21. More than a Title
21
More than a Title
Annalise
“Mrs. Waverly will be by your room this afternoon for your final fitting. And I almost forgot! Lady Gilreath has a new hairstyle she plans to give a try for your tea with the Laurel Guild this week.”
Tabatha’s beaming with excitement as we head to the dining room for our breakfast spread. She and Guinevere love the glitz and glamor associated with this life. It only becomes more evident with each new dress or new piece of custom-made jewelry I receive. I smile to avoid dampening her mood, but it’s a push.
Guinevere sniffs the air and a grin spreads across her face. “Mmm… bacon, muffins, and coffee.”
We turn the corner, and the aroma of the fresh-cooked meal greets us when the dining room comes into view.
“Mrs. Fitzgibbons is the best cook in the world. Just don’t tell my mother I said that,” Tabatha teases, drawing a laugh out of Guinevere and I.
We step into the entrance of the dining room, and the laughter fades completely when we realize we’re no longer alone. A woman I’ve never seen before peers up, staring over the rim of her coffee mug as she sips. She’s seated at the head of the table in full makeup, a dress far too elegant for breakfast, and she’s noticeably unrattled by our presence.
Our eyes are locked while she takes another sip, then slowly lowers her mug to the table as we both stare in silence. Perhaps, if I were speaking to Cas, I might’ve known we had a houseguest.
“Ms. Breedlove, I presume?”
I offer a polite smile when I nod, but don’t say a word.
“Penelope Thornhill. Pleased to make your acquaintance.” She pauses to sip again, gesturing toward the chair beside her. “Please. Join me.”
I’m not sure what to make of her, but I would’ve picked up on her air of authority even if I hadn’t just been informed that she and Cas share a last name.
“We’ll give you some privacy,” Tabatha whispers, then the next moment, she and Guinevere exit with a curtsy, leaving me to dine alone with a stranger.
I walk to the chair Penelope gestured toward, then I sit, questioning just how uncomfortable this meal will be as I reach for a plate.
“My apologies for disturbing your breakfast.”
She waves me off with a demure grin. “Please, coffee is hardly breakfast. Besides, you have no reason to apologize. This is more your home than it is mine.”
I offer a gracious nod as I select a muffin from the stack in the middle of the table.
“I’ve been watching you,” she says, and I do a doubletake as I grab a strip of bacon next.
“Y-you have?” I ask, sounding small. But with the power she exudes, I’m uncomfortably aware of the misstep. It won’t happen again.
Penelope nods. “I have. By way of the media, of course. Seeing as how it’s been years since I’ve received a formal invitation onto the property.”
I get the feeling she should be bitter about that, but she sounds more amused than anything.
“The most recent highlight I read focused on your curiously abrupt exit from the Spring Ball. There’s been quite a bit of speculation as to what transpired between you and my nephew that night.”
I make a mental note of the familial connection, also feeling a bit embarrassed that she—like the rest of the clan—witnessed such an emotionally charged moment.
“I—we…”
A laugh leaves her as she drops a cube of sugar into her coffee. “Relax, dear. I’m no stranger to the men in this family being intolerable bastards. Which is why I’m certain you had your reasons.”
My heart settles with her words, and I’m surprised by how genuine they feel.
“Tell me, how are you enjoying life here in the estate?”
So many thoughts flutter into my head, but I weed them out, remembering I’m speaking to a member of the alpha’s family.
“Well, the staff is friendly. I can’t think of a single thing I want or need that hasn’t been provided for me.”
I finish speaking and Penelope stares, not saying a word for several seconds.
“Hm. What a poised and proper response,” she says, tilting her head as that look in her eyes intensifies. It’s in that moment that I see the resemblance between she and Cas. “Now, I’d like to hear your real answer.”
The request catches me off guard, and my brow quirks. “I beg your pardon?”
“You spoke as though my nephew were in the room, looming over your shoulder. Now, I want to hear your true thoughts. The ones that make you toss and turn at night. The ones that prompted you to storm out of the room during the Spring Ball.”
My heart races again and those thoughts I’d quenched before have returned. Her gaze stays trained on me while I think, feeling tempted to tell someone in her position, someone with her power , exactly how this godawful place makes me feel.
