“The nerve of her! What a cunning woman!”
“Who gave the right to be so absorbed in other people’s business?”
“I suppose that is the only way she can make herself feel important without any prospects.”
“How ridiculous, honestly. A spinster like her is the last person who should judge the behaviour of others!”
It was too much. She could feel the contempt and hatred targeted at her, and she could not stand it.
“I'm – I am sorry, Nora. I must go.” She mumbled quickly, gathering her skirts and turning to leave.
“No, wait – Penelope –”
Penelope ignored the calls of her friend, quickly leaving the ballroom, setting off into a run once she was outside. She did not stop running until she had arrived at her room. After locking her door, she fell to her knees, sinking into a heap of silk and chiffon as her chest tightened.
“It’s all ruined,” she mumbled as tears filled her eyes and ran down her cheeks. “All of it.”
“I asked you a question, Cecil.”
The duke inhaled deeply, in no mood for what was to come. He had not expected the evening to take such a turn, still fixated on resolving things with Penelope. But it would seem fate had other ideas, and he was not fond of the way the night’s events were progressing.
“I do not know what you mean. We are friends, your sister and I. All we did was talk.” Cecil frowned, eager to put the conversation behind him.
Lionel narrowed his eyes at him and folded his arms, looking like a disappointed parental figure – even more so than Cecil’s father ever was.
“Despite the obvious lack of my involvement, I have noticed that you two have been spending far too much time together. I thought nothing of it at first, because I was glad to see that you two were not up in arms, for once. But as time passed, sightings of you both together became... more frequent. Everyone else might not fully understand the sort of person you are, but you forget – I have been friends with you for years. I am well aware of the problems you face when it comes to managing your relationships with people. I know what it is you are avoiding and what you are looking for, but I need you to stay away from Penelope. She is not some pet meant for your amusement.” Lionel told him, his eyes dark and voice stern.
Cecil had never seen him like this, but it was to be expected given the subject of the conversation. Guilt churned in Cecil’s gut, and he tried to assure his friend that he had no reason to be concerned. It was not as though Penelope was at risk of falling in love with him, but perhaps it was best if he did not say that.
“I assure you, there is nothing –”
“This will be your first and final warning from me. I value our friendship, but I will always protect my sister. And if you do not wish to be challenged to a duel for putting Penelope’s reputation at risk, you would do well to leave our home as soon as possible and stay away from her.” Lionel cut him off coldly.
Cecil’s mouth snapped shut, and although there was a fiery rage building in him at the prospect of not being able to see Penelope, he knew it would be unwise to get on Lionel’s bad side. He was already set to leave their estate anyway.
“Do not worry, my friend. The repairs to my estate are complete, so I needn’t impose on you any longer. I shall be gone from your home, as you wish.” Cecil conceded.
Lionel said nothing more before he left, allowing Cecil some time to himself with his thoughts.
He did not know when and how everything became so complicated. He believed that things would go smoothly as long as he was focused on his objective – was that it? Was this because he lost sight of his goal?
“Lady Heather,” Cecil groaned, suddenly remembering that he had been talking to the woman before he left her side in favor of speaking with Penelope.
She must have been surprised by his sudden departure and likely saw him dancing with another woman. He did not particularly care that he had ruined his chances with her, but he did not like that he seemed to have disappointed one too many people that evening.
With a groan, he left the veranda with the intention of returning to the ballroom to find her, fortunate enough to see her going up the stairs when he arrived – likely retiring for the night.
“Lady Heather!” he called, causing her to stop, mid-step.
She turned around, her expression shuttered in disappointment when she saw him below.
“Can I help you, Your Grace?” she asked coldly.
Cecil expected nothing less. It would be stranger if she was not upset with him. Still, he felt rather caught off guard, because he knew a simple apology would not suffice, but he had wanted to try. Now that he was here, faced with the hurt he had caused once more, the guilt eating at him was a difficult thing to fathom.
“I... I've been an arse tonight. It was not my intention, my lady, I do apologize.”
She scoffed, looking even more irritated than she had been a moment before.
