A Penny's Worth of Affection novel Chapter 9

"Foolish girl," he muttered, "she will come crawling to beg me sooner or later." He'd much rather have it sooner, though, for patience was not one of his virtues, and he needed to be done with this as soon as possible to return to London. He still did not know what had possessed him to attend the ball, for he had no intention of doing so up until an hour ago when Jane had casually mentioned that all of the Millcote gentry would be present at the function.

A flutter of fabric caught his eye. It was the shawl Miss Inglewood had worn draped over her shoulders caught on a branch. He reached for it and sniffed its scent as he curled the delicate fabric in his left hand. He brought it to his nose to sniff once more before tucking it into the pocket of his coat.

Right. It was time to leave this hideously boring ball and return to his home where he intended to indulge in a few glasses of brandy for the rest of the night, but first, he had to retrieve his errant fiancée.

He turned and took a few steps back to the spot he had come upon the two women talking earlier. He found Jane seated on a garden bench, staring out at the cool evening sky. She stiffened when he came to stand before her.

"Get your coat. We leave immediately," he instructed coldly. "That is if you are done with your rendezvous, of course."

She looked up at him, a quick flash of intense dislike flitting over her face. "But we have been here barely an hour. It would be rude to just..."

"Unless you wish to walk all the way home, I strongly suggest you go fetch your coat. I will not wait long."

She gave a defeated sigh and rose to do as he ordered. "Whatever you wish." She avoided looking at him as she swept past him, walking quickly, for she knew he was perfectly capable of doing as he had threatened. He followed her into the ballroom, intending to wait by the front door while his carriage was summoned. But first, he had to return the shawl to its headstrong owner.

***

"Where have you been, Penny?" Lucy exclaimed the minute she spotted Penny. "We came back with the lemonade, but Mrs. Ingram said you had gone out to the garden."

"I went in search of you," Penny replied, hoping her face did not betray her current state of agitation. She resumed her seat, forcing herself to remain calm, for she did not wish to arouse inquiries of any kind. "You were a long time at the refreshment tables, so I assumed you had gone out for a walk."

Lucy shook her head and handed over a glass of lemonade which Penny accepted gratefully, downing the contents in one gulp. "Oh no, the drinks at the table were horribly tepid, so Henry suggested we go to the kitchens for a fresh batch instead. Are you all right? You look flushed."

Oh dear. She raised a hand to her face and muttered that she was fine, just tired from her search, cursing her fair skin that was so susceptible to flushes. She was still angry at the Duke and a bit afraid lest he come after her seeking revenge for the way she had spoken to him. She had not meant to lose her temper, but dear God, the man could tempt the devil himself to murder. Why did he assume she was promoting a match between Miss Rosebury and Edward? And how dare he accuse her without taking the time to find out if his assumptions were wrong? Remembering the cold, arrogant way he had sneered at her made her angry all over again, and she wished she had boxed his ears soundly too. Perhaps the silly man had never had his ears boxed before, and it would certainly do some good in bringing him down a peg or two. The man was too sure of his power, and looking as handsome as he did was no help either-if one liked that sort of haughty male attractiveness

Penny's reply was cut off by a familiar cold voice. "I believe this belongs to you, Miss Inglewood?"

She gasped and spun around, wondering why the man always chose to startle her. He was holding out the shawl by the tip as though touching the material was distasteful, and she glared at him while taking it back.

"Yes, it is. I wondered where I had dropped it. Thank you for returning it to me."

The corners of his mouth lifted in a smile that did not reach his eyes. "I decided to brave the possibility of being murdered. I am quite curious about how you will manage to achieve that."

"I meant every word."

"Of that, I am in no doubt whatsoever. As I said, it is the means by which you intend to achieve that end that has stirred my curiosity. Death by jabbing with a finger perhaps?"