His eyes were wide open, his thoughts spinning.
First and foremost about Penny.
The curve of her lips, the delicate sweep of her neck, the thick mass of hair, that while dark, seemed to shimmer in the candlelight, catching the light with its sheen. But also the worn appearance of her clothes, her commitment to those orphans, putting herself in danger for a few shillings.
The woman had no sense.
And he needed to cease thinking about her because she had no pedigree either. Of course, she was educated. That much was clear. She’d learned manners, decorum. And she was cultured even, with a fine accent and posture to match. But his marriage would elevate his status, the last piece that eluded him. And Penny Walters contributed nothing to that cause.
But thoughts of Clarissa crept in too. Despite her stature, she seemed a woman who could take care of herself. And yet, Penny had intimated that Clarissa had needed saving. Why?
Clarissa was as fierce as a woman came. He was certain of that. She wielded that poker like a sword.
Finally, as dawn crept into his room, he managed to fall asleep. But soon enough a rooster crowed from some rooftop in the distance and his eyes popped open again. He had a great deal to accomplish today.
After rising, he washed and dressed, leaving instructions for his note to be delivered to Daring as he had his horse saddled and ate a light meal. He needed to collect funds for Penny. That was first.
But he also needed to procure a gown for her, because while he’d insisted she didn’t need to come, Daring didn’t strike him as a man who compromised, and he was certain she’d be attending dinner with him.
Which meant a trip to the dressmaker. His eye was excellent and he was certain he could estimate her size well enough. He held out his hands and closed his eyes. Her waist looked to be about so and her hips…he snapped his gaze open again.
He’d deliver the gown and the money today, despite the appointment for the following day. Then he could inform her of the invitation and…see her again. Sooner rather than later.
As he made his way out to the stable, he stopped at the groundskeeper’s shed.
The man was already at work and Logan knocked on the wall, the door already ajar.
“Me lord.” The man turned around, surprise making his step falter. “What are ye doin’ here?”
Logan smiled at that. “I need a few tools and perhaps some advice. There’s a fence that needs repair and—”
“Fence?” The man’s shoulder snapped back. “Not here?”
“No,” Logan had to hide a smile. Fergus was excellent at keeping up the property. “A…friend.”
One of Fergus’ shaggy eyebrows shot up. “Friend? She must be pretty.”
“It’s not like that,” Logan answered quickly. He didn’t need to explain to his groundskeeper that a business deal hinged upon his relationship with Penny.
Though the fence was less about the deal and more about…his jaw clenched. A pretty lady.
Well, that wasn’t true. It was about a lady who needed help. And who helped others. And whose fence was in desperate need of repair. And he shouldn’t want to spend time with her but…well…he did. He reasoned that he’d also be figuring out what Daring was up to, but it was likely his time would be better spent hunting for a bride.
“Of course it isn’t.” Fergus gave a toothy grin. “It never is.” Then he began pulling tools down from the pegs on the wall. “You’ll need these. And I’ll show you how it’s done. You wouldn’t want your ugly gentleman thinking this is your first fence repair.”
Logan gave the other man a long stare. To think he’d be repairing some man’s fence was just ridiculous. “I’ll have you know it’s for an orphanage.”
Fergus straightened then, his gaze narrowing. “Why didn’t you say so? What else needs to be done?”
Penny sat in the front room with Natty on her lap as they carefully counted stacks of coins.
The girl was alarmingly good at the endeavor for being only five or six years old.
“If there are ten in this stack and five in that, how many do you have in total?” She softly stroked the girls head as Natty focused on the chips in front of her.
“Hmm.” Her little mouth pursed into a very serious line, her tiny fingers moving as she worked it out. Distantly, Penny heard the door open, but her concentration was fixed on Natty.
Her soft brown curls blew softly, tickling Penny’s nose.
The distinct pad of Clarissa’s bare feet caught her ear and the deeper clack of…boots.
She raised her head.
“Fifteen,” Natty sang out, pointing down at the coins. “Is that right, Miss Penny?”
“That’s right, my brilliantly beautiful girl.” She stroked the child’s hair even as Clarissa came into view, the Earl of Goldthwaite just behind her.
Her breath caught, and she clenched a fist at her side. She shouldn’t feel anything for this man. He was a lord, a benefactor, and his intentions were shaded at best. If she weren’t careful…
She’d told him she was undecided on marriage, but the truth was, it was her most secret wish. But one she expected never to be fulfilled…
She’d fallen in love once. It was nearly a year after Clarissa had come to live with her. A soldier and a good man. He’d offered her a life free from worry, financially and otherwise, but Clarissa was not invited into that life.
Penny had refused the offer and had never looked back. Lieutenant Vrabel had been a perfectly good candidate. But these children were her life and anyone who wished to share in it would have to help them too. Most likely no man would agree to such an imposition. And so…she’d remain alone.
And that was why the Earl of Goldthwaite was best left alone. He’d called her little loves “urchins.” He was a statue of ice.
No matter how he made her heartbeat quicken and her own body heat.
Of course, he’d donated to her cause too, but that didn’t mean he’d wish to live with a house full of foundlings full time. She shook her head. What was she even thinking? He was an earl. Of course, he wasn’t going to help her raise orphans.
Her heart skipped a beat. What had happened to her normally sensible mind?
“Penny, you have a visitor.” Clarissa smirked as she reached out a hand to Natty. “Come on love, I’ll continue your lesson in the other room.”
Natty stuck out her bottom lip. “But I want to be with Miss Penny.”
Natty was always clingy after a night of bad dreams and she’d had a few terrible ones the night before.
Penny softly brushed the girl’s cheek, her skin velvet and cream. “You’re all right. And you know Clarissa loves you to the sky and back.”
Natty stuck out her lip but dutifully climbed down from Penny’s lap and took Clarissa’s hand.
Penny had avoided looking at Goldthwaite. His chiseled jaw and penetrating eyes unsettled her the day before, but as the room cleared out, she had no choice.
That’s when she realized he held several packages.
The first was a large box with a lid.
Wordlessly, he handed it to her.
She looked down at it, trimmed with a beautiful pale violet ribbon, her eyes scrunching even as her stomach tightened into knots. “What is this?”