“No, I did not. It was a stupid idea to begin with.”
Cecil tilted his head to the side as he looked at her, the smirk on his lips giving him a strangely attractive and irritating air.
“I don’t believe you,” he teased. “With your proper and haughty attitude, it would not surprise me if you chose to lie because you wish to protect your pride.”
“I did no such thing —” she squeaked indignantly.
“I have a proposal to make, concerning our previous deal. I feel as though the terms are not as fair to you because you seek to gain nothing from it. And I would like to add a clause to… reward your efforts. While you search for young ladies for me to review as potential wives, I shall help you experience and learnabout pleasure — without even risking your honor. I wouldn’t even touch you if you asked me to, and as such, you would be completely safe with me.” he told her calmly as though he were speaking about the weather.
Penelope could not believe her ears.
Why would he say this to her? He knows better than to risk their friendship with this ridiculous offer. And she is a dear friend of his sister as well! Does he not understand how dangerous his words are?
Cecil reached out and tilted her face up to his with a finger, his gaze dark as he whispered,
“You are in safe hands. You have my word. All you need to do is trust me.”
Penelope inhaled sharply, her gaze unable to stray away from his, not when it held her captive, and the heat radiating from his skin burned her in a strangely delicious manner.
He was so frustrating, choosing this moment, when he was in such a distracting state, to bother her about such a ridiculous subject —
Suddenly, the door burst open, and they sprang apart.
“I have returned!” Nora announced walking through the open door. “And one of the guests was kind to give me this salve.He said it was a powerful cure all that would surely bring the swelling down in matter of hours.”
“I’ll be in the sunroom tonight at midnight. Come find me if you wish to satiate your curiosity and learn a thing or two,” Cecil hastily whispered to her with a wink, before he turned to Nora, who was fiddling with the lid of the jar in her hands. “My hero.”
“Not by choice, I assure you,” she grumbled with a smirk.
Penelope stepped backwards, her eyes darting around the room in a bid not to look at Cecil as she hurriedly said,
“I apologize, Your Grace, but I have some matters to attend to. I-I promised Jane I would fetch a book I’d seen in the library last night for her.”
“Is that so? I saw her a few minutes ago and she did not mention –”
“She must have forgotten,” Penelope stated, cutting Nora off as her desperation grew in sight of Cecil’s amusement.
She needed to leave. Immediately.
“All right. Thank you for tending to this stubborn boar.” Nora smiled kindly at her friend.
“Yes, thank you, Lady Penelope. For the attempt you made on my life and then trying to fix your mistake by soothing —”
“You are welcome!” she snapped at Cecil breathlessly before taking her leave.
Her desperation to put some distance between them did not wane even after she left the drawing room and headed up to find comfort in the solace of her room.
She still felt as though her skin was aflame under his prying gaze, and she wished she had left even sooner. She could not stay.
And she certainly couldn’t let him know she had lied to him.
Cecil must never know that she had done what he had asked her to do last night. Not ever.
CHAPTER NINE
Penelope was likely to wear out her carpet with the insistent pacing she was doing.
Ever since she returned to her room, away from Cecil and his silver tongue, she’d felt restless and immensely bothered by his suggestion.
