A Penny’s Worth Of Affection: A Novel (15 page)

"Edward, how could you?" she berated him angrily. "You have endangered your life unnecessarily. Have you no thought for your family? Your new wife?"

Edward's chin jutted in defiance. "I am defending my family by doing this. Lord Farnsworth will not cease to torment us if I do not stand up to him now."

"I forbid you to fight." Their father exploded, his face flushed in anger, "This madness must be stopped at once, you will rescind your agreement."

"I have already given my word. I will not go back on it."

"Edward, the duke is not a man to be trifled with." Her leg had begun to ache once more and she sank down onto a chair, massaging the sides of her head, "I have heard unpleasant stories about his dealings with people who have crossed him. This is a mistake."

"Please don't do this my love." Jane pleaded with her husband. "I do not want you to come to harm."

His expression softened and he drew her close and pressed a kiss on her forehead. "I have to protect you somehow."

"Not like this, you will only cause me pain if you go through with this."

For the first time, Penny could see uncertainty take hold of Edward and she leaned forward eagerly. "If you die, think of how much grief your death would bring to Jane, and the rest of us, surely you don't want that?"

"There must be some way we can get the duke to change his mind." Jane looked to Penny for help, There must be something we can do."

Penny shut her eyes and thought for a moment. What could possibly make Phillip change his mind?

Dinner was a silent affair with each person lost in thought, mechanically filling stomachs though minds were far away. Penny glanced around the little group seated in the new private rooms her father had secured earlier and was grateful that tonight at least she would not have to deal with Phillip and his surliness. Now if only he could be absent from her thoughts as he was physically, she would be content. But the looming danger of the duel weighed heavily in her mind as she pondered over and over what she could do to stop it.

The fleeting thought of disguising herself to take Edward's place crossed her mind but it was quickly discarded. That was the stuff of those Gothic romances Lucy was so fond of. For one thing, Edward towered over her by a good two feet, not to talk of her limp. Phillip would see through her ruse and a shudder passed through her as she imagined his reaction. All hell was sure to break lose and goodness knew what he would do afterward. Besides, she had no knowledge of gun fighting or swords for that matter and how on earth would she be able to convince Edward to let her take his place?

Perhaps she could fake her death? She wondered, idly stirring the contents of her plate. Surely that would be distract the men from their foolish intentions. No, that would not work, Phillip would more likely rejoice over her demise and she would never give him that pleasure.

She lifted her gaze to rest on her brother and his new wife. Edward looked troubled, though that did not seem to affect his appetite as he kept shoveling spoonfuls of food into his jaw. Jane kept giving him sidelong looks as though trying to reassure herself of something...what on earth was she thinking? Penny wondered.

If she had to be honest with herself, could Phillip be blamed for wanting revenge? He had been amiable about the matter up until the moment his former fiancee had been found. His honor had been dragged through the mud, and the scandal this marriage was bound to stir up among the ton...Edward and Jane had better be prepared to be cut off and shunned, Lord Rosebury was only a viscount and as such had little to no influence in the upper echelons of polite society. Phillip alone had the right to reverse that rejection and at the moment, that was next to an impossibility.

Jane caught her eye and smiled tentatively, her eyes betraying the troubled thoughts that roiled within. Penny returned the smile and lowered her gaze back to her plate. Her own thoughts returning to the duke and his challenge till her head ached from the maelstrom of worries clashing their way in her brain, and she felt flushed and weary. She sighed and pushed away her plate, the action drawing the attention of everyone.

Her father glanced down at her untouched meal in disapproval. "You should eat more daughter, you look malnourished, do you even eat at all?."

She grimaced and rose, setting her napkin down. "Of course I do Papa, I just do not have an appetite tonight. I wish to retire early if I may?"

Edward shot her a sharp look. "Are you all right Penny? You seem so pale."

Penny gripped the edge of her seat as a sudden bout of dizziness and nausea swept over her. Her limbs felt heavy and slow as though they were not hers and she realized she needed to get some rest. The past few days had been fraught with too much anxiety and excitement and now it was beginning to tell on her. A good night's sleep was what was needed.

She bit her lip and nodded, aware of her father's worried look resting on her. "I am all right, just very tired and sleepy, nothing a good night's rest can not cure."

"Shall I order a fresh pot of tea?" Jane offered, making an attempt to rise, but Penny beckoned her to remain seated.

