A Penny’s Worth Of Affection: A Novel (20 page)

"Mr. Lachlan! What are you doing here?" Penny gazed up at Alasdair in delight as he reached her. She held out both hands in delight, more than pleased to see him. In formal wear, he looked strikingly handsome, a fact that had not gone unnoticed by the female guests who were openly ogling the doctor, whilst tittering excitedly behind their elaborate hand fans.

Alasdair grinned, clasping both hands in his warm large ones. "Acting as escort. My sister found herself in need of a companion for the evening, her husband being unexpectedly called out of town. You look spectacular."

Penny felt her cheeks redden in delight at the compliment. "Why thank you kind sir. If my memory serves me well, your sister is Lady Kettering? The Viscountess?"

"Aye, the same one." He affirmed, nodding towards the center of the room. "She is over there somewhere I believe. I saw you and came across at once. Are you alone?"

"At the moment, yes." Her father had retired to the billiard room to gamble, while Edward and Jane had disappeared to heaven knew where. Fortunately, Phillip had not yet returned to the ballroom, a fact she was thankful for.

Alasdair smiled and held out his hand in invitation. "Then may I trouble you for a dance?"

Penny gaped at him then shook her head. "I cannot dance Mr. Lachlan, my leg does not grant me the liberty."

"It is only a waltz, there are hardly any complicated moves involved."

"But I do not know how to waltz."

"Then I will teach you. And..."

"The lady says she does not wish to dance." Phillip seemed to materialize behind her and Penny groaned aloud. Couldn't the man just leave her alone?

"Lord Farnsworth." Alasdair said in acknowledgment.

"Mr. Lachlan." Phillip's tone was icy. He looked down at Penny, who was glaring up at him, her eyes shooting angry green daggers in his direction. "Miss Inglewood."

"We were having a private conversation." Penny informed him.

"So it would seem."

"Then please go away. Mr. Lachlan and I would rather carry on our discussion with some measure of privacy."

Alasdair cleared his throat delicately. "Perhaps we can discuss this at another time?"

"No!" Penny's raised tone attracted unwanted attention and she cursed Phillip for getting under her skin .She rose and faced him in fury. "You will not ruin my evening." she hissed at him in a whisper. "I am tired of your constant interference in my affairs, if you do not have anything else to do except to try your uttermost to make me miserable, then please leave me alone."

His eyes flashed in challenge. "No."

She pursed her lips and stared at him for a moment. Then turned to Alasdair and smiled at him sweetly. "I believe I will dance after all Mr. Lachlan."

Alasdair grinned at her in amusement and offered his arm. "As you wish my lady."

Without sparing the duke a second glance, she followed Alasdair to the middle of the room. The orchestra had just struck up a new tune, and Penny glanced up at her companion, already reconsidering her decision. She could feel a dozen eyes focused on them and she could only imagine what people were saying right this moment. She felt a shudder pass through her at the thought that she could fall on her face while trying to dance and then she would be the laughing stock of the ton.

Alasdair gave her a reassuring smile. "There is nothing to worry about Miss Inglewood, the steps are easy and I give you my word I will not let you fall." He opened his arms, and she willingly stepped into them, feeling the warmth of him wrap around her.

"Here, place your feet on mine." He instructed, and she did as directed, breaking into a wide smile as he began to sway gently in time to the music. "See? It is not so difficult is it?"

Penny laughed in delight, and clung to him feeling completely without inhibitions for the first time that evening.

"You are a fool you know." Henry remarked to his friend though his eyes were fixed on the dancing couple.

Phillip's fingers curled around the delicate stem of his wine glass, nearly breaking it in his fury as he watched Penny laugh while in the arms of that idiot. She had never laughed in his company, he thought bitterly and yet here she was mindlessly dancing and laughing as though she hadn't a care in the world.

Henry cast a sidelong glance at Phillip. "A little tenderness will go a long way to winning her affection. Instead you choose to push her away with insults and being as obnoxious as possible."

"I am not trying to win her affection." Phillip snapped. "Don't you have anything else to do besides try to act as my conscience?"

"Of course, seeing as you have none to speak of."

"I paid her a compliment. Told her she was beautiful but she said nothing."

"Well, you are not exactly a favorite of hers. You cannot expect her to melt into your arms simply because you paid her a compliment."

Phillip glared at his friend. "You're enjoying this aren't you?"

