“You should wear your rose-pink gown,” Selina said with a glint in her eyes. “It suits you so well, and you never wear it these days.”
“Where would I go in it?” Penelope spoke lightly. “And this ball is not about me, Selina, as you well know.”
Selina hummed an answer, but Penelope wasn’t convinced. Her friend was up to mischief, and she suspected it had something to do with Callum MacKenzie.
“Before the ball, I will need to address MacKenzie’s choice of clothing,” she said thoughtfully. “Make an appointment with Doddington as soon as possible.”
Doddington had been Lord Muir’s tailor, and they had remained friends. Penelope used him for her clients whenever necessary, and he sent his customers to her if he thought they needed her help.
Penelope only hoped Callum was still her client after his aunt heard about Mortimer and the park.
Chapter Ten
Callum arrived thenext morning for his lessons. The art of polite conversation was something he felt he had already mastered. Yes, it was useful to know what he should say to who and when, but the trouble was when he was speaking to Penelope, he wasn’t really concentrating on what he was saying.
After the “wee brawl in the park,” as Angus was calling it, he had seen just how vulnerable Penelope was. Not that he thought of her as weak, but he could see she was struggling with her brother’s selfish behavior and was letting her fear of losing him interfere with the need to be firm with him. He supposed if he had lost his parents and brought up his brother on his own, then he might struggle to draw boundaries, too.
Mortimer hadn’t been mentioned again, so he couldn’t offer her his advice, even if she wanted it. However, the tale of the brawl had been spread near and wide, and the report of his confrontation with the boy had taken on a life of its own. He was a “base beast” and shouldn’t be allowed out in public. His aunt had come to him later, wide-eyed and worried, and asked what on earth had happened at the park before he brought Miss Armstrong to her house.
Callum had told her as clearly and emotionlessly as he could, saying he had stepped in when the boy had crossed a line. After Jennie heard what had been said to Penelope, she had seemed conflicted. “I can see why you felt you had to stand up for MissArmstrong. You were always a considerate boy, Callum, but I think you could have done so without violence. Now you have embroiled yourself in another scandal.”
“I’m sorry.” He had sighed. “It just made me so angry. She is trying... I believe she is trying her best to give him everything he asks for, but he doesn’t appreciate her efforts. He only sees the situation from his point of view. If I dared to speak like that to Cat—”
“You wouldn’t,” Jennie had said with certainty. “You’re a good lad, Callum, with your heart in the right place, but you need to be careful. I am not sure your parents would want you to continue with these lessons, but I see the improvement in you so I am going to suggest you carry on. But as far as possible, you must distance yourself from Miss Armstrong. I know that might be tricky, but you are clever enough not to allow your feelings about her situation with her brother to be engaged. She could seriously damage you. I admire her for what she has done with her life. It would have been so much easier for her to find another protector and carry on as before, but she didn’t take that road. She struck out on her own. I admire her for that and would like to support her efforts, but not at your expense.”
Jennie had taken a breath before continuing. “Now, as for the gossips, we need to show them we are not concerned with their nasty stories. I have always thought that the way to do that is to ignore them and carry on with our plans. Something else will capture their interest—it always does. But having said that... Callum, you really do need to be careful where Miss Armstrong is concerned.”
“I know. I will. And thank you,” Callum had said humbly. He was grateful for his aunt’s understanding and would try to keep his distance, but the truth was it was becoming increasingly difficult to do so.
When he was with Penelope, he wanted to kiss her. He wanted to hold her in his arms. He wanted far too many things he knew he could not have, but the awkward thing was, sometimes when he saw her looking at him, he wondered if she wanted those same things.
“You seem distracted,” Penelope said now.
Startled from his thoughts, Callum gave her a guilty look. “I was far away. I’m sorry. You were telling me what I should say to an earl as opposed to a baron...?”
Penelope glanced at the ticking clock on the mantelpiece. “It doesn’t matter. You have an appointment. We are going to see Mr. Doddington.”
“And who is Mr. Doddington?” he asked with a frown, and couldn’t help but wonder if this was some new form of torture.
“He is a tailor, and the best in London. He has helped me before with those of my clients who lacked fashion sense.”
Callum looked down at his baggy breeches. “I can’t see the point in you fitting me out like a dandy when I will be returning to the forests of Bonnyrigg. I doubt the squirrels and the deer will care what I am wearing.”
“Well, thereisa point, MacKenzie,” she said severely, and he felt that familiar clench in his stomach.
He cleared his throat. “I am not arguing. I know I will need formal evening wear for Aunt Jennie’s ball. She mentioned it the other day.”
“Good. We will save her the trouble, and I know Mr. Doddington will have you looking just the thing in no time.”
Callum couldn’t think of anything more boring than being fitted for clothing he would never wear again. Standing about while his size and his measurements were discussed. But he could see that Penelope was adamant.
“Very well,” he said. “Your wish is my command.”
At that moment, Selina tapped on the door. After conferring in whispers, Penelope excused herself, and Callum was left to kick his heels. He couldn’t help but wonder if Mortimer was giving his sister more grief, but he reminded himself it was none of his business. His aunt’s warning was fresh in his mind and he must ignore his instincts when it came to protecting Penelope Armstrong.
He was not her knight in shining armor and he could not save her. She was not for him.
Then why did he feel as if she was?
