has refused them all, to everyone’s surprise. I can’t help but agree with you. There is something more to it.”
Rake nodded thoughtfully.
“Penny has been wondering why she keeps saying no,” Fanny continued. “When Lord Dane asked for her hand, she refused him, too, and Penny got really worried, as she knew he was very special to her sister. She said Charmaine had once admitted she wouldn’t mind moving to Yorkshire, where he has his country estate, if he ever would propose. Nevertheless, when he finally did, she told him no.”
Rake looked at her with astonishment.
“Really? Lord Dane?”
“Penny said she turned him down in the most brutal way, and it is such a mystery. One day she was madly in love with him and spoke nothing but good about him. But the next day she called him every horrid name she could think of and said she didn’t want to hear his name again.”
“How strange. I know Lord Dane, and he is a good man, honest and kind. His fortune is quite large, and his family is well connected. He would have been a really good choice for a girl without a dowry to speak of.”
They looked at Charmaine where she stood, laughing and flirting with Devlin and her constant ring of other suitors. She was perfect, not a hair out of place. She looked just like the stunning diamond of the first water that she was.
And yet both Rake and Fanny pitied her.
“Well,” Rake mused. “Maybe we should talk to Penny and ask her if she knows something more, so we can stop this scandal before it happens. Our friends in the ton will destroy her if they ever find out she lied about being courted by Devlin. They like nothing better than to knock a goddess off her pedestal.”
Fanny directed their steps to where Penelope stood with Lord and Lady Nester, and one moment later they were chatting amiably.
Penelope’s mother was of an agreeable personality but a little naïve and too easily impressed. Penelope loved her dearly, but sometimes she got impatient with her vagueness.
Her father, on the other hand, was the jolly kind, and his loud, booming laughter could always be heard over any crowd’s chatter. Fanny didn’t know much about him, other than that he wasn’t a rich man, and that he was impressed with her family.
He always made a big fuss about her whenever she paid Penelope a visit, sometimes so much it became awkward and embarrassing.
Lord Nester was extremely pleased when they joined his little group, and Fanny thought he would have hugged Rake if his wife weren’t at his arm.
“Lord Richard,” he beamed. “How nice of you to join us!”
He nodded lightly toward Fanny, not quite so impressed by her, as he had known her since she was a wee little girl.
“It’s our pleasure,” Rake drawled, and Fanny had to bite her lip to stop the laughter that threatened to burst out over his obvious lie. “Have you been enjoying the picnic, my lady?” he asked Lady Nester.
Before the good lady had a chance to open her mouth, her husband gave his loud, booming laugh.
“Of course we have. It has been a real treat. The ladies have most certainly outdone themselves this year, turning this boring park into such a wonderland of flowers and colors.”
Lady Nester opened her mouth again, but her husband continued to ignore her.
“And the lemonade…” He kissed his fingers and continued in the worst French accent ever heard, “ C’est magnifique .”
“Yes, very good indeed,” his wife agreed, bobbing her head, clearly giving up any thought of having an opinion of her own.
“Pity, though, Charmaine isn’t here with us. She would have loved your company. But she is so popular, you know, and we can’t hold her to us more than a few minutes before someone ushers her away. But for you, Lord Richard, we can call her over.”
Lord Nester waved his hand toward his eldest daughter, and Penelope looked nauseous. Her father wasn’t the best with etiquette, and Fanny knew Penelope sometimes found him terribly
Rake nodded thoughtfully.
“Penny has been wondering why she keeps saying no,” Fanny continued. “When Lord Dane asked for her hand, she refused him, too, and Penny got really worried, as she knew he was very special to her sister. She said Charmaine had once admitted she wouldn’t mind moving to Yorkshire, where he has his country estate, if he ever would propose. Nevertheless, when he finally did, she told him no.”
Rake looked at her with astonishment.
“Really? Lord Dane?”
“Penny said she turned him down in the most brutal way, and it is such a mystery. One day she was madly in love with him and spoke nothing but good about him. But the next day she called him every horrid name she could think of and said she didn’t want to hear his name again.”
“How strange. I know Lord Dane, and he is a good man, honest and kind. His fortune is quite large, and his family is well connected. He would have been a really good choice for a girl without a dowry to speak of.”
They looked at Charmaine where she stood, laughing and flirting with Devlin and her constant ring of other suitors. She was perfect, not a hair out of place. She looked just like the stunning diamond of the first water that she was.
And yet both Rake and Fanny pitied her.
“Well,” Rake mused. “Maybe we should talk to Penny and ask her if she knows something more, so we can stop this scandal before it happens. Our friends in the ton will destroy her if they ever find out she lied about being courted by Devlin. They like nothing better than to knock a goddess off her pedestal.”
Fanny directed their steps to where Penelope stood with Lord and Lady Nester, and one moment later they were chatting amiably.
Penelope’s mother was of an agreeable personality but a little naïve and too easily impressed. Penelope loved her dearly, but sometimes she got impatient with her vagueness.
Her father, on the other hand, was the jolly kind, and his loud, booming laughter could always be heard over any crowd’s chatter. Fanny didn’t know much about him, other than that he wasn’t a rich man, and that he was impressed with her family.
He always made a big fuss about her whenever she paid Penelope a visit, sometimes so much it became awkward and embarrassing.
Lord Nester was extremely pleased when they joined his little group, and Fanny thought he would have hugged Rake if his wife weren’t at his arm.
“Lord Richard,” he beamed. “How nice of you to join us!”
He nodded lightly toward Fanny, not quite so impressed by her, as he had known her since she was a wee little girl.
“It’s our pleasure,” Rake drawled, and Fanny had to bite her lip to stop the laughter that threatened to burst out over his obvious lie. “Have you been enjoying the picnic, my lady?” he asked Lady Nester.
Before the good lady had a chance to open her mouth, her husband gave his loud, booming laugh.
“Of course we have. It has been a real treat. The ladies have most certainly outdone themselves this year, turning this boring park into such a wonderland of flowers and colors.”
Lady Nester opened her mouth again, but her husband continued to ignore her.
“And the lemonade…” He kissed his fingers and continued in the worst French accent ever heard, “ C’est magnifique .”
“Yes, very good indeed,” his wife agreed, bobbing her head, clearly giving up any thought of having an opinion of her own.
“Pity, though, Charmaine isn’t here with us. She would have loved your company. But she is so popular, you know, and we can’t hold her to us more than a few minutes before someone ushers her away. But for you, Lord Richard, we can call her over.”
Lord Nester waved his hand toward his eldest daughter, and Penelope looked nauseous. Her father wasn’t the best with etiquette, and Fanny knew Penelope sometimes found him terribly
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