Henry shrugged and cast one more look towards Penny. "I wish to see her happy, but it seems as though this Mr. Lachlan can do that."

Phillip grunted a reply and turned to stalk out the room.

"She will not always be available!" Henry called out after his retreating back.

Phillip chose to ignore the remark. He strode out the doors to the garden his mind working furiously.

"Thank you for teaching me to dance." Penny beamed up at Alasdair as he escorted her back to her seat. "That was wonderful."

He bowed. "I am glad you gave me the chance to teach you. You are a marvelous student."

Penny laughed, settling back in her seat, careful to avoid creasing the gown. "I hardly did a thing Mr. Lachlan."

"That is not true at all. A teacher is only as good as his student, and I am lucky to have such a lovely student. Not many a teacher can boast of having such loveliness to hold."

Penny reached for her fan, grateful to feel the warm air blow over her. Thankfully the chair was quite close to one of the open doors leading to the garden and she felt the cool air caress her bare neck. She found she was quite thirsty.

"May I have a glass of lemonade please?"

"Of course, I will fetch it at once." She watched him hurry away, a wistful smile on her lips. He really was the most perfect gentleman.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" Phillip's mocking tone startled her from her thoughts and she turned in her seat to find him propped against the doorway leering down at her.

She groaned aloud. "Why are you tormenting me thus?

"We need to talk."

"There is nothing I wish to discuss with you."

He reached out to stroke the back of her neck, his touch sending shivers down her spine. "Oh I think there is Penny, you cannot hide from it." She jerked away, causing him to chuckle in amusement. "I will call for you at noon tomorrow, be ready and try to find a chaperone this time."

"I will not..." Her voice faded away as she realized he had disappeared. "...meet you" she finished in a whisper.

Penny studied the letter she had written once more, twirling the quill between her finger tips as she read. Finally satisfied that all was in order, she folded it carefully and rang for a maid. While she waited, she crossed to the window, breathing in the cool morning air.

A knock announced the arrival of the maid, and she handed her the letter. "Please make sure this is delivered to the the duke of Newbridge's residence before noon."

The maid bobbed a curtsy and left. Penny smiled to herself. Knowing Phillip, he would probably come anyway, completely disregarding her letter, but there was no way on earth she would be persuaded into meeting him. No doubt, he simply wished to continue tormenting her as he was wont to do. She sighed and turned from the window to dress, deciding to break her fast early and go for a walk. At this hour, the park would be deserted, ensuring the solitude she craved.

She was startled when she entered the dining room to find Lady Hensley already awake and sipping at a cup of tea, studying a list. The countess looked up and offered her welcoming smile.

"Ah! I see you too have chosen to rise early today." Lady Hensley observed, taking a sip from the steaming cup she held in one hand. "Did you have a good night my dear?"

Penny returned the smile, drawing out a chair next to the countess. "I had a good night, thank you Bridget. I always rise early, force of habit I suppose."

"I have hardly gotten any sleep." Bridget announced, waving the paper she held in her hand. "See this? This is a list of the guests I have invited to the wedding, I want to make sure I have not left out anyone of importance for that would be a faux pas indeed. Can you imagine the horror that would ensue if we left out a baron or even- heaven forbid- a duke?"

Penny poured herself a cup of tea from the fresh pot a maid had just placed on the table, adding a teaspoon of sugar. "You are inviting every member of the ton? Surely that would be too much for a simple wedding affair."

Bridget snorted. "It is considered etiquette to send out an invitation to every one. Then of course, a fair number of them would decline for one reason or the other...perhaps due to a previous engagement, but they will be terribly offended if one did not invite them in the first place. The earldom is one of the oldest titles in England, so to be invited is an extreme honor."

"I see. Would you like some help? I confess I am not as well-versed in the members of the nobility, but I can find some almanacs that will be sure to carry the names."

The countess beamed at her, pleased at the offer. "That is a splendid idea! I wonder I have not even thought of it before. There is one such almanac in the library I believe, though I am not certain if it is a recent publication."

"I will have a look at it as soon as I finish eating." Penny replied, biting into a hot buttered scone.

"Surely you have something else to occupy your time other than looking through dusty old tomes. I can easily have a servant do that my dear."

"I have made no pressing plans for the day." Penny hastened to assure her friend. "It will give me something with which to engage myself."

An hour later, She was ensconced in the library, checking off names from the invitation list against those in the voluminous almanac when Lucy burst in nearly tripping in her apparent excitement, carrying an enormous bouquet of roses. Jane followed more sedately behind.

