This... was much different from their previous kisses. He was so tense as his lips ravaged hers, almost as though he was holding back greatly. For Penelope, her heart soared, and her stomach sank because she knew it did not matter how she felt.
She was not what Cecil wanted, and he would never choose her.
Moments later, they broke apart, and Cecil stepped back, looking remorseful, as though he finally understood the pain he was putting her through.
“I... I am sorry, Penelope. I do not know what I am doing – but... all I know is that I seem to take leave of my senses every time you step into my line of sight.” He confessed, rubbing a palm over his face.
Penelope clutched the skirts of her dress in her hands and willed her voice not to shake as she told him,
“You have brought up our friendship countless times before, but I am sure you understand that this – what we have done is not something friends do.” She inhaled sharply, willing herself to push the other words out. “I have no interest in marrying you, just like I am certain you have no interest in marrying me. And rest assured, Lady Heather will receive no letters from Athena. There is not need for my interference like that, because she is the right match for you. I will not intervene, Your Grace. I wish you luck.”
Then she curtsied and walked away.
It would seem Penelope was intent on ensuring his mind remained muddled for some reason.
As Cecil stared off after her, he could not help feeling overwhelmingly confused. Not just by her actions, but also the sinking feeling within him that said things were very, very wrong.
“This evening is going to hell in a handbasket, I swear.” He exhaled and turned to leave, stopping in his tracks when Lionel walked onto the veranda.
Cecil parted his lips to speak, but something about his friend’s expression told him something was wrong, so he stayed silent, waiting for Lionel to speak up first.
He did not have to wait too long because a moment later, Lionel folded his arms and asked,
“Why was my sister here alone with you?”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Penelope thought she would be able to breathe a little easier once she was away from Cecil.
She had hoped that confronting the truths she had would grant her some feelings of ease or at least some reprieve. But she only felt even more distraught.
He had not contested her words. He never attempted to tell her things were not as she believed them to be, which simply meant that she was not wrong. And knowing that this time, he had no way of arguing with her was possibly the most heartbreaking realization she would ever face.
Penelope longed for the solace of her home, eager to put this whole party behind her. It had been too much for her, clearly, and perhaps she should have left when it became obvious things were not going according to her expectations.
She returned to the ballroom in a hurry, eager to find Jane to speak with in hopes that it would distract her for a bit. But as she walked in, she noticed that a hush fell upon the room. At first, she thought that perhaps a dance had just ended, and people were shuffling about to choose new dance partners.
Then she noticed that people were giving her strange looks, pointing at her and whispering with odd expressions. At once, Penelope’s skin began to crawl with anxiety, and she lowered her gaze, willing herself to keep walking. The further she got into the room, the more apparent it became that she was being watched and talked about.
She raised her eyes, sighing with relief as she spotted Jane and Nora standing in a corner, looking right at her, and she quickly made her way towards them. Just as she arrived before her friends, Jane glared at her before she walked off, her angry expression burning into Penelope’s mind.
Confused, she turned to Nora.
“Is something wrong? What happened?”
Nora looked hesitant, but inevitably, she spoke up.
“Penelope... are you Athena?”
It was as though the world had slowed to a stop. Penelope inhaled sharply, but it did not feel as though she had taken in enough air, and she felt lightheaded.
“I... what?”
Nora sighed, looking disappointed, and Penelope’s hurt heart sank even further.
“Why did you not tell us? Why did you take on that persona? Why did you do any of it?”
Nora’s questions, though well-intentioned, were ultimately too much to bear for Penelope at that time. Especially when Penelope could now hear what the other guests were whispering about.
