Page 60 of Snapdragons
Again, she would be inconveniencing people. Would she have even given that a thought before Liam’s lecture? She certainly hoped she would have, but she couldn’t be certain.
Her gaze wandered to where Niles sat, a bit apart from the others, his expression pensive. His mind was heavy as well. The letter he had received from his grandfather had dampened his spirits as he’d read it. The impact hadn’t seemed to lessen over the hours since.
He had said he would be returning to Cornwall. In that moment, she’d thought of how much she hoped he didn’t make that return trip too soon. She wanted more time with him. And she’d not even given a moment’s consideration to how selfish that was. If he needed to return home to his family to make amends and heal relationships there, he ought to do so, and she ought to support that because it was what was best for him.
Twitch your finger and expect me to do your bidding.’Twas another of Liam’s descriptions of her behavior that was hitting too close to home. She had made arrangements to stay in England, in part so she could get everything in place to begin her time at Fairfield but also because she hadn’t yet given up on thepossibility that she and Niles could make a match of things after all.
Her heart had grown tender toward him, and she didn’t think he entirely disliked her. She’d made certain she could remain on the assumption that he would stay as well.
So many of the things she had assumed and depended on were crumbling all around her. She needed a surer foundation but hadn’t the first idea anymore how to create one.
Chapter Twenty
A maid from the PledwickManor staff attended Penelope the next morning. Lucy was her name, and she showed herself to be both competent and friendly. Penelope was certain to thank her, the absence of Gracie reminding her of her failure to take her abigail’s concerns into consideration before making a significant life decision. Lucy seemed pleased, though, so at last, Penelope had managed to do something right.
And she had decided during the course of a rather restless night that she meant to do something else right as well.
Dressed and ready for the day, she made her way not to the breakfast room but to Liam’s guest chamber. He ought to know that she appreciated all he’d done and how hard he’d worked to bring about the match with Niles, no matter how it ended. She needed her brother to know that she loved him and that she would do better from then on to show him that she did.
But he was not there. Nothing was in the room but the furniture. The dressing table was empty. Nothing sat atop the bedside table. Penelope opened the clothespress only to find it bare as well. Every drawer in the lowboy was also empty.
It didn’t make sense. Liam wasn’t leaving until tomorrow. She knew that for a fact.
She knew well his tendency to be rash when he was upset or frustrated. She’d seen it time and again. But she hadn’t expected this.
In that moment, an upstairs maid slipped inside the room, freezing on the spot when she saw Penelope.
“Beggin’ your pardon, Miss Seymour. I’d not realized you were in here. I’ll come back later to see to the room.” She turned to go.
“Wait, please.” Penelope took a single step toward her. “Is my brother...? Has he gone?”
“Yes, miss. Left early this morning.”
He left. Her gaze turned toward the window and the rain pelting the glass. “He left in this downpour?”
“Yes, miss.”
He left. He left a day early in inclement weather rather than waiting. He left... without even bidding her farewell. Without giving her a chance to say goodbye.
How could she put things right now? Did he even want her to?
“Please, do step inside and see to your work,” Penelope said to the maid still hovering in the doorway. “I’ll not delay you in it.”
“Thank you, miss.”
Penelope stepped from the room her brother had abandoned with such alacrity. He was on his way back to Ireland while she had no idea where she was headed.
At home, when she was overwhelmed or upset or confused, she would choose whichever of her horses seemed most anxious to expend energy, and she would ride furiously for as long as they both could endure. She could do so even in a light rain. But a torrent like the one currently falling often led to disaster. She was a fearless rider but not a reckless one.
There would be no escaping the house to find respite in nature today.
Respite in nature.
There was but one way to claim that in horrible weather, and that was in a conservatory. Fortunately, she knew Pledwick Manor had one, though she’d not visited it yet. She slowly wound her way there, her thoughts growing heavier with each step.
Liam had abruptly left. It was a far more drastic action of protest than he’d ever taken before. How had the disagreement between them led to such a complete and horrible rift? It didn’t make sense. How could she possibly fix this?
She wasn’t the only one inside the conservatory when she arrived. A man she guessed was a gardener was tending toan orange tree. Penelope smiled at him as she passed, and he dipped his head before returning to his work.
