Chapter Fifteen
What is happening?
Penny stared at the major and the wreck of his face from fighting with her brother. “You are in love with me?” How often had she dreamed about this exact moment over the years? Now that it was finally here, it seemed far too surreal, especially following the events of the past twenty minutes.
Mr. Abbott cleared his throat. With a frown, Penny glanced across the room at the gray-haired man who stood beside his elegant wife, whose snow-white hair was simply gorgeous and set off the delicate silver and sapphire tiara sitting atop those tresses.
“Perhaps you should explain, Major. After that spectacular fight, it isn’t good form for a man to say something as shocking as you did without further preamble. ”
“Perhaps you are correct, and we did interrupt your rout.”
“Pish posh.” Mrs. Abbott waved a gloved hand.
Sapphires from her necklace glimmered in the low light.
“This is much more entertaining, and I have always maintained that if there wasn’t some sort of scandal on Valentine’s Day, then something is amiss.
” She grinned at her husband. “After all, we were matched on this day years ago, so it holds a special spot in our lives.”
“That is quite true.” Mr. Abbott touched her hand. “Allow me to light more candles. I have a feeling the story we’re in for will prove quite juicy.”
Penny bounced her gaze from her brother as he glared while attempting to stem his bloody nose, to her mother, who looked at the proceedings with interest due to her penchant for theatrics, then back to Cornelius who watched her with an odd expression on his face.
“I, uh, think we should get off the floor.”
“Perhaps.” But Cornelius chuckled as he tucked his shirttails back into his breeches. “Though this is the least scandalous thing we’ve done tonight.”
“Do stop,” she whispered with heat in her cheeks. After she scrambled to her feet, she assisted him into a standing position, which he accomplished with a groan. “Where is your cane?”
“Oh.” He frowned. “I believe I inadvertently left it in the drawing room, but it matters not. I don’t plan to do much walking just now. At least not until after I tell you what’s been on my mind for a couple of days.”
“This is ridiculous,” Johnathan said as he tucked his bloodied handkerchief into an interior pocket of his tailcoat.
Drops of blood speckled his cravat and collar.
“It doesn’t matter what the major has to say.
This evening is concluded for us. Come, Penny.
I’m taking you and Mama home. We’ve all been overstimulated. ”
For one horrible moment, she was tempted to follow his dictates, for she feared what Cornelius would say, and perhaps he’d planned to do so for all the wrong reasons, but the other part of her brain was curious, for she’d secretly hoped for just this since she’d been a young woman of fifteen. Then she shook her head.
“No.”
“I beg your pardon?”
As Mr. Abbott lit candles about the room and the shadows retreated, her confidence grew.
“All my life I’ve followed the rules, or did what some man told me to do.
First it was Papa, then my husband, and now you.
And while the three of you thought you had my best interests at heart, you really meant you didn’t know what to do with me.
You took the easy way out, swept me beneath the proverbial rug, so I was out of sight and out of mind. ”
“That’s not—”
She held up a hand. “It is, and you know it. Since becoming a widow, I decided to make my own decisions. Working at the bookshop was merely one of them.” With a shrug, she continued.
“Weymouth left me well off, and I mean to keep exploring the things that interest me. When Major Montgomery randomly came into the bookshop a handful of days ago, he was something I wished to pursue.”
“Despite my opposition.” It wasn’t a question as her brother crossed his arms at his chest.
“Yes.” Penny nodded. “I truly believe there is something between us.”
“It’s called scandal, and I won’t allow it to continue.” Johnathan was nothing if not consistent. “Even Mama is opposed to you having anything to do with the major.”
When she glanced over, her mother was busy rubbing at a spot on her skirts.
“Oh, Johnathan. Can you not see that I’m a woman grown and capable of living my life as I wish?
I’m no longer your little sister who needs protection.
Whether my life is fully emersed in scandal or not isn’t your concern.
I know my own mind, and I will weather the consequences of my actions as they occur. ”
Though I rather hope I don’t need to.
“I… I suppose I do have a tendency to think of you still as a young woman,” Johnathan said with a frown. “I apologize.”
