Page 7 of Snowed In with the Runaway Bride

He must leave as soon as may be. Tomorrow, before the snowstorm began. He could not watch the farce unfold in front of him. He set his glass down and sorted through excuses in his mind that he could make to Oliver.

But before Hugo could speak, a footman tapped on the door to announce it was time to dress for dinner. They immediately rose to their feet. One was never late for dinner when Grandmama presided over it.

Hugo felt a faint, cowardly relief that the conversation must to wait for tomorrow. He would pack tonight, and be prepared to leave as soon as he informed his brother.

Tomorrow, he could say his piece and make his escape without being drawn into further excuses or arguments.

By this time tomorrow, he would be well on his way back to London, where he would be able to put Penny Montgomery and her troublesome heart out of his mind as he prepared for his next voyage.

Penny felt quite refreshed after her nap and a hot bath, her joints nearly back to the usual level of mild aching she had learned to accept. With another good night’s sleep and being cautious on the morrow, she should be on the mend.

And of course there was a way out of this marriage trap. She would speak to her mother about her qualms and the matter would be resolved in a trice.

Once Sally finished dressing her for dinner, Penny crossed to the opposite door of the dressing room and opened it to see her mother’s lady’s maid was nearly done with her hair. Mama beamed at her from the mirror.

“Come in, my dear, come in! We are nearly done here.”

Penny seated herself on the small sofa in front of the banked fireplace, glowing with red coals that sent warmth throughout the room. She had always suspected the dowager’s choice of rooms for the Montgomerys was intended as a mild insult since they were among the smaller ones in the house, but Penny did not mind. They had more of a family feel to them, almost like they were at home in Birmingham or London.

She waited until the lady’s maid had left the room and cleared her throat. Her mother crossed to sit next to Penny on the sofa, plumes on her turban bobbing as she settled onto the seat.

“Well? What is it?”

Penny took a deep breath. “Mama, I need to ask you a question.”

Unexpectedly, her mother’s face softened into a knowing smile. “Oh, my dear, I should have known. Of course, you’re nervous about what to expect on your wedding night. We ought to have had this talk long ago.”

“What? No!” Penny couldn’t hold back her shudder. “That’s not what I wished to speak about.” She took a deep breath. “What would you say… what would you say if… if I said I do not want to marry Kendal?”

To Penny’s horror, her mother’s face immediately turned grey and she sank back against the cushions of the sofa. One hand clutched out towards Penny. “My vinaigrette. I need my vinaigrette. Quickly.”

Penny leapt up and rummaged through her mother’s crowded dressing table. She found the vinaigrette and pressed it into Mama’s hand. She watched warily as her mother inhaled once, and then again before she sat upright with a scowl.

“Why would you say such a thing, Penelope? Whatever possessed you to give me such a fright? Is this some sort of joke?”

“No,” Penny said sturdily, though her stomach was going in loops. “I do not wish to marry Kendal.”

Her mother laughed a harsh laugh, and Penny flinched back. “You do not wish to marry him? Not marry the man to whom you’ve been promised for at least ten years?”

“I did not make that promise,” Penny pointed out. “You and Papa did, at Grandfather’s instigation.”

“On your behalf! For your benefit! Penelope, my dear, you shall be a duchess.”

“I don’t want to be a duchess.” Penny felt a small twinge at the thought of her beautiful trousseau. “I don’t love Kendal.”

“What does love have to do with anything? Do you think I loved your father on our wedding day? Of course not. But I married him, and we made a life together. That is what is important. Love will grow.”

The image of Pippa’s yearning face as she watched Kendal hardened Penny’s heart against her mother’s words. It would be a farce to marry a man she did not love, but a tragedy if she married the man her sister loved.

“Why not Pippa? We are sisters, after all. If Pippa and Kendal married, that would still fulfill the terms of Grandfather’s loan.”

“Certainly not! Philippa is not suited to be a duchess. She’s not even suited for marriage.”

“She had many admirers during our season,” Penny pointed out. “I know at least three of them approached Papa to ask for her hand.”

“And he turned them all down. Rightly so. Philippa is not meant for marriage. Her place is at my side.”

It came upon Penny in a flash.