But that doesn’t feel safe. For all I know, this is a trap and?—
“Whatever you’re thinking, whatever has you so tightly wound that you’re about to melt that fork you’re squeezing, it isn’t real,” she says. “Despite my last name and whatever assumptions you’ve made about me, none of it’s real. We’re just two women, enjoying one another’s company on this lovely morning.”
She smiles a bit as she sips more coffee.
I loosen my grip on the fork when her eyes flit toward it again, and she isn’t wrong. I am tightly wound. Like a thread on the verge of snapping. Her gaze settles on me again, and I get the feeling she isn’t a woman who easily accepts ‘no’ as an answer, so I’m compelled to speak.
The truth, this time.
“It’s… suffocating here. Sometimes, I literally feel like I’m unable to breathe,” I admit, and I feel overwhelmingly anxious. “The staff is kind, yes, but… that’s the extent of it. I have the freedom to come and go as I please, but it’s more like an illusion of freedom. When I’m not being used as a pawn, I’m being dressed up like a doll, and then I’m placed on display at whatever gala is on the event schedule that week. Like some unfeeling, unintelligent, inanimate… thing. Then, on top of that, there’s always someone telling me what to wear, or where to be, or how to be. And the worst part is that I have no fucking voice! I’m just supposed to accept any and every situation that’s dumped into my lap, and it’s just all very… exhausting.”
Penelope nods slowly, and I can’t believe I’ve just said so much. She’s probably reading between the lines, understanding that my last statement has everything to do with the women her nephew intends to bring into this house.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Are you kidding?” she says with a quiet laugh. “That was a test, darling.”
My brow quirks. “A test?”
She nods but finishes the last of her coffee before answering. “Indeed. I needed to know you weren’t a robot like the rest of the women in New Eden. Thank you for being honest about your feelings, by the way.”
I nod, but my hands are quivering as I reach for the pitcher of water to pour myself a glass. My mouth is dry from the rant.
“It’s interesting to me that, despite all the truths you’ve just revealed about this place, despite the bullshit, you’ve still found a place in your heart for my nephew.”
I don’t respond. Actually, I’m pretty certain I look like a deer caught in headlights at the moment.
“Pardon my candor. One thing about me is that I’m not one to mince words. It’s been both a blessing and a curse,” she adds. “But if I’ve assessed your feelings incorrectly, feel free to?—”
“No, you’re not wrong,” I admit, and she offers a warm smile.
“I didn’t think so.”
There’s a short breadth of silence that allows me time to sip my water, feeling winded as though I’ve just run a marathon.
“My nephew is in love with you, you know,” Penelope says, and she sounds so sure of herself. As if these words are a fact, something she knows beyond the shadow of a doubt.
“No, I don’t think?—”
“It’s true,” she cuts in, and I stare as her mouth curves into a smile. “He hasn’t come right out and admitted it, but I fancy myself as somewhat of an expert on people. The things they can’t say, the things they can’t see inside themselves, I see it all plain as day. And my gift in this area is particularly strong when it comes to the men in my family. There have been many occasions in which I would’ve turned my back on them if I’d taken them at their word. But lucky for them, I can see into their hearts. And the heart always speaks much louder than the mouth.”
There’s a distant look in her eyes, and I can only imagine how stifling it must be as a woman born into this family. In some small, abstract way, I think this shared feeling connects us.
She stands from her seat, leaving her empty coffee cup for the staff to clear away.
“If you’ll excuse me, I must bid you farewell. There’s a pressing matter I should settle, but it’s been lovely meeting you.”
“You, too, Penelope.”
“Aunt Pen,” she corrects me. “We’re practically family now.”
Her welcome has, thus far, been the warmest I’ve received, and I’m curious how long she intends to stick around.
As she passes, her hand lands on my shoulder, and I’m surprised when she doesn’t immediately remove it.
“Feel free to take anything I say with a grain of salt,” she says, “but might I suggest that you begin making your mark here. Not only as the lady of the house, but as Alpha Regent. After all, your title does mean you outrank ninety-nine percent of the staff.”
My brow tenses as her statement settles in. Honestly, I thought of my title as more of a novelty, a show of good faith on Cas’s part, but… she’s right. It’s more than that. So much more, actually.
“I’d start small,” she says. “For instance, the next time someone pushes you around, try pushing back. Only… push harder. ”
She squeezes my shoulder gently, then she’s off, sauntering toward the door without so much as a glance back in my direction. I’m not entirely sure of the reason behind her visit, but the estate already feels far less empty now that she’s here.