retrieve your brother and my fiancee, Miss Inglewood. You had best return home when you can, I will leave instructions to have a carriage waiting for you."
She glared at him. "There is no need to worry about my health or reputation Lord Farnsworth, I am quite capable of looking after myself. I merely came here because I know you have swift horses that will serve me well in going after them."
"Well I do not. And you will go home and wait Miss Inglewood, or I shall have you tied up till I return."
She pursed her lips in disapproval. "You will kill him if I let you go on your own. I cannot risk that."
He smiled at her for the very first time since she had burst into his study. "I promise I will not harm a hair of your brother's head, regardless of how much I wish to wring his neck at times. He will be delivered to you safe and sound."
She sighed. "Very well your grace, I will wait, but I do not like it one bit."
"I did not expect you to. Good day Miss Inglewood." He pulled the door open and strode out.
An hour later, the carriage dropped Penny back at her house. Lucy ran up to meet her. "Well? what did Lord Farnsworth say? Is he going to help?"
Penny led Lucy into the house. "He has gone after them, and I intend to do the exact same thing. Help me pack a bag, I will change and together, we will go to Fiona. Her son works as a stable lad doesn't he?"
Lucy nodded and hastened to do as instructed. Penny changed into riding clothes, her mind working rapidly. There was no way she would sit back and let Phillip go after the two lovers alone, god only knew what he would do despite his promise to her. She would ask Fiona to look after Lucy for a few days, then borrow a horse with the help of her son. Hopefully, she would be on the road to Scotland within the hour.
CHAPTER 12 STORM
Fiona stared at Penny in shock, "Run away? Surely you are joking!" She shook her head in disbelief, her eyes straying to Lucy who was sobbing hysterically in the arms of her friend Kate. "I had no inkling something like this was going on, you never said a word."
Penny shifted uncomfortably, she was eager to be off on her search for Edward, but she could hardly foist Lucy off on Fiona without a reasonable explanation. "I had hoped it was merely a passing infatuation," She replied with a sigh, "I thought wrong."
Fiona leaned forward and patted Penny's leg in sympathy. "At least you have the duke on your side, are you certain you wish to go all the way to Scotland, I worry about your leg and your reputation will be horribly compromised as a lady traveling all on her own. I think you should wait until the duke retrieves the couple."
Penny shook her head, "I cannot do that Fiona, I do not trust the duke to keep his promise, and Edward will surely put up a protest and I fear Lord Farnsworth temper will get the better of him. No, I must go."
The front door opened and Colin, Fiona's son came in, he was a big strapping lad of seventeen, good looking but painfully shy. He nodded a greeting to the ladies, his eyes downcast as he stood twisting his tweed cap between his fingers.
"I have brought the carriage round Miss Inglewood," he muttered, still gazing at the floor, though his skin flushed a bright red. "If ye are ready?"
Penny rose, reaching for the small box in which she had stashed a few necessary items for the journey. "Are you sure you don't mind taking me all the way? I can do quite well with a lone horse..."
"Don't be silly Penelope," Fiona cut in sternly, "Gently bred ladies do not go traipsing the highways on horses. Colin will go with you, he is quite capable of offering some sort of protection should you run into trouble. Besides, it is a closed vehicle, so the chances of someone recognizing you are nil."
Lucy tore herself from Kate and hurried over to throw her arms about Penny. "Oh do be careful Penny, and please bring Edward back? I will miss you terribly."
Penny returned the embrace, swallowing down the lump of emotion that clogged her
She glared at him. "There is no need to worry about my health or reputation Lord Farnsworth, I am quite capable of looking after myself. I merely came here because I know you have swift horses that will serve me well in going after them."
"Well I do not. And you will go home and wait Miss Inglewood, or I shall have you tied up till I return."
She pursed her lips in disapproval. "You will kill him if I let you go on your own. I cannot risk that."
He smiled at her for the very first time since she had burst into his study. "I promise I will not harm a hair of your brother's head, regardless of how much I wish to wring his neck at times. He will be delivered to you safe and sound."
She sighed. "Very well your grace, I will wait, but I do not like it one bit."
"I did not expect you to. Good day Miss Inglewood." He pulled the door open and strode out.
An hour later, the carriage dropped Penny back at her house. Lucy ran up to meet her. "Well? what did Lord Farnsworth say? Is he going to help?"
Penny led Lucy into the house. "He has gone after them, and I intend to do the exact same thing. Help me pack a bag, I will change and together, we will go to Fiona. Her son works as a stable lad doesn't he?"
Lucy nodded and hastened to do as instructed. Penny changed into riding clothes, her mind working rapidly. There was no way she would sit back and let Phillip go after the two lovers alone, god only knew what he would do despite his promise to her. She would ask Fiona to look after Lucy for a few days, then borrow a horse with the help of her son. Hopefully, she would be on the road to Scotland within the hour.
CHAPTER 12 STORM
Fiona stared at Penny in shock, "Run away? Surely you are joking!" She shook her head in disbelief, her eyes straying to Lucy who was sobbing hysterically in the arms of her friend Kate. "I had no inkling something like this was going on, you never said a word."
Penny shifted uncomfortably, she was eager to be off on her search for Edward, but she could hardly foist Lucy off on Fiona without a reasonable explanation. "I had hoped it was merely a passing infatuation," She replied with a sigh, "I thought wrong."
Fiona leaned forward and patted Penny's leg in sympathy. "At least you have the duke on your side, are you certain you wish to go all the way to Scotland, I worry about your leg and your reputation will be horribly compromised as a lady traveling all on her own. I think you should wait until the duke retrieves the couple."
Penny shook her head, "I cannot do that Fiona, I do not trust the duke to keep his promise, and Edward will surely put up a protest and I fear Lord Farnsworth temper will get the better of him. No, I must go."
The front door opened and Colin, Fiona's son came in, he was a big strapping lad of seventeen, good looking but painfully shy. He nodded a greeting to the ladies, his eyes downcast as he stood twisting his tweed cap between his fingers.
"I have brought the carriage round Miss Inglewood," he muttered, still gazing at the floor, though his skin flushed a bright red. "If ye are ready?"
Penny rose, reaching for the small box in which she had stashed a few necessary items for the journey. "Are you sure you don't mind taking me all the way? I can do quite well with a lone horse..."
"Don't be silly Penelope," Fiona cut in sternly, "Gently bred ladies do not go traipsing the highways on horses. Colin will go with you, he is quite capable of offering some sort of protection should you run into trouble. Besides, it is a closed vehicle, so the chances of someone recognizing you are nil."
Lucy tore herself from Kate and hurried over to throw her arms about Penny. "Oh do be careful Penny, and please bring Edward back? I will miss you terribly."
Penny returned the embrace, swallowing down the lump of emotion that clogged her
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