warmed to her. Liam had torn her to pieces.
She sat in the drawing room among the other guests at Pledwick Manor in a state of self-reflective crisis after supper that night. Again.People for you to use for your own benefit.Were Liam’s words of accusation true here as well? Mr. Layton was making room for her in his home because she had imposed upon him. His friends had all arrived to support Niles after he had desperately fled from a matchwith herthat he didn’t truly want. Violet was taking Penelope on as a lady’s companion despite having no need of one.
People for you to use for your own benefit.
She hadn’t intended to be thoughtless. She hadn’t even realized she had been, which only seemed to strengthen Liam’s argument.
“You are very quiet this evening, Penelope.” At some point, Nicolette had sat beside her.
“My brother was not best pleased with my plans to remain,” Penelope said. “We had an argument, I’m afraid.”
“That is a difficult thing.” Nicolette spoke as one who knew. “I managed to part with my brother on relatively good terms, but that was in question for quite some time.Mon Henri, sadly, is not so fortunate. He and his brother do not speak, and their sister is caught in the middle of it all.”
“That must be very hard on Mr. Fortier.”
Nicolette nodded. “Oui.It is.”
Nothing in Penelope’s interactions with the Frenchman indicated he was anything but selfless and considerate. Clearly, being at odds with one’s family didn’talwaysindicate a person was selfish. But it did sometimes.
Violet moved to sit with them, smiling as she so often did. “Kester and I have decided that we ought to visit Lucas and Julia and their two little boys once they have returned to Brier Hill. Then you will be able to meet his family.”
“I would not wish to cause you further inconvenience,” Penelope insisted. “I am certain I have already disrupted your plans.”
Violet brushed aside that concern. “We live nearer to Julia andLucas than any of the other Gents, and we visit each other quite often.”
At least in this, Penelope wasn’t being selfish. But there was no avoiding the new difficulty she needed to acknowledge. “My lady’s maid will likely be returning to Ireland. If she does, that will leave me without an abigail. I can send word to my solicitors to authorize the expense of hiring a new maid, but that will take time.”
“I am certain Digby has someone on his staff who could fill that role for the remainder of your time here if need be. And we could make the journey back home by way of Newcastle. You would more easily find a lady’s maid there than in our tiny corner of the kingdom.”