Finally, Cornelius cleared his throat. “If I may speak now?” When everyone in the room stared at him, a bit of ruddy color sneaked up his neck over his cravat. “After all, I believe we might be able to move forward from this night afterward.”
“Fine.” Her brother gave a curt nod. “Say what you will, then get the hell out of our lives.”
The knots of worry in Penny’s belly pulled. “You don’t mean that, Johnathan. He is your best friend and has been since before I was even born.”
“That was before he decided to compromise you,” he said from what sounded like around gritted teeth.
She ignored him to focus on the major. “You’d best speak while you can. Johnathan’s mercurial mood might change in the next minute.” Additionally, her curiosity might get the better of her if she didn’t hear what he wished to say.
“This is true.” As he held her gaze with his, he took a deep breath then let it ease out. “What I said to your brother after the fight was also true. I’m in love with you.”
Again, she stared at him just as she had during that first moment. “Why would you think that? I thought what you and I were sharing was merely a winter’s tryst.”
“It was. Or at least it began as such.”
“What the devil?” Her brother collapsed onto the arm of a leather, wingback chair as shock came over his face. “The two of you have been trysting? Right under my nose?”
Cornelius snorted. “Well, I rather doubt you wanted to watch.”
Though Penny giggled, and even Mr. Abbott’s lips twitched in amusement, Johnathan’s glare strengthened. “Hush, Birchfield. It is not your turn to talk.” Then she laid a hand on the major’s arm. “Please continue.”
“Right.” He nodded, and even with the purpling bruises on his face and the blood dried on his chin from his broken bottom lip, he was still the most handsome man at the rout.
“When I peeked through that bookshop window and saw you, I was immediately beset with memories from the past. That last night we were together before I left to serve in the military was the last perfect moment I had… until I stood at the bookshop window.”
More sputtering came from her brother. “What the hell did the two of you get up to before he left for the military?”
Everyone in the room ignored him this time.
“I rather doubt either of those nights were perfect.” But her heart was already fluttering like mad from his words.
“They were because you featured heavily in both.” When Cornelius took one of her hands, she trembled. “Before we go further, I’m compelled to make certain you know that I’m not the man I was years ago. Hell, I’m not the man I was just two weeks ago.”
“That doesn’t matter; I was tip over tail for you all those years ago. In fact, I thought you hung the moon, but I didn’t think you would ever notice me since I was eight years your junior, and Johnathan always had some issue or another with you being in my company.”
“Because he always had his wick dipped into a different woman each month,” her brother inserted, with heavy sarcasm in his voice.
They both frowned at him.
Cornelius squeezed her fingers. “While that was true, I’m not that man any longer.
In fact, the only woman I want in my life from this moment forward is you.
” Before she could respond, he quickly continued.
“After the military, I was adrift and lost. There were many reasons for that, and I’m trying to work through my mental failings, but it’s slow going.
” He paused to perhaps think over his next words.
“I need the support of a strong woman to help me through.”
“Oh.” She swallowed heavily to force moisture into her suddenly tight throat. “You believe I am that woman?”
“I do.” With earnestness in his expression, he nodded.
“Since you came back into my life, I have been enormously impressed with your gentleness, but also your determination to carve an existence for yourself that you’re proud and content with.
The more we’ve been together, the more I’m utterly captivated by you. ”
“That’s so romantic,” she breathed, as a tremble went down her spine.
“Somehow, I rather doubt you are even capable of developing feelings for any woman, let alone my sister,” Birchfield said, with skepticism in his voice.
“Do hush, Birchfield,” Mrs. Abbott said with a slight frown. “Love has the power to change everyone. Let him continue, at least.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Abbott.” The major nodded.
When he put his gaze back on Penny, he dropped to one knee before her.
“Do you remember this?” He withdrew something from his waistcoat pocket, and when he held it up, she gasped again, for it was the ring she’d fashioned for him all those years ago from a braided lock of her hair.
“You kept it after all this time?”
“Of course I did.”
“I had such a crush on you back then,” she admitted in a whispered voice. “I didn’t expect you to take it seriously or even keep the trinket, but I wanted to give you something in remembrance of me before you went away.”