A Penny's Worth of Affection novel Chapter 73

A week had passed in nervous anticipation of his visit. Each time the doorbell had rung or the butler had announced a visitor, her heart had at first leaped with hope, only to be dashed each time in disappointment. How little that night must have meant to him if he had not even bothered to call on her, if only to inquire about her ankle. Even more hurtful was the realization that she had fallen hopelessly in love with him.

Penny shuddered and pushed the thought from her mind and focused her attention back to Bridget. "I am much better. Thank you. The laudanum was quite effective in relieving the headache."

The older woman perched on the edge of her bed and studied the wan girl lying there, noting the varying expressions that crossed Penny's face, particularly the pain. Bridget smiled and gently took the girl's hands in her own, giving them a reassuring squeeze. She was quite certain Penny's ailment stemmed directly from a certain duke, and if her assumptions were correct, something must have happened to make the younger girl so ill at ease with her conscience. Women like Penny did not pine away in bed unless they were in the throes of love.

"You will be in all right soon then," Bridget said. "The body is quite marvellous at repairing itself. The heart, however, is quite another matter." The countess smiled at the guilty flush that suffused Penny's cheeks as the meaning of her words sank in. "Sometimes it is best to give in and accept what may seem to be the wrong choice, my dear. Do not try to deny your heart what it needs, what it craves for. To deny it will only bring misery."

Penny felt her face heat up in mortification. Had Lady Westbrooke somehow guessed what had transpired between her and Phillip? Certainly, there would be speculation, as her family wondered why she had left the theatre with Phillip, and what had happened to them on the way home. She lowered her gaze to the royal blue quilt, feigning an interest in the interwoven patterns while she mauled over the countess's words. What did her heart need? she wondered, fingers kneading the material absently. She was well aware of what her traitorous body needed, but what did her heart desire?

"Newbridge is a good man, and despite what he seems to be, I have known that boy since he was in short breeches and would rump about with my Henry. Such a sweet boy, so well-mannered and cheerful. Then his mother passed away. My dearest friend Kate. And his father was a cold, hard man. Hardly surprising when the lad turned out the way he did. But I strongly believe Phillip is not as cold as his father. He can learn to love with the right guidance."

"I hardly think I-"

"I have watched the both of you together you know." Bridget cut in. "You may deny it all you wish, but I know you care for him, and he for you. You are just equally stubborn to admit it."

Penny watched the newlyweds twirl about the ballroom floor, with a wistful smile at the look of bliss clearly written on their faces. Her sister was finally a married woman, married to the man she was deeply in love with. The look of happiness on Lucy's face filled Penny with joy, and she earnestly prayed the couple would always remain in love.

Her eyes developed a mind of their own and strayed where she did not want. Phillip stood at the edge of the dancing space, deep in conversation with Miss Talbot, a pale, willowy blonde who appeared to be hanging onto his every word, practically leaning into him, the low cut top of her exquisite gown revealing an impressive bosom that appeared at odds with the rest of her body. Penny's heart pricked painfully as she watched the lazy way Phillip flirted with the debutante who had been proclaimed the belle of the season.

So Phillip had tired of her and moved onto the next conquest? He had barely acknowledged her earlier at the church, merely giving her a cool nod when their eyes met before dismissing her. The service had been an agony, and now she was forced to endure the sight of the man she loved flirt with someone else. Penny forced her eyes away from the laughing duo and rose from the seat, plastering a reassuring smile on her face when the dowager countess shot her a worried look.