“I do not brood,” he growled.
“You do, but that is neither here nor there.” She crossed to the door. “Do not forget to greet your guests.”
Then she was gone, leaving Henry grumbling and all alone. But he was not brooding.
He also came to the decision that while Lady Penelope may have decided that teas were an excellent way for his cousins to make friends, she was ignorant of their plans for matchmaking.
For a moment he wondered if he should warn her but decided against it. If anything, Lady Penelope would encourage more teas and delight at his discomfort.
Goodness! She had never expected that she would speak to Eldridge in such a manner, yet it had become a common occurrence but only because he was being obtuse in what his cousins needed.
Had he been completely unaware of how his sister went about in Society before she wed? Had he not lived in the same household and witnessed that she had a lady’s maid, or invited friends to tea, or how she was presented at entertainments?
One would have thought that this was his first time to enjoy a Season, not his cousins.
Penelope blew out a sigh and calmed her irritation before she returned to the Simpson sisters and their guests.
“Is our cousin angry?” Chloe asked quietly.
“Not at all,” Penelope lied. She did not need the sisters concerned with His Grace. “Surprised, but I expect him along any moment to greet your guests.”
The statement brought twittering excitement from the guests who wanted nothing better than to make a favorable impression on the duke. She could already tell them that they would not attract his attention. At least, she assumed Eldridge didn’t want a silly, giggling wife, but she could be wrong.
Conversation continued and she kept an eye on the door, but it wasn’t until the tea was about to come to an end that he made an appearance, was polite and spoke to each of the guests, then made his excuses.
He had done well and his cousins relaxed.
All worked out well.
However, it was not long after he had disappeared back into his library that a footman left the mansion with a missive before Eldridge stormed past the entry to the parlor and out of the house.
Goodness, she hoped all was well and wondered at the urgency.
Thankfully, the cousins had not noticed and continued their conversations until it was time for their guests to depart. Once gone, the footman removed the tea service and Penelope retrieved parchment and pencil.
Now, to plan a ball.
“Who will we invite?” Judith asked.
“I will finish the guest list of those who are worthy of your attention,” she answered.
“Only those with titles?” Damaris asked with concern.
Penelope smiled and shook her head. “Titles have nothing to do with character. It is the same guide that I used when inviting misses for tea.”
“Oh, I like that much better. Character is very important,” Chloe agreed.
“However, we do need to decide the decorations, themes, flowers, food and hire musicians.”
The cousins blinked at her.
This was rather overwhelming for them.
“Let us begin with colors and then flowers.”
She wrote down the ideas and guided them on what would be fitting for a duke and they listened aptly. They then requested the presence of Cook for guidance on the menu. She was very clear in what she would prefer. They then sent a footman to inquire about musicians, then they set to writing the invitations. It would be Penelope who would decide how they were addressed.
The sisters were filled with excitement and pleased with their first tea, especially since Damaris did not spill anything.
