A Penny's Worth of Affection novel Chapter 5

Snell paused at the doorway and turned to Miss Inglewood. "If you will wait here, Miss Inglewood. I will have tea sent in shortly."

Miss Inglewood scrambled past him into the room, and Philip chuckled. He would certainly not pass up the opportunity to interview the sister of his rival. He turned to enter the room as well.

"Would Your Grace like to wait in Lord Rosebury's study? I shall inform him you are here."

"There's no need for that, Snell. I will be perfectly content to await Lord Rosebury here as well." His tone brooked no arguments, and the butler merely nodded and walked away.

Philip entered the room, careful to avoid colliding with the furniture that seemed to fill the entire room. Miss Inglewood stood at the far end of the room close to the fireplace, her arms wrapped around her waist. She looked up as he entered and stiffened, a look of apprehension visible in those rather charming green eyes of hers.

Phillip crossed the room to stand close to her, and she looked panic-stricken.

Good, he thought in satisfaction as he watched her move ever so subtly away from him to stand by the window, making a pretext of staring outside, probably hoping to get as far away from him as possible. She must have something to hide if she was so uncomfortable in his presence.

"I was gravely mistaken in assuming you a maid, Miss Inglewood. My apologies for my ignorance."

She let out a small sigh and nodded, finally turning to face him with a resigned look. "It was an honest mistake. I should have corrected the impression at once, however. So I am as much to blame for the error."

He clasped his hands behind his back and continued to regard her until she blushed and looked away again. "Why are you here, Miss Inglewood?"

She bristled and clenched her small hands into fists, those huge green eyes shooting sparks of indignation his way. "I believe that is none of your business, Your Grace."

Philip scowled at the woman. No one ever addressed him in such an impertinent manner, least of all a mere slip of a girl who by all rights should be grovelling at his feet. "You will answer my question at once, woman, or I will not be responsible for my actions," he snarled, taking a menacing step toward her.

To his chagrin, she did not cower as he had hoped, merely tossed back her head to be able to stare up at him, a defiant look on her delicate features. For the second time in the span of a few minutes, her defiance took him by surprise.

He turned her hand over and lightly traced a finger over the palms, noting the way she seemed to shrink away from his touch as though she found it unpleasant.

He frowned and dropped her hand, taking a step back and crossing to the lit fireplace. "Do not play games with me, Jane. I know everything. And you will stop this nonsense at once, or the consequences will be dire indeed. You will not want your father to find himself suddenly overrun by his creditors."

Her face drained of every drop of colour, and she swayed precariously. "I–I–I swear to you, he means nothing to me, nothing at all. My affections for you have not changed, Your Grace. I give you my word."

"See that you don't. Now, go fetch your father. I wish to have a word with him."

"Of course." She turned and hurried away, her mind in turmoil as she wondered how on earth he had come to find out about Edward. She must warn Edward somehow, tell him to keep away until hopefully, Philip returned to London.

"He's a beast, a horrible, cold, hard-hearted beast," she whispered to herself.