Page 69 of The Rise of a Forsaken Lady
“So, you do love him then,” Helena said.
“I…I don’t know,” Penelope admitted. “Are there any known signs that say you’re in love?”
“I cannot tell you that,” Helena said as she stood to go rejoin the others, “It’s different for every person, well those who allow themselves to try and seek it. I know when I used to look at Edward, my heart would do this silly little hiccup at me and my breath would catch. Love is funny Penelope—it can be wonderful if done right…but I can ruin you for the rest of your life. Once your heart is broken…it might never heal.”
Her words felt ominous and a soft shiver ran over Penelope’s skin. She saw Helena and knew she was speaking from experience. She did love Edward. Reaching over she took her hand. “You’ll find it again. I know you will.”
They went back to see Martha and Heath chatting softly, with Martha sipping from a glass of juice and Heath still standing like a monolith. Penelope turned to hug Helena and smiled. “Come visit me soon.”
Apprehensiveness, mostly at the chance of coming across Edward, who she still loved, creased her face but she nodded, “I’ll do my best.”
Goodbyes and well-wishes were said, and Penelope looked over at Heath with unveiled eyes. There was more protectiveness there than tenderness, but she did see them there. The ride home was done just as peaceably as before, but she could not hide her sigh of disappointment. Unless Helena’s parents relented, she would be married off to a man she did not love.
“Well,” she breathed. “That was not a total loss.”
“Lady Cheltenham won’t change her mind then,” Martha who accurately surmised why she had gone there in the first place, said.
“Not…” Penelope searched for the right words. Did she dare assume? “Not at this moment but I know she still loves Eddie. I think she needs to remember how they were a few years ago. Eddie was a like a lovesick puppy around her, not this grouchy old man I have to endure day after day.”
“And you think his attitude comes from missing her?” Martha inquired.
“Oh,” Penelope nodded, “I know it. Eddie has always been a bit of petulant when he was younger, but it doubled when she left him.”
“And how do you plan to get them together?” Martha asked.
There, she was at a loss and muttered, “I…think Edward got scared and gave up too quickly. I am not sure if I judged it correctly, but I saw…or rather felt, that she was waiting for Edward to come back and try. Eddie, however, ran and hid like a scared cat when another suitor entered the contest.”
Martha’s lips pressed tightly but the edges still curled up. “I wouldn’t say that in front of him if I were you.”
Home was quiet and Penelope went to her rooms while thinking on how to get Edward to grow some courage and go reacquaint himself with Helena.
Here I am trying to fix my brother's life while ignoring mine,and I’d like my life to be with Heath. Heath Moore.
Why was it that fate had decided to draw the line and made Heath to intersect it as a servant? Could he not had been given the role of Lord of the Realm instead? Shaking her head, she went to her brother’s study but barely got there before heard voices down the corridor.
The voices were so artificially loud, made somehow by the emptiness of the corridor that made the sounds echo. Her eyes widened, it was Hillbrook.
“Do you think I am blind, servant?” Hillbrook hissed. “I see how you look at her. Who do you think you are? Penelope will never look upon you with favor. You are the help. She’ll only be with me.”
“His Lordship asked me to be Lady Penelope’s guard in light of the unfortunate incidents occurring in his home,” Heath’s voice was level and a bit empty. “There is nothing more to it, My Lord. Any interaction between me and Her Ladyship is nothing more than me performing my duty.”
“Do you dare be patronizing?” Hillbrook said acidly. “To me? Your betters? I will have Dawson dismiss you forthwith.”
“Pardon me?” Penelope’s interruption was poisonously sweet as she left her hiding place. Hillbrook’s face went bloodless. “I don’t think I heard you clearly, Lord Hillbrook, what was that about a dismissal?”
Chapter 25
Seeing Penelope’s eyes blaze with anger tempted Heath to smile. She was glaring at Hillbrook with a severity that would have made him flinch if he had been on the receiving end. Sensibly, he stepped back and allowed Penelope to put the entitled lord in his place.
“What was that again?” she asked sweetly.
“I only meant that,” Hillbrook words were slow, an obvious ploy to think something appropriate, “it is unseemly for Mr. Moore to be so close to you.”
“Unseemly,” Penelope said in the same patient sickly-sweet tone. “And who appointed you judge of what exactly is unseemly?”
Hillbrook’s eyes lowered, “It’s in the very definition of the word. There should be a professional distance between you two.”
“I understand,” Penelope said easily. “Let me assure you, Hillbrook, the rules of society are there for a reason, but you have no say in my home, what I do inside it or the boundaries I set for those who are around me. To belay your fears, there is nothing unseemly between Mr. Moore and me. Your suspicions are unfounded, and I do not appreciate you threatening Mr. Moore.”
