“Of course, Your Grace.” He picked up his teacup by the handle, as he had been taught to do as a child, and took a large sip of drinking chocolate before addressing Penelope.
“As I mentioned yesterday, there is a matter I wanted to seek your guidance and, dare I say, assistance with.” He paused before dropping his voice a little. “I know, of course, that I have no right to request anything of you, given that we have been but strangers for some years. A development I greatly regret, especially now that I have been welcomed into your home.”
Penelope blinked rapidly and pressed her pretty lips together before shrugging.
“As I was reminded by my father, no matter how much time has passed, we were once like family, and just as in any family, I will do what I can to help you.”
A servant stepped up to the table with a fresh pot of tea and filled Penelope’s cup once more. She reached for the sugar at once and dropped two large lumps into the liquid.
How odd to see her drink tea. She never used to when we were children. And yet, here I am still drinking the chocolate of our youth.
For an odd moment, he felt self-conscious over his decision to drink chocolate instead of tea. Would she look at him as though he were childish for not drinking tea like the adult he was meant to be? Shaking his head, he pushed the thought away.
There were more pressing matters to attend to. The precise reason he was here, after all, was to ensure he never had occasion to worry about what Penelope thought of him. He had to ensure thoughts of her no longer took up space in his mind and heart. To that end, he fixed his gaze on her.
“I am grateful to hear it. Well, then. The reason I have asked to speak with you this day is because I seek your assistance. Your reputation as a skilled matchmaker has spread across Oxfordshire and I would like to engage your services in courting a young lady.”
She flinched, his declaration catching her entirely by surprise. And for a moment neither of them spoke. Once again, it was the Duke, peeking at them from behind his newspaper, who broke the silence.
“Well, isn’t that wonderful news? Daniel! I am pleased to hear it. Who is the lucky young lady? By Jove, let us drop the pretense. I think we all have an idea who the young lady is. Our dear friend, Bridget Hughes, eh wot?”
Daniel nodded and cast his eyes back toward Penelope. “Indeed, His Grace is right. I know it has been but a few short days that I have known her but I believe her the right match for me.”
Penelope swallowed. “You understand, of course, that she is not a lady of noble birth. Her father is a mere merchant, and you an Earl. Such a match might be looked down upon.”
Daniel frowned. This was not the reaction he’d anticipated. She appeared so cold toward him since his return that he’d feared she might not wish to assist him out of sheer dislike of his person. But this reply sounded—strangely different.
“A diamond merchant, Penelope. Do not lead the good lord here astray. Mr. Hughes is among the wealthiest men in all of Oxfordshire, and dare I say, the entire realm.”
“Papa is correct, of course. I only wanted to make you aware of the possible ramifications of such a match. Thetonloves nothing more than a scandal and a noble man marrying a woman of lower birth can provide just such a scandal.”
Daniel smiled at this. “I dare say my reputation is not the most stellar either, as His Grace will attest to. I’ve been anon-ditfor some time, as has Mr. Mavis. Although I can assure you neither of us is as bad as our reputation.”
A sense of victory over his own ill-guided desires overcame him for he knew that his praise of Alistair would only lead to the Duke wishing to further his and Penelope’s budding acquaintance. He’d wanted to let her know that while he, Daniel, had been saddled with a somewhat unfair reputation, Alistair was richly deserving of his. But he’d fought the desire and won.
Then why do I feel as though I lost a battle? Why do I feel as though I said the wrong thing?
Before he could examine his feelings further, Penelope spoke up again. “Well, in that case, I see no reason why there should not be a successful courtship between the two of you. I know, as do you, that Bridget, I mean Miss Hughes, is inclined toward courting you. I shall assist you, if it pleases you.”
It did not please him. Not one bit. He did not truly want to marry Bridget Hughes. While she was a corky, fine young lady who had her cap set on him, he did not feel the same. But wasn’t that the purpose of all of this? For him to fulfil his duties and at the same time silence the voices that were bound to drive him down the same fateful path as his father and grandfather before him?
“What wonderful news. This day is already promising to be a delight. Penelope, why don’t you ask Daniel to accompany you when you go into the village later on? The two of you can talk about all the ways he can impress Miss Hughes. Perhaps you can help him select some chocolate for the young woman to bring to their first courtship outing? Or flowers?” He winked, pleased with the developments.
“Of course,” Penelope said, her voice quiet and subdued. “If you care to meet me here at noon, then we can go into the village. I am due to deliver charity to some of Papa’s tenants today.”
“I would very much like to accompany you. You may not remember, but it was always one of my favorite activities when we were children, delivery charity to the needy and calling on His Grace’s tenants, Penny.” His eyes winded when he realized he’d used her childhood nickname once again. After promising himself to use only her title. “I am sorry. Lady Penelope.”
She smiled a small smile and shook her head. “If I am to help make a match between my best friend of the past and my best friend of the present, then I suppose using our first names would be acceptable. Don’t you think so, Daniel?”
His heart leapt at this and he smiled at her. “Indeed, Penny. Indeed.”
They finished their meal with the Duke joining them and providing most of the conversation. While it was pleasant and reminded him of the days gone by, he could not help but steal an occasional look at Penelope and wonder if he hadn’t just committed the worst mistake of his life.
Chapter 15
Penelope stood on the veranda and adjusted her emerald-green pelisse, ensuring that it was buttoned properly and lay smoothly on her slender frame. It was summer, but the weather was cool enough today to warrant an outer garment to be worn over her thin summer gown. The pelisse was perfect as it was light in weight to not be cumbersome but still provided some protection against the breeze.
She glanced down and noticed her half-boots peeking out from underneath the hem, kept at walking length. Unable to remain still, she placed her hands on either side of her straw bonnet. The wide, satin band in a matching emerald-green which kept it in place was loose under her chin and she took care to re-tie it. Her hands, she realized, were shaking.