"No, please do not exert yourself, I don't want any tea."

Edward still looked worried but he shrugged at her last words. "Then by all means do go and rest, but be sure to ask if you need anything, we will be close by."

Giving him a reassuring smile, she nodded and moved towards her room, each step leaving her suddenly weaker as exhaustion threatened to overwhelm her. Her fingers shook as she undid the buttons on her gown, the action almost impossible due to her rapidly blurring vision. She managed to slip out of the gown, crawling underneath the warmed sheets gratefully still clad in her stays and shift, the throbbing in her temples making every little movement excruciating. She pulled up the covers to her chin, frowning when she felt how hot her skin was to the touch. In a few minutes, she had sunk into a deep sleep.

"Penny? Penny?" A hand shook her awake. Penny groaned as the motion sent bolts of pain lancing through her skull and she attempted to bat away the intruder. God almighty, she was thirsty and why was the room so hot? It felt like someone had placed lumps of burning hot coal all over her body.

She felt a hand touch her forehead and a muffled expletive. "Ye god! Your skin is on fire! Do you have a fever?"

"Go away..." she murmured crossly, tossing away the covers in distaste. "Need to sleep."

Footsteps retreated from her bed and she sighed in relief, trying to ignore the rapid pounding of her head and burning flesh. Soon she had drifted into a feverish sleep once more. However, she was awakened once more by her father, his words seemingly boring into her subconscious in a blur. She was vaguely aware of a cool cloth being placed on her fore head, someone murmuring soothing words to her but all she really desired was the blessed oblivion of sleep.

Phillip downed his glass fifth glass of scotch, staring into the flames blazing in the grate. He twisted the empty glass in the fingers of one hand, the other tracing lines on his cheek. Even though the imprint had faded, he could still feel her touch as though it had been burned into his skin, an indelible mark upon him. His mouth twisted in a wry smile, the woman certainly dealt a powerful blow, he was forced to acknowledge, and of course he had had it coming.

Her words however haunted him. "You sicken me..." he repeated, eyes darkening as he recalled the look of contempt she had leveled at him while those cold words had dripped from her admittedly luscious and kissable mouth.

"You sicken me Lord Farnsworth..." he repeated once more, the words dripping with distaste and filling the quiet room broken only by the merry crackling of the fire. "You sicken me..."

He scowled and hurled the glass at the stone mantel piece, satisfaction flowing through him as the crystal shattered into tiny pieces. Damn the woman for irking him so, to kiss him so passionately at first, and in less than twenty four hours denounce his touch. He had a good mind to go find her and resume where they had left off. Let her dare say he sickened her then. Just thinking about how soft she had felt in his arms made him rock hard but the devil take it...he could not afford to dally with the sister of his current mortal enemy, desire be damned. He could find himself another suitable wife and an even more suitable mistress among the women whose lives revolved around overheated drawing rooms and evening dresses...certainly not Penelope Inglewood.

He rose, and began pacing the length of the room deep in thought. He wondered what she must be doing right this moment, perhaps denouncing him as the vilest creature to walk the earth for trying to defend his honor.

Ah yes, the duel. Phillip grimaced, tugging off his cravat and tossing to the floor. Ordinarily, he would be filled with something akin to excitement and anticipation at the thought of an impending duel, but oddly enough this duel seemed to leave a bitter taste in his mouth, remembering it only stirred up memories of the shocked look on Penny's face when he'd issued the challenge. Dammit! Why did she affect him so much? He murmured a curse, raking a hand through his hair in exasperation. All she had to do was give him a look with those eyes of hers and he was haunted for the entire day.

Perhaps what he needed was to make love to her and get this wretched desire out of his system. That had been his intention the night before, thank heavens that plan had not worked or he would have had no choice but to propose marriage to her. The thought made him shudder. He cast a disdainful look at the rather cramped quarters, tomorrow he would set off for London and put all this nastiness behind him.

He pulled out his pocket watch and consulted the gold lined face. It was almost midnight, and for the first time he realized it had grown completely dark outside save for weak moonlight spilling through the open windows. Thankfully, he had only a few hours before he could leave. Despite the late hour, his mind was still on alert, sleep was far from his thoughts.

The stillness of the inn was shattered by the sounds of scuffling feet moving past his doors, accompanied by hushed whispers. He halted his pacing to listen, a scowl forming when he recognised one of the voices.

