Page 61 of Lord of Fortune
“Not if I can help it.”
Penn stalked from the room and left through the back of the house, heading straight for the woods behind the sloping yard. It was the place he’d always gone when he’d first come to Hollyhaven—it had been his haven.
And for the first time in years, he needed a refuge. For the first time in years, he felt alone and abandoned, as if his world would never be right again.
* * *
Amelia walkeddownstairs for dinner at seven. They’d pushed dinner back an hour for some reason she didn’t know. She was surprised to find the dining room empty upon her arrival. Was something amiss at Hollyhaven?
There’d been a strange air in the study that afternoon—something between Penn’s parents. She’d excused herself thinking the family needed some privacy. Now the feeling that she was somehow intruding intensified.
“Good evening, Mrs. Forrest.”
Amelia turned at the sound of Penn’s mother’s voice.
“Good evening, Mrs. Bowen.”
The older woman smiled briefly—too briefly. “Please call me Margery.”
“I couldn’t.”
Penn’s mother waved her hand in dismissal. “I insist. I don’t know the nature of your relationship with Penn, but if he brought you here, he must think quite highly of you. He never brings anyone here.”
That made Amelia absurdly pleased. “We’ve become friends,” she said cautiously. She didn’t want to disclose anything Penn would prefer to keep private. But was there really anything to hide? She’d told him that morning that they were going back to where they’d started. Well, not quite where they’d started. She had no intention of pointing a pistol at him anytime soon.
No, never that. In fact, she’d begun to regret telling him she wanted to just be partners again. Because she didn’t really. The truth was that shehadbeen jealous.
“I’m not aware of Penn having any women friends,” Margery said. “I’m glad, because he could actually use a friend right now.”
Her words alarmed Amelia. “What happened?”
“Will you sit and have dinner with me? I’m afraid it will be just us. My husband is too upset to eat and begs your pardon for being absent.”
“Of course. Where’s Penn?”
“I’m not entirely sure.” Margery gestured toward the table. “Shall we sit?”
Amelia took one of the two places with a setting. She hadn’t noticed there were just two when she’d entered.
Margery sat at the end of the table to Amelia’s left. A young footman served them soup and then departed.
Amelia grew anxious waiting for Margery to explain Penn’s absence. “Is Penn all right?”
Picking up her spoon, Margery stared at her soup a minute. When she raised her gaze to Amelia’s, it was filled with apprehension. “I don’t know.” She gave her head a shake. “That’s not true. No, he’s not all right. We gave him some upsetting news.”
Amelia grasped at what it could be. “Does this involve Kersey?”
“Yes. Somewhat. His father, the Earl of Stratton, died three days ago.”
The flash of relief Amelia felt was momentary. Clearly, this affected Penn somehow. “Why is Penn upset about this? I had the impression he didn’t care for Stratton.”
“No onecared for Stratton,” Margery said derisively. She gave a delicate shudder. “Which is one reason this news was so upsetting for Penn.” She looked at Amelia with a sad gaze. “Penn is the earl’s firstborn son. Stratton was abusive and horrible, and Penn’s mother fled when she was with child. She orchestrated her own fake death to protect her son.”
Shock froze Amelia for a moment. “If she was supposedly dead, how can Penn be the earl?”
“There’s a vicar who helped Penn’s mother escape. He housed Eleanor until she gave birth and bore witness, recording Penn’s birth in the church registry.”
Amelia’s heart sank. There was proof he was the heir. “Penn doesn’t want to be the earl.”
