Page 80 of The Confessions of a Lady
The evening was busy. Molly had caught a cold and Penny promised Mrs Harding to cover the girl’s work in the laundry while still tending to her responsibilities. Mrs Harding’s attitude had shifted slightly with the loss of Coggins. She slipped into the role of both butler and housekeeper with remarkable ease and while her relationship with Mrs O’Brian was still strained, Penny was impressed with Mrs Harding’s ability to control the staff with a firm, but fair hand.
Penny hoped she would be able to work well with Mrs Harding when she took on the mantle of mistress of the house. She certainly wouldn’t miss the back-breaking tasks, though knowing her time below-stairs was numbered made them easier to bear. Penny intended to sneak into Liam’s room before her meeting with Constable Sweet, but time flew by, and she was still elbow-deep in sudsy water long after the staff retired to their beds.
Folding the last of the linen tablecloths that had been left in a clean pile on the counter, Penny put them on their designated shelf and made her way through the servants’ hall from the laundry to the kitchen. It was nearly midnight and there was no time to rush upstairs before Constable Sweet would be scratching at the door. Instead, she put the kettle on for a much-needed cup of tea and sat on a stool near the fire, warming her hands. Liam would just have to wait until after her meeting with the constable.
Soon, I’ll be sitting in the stuffed chair in Liam’s room. Our room.
It was hard to imagine, but the image created a glow of warmth in her chest as comforting as the flames warming her fingers. She was so lost in her imaginings, she almost missed the soft tapping at the door.
She stood, opening the door wide. With the household all asleep, there really wasn’t a need for them to hunker on the servants’ stairs. A light rain had started and the wind was cold from the west.
‘Constable Sweet. Come in and warm yourself by the fire. Everyone is abed. We’ve no need to fear discovery.’ And if Liam happened to find his way into the kitchen, she could introduce him to the man who was the closest thing Penny had to a father. ‘I’ve put the kettle on. Would you like a cup of tea?’
Constable Sweet took off his hat. His thin hair was wet and stuck to his head in tufts. He looked tired. The creases around his mouth were deep, and he wiped moisture from his eyes. ‘Are you sure, dove? I don’t want to get you into any trouble.’
Penny smiled at the dear man. ‘No, we’ll be fine. There’s much I need to tell you.’ She got him settled by the fire, poured them both a steaming cup of tea, placed the dishes on a rickety table between them, then sat on the stool once more.
She spent the next twenty minutes catching Constable Sweet up on all the happenings of the past week, including the most shocking news of all: her impending nuptials.
Constable Sweet’s mouth fell open. ‘Married? To the marquess?’ He shook his head. ‘This changes everything.’ Constable Sweet’s moustache twitched as he watched Penny. Her thoughts exactly, only he didn’t seem nearly as happy as she’d hoped. ‘I won’t be able to come visit my little dove any longer.’ But then the man broke into a smile. ‘We need to celebrate.’
Penny jumped from the stool. ‘You’re right! This calls for some of Mrs O’Brian’s lemon tarts. There are a few left in the pantry.’
She brought the treats back while Constable Sweet poured them more tea.
He wanted to know all about her relationship with the marquess and Penny happily told him while munching on lemon tarts and sipping hot tea. She wished she’d thought to sweeten the brew with sugar. It was a bitter blend.
It was close to one in the morning when Penny’s head started to feel funny. She blinked but couldn’t bring Constable Sweet’s face into focus. ‘I don’t think I’m well.’ She started to tip off the stool before the constable caught her. His familiar scent of peppermint and tobacco, usually so comforting, made Penny’s stomach twist in a nauseous wave.
Dear God. I’m going to be sick all over the constable.
‘I’m so sorry, Penny. You must know, I had no choice.’
Penny drew her brow down, though her face felt oddly numb. What was he talking about? And why was everything slowly fading to black? She blinked again but couldn’t open her eyes as the world rushed away from her and she fell into darkness.
20
Liam’s fingers tapped an uneven rhythm against his thigh. He wanted to see Penny. He expected her to come to his room the night before. When she didn’t arrive, he almost snuck into the servants’ quarters, but she shared a room with young Molly, and the last thing Liam wanted was to send the young girl into shrieks of frightened outrage at the master breaching their private sleeping quarters.
That morning, he rang for a tray to be brought up for his breakfast, expecting Penny to arrive, but it was a new maid. A girl whose name he hadn’t yet learned. Sally? Sarah? It didn’t matter. She wasn’t Penny.
Before he could call for Mrs Harding and find out where the devil Penny was, Philippa and Commissioner Worthington were announced by one of his footmen. So, he was sitting in his study, sipping coffee brought to him by the same girl from breakfast and still at a loss as to where Penny was and why she wasn’t sitting next to him. Her warm thigh pressing against his. Her quick mind adding immeasurable value to the conversation. Her clever fingers fiddling with the button on her dress or the edge of her pocket.
God, I love her.
The moment she arrived, he would demand they set a date for their wedding. They had to wait until after their meeting with the Snake, and a note indicating a time and place had yet to arrive. But it didn’t matter. They could still set a date for a week away, or two. Surely this mess with the Devil’s Sons would be settled by then.
Liam had spent every moment since his conversation with Penny carefullynotthinking about his promise. For her to have a balanced partnership in their investigation. He had spoken with Killian and Drake about their marriages. They both agreed an equal marriage with women as strong and powerful as Hannah and Millie had myriad benefits. But the fear of losing their soul’s companion never left. It was a burden they both agreed to bear. And one Liam was learning to carry himself. Because embracing all of Penny was worth the fear of losing her. And if he did not grant her equal measure in their union, she wouldn’t stay. Nor should she. Still, thinking about taking her to the Snake, vulnerable and exposed, made his skin crawl.
She won’t be vulnerable. If I can’t make her stay away, I can at least ensure she is well armed. When we finally receive the Snake’s invitation, we’ll be ready.
‘Liam, are you even paying attention? I don’t usually encourage people to listen to Worthington, but this time, he is trying to make a valid point.’
Liam brought his focus back to Philippa and the commissioner. She was wearing a stunning dress of peacock blue, overlaid with gossamer black fabric so fine, it was translucent. Folds of her skirt revealed the peacock fabric in shimmering waves that blended with black silk. Her raven hair was swept into some complicated maze of curls, braids, and twists with sapphires sparkling throughout. In contrast, Commissioner Worthington’s dull black suit was perfectlypressed and completely unremarkable. His black hair was meticulously combed, the silver at his temples lending him an air of staid respectability. He was as conventional as she was magnificent.
‘I’m sorry. What were you saying, commissioner?’ Liam willed his thoughts away from Penny.
‘I wasn’t able to mention this the other night, but Miss Smith spoke of reward money in exchange for evidence against you. I wanted to ask her where she got that information, and I was hoping we could do so now.’
