A Penny's Worth of Affection novel Chapter 75

"We will leave the day after tomorrow. Alasdair wishes to introduce me to his sister first, so tomorrow, we will pay a visit to Lady Kettering and then leave the day after."

Sir Inglewood nodded. "Good, good. Congratulations, my dear." Penny heard the words and smiled once more, getting to her feet and coming around to place a fond kiss on her father's rough cheek.

"Thank you, Papa. I will miss you greatly." Her eyes filled with tears, and impulsively, she threw her arms around him. "I love you, Papa, and I promise we will come visit you often."

Sir Inglewood's eyes watered, and he guffawed to cover up his emotion. "Not too much I hope. You will be quite occupied with looking after your young man." He stroked her dark curls with affection and beamed at her. "Your mother would have longed to see this day. I remember how she would prattle on about seeing her daughter settled in her matrimonial home."

"I know, Papa," Penny said with a wistful smile as she pictured her mother in her mind. A cheerful woman with twinkling green eyes who showered her children with love and affection until tragedy had struck in the form of tuberculosis and taken her away from them. "I still miss her every single day. Excuse me, Papa. I must see to dinner..."

"Of course, go."

Penny escaped to her room, shutting the door and sinking on the edge of the bed, her facade crumbled, shutting her eyes to stem the tears that threatened to fall. Uncertainty pushed at her heart, and she wondered not for the first time if she was doing the right thing in marrying a man she did not love. Her chest heaved with unutterable sobs, and she pressed a hand to her mouth to stop the small cries of grief.

"Please, God, help me forget..." she whispered the prayer, the words offering comfort, and she opened her eyes and took a deep breath, feeling a sense of calm. Finally, she rose and crossed to the wash stand, pouring cold water on her face, her thoughts in turmoil. She would put Phillip out of her mind and completely focus her efforts on Alasdair. Thank heaven she would be leaving England behind soon. At least she would have no fear of running into him in Scotland.

***

"I never thought I'd say this Phillip, but you are an arse." Elise Farnsworth tapped her cane loudly against the hardwood floor of Phillip's study. "Henry just gave me the news. That lovely girl is engaged to someone else? How could you let her slip away from you?"

"Penny does not care for me in the slightest," he retorted. "You must have been mistaken."

Without warning, Phillip felt his aunt's cane descend painfully on his head. "What the devil?" he yelled, rubbing at the throbbing spot, glaring at Elise. "Have you descended to assault now?"

Elise glared at him and brandished the cane once more. "I am trying to knock some sense in that thick head of yours, Phillip Edward Farnsworth. Good God! No wonder Jane Rosebury risked her reputation and ran off with her young man. I always said your father was a fool for betrothing you to that girl. Penelope Inglewood loves you. That much is evident. Open your eyes lad and save her before she makes a terrible mistake."

"She will be happier married to him. I have nothing to offer her other than pain and misery. Besides, she is not in love with me. She said so herself," Phillip said and resumed his seat, reaching for his glass of brandy and staring into the amber depths. He sighed as his mind conjured up an image of the smile on Penny's face as she accepted the doctor's proposal. He grimaced and gulped down the liquid in one gulp, feeling a satisfying burn down his throat. His aunt was wrong; Penny did not love him; she had said so to the doctor.

"Perhaps if you allowed yourself to love her in return, pain and misery can be a thing of the past." Elise settled in a chair close by and gave her nephew a pleading look. "Phillip, have you ever considered that the real reason she denied loving you was because you had never given her cause to believe her affections may be reciprocated? Every woman wants to know the man she is in love with loves her too. Penny is no exception."