“Overme?” She frowned at him in obvious confusion. “Why, whatever can you mean? I am just the same as ever, Sir John. I have never thought any differently.”
“But—”
“I must say, though, I do feel better than I have in years,” she said. “I believe this new tea that Mrs. Braithewaite ordered must have beneficial properties!” She looked over his head and smiled at the maid who stood, open-mouthed and staring, in the doorway. “I see that luncheon is ready. We had better go in now, my dear. Food will settle your nerves—and, we may hope, Penelope’s temper, as well.”
Lady Hathergill swept out of the room with a confident stride and one hand on her befuddled husband’s arm, leaving the rest of the household to gather themselves up somehow behind them. Millie and Lucinda traded nervous glances as they flocked to Penelope’s chair.
“I’m sure she didn’t truly mean—”
“Oh, Penelope, are you—?”
“She—she—!” Penelope’s cheeks flushed deep pink. Her eyes sparkled with outrage. She looked, Elinor had to confess, magnificent. “My mother has gone mad!”
“Ah.” Benedict cleared his throat. “Miss Hathergill, if I may?” He bowed and held out his arm to escort her into the next room.
“Oh! Mr. Hawkins...” Penelope bit her lip and lowered her eyelashes. Tears hung, diamond-like, from her lashes. “How can I even bear to meet your eyes, sir, after what you’ve witnessed?”
“Please don’t trouble yourself, Miss Hathergill.” Benedict smiled at her with what Elinor recognized, with a pang, as real sympathy. “Every family quarrels from time to time. If you had seen some of the scenes between me and my brothers when we were younger—or heard my grandfather when his gout was paining him…”
“You aresokind,” Penelope breathed. Looking up at him meltingly, she set one hand on his arm. “I do wish I could accept your escort, Mr. Hawkins. But I believe, in terms of precedence, that Mr. Aubrey—”
“Mr. Aubrey,” said Elinor, “must escortme, in terms of precedence. How right you are, Penelope, to remember such niceties.” She gave her cousin a thin smile, not missing the quickly-hidden flash of resentment that she received in return.
Penelope, it was clear, knew already who Mr. Aubrey’s grandfather was, and exactly what sort of fortune he stood to inherit—so there was no time to lose.Elinor gently nudged Sir Jessamyn awake. Grumbling, he allowed her to pour his limp body onto her shoulders. Once there, he nestled his head into the left side of her neck and curled his tail around her right shoulders, so exhausted by his efforts that he barely even twitched as they passed Penelope.
“Shall we, Mr. Aubrey?”
“Eh?” He blinked up at her from his book, frowning. “You aren’t here about thatflamingnonsense, are you? I told Hawkins very clearly—”
“It is time for luncheon, Mr. Aubrey,” said Elinor. “You may explain all the details to me while we eat.”
“Oh. Well. I suppose, if you’re hungry…” He picked up his book again. Then, at a pointed cough from his friend, he sighed. “Am I meant to be coming with you?”
Millie’s startled giggle competed with Lucinda’s gasp of horror. Elinor rolled her eyes inwardly. “If you would?”
“Oh, very well. Ridiculous habit, though. I had plenty to eat at breakfast.” He stood up and held out his left arm with a long-suffering air, still clutching his book tightly in his right hand. “In the wild, you know, dragons forage whenever they’re hungry. There’s no such thing as set mealtimes, to them.”
“Indeed.” Elinor set her hand just above his arm, keeping a careful half-inch of distance between them. Mr. Aubrey was the last person in Hathergill Hall who would ever pay any attention to what she looked like…but there was no point in courting danger. When she did ask him for his advice later on, she would do it in privacy, well away from Penelope and her friends.
Penelope flashed Elinor a quick, triumphant smirk as her own escort helped her to her feet with pleasing attentiveness. “Oh, Mr. Hawkins, you aretoo good!”
It was for the best, Elinor told herself, as she walked beside Mr. Aubrey out of the room. It was what Benedict and his family needed. It was what she wanted for him.
She slid a glance over her shoulder. Penelope was smiling waveringly up at Benedict as she brushed away the last of her tears…and Benedict smiled back down at her while Lucinda and Millie both watched with wide, delighted gazes.
“I’m actually afraid to go in there,” Penelope murmured. “Isn’t that absurd? But the thought of hearing even more cruel things said about me—and in front ofyou, Mr. Hawkins—! Who could ever possibly bear such a thing?”
Elinor yanked her gaze firmly forward and quickened her steps as much as she could without leaving Mr. Aubrey behind. Still, she couldn’t help overhearing.
“Please don’t worry, Miss Hathergill,” Benedict said. “I’ll be sitting beside you, and I promise I’ve no liking for hurtful gossip of any kind.”
“Oh,” she sighed, “you aresokind! And you make me feel so safe. Will you promise to talk to me for the entire meal?”
Elinor tasted something bitter in her mouth.
“Do you know what, Mr. Aubrey?” she said briskly. “I think you may be right about luncheon, after all. Set mealtimesarea ridiculous habit, aren’t they? Let us go and talk about dragons instead.” She aimed a bright smile at her cousin. “Dopass on our excuses to your mother, won’t you, Penelope?”
Before anyone could respond, she freed her hand from the crook of Mr. Aubrey’s arm and set off at a quick stride, placing one hand on Sir Jessamyn’s back to ensure his safety on her shoulders while he slept. Multiple voices rose in shock behind them, but she didn’t let them slow her down.