"Look Penny! You have got flowers." Lucy squealed, setting the bouquet on the mahogany table, the scent of the roses filling the room with a pleasant odor. "Aren't these the most adorable roses you have ever seen? Someone is smitten by you dear sister."

Penny stared at the bouquet in surprise. She had never gotten flowers before, certainly not after a ball. "Who are they from?" she asked, rising from the high-backed chair to touch a delicate bloom. The roses were exquisite and she sniffed at the fragrance appreciatively. Could Alasdair have sent them? She wondered, searching for the envelop that had surely come with the gift. She found it still tied to the piece of string that held the bouquet together, her fingers trembling in excitement.

"We were hoping you would tell us." Jane laughed, perching on the corner of the table eagerly. "Lucy seems to think they are from Lord Farnsworth, but I don't think so. I believe it is Mr. Lachlan who sent them. Phillip would never send anyone flowers."

Penny stared at the envelope, even as she listened to the two girls argue about the sender. It had to be Alasdair, she surmised, studying the plain white card. Jane was right, Phillip would never send her flowers and besides, the envelope did not carry any seal.

"Well open it already!" Lucy demanded dancing from one leg to the other in excitement. "Aren't you dying to know who sent them?"

Penny smiled at her sister and carefully pried open the cover, extracting the gold embossed card within. Her pulse raced as she stared at the words written on the card.

Be ready at noon. P

Her hands shook as she read the words over and over again, even as her mind refused to absorb the reality of what she read. Phillip had sent her the flowers? There must be some sort of mistake. He was far too arrogant to do anything other than to order her about and expect her to jump to do his bidding every time. Of course he had completely disregarded her letter as expected, but never in a million years had she thought he would do something so blatantly out of character.

She started in surprise when Jane snatched the card from her hand, coming back to reality with a start. She watched as Jane read the contents and opened her mouth in shock.

"Oh my god! He actually sent you flowers?" The girl stared at Penny in astonishment, while Lucy let out a triumphant crow.

"Hah! I knew it was him!" Lucy shrieked, snatching the card from Jane's limp fingers. "Oh this so exciting, it just like a romance novel. He is being such a romantic hero."

"No it's not. Phillip is as far removed from being some sort of romantic hero." Penny pointed out, picking a single rose from the bunch and holding it to her nose, the sweet scent filling her nostrils, drawing a wistful smile to play across her lips. How had he known white roses where her favorite? She could not recall ever mentioning it to him, or was it a mere coincidence?

Jane plucked another rose, inhaling as Penny had done then frowned in puzzlement. "These must be freshly picked just this morning, there is not even the slightest sign of wilting."

"What do you intend to wear for your outing?" Lucy asked.

Penny shrugged and replaced the stem. "I am not going."

Lucy and Jane gaped at her in astonishment. "What do you mean you are not going?" Lucy demanded, planting her hands on her hips, glaring at Penny in indignation. "Have you gone mad?"

Jane's face was shadowed with worry. "I would not advise thwarting the duke's wishes Penny, you know how ill-tempered he can get."

Penny's eyes flashed in defiance. "He cannot order me around, I am not afraid of him at all."

Lucy wagged her finger at Penny in reprimand. "He sent you flowers like a perfect gentleman, surely you will honor his invitation?"

"It was not an invitation," Penny replied, taking her seat once more and picking up the list. "The Duke of Newbridge does not invite, he summons and demands. Besides, I promised Bridget I would finish the list today."

Lucy glared at Penny for a moment then spun around and stalked from the room in a huff. Jane lingered for a moment, idly tracing a finger around the smooth corner of the desk. "Perhaps you should give him a chance to say what he wants," She said, her voice tentative. "Talk to him Penny, he seems...different when in your company...softer somehow. Consider it please?"

As the door closed behind Jane, Penny shut her eyes and sighed, rubbing at her aching temple, indecision gnawing at her.

A knock on the heavy door of the library broke her concentration. She looked up from her notes and frowned. "Come in." she called out, shutting the almanac and rubbing at a crick in her neck, wincing at the stiffness of her muscles from sitting in one position for too long. How long had it been since the girls had left? She wondered as the door opened.

Molly, the palourmaid peered inside with an apologetic look. "Pardon me Miss, but Lady Hensley sent me to inform you that the Duke of Newbridge wishes to see you. He is waiting in the drawing room."

