A Penny's Worth of Affection novel Chapter 3

Edward blew out a frustrated breath, running a hand through his hair. "Dash it all. Am I to stand by and watch the woman I love wed to another?"

She rose and went to him, her heart breaking at the dejected stoop of his shoulders. She knew her words had gotten to him, for he was fiercely loyal and protective of Lucy. Hopefully, that would keep him from making a dreadful mistake indeed. "If the good Lord wishes for the two of you to be together, then I am sure He will make it so without you having to fight for her hand. But please, I beg you, the Duke is a nasty man to cross, and I fear for our family. There are other girls of marriageable age around. And I know for a fact that at Mrs. Mangrove's ball next week, there are sure to be lots of available young women. Please, Eddie, for our sakes."

"I don't want anyone else." Edward shrugged off her hand from his shoulder; his jaw set stubbornly. "You will not understand, for you have never felt the touch of love for another. It's like a fire that refuses to be quenched at will. I will stand by Jane unless she refuses my suit. That is the promise I shall make."

His words were like a thousand needles piercing her heart, and she choked back a sob of despair. How she wished Papa were there; he would be able to handle this much more efficiently. Perhaps it was time to write him again, apprise him of the present situation, and hopefully, convince him to come home and face his duties as a father.

"Oh, Eddie, please do not do this," she begged, "You will ruin us all!"

He turned to face her, his eyes mirroring her misery. "I will promise to refrain from kissing her or making any open displays of affection, Penny, but I cannot deny my heart what it desires. I cannot."

Penny drew in a deep breath. "I see. It is the least you can do. We will not mention this to anyone? You must be discreet, for if there is even the slightest whiff of a rumour, be sure we are utterly destroyed by your foolhardiness."

She straightened her shoulders and walked to the door but stopped with her hand on the handle.

He picked up the slim file on his writing desk and scrutinized it once more. As usual, his secretary, George, had been very thorough in discovering all he could about the Inglewoods: an impoverished family barely clinging to a barony, consisting of an absentee father, Sir Edward Inglewood, one son, and two daughters, none of whom were married. He snorted in derision and placed the dossier back on the desk.

The fact that the son of a mere baron of no particular importance could even deign to so much as look in Miss Rosebury's direction filled him with a cold rage that just begged to give the idiot a sound thrashing. He certainly could not fathom why the lad's father had not put an end to his son's frolicking, although it was possible he was not aware of it yet, or perhaps, he was in support of his son and hoped to secure the lady's dowry to restore his impoverished accounts. At any rate, Philip did not care for the reasons but simply wanted to put a stop to such plans.

His first order of business would be to call on the Viscount and speak to his errant fiancée. He would deal with Edward Inglewood after that. Ringing the bell to summon his butler, he flipped through the dossier once more, this time paying attention to the two Misses Inglewood.

The eldest Miss Inglewood was twenty-six and clearly on the shelf. Phillip couldn't help wondering if the girl was too plain to attract the attentions of a beau or most likely one of those bluestockings with far more interest in books than men. He dismissed her from his thoughts and focused on the younger sister. Miss Lucy was but eighteen and described as quite the beauty, with good marriage prospects. His lips twisted into a sneer. Those so-called prospects would flee for their lives by the time he was done with this family.