Page 23 of The Rise of a Forsaken Lady
Balancing the tray on his hands, Heath fell in step with Lady Penelope as they left the stables. The warm air and deep-blue skies overhead were calm, and he shouldered the door in and stood there as she passed by with a smile in her eyes.
“Thank you,” she said then her chest heaved in a deep sigh. “I suppose I will have to speak to Eddie—oh drat—Edward, er Lord Allerton.”
Her face was softly red and her embarrassment did not bother him. In fact, if Heath was honest with himself, her discomfiture was entirely charming. He nodded sagely.
“Very well, My Lady.”
A muscle in her jaw ticked as she walked away and muttered under her breath, “Now, I just have to figure out how to tell him that I am amiable to trying courtship again.”
Heath did not move from his place for a moment. Had he heard her correctly?
Yes, I have. She has decided on going back to the marriage market just because Lord Allerton had…well, insulted her yesterday.His stomach soured.
Moving toward the kitchen, Heath sat the tray down, and the scullery maid came up to take it, blushing a little while doing so. He smiled kindly to her but, with a calm greeting and a thank you, he moved off to do his household duties.
He went to shine the silver, but felt pressed to find out if Lady Penelope had truly gone to tell her brother about going back to seeking out a husband. The doorway to Lord Allerton’s study was open a fraction, and he sidled up to it. Eavesdropping was not something to be proud of, but he just could not come to peace knowing that the lady would become someone else and do things she was uncomfortable with just to prove herself to her brother.
Or perhaps, she had looked into herself and felt that it was time?
Though the rules of propriety were hammering at his common senses and the threat of discovery was very high, he still leaned in to hear.
“Is this some sort of jest, Penelope?” Lord Allerton asked with disbelief coloring his tone.
“No, it is not,” Lady Penelope said defiantly. “I do want to try again, Edward. If anything, just to lessen some of the burdens on your shoulders.”
“I must say I am impressed, Penelope,” Lord Allerton said. “This maturity is something I have been hoping to see in you for a long while.”
“Can you say that and not make it sound as if I am a pony that just figured out how to leap?”
“I wish I could,” Lord Allerton said. “But if doing so, you must be with Mr. Moore at all times, even when Miss Bell and or I am with you. I am serious, sister, I cannot rule out that that gunshot was aimed at me instead of Lord Shirlling. I will not take any chances that you might be an easier target too.”
“I agree,” Lady Penelope said, “But note this, Eddie. If you have any ideas of getting Lord Hillbrook as one of my suitors, I will retract my decision immediately.”
“Penelope!” the Earl gasped. “Why not! Russell is already the forerunner.”
“He is too close, Eddie,” Lady Penelope groaned. “Any mystery I might have to a new suitor is lost with him. And even with the new ones, the little I have will vanish soon enough. Please.”
“I will meet you halfway,” Lord Allerton said. “You will allow Russell time to prove himself at least twice, and if you have these hesitations still, we will reconsider, agreed.”
“Once,” Penelope argued.
“Twice,” her brother’s position was firm.
“Once or not at all,” Penelope stressed.
And here I thought her timid.
“Penelope—!”
“Edward!”
“Fine,” the Earl huffed. “Russell will see you once.”
“Thank you,” Penelope’s voice had gone from demanding to sugary sweet. “I always knew you could be reasonable at times.”
Keeping that as his cue to leave, Heath began walking away only to round a corner and nearly collide into Miss Bell. He quickly got his feet under him and was able to steady Miss Bell too. “Are you all right, Miss Bell?”
She nodded quickly, “I am, thank you, Mr. Moore.”
