ow ‘is path…Lily pushed the words out of her mind, shrugging impatiently. Alex Raiford was only a man, and she could run circles around him. Hadn’t she just gained herself an invitation to stay right underneath his roof for the next few weeks? She looked at her mother and sister and laughed quietly.
“I asked Wolverton if he loved you.”
Lily had taken the first opportunity to steer Penelope to a private room where they could have, as she put it, a “sisterly chat.” Immediately she had launched into an account of the Middleton hunt, determined to make Penny understand what manner of man she was engaged to.
“Oh, Lily, you didn’t!” Penelope put her hands over her eyes and moaned. “But why would you do such a thing?” Suddenly she surprised Lily by bursting into giggles. “I can’t imagine how his lordship replied!”
“I don’t see what is so amusing,” Lily said with perplexed dignity. “I am trying to have a serious conversation with you about your future, Penny.”
“My future is well in hand! Or was, rather.” Choking with dismayed laughter, Penelope covered her mouth with her hand.
Indignantly Lily wondered why the story of her meeting with Wolverton at the hunt was causing her sister amusement, instead of making her properly alarmed. “In response to my perfectly straightforward question, Wolverton was rude, evasive, and insulting. In my opinion, he is not a gentleman, and is far from worthy of you.”
Penelope shrugged helplessly. “All of London recognizes him as a splendid catch.”
“I beg to differ.” Lily paced back and forth in front of the canopied bed, repeatedly slapping a kid glove in her palm. “What are the qualities that make him a good catch? His looks? Well, I admit he could be considered handsome but only in a bland, cold, unremarkable sort of way.”
“I . . .1 suppose that is a matter of taste…”
“And as to his fortune,” Lily continued vigorously. “There are many other men who have the means to take care of you and keep you in a fine style. His title? You could easily land someone with even bluer blood and more impressive lineage. And you can’t claim you have any great liking for Wolverton, Penny!”
“The arrangement has been made and settled between Papa and Lord Raiford,” Penelope replied softly. “And while it is true that I do not love him, I never expected to. If I am fortunate, that sort of feeling may come later. That is the way of things. I am not like you, Lily. I have always been very conventional.”
Lily uttered a garbled curse and stared at her in frustration. Something about her sister’s prosaic manner was making Lily feel much as she had during her rebellious youth, when everyone had seemed to have an understanding of the world that she could not share in. What was their secret? Why did a loveless arranged marriage make sense to everyone else and not to her? Clearly she’d enjoyed too much freedom for too long. She sat on the bed next to Penelope. “I don’t see why you’re so agreeable to the prospect of marrying a man you don’t care for.” Lily tried to sound brisk, but her voice came out plaintive.
“I am not agreeable, just resigned. Do forgive me for saying it, Lily, but you are a romantic, in the worst sense of the word.”
Lily scowled. “Not at all! I have quite a hardbitten, practical nature. I’ve been dealt enough knocks to develop a realistic understanding of the world and its workings, and therefore I know ”
“Dearest Lily.” Penelope took her hand and pressed it between her own. “Since I was a little girl, I’ve always thought of you as the most beautiful, most courageous, most everything. But not practical. Never practical.”
Lily withdrew her hand and regarded her younger sister in amazement. It seemed that Penelope wasn’t going to be as cooperative as she had expected. Well, the plan still had to be carried out. It was for Penny’s own good, whether or not she admitted that she needed
“I asked Wolverton if he loved you.”
Lily had taken the first opportunity to steer Penelope to a private room where they could have, as she put it, a “sisterly chat.” Immediately she had launched into an account of the Middleton hunt, determined to make Penny understand what manner of man she was engaged to.
“Oh, Lily, you didn’t!” Penelope put her hands over her eyes and moaned. “But why would you do such a thing?” Suddenly she surprised Lily by bursting into giggles. “I can’t imagine how his lordship replied!”
“I don’t see what is so amusing,” Lily said with perplexed dignity. “I am trying to have a serious conversation with you about your future, Penny.”
“My future is well in hand! Or was, rather.” Choking with dismayed laughter, Penelope covered her mouth with her hand.
Indignantly Lily wondered why the story of her meeting with Wolverton at the hunt was causing her sister amusement, instead of making her properly alarmed. “In response to my perfectly straightforward question, Wolverton was rude, evasive, and insulting. In my opinion, he is not a gentleman, and is far from worthy of you.”
Penelope shrugged helplessly. “All of London recognizes him as a splendid catch.”
“I beg to differ.” Lily paced back and forth in front of the canopied bed, repeatedly slapping a kid glove in her palm. “What are the qualities that make him a good catch? His looks? Well, I admit he could be considered handsome but only in a bland, cold, unremarkable sort of way.”
“I . . .1 suppose that is a matter of taste…”
“And as to his fortune,” Lily continued vigorously. “There are many other men who have the means to take care of you and keep you in a fine style. His title? You could easily land someone with even bluer blood and more impressive lineage. And you can’t claim you have any great liking for Wolverton, Penny!”
“The arrangement has been made and settled between Papa and Lord Raiford,” Penelope replied softly. “And while it is true that I do not love him, I never expected to. If I am fortunate, that sort of feeling may come later. That is the way of things. I am not like you, Lily. I have always been very conventional.”
Lily uttered a garbled curse and stared at her in frustration. Something about her sister’s prosaic manner was making Lily feel much as she had during her rebellious youth, when everyone had seemed to have an understanding of the world that she could not share in. What was their secret? Why did a loveless arranged marriage make sense to everyone else and not to her? Clearly she’d enjoyed too much freedom for too long. She sat on the bed next to Penelope. “I don’t see why you’re so agreeable to the prospect of marrying a man you don’t care for.” Lily tried to sound brisk, but her voice came out plaintive.
“I am not agreeable, just resigned. Do forgive me for saying it, Lily, but you are a romantic, in the worst sense of the word.”
Lily scowled. “Not at all! I have quite a hardbitten, practical nature. I’ve been dealt enough knocks to develop a realistic understanding of the world and its workings, and therefore I know ”
“Dearest Lily.” Penelope took her hand and pressed it between her own. “Since I was a little girl, I’ve always thought of you as the most beautiful, most courageous, most everything. But not practical. Never practical.”
Lily withdrew her hand and regarded her younger sister in amazement. It seemed that Penelope wasn’t going to be as cooperative as she had expected. Well, the plan still had to be carried out. It was for Penny’s own good, whether or not she admitted that she needed
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