Penny was startled. "Is it noon already?" She rose and crossed to the east window, pulling aside the drapes, wincing as a flood of sunlight poured through the window, lighting up the dim library. No wonder she had been oblivious to time's passing, she observed thoughtfully, turning away from the window. Her gaze fell on the bouquet, now safely in a glass jar filled with water and she grimaced. Phillip would not accept her refusal to go out with him without some sort of argument, she could bet her non-existent fortune on that, but she had to prove to him that she was not a toy to be trifled with at his whim, otherwise he would continue to torment her state of mind.

"Miss?" Molly looked at her in askance.

Penny shook herself to reality. "Yes, I will be down in a minute, I just need to replace these books." she began to gather up a sheaf of papers and the almanac but the maid hurried to take them from her.

"I can do that Miss, not to worry."

She smiled at Molly and moved aside to allow the girl to clear up. "Thank you Molly." those words elicited a surprised smile and a blush of pleasure from the maid, and Penny surmised the girl must not often get thanked for her efforts.

Phillip turned from the window when she entered the room, his smile disappearing when he noticed what she was wearing. "You are not dressed." he scowled at her, crossing the room to stand before her, his demeanor forbidding. "I asked that you be ready at noon. Why are you not ready yet?"

Penny refused to let herself be intimidated. She thrust her shoulders back and stared at him in defiance.

"I told you, I do not want to go anywhere with you." she calmly replied, even though her pulse raced faster than a speeding carriage. "I even sent you a note to that effect this morning."

He looked particularly handsome today, as usual his clothes had been chosen with impeccable taste, the dark blue coat contrasted nicely with the icy blue of his eyes, and his broad shoulders looked even more impressive beneath the exquisitely tailored garment. He had let his hair grow unheeded and now it curled just past his neck, barely brushing his shoulders. In her faded yellow morning gown, Penny suddenly felt drab and she wished she had taken the time to change.

The look Phillip leveled at her could freeze an elephant. "Indeed you did. That cryptic note politely informing me you had been unable to find a chaperone? You are a terrible liar Miss Inglewood."

She blushed a bright red, suddenly wishing she had not sent that damned note after all. "It is hardly a lie Lord Farnsworth," she retorted sharply to cover her mortification. "Who could I ask to accompany me after all? Lucy is seventeen and busy with her wedding plans, and you certainly do not expect me to ask your ex fiancee now, do you?"

Phillip surprised her by chuckling in amusement. "You are quite the little schemer, aren't you?" He moved even closer, robbing her of the ability to breathe by his nearness, his eyes filled with a sudden mischief. He placed a hand beneath her chin, lifting her face to his, even as his head lowered till it was mere inches from hers. "I like how stubborn you get sometimes...your eyes turn a most delightful shade of green and you thrust your shoulders back as though offering me your breasts..."

Penny jerked away from his touch, glaring daggers at him. How dare he speak to her in such an uncouth manner? "You are the most ill-mannered creature I have ever had the misfortune to come across." she declared. "Now, I will never go anywhere with you even if you offered me a fortune in gold."

He sobered immediately, and once more she was shocked to see him genuinely remorseful. "I apologize Miss Inglewood, I was out of line to say such things."

Penny's mouth dropped open in astonishment. Phillip was actually apologizing? She searched her mind for an appropriate response but could not come up with anything. She was accustomed to his rude, obnoxious nature, but Lord Farnsworth actually apologizing was a surprise.

He grinned, the action giving him a rakish look. "Go put on something appropriate Miss Inglewood, I give you my word I will be on my best behavior."

"But I don't have a chaperone!" she protested.

"Oh I have taken care of that."

She narrowed her eyes at him in suspicion. "What are you talking about? I don't..."

Phillip's eyes glittered. "Just go and get ready Miss Inglewood, you are going with me even if I have to carry you out over my shoulder."

Angered at his imperious tone, Penny crossed her arms across her bosom and shook her head stubbornly. "I do not want to go with you. Your threats have no effect so you can bark all you want. Good day Lord Farnsworth." she spun to stalk out the room, but he detained her with a hand on her arm.

"Are you afraid to be with me?" He asked, his gaze boring into hers in challenge. "Perhaps you are worried an hour in my company will loosen your inhibitions enough and fall into bed with me?"

"Don't be ridiculous." Penny jerked her arm from his grasp, her hackles raised at his challenge. "I am not afraid to be with you."