Page 83 of Scales and Sensibility
Penelope leaped up from her own chair, her face infused with sudden panic. “Papa, you cannot send Mama away. Not anymore! If Mr. Hawkins is betrothed, and Mr. Armitage is married—”
“That’s right,” Elinor said. “There is no one left for you to engage yourself to before your London season.”
Penelope worried at her lower lip. “Perhaps that Mr. Aubrey…?”
Elinor rolled her eyes, but Benedict was the one who answered. “You are not tricking Aubrey into a betrothal. I won’t allow it.”
“Everyone is against me. No one cares how I feel!” Penelope’s lower lip wobbled. “Papa, please…”
He sighed and turned to meet his wife’s eyes. “Will you swear to behave yourself and hold your tongue from now on?”
“No,” said Lady Hathergill tartly, “I shall not. I’ve held my tongue for the past twenty years, and it’s nearly suffocated me. I won’t do it for even one more day!”
“You won’t need to,” said Mrs. De Lacey. “You can come and stay with me in London, join my new club for ladies, and flaunt all of your adventures in your husband’s face. We may not havequitethe relationship we once did, but I think it has finally been enough years for both of us to forgive that old break and form a new kind of friendship. I do like people who speak their minds. I like it even more when I can mend fencesandirritate a man I’ve always loathed.”
She smiled sharply at Sir John. “You won’t spread any more rumours about your wife’s sanity, now, will you? I can promise that neither you nor your daughter would care for the results.”
“No,” Sir John muttered. “No. But…” Breathing heavily, he swung on Elinor. “But as for you, young lady, you will hand back my daughter’s dragon immediately!”
Elinor flung a protective hand across Sir Jessamyn, but Penelope was the one who let out a gasp of protest. “Oh, no! I’m not letting that horrible creature anywhere near me!”
Sir Jessamyn hunched onto Elinor’s shoulder, glaring at his former mistress. Penelope’s finger shook as she pointed at him.
“Didn’t you see what he did? Shooting flame all over Elinor’s face? Tricking us all? He’s a monster!” She shuddered. “I wouldn’t trust him for an instant. I’m not allowing any dragons onto my shoulder ever again.”
Elinor opened her mouth, a hot retort burning on her tongue—but Benedict shook his head at her.Careful, he mouthed.
She took a steadying breath. Benedict was right. The last thing she needed was to persuade Penelopenotto fear Sir Jessamyn after all.
But she looked at the little dragon on her shoulder, who had sat there proudly and without fear through all the shouting and commotion of the past hour, and she let all of her love and admiration shine in her expression.
He nuzzled her face. She stroked his neck, admiring the brand-new golden markings that had spread along his left side, completing the pattern.
His magic had led them to triumph, and they both knew it.
“Fine,” Sir John said heavily. “Fine. You may all leave, and the devil take every one of you! But what am I to do about that couple of serpents who are locked away upstairs? If I have them arrested and they go to trial, they’ll embarrass the whole family with their revelations. But I can’t just let them go merrily on their way after what they’ve done.”
“But you have to arrest them,” Benedict said. “They are criminals. What they did to my family—and to Elinor’s—”
“I,” said Sir John, drawing himself up, “am still the magistrate in this county.Imake those decisions, not you, young man. And I can still decide to arrest your fiancée for theft if I so choose! Don’t make me regret my generosity.”
Benedict pressed his lips tightly shut, but Elinor saw the struggle still working on his face. She shared it.
To let them go free, after all that they had done…
She thought of her sisters, scattered across Britain. Of Benedict’s own family, about to lose their estate.
Their estate…
“Don’t,” she said. Her voice sounded half-strangled, and wholly unlike herself. She had to clear her throat to speak. “Don’t let them go on their way as they please. They wanted to flee the country with a fortune blackmailed from youandwith the deed to their estate, too, so that they could sell it. Don’t let them.”
Sir John glowered at her. “I just told Hawkins—”
“What perfect justice.” A smile hovered at the edges of Mrs. De Lacey’s mouth. “I believe I approve of you, young Elinor. It’s no wonder you managed to pass yourself off as me for so long. You have a sense of style.”
“Elinor?” Penelope snorted. “Whatstyle?”
“A flair for justice,” said Mrs. De Lacey. “That is what you intend, isn’t it, Elinor? They meant to sell their estate once they were safely distant from England. But the estate wasn’t bought with their money. It was bought with yours.”
