throat. She shut her eyes and nodded. "You be good now Lucy, do not do anything to displease your hostess. And remember, try to say as little as possible to anyone about this, including Lord Henry?"
"I promise."
Penny gently pulled out of the embrace and smiled. She turned to Colin and nodded, handing him her box and followed him out.
The journey out to London was uneventful and soon they had driven past the bustling city and on the busy road to Scotland, leaving Penny with a lot of time to ponder on the issues that plagued her and her family. Most of all, she worried about Edward and Jane. What would they do when the harsh reality of what they had done finally sunk in? Where would they live if they managed to get to a priest before Phillip or herself caught up with them? Lady Jane was certainly used to a life of luxury, and unless the viscount was amiable enough to pardon their defection, Penny certainly did not see how those two would be suited to a life on the edge of want. And Phillip...society would expect him to demand some sort of retribution for his besmirched honor...would he challenge Edward to a duel?
She felt the carriage begin to slow and wondered if they had perhaps gotten to an inn. She pulled back the little curtain that blocked the rays of the sun from penetrating the carriage and peered out. They were approaching a narrow bridge, but it seemed there was some sort of obstruction for the other vehicles were pulling to a halt and passengers alighting.
"What is going on?" She called up to Colin. He jumped down from the driver's perch and came to open the door.
"There be an accident of sorts Miss," He replied, helping her down from the carriage. He nodded towards a cluster of people gathered around what appeared to be a loaded wagon and three horses, "might take a while to move that."
Her heart sinking at his words, Penny moved closer to the disaster, praying his prediction was wrong. The sight that met her eyes made her groan aloud. The wagon would have to be unloaded before any attempt to move it and that could take hours. The people gathered were shouting and arguing amongst themselves on how best to begin unloading the wagon. The heavy wheel had broken and someone was dispatched to fetch a blacksmith. A good number of people settled down to await the eventual clearing, and were clustered in small groups chatting.
"Oh lord!" she muttered, running a hand through her hair in despair. "It will be too late." She was so close... if only this had happened much earlier to slow the two runaways...She wondered how far she would get if she simply decided to continue on foot, maybe she could get to some coaching inn and acquire a fresh horse.
The sky turned gray and overcast without warning and Penny almost screamed in frustration. This day was the worst she had ever had. She wondered where Edward and Jane were at the moment, had they gotten married already? Had Phillip been able to catch up with them? Her mind kept spinning in circles, filled with questions but no answers and this delay was not helping at all.
Lifting up her skirts, she carefully descended the slope down to the bridge in hopes of seeing how much progress had been made. Her heart sank when she realized the blacksmith had not even arrived yet, and several men were standing around still arguing and a few women had clustered at one edge of the grassy bank and were chattering together. Penny sighed and shut her eyes in despair.
"Why am I not surprised to see you here?"
Her eyes flew open and she turned swiftly almost losing her balance in the process. Phillip stood behind her, a sardonic expression on his face. He lifted a brow at her in inquiry.
Quickly her gaze swept past him, heart thudding in hopes of seeing her brother somewhere behind. Disappointment coursed through her and she looked back at him. "Have you been to Gretna Green?
He laughed shortly. "It is a two day ride to Scotland, Miss Inglewood."
She blushed and looked down at her
"I promise."
Penny gently pulled out of the embrace and smiled. She turned to Colin and nodded, handing him her box and followed him out.
The journey out to London was uneventful and soon they had driven past the bustling city and on the busy road to Scotland, leaving Penny with a lot of time to ponder on the issues that plagued her and her family. Most of all, she worried about Edward and Jane. What would they do when the harsh reality of what they had done finally sunk in? Where would they live if they managed to get to a priest before Phillip or herself caught up with them? Lady Jane was certainly used to a life of luxury, and unless the viscount was amiable enough to pardon their defection, Penny certainly did not see how those two would be suited to a life on the edge of want. And Phillip...society would expect him to demand some sort of retribution for his besmirched honor...would he challenge Edward to a duel?
She felt the carriage begin to slow and wondered if they had perhaps gotten to an inn. She pulled back the little curtain that blocked the rays of the sun from penetrating the carriage and peered out. They were approaching a narrow bridge, but it seemed there was some sort of obstruction for the other vehicles were pulling to a halt and passengers alighting.
"What is going on?" She called up to Colin. He jumped down from the driver's perch and came to open the door.
"There be an accident of sorts Miss," He replied, helping her down from the carriage. He nodded towards a cluster of people gathered around what appeared to be a loaded wagon and three horses, "might take a while to move that."
Her heart sinking at his words, Penny moved closer to the disaster, praying his prediction was wrong. The sight that met her eyes made her groan aloud. The wagon would have to be unloaded before any attempt to move it and that could take hours. The people gathered were shouting and arguing amongst themselves on how best to begin unloading the wagon. The heavy wheel had broken and someone was dispatched to fetch a blacksmith. A good number of people settled down to await the eventual clearing, and were clustered in small groups chatting.
"Oh lord!" she muttered, running a hand through her hair in despair. "It will be too late." She was so close... if only this had happened much earlier to slow the two runaways...She wondered how far she would get if she simply decided to continue on foot, maybe she could get to some coaching inn and acquire a fresh horse.
The sky turned gray and overcast without warning and Penny almost screamed in frustration. This day was the worst she had ever had. She wondered where Edward and Jane were at the moment, had they gotten married already? Had Phillip been able to catch up with them? Her mind kept spinning in circles, filled with questions but no answers and this delay was not helping at all.
Lifting up her skirts, she carefully descended the slope down to the bridge in hopes of seeing how much progress had been made. Her heart sank when she realized the blacksmith had not even arrived yet, and several men were standing around still arguing and a few women had clustered at one edge of the grassy bank and were chattering together. Penny sighed and shut her eyes in despair.
"Why am I not surprised to see you here?"
Her eyes flew open and she turned swiftly almost losing her balance in the process. Phillip stood behind her, a sardonic expression on his face. He lifted a brow at her in inquiry.
Quickly her gaze swept past him, heart thudding in hopes of seeing her brother somewhere behind. Disappointment coursed through her and she looked back at him. "Have you been to Gretna Green?
He laughed shortly. "It is a two day ride to Scotland, Miss Inglewood."
She blushed and looked down at her
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