A Penny's Worth of Affection novel Chapter 52

He rose and began pacing the length of the room deep in thought. He wondered what she must be doing right this moment, perhaps denouncing him as the vilest creature to walk the earth for trying to defend his honour.

Ah yes, the duel. Phillip grimaced, tugging off his cravat and tossing it to the floor. Ordinarily, he would be filled with something akin to excitement and anticipation at the thought of an impending duel, but oddly enough, this duel seemed to leave a bitter taste in his mouth. Remembering it only stirred up memories of the shocked look on Penny's face when he'd issued the challenge. Dammit! Why did she affect him so much? He murmured a curse, raking a hand through his hair in exasperation. All she had to do was give him a look with those eyes of hers, and he was haunted for the entire day.

Perhaps what he needed was to make love to her and get this wretched desire out of his system. That had been his intention the night before; thank heavens that plan had not worked, or he would have had no choice but to propose marriage to her. The thought made him shudder. He cast a disdainful look at the rather cramped quarters; tomorrow he would set off for London and put all this nastiness behind him.

He pulled out his pocket watch and consulted the gold lined face. It was almost midnight, and for the first time, he realized it had grown completely dark outside save for weak moonlight spilling through the open windows. Thankfully, he had only a few hours before he could leave. Despite the late hour, his mind was still on alert; sleep was far from his thoughts.

The stillness of the inn was shattered by the sounds of scuffling feet moving past his doors, accompanied by hushed whispers. He halted his pacing to listen, a scowl forming when he recognized one of the voices.

"What the hell?" He strode to the door and yanked it open. Edward and his father were huddled in deep conversation with the innkeeper. "What is going on here?"

The men looked towards him, their demeanour turning cold and distant as they realized Phillip stood there. Sir Inglewood cleared his throat and replied, "It is a private matter, Your Grace."

Phillip narrowed his eyes at the man in suspicion. He looked troubled and impatient, and Phillip wondered what could be the cause of his unease. Hurried footsteps came down the stairs, and Jane appeared looking slightly alarmed.

Jane grasped Edward by the arm. "Have you found a physician yet? She is getting worse by the minute."

Who is getting worse? Phillip wondered, his eyes sweeping the scene before him. Something was wrong, and he realized Penny was missing from the group. Had she been injured in some way? What had happened to her?

"Where is she?" His tone was sharp with anxiety. "Where is Miss Inglewood?"

Edward chose to accompany her, casting one last scowl at Phillip before retreating up the stairs. Sir Inglewood murmured something about seeing to the innkeeper and sidled past him to the main room of the inn leaving Phillip standing alone, torn between damning convention and mounting those stairs to demand to see Penny. He felt a stab of guilt as he recalled the harsh words he had hurled at her just a few hours ago. Finally, with a defeated sigh, he turned to join Sir Inglewood and await the physician.

He found the older gentleman seated by the fire gazing into the flames. Sir Inglewood looked up briefly when Phillip entered but went back to contemplating the fire without a word. Phillip crossed to the window and gazed outside at the deserted yard, his mind filled with concern for the slight woman who lay upstairs consumed with fever.

A half-hour passed before the sounds of hoof beats disturbed the stillness of the night. From his post by the window, Phillip could just make out two figures on horses pulling into the yard and dismounting.

"Is that the doctor?" Sir Inglewood rose to stand next to Phillip at the window. The latter nodded, moving away quickly and striding towards the closed entrance. A moment later, the door was pulled open and a tall man bundled up against the cold appeared hurriedly, carrying a large leather case. The man nodded to Phillip, setting down the case to unravel the thick scarf covering his neck and chin, as well as his coat and hat revealing a full head of red hair and a strong, competent face.

The innkeeper hurried in after the man, shutting the door to keep out the cold air. "The doctor is here, Your Grace," he announced unnecessarily.