"What the hell?" he strode to the door and yanked it open. Edward and his father were huddled in deep conversation with the innkeeper. "What is going on here?"

The men looked towards him, their demeanor turning cold and distant as they realized Phillip stood there. Sir Inglewood cleared his throat and replied. "It is a private matter Your grace."

Phillip narrowed his eyes at the man in suspicion. He looked troubled and impatient and Phillip wondered what could be the cause of his unease. Hurried footsteps came down the stairs and Jane appeared looking slightly alarmed.

Jane grasped Edward by the arm."Have you found a physician yet? She is getting worse by the minute."

Who was getting worse? Phillip wondered, his eyes sweeping the scene before him. Something was wrong and he realized Penny was missing from the group. Had she been injured in some way? What had happened to her?

"Where is she?" His tone was sharp with anxiety. "Where is Miss Inglewood?"

Edward's lips set in thin line. "Why? Have you not insulted her enough?"

Fury rose in him and Phillip clenched his fists in an effort to rein in his temper. "Do not trifle with me unless you wish yourself harm. Where is Penny?"

Edward opened his mouth to retort but Sir Inglewood laid a restraining hand on his arm. "No son, let me deal with this." he looked up at Phillip who stood glaring at them impatiently. "My daughter has suddenly taken ill with a fever, we are trying to get hold of a physician."

Phillip felt alarm rise in him. Penny was ill? He turned to the innkeeper who had stood silent, watching the proceedings, "Is there a doctor nearby?"

The man nodded eagerly. "Yes, Your grace, just o'er the hill. I can send a servant to fetch him."

"See to it he is summoned at once." Phillip barked.

The man bowed and hastily withdrew to do his bidding. The others stood stunned at the way he had taken charge. "Is there anyone with her at the moment?"

Jane shook her head, releasing her husband's arm to return back to Penny. "I am."

Edward chose to accompany her, casting one last scowl at Phillip before retreating up the stairs. Sir Inglewood murmured something about seeing to the inn keeper and sidled past him to the main room of the inn leaving Phillip standing alone, torn between damning convention and mounting those stairs to demand to see Penny. He felt a stab of guilt as he recalled the harsh words he had hurled at her just a few hours ago. Finally, with a defeated sigh, he turned to join Sir Inglewood and await the physician.

He found the older gentleman seated by the fire gazing into the flames. Sir Inglewood looked up briefly when Phillip entered but went back to contemplating the fire without a word. Phillip crossed to the window and gazed outside at the deserted yard, his mind filled with concern for the slight woman who lay upstairs consumed with fever.

A half hour passed before the sounds of hoof beats disturbed the stillness of the night. From his post by the window, Phillip could just make out two figures on horses pulling into the yard and dismounting.

"Is that the doctor?" Sir Inglewood rose to stand next to Phillip at the window. The latter nodded, moving away quickly and striding towards the closed entrance. A moment later, the door was pulled open and a tall man bundled up against the cold hurried in carrying a large leather case. The man nodded to Phillip, setting down the case to unravel the thick scarf covering his neck and chin, as well as his coat and hat revealing a full head of red hair and a strong, competent face.

The innkeeper hurried in after the man, shutting the door to keep out the cold air. "The doctor is here Your grace." he announced unnecessarily.

The doctor straightened from searching in his bag and held out his hand towards Phillip, his eyes crinkling with good humor. "Alasdair Lachlan at your service. Where is the young lady?"

Sir Edward spoke up in reply. "She is upstairs, come I will show you the way."

Alasdair nodded and picked up his bag, following him up the stairs. Phillip followed them, stopping only when they reached the entrance to Penny's room. Through the open door, he caught a glimpse of her curled up on the bed, shadows from the candles playing across her face, forehead gleaming with perspiration, just before the door was shut firmly. He swore softly to himself and settled down on an armchair to wait, ignoring the icy glares Edward and his father kept sending his way.

A few moments passed before the door opened and Alasdair returned to the living room. The men shot to their feet anxious to hear the doctor's findings.

"Well?" Phillip demanded, his mouth set in a straight line. "How is she?"

The doctor smiled at him reassuring. "She has got a fever, but it is nothing to worry about unduly. I have given her some of my special herbs, so the fever should break by morning. I will remain here in the inn and check on her when it is daylight."