Charles scoffed at that. “You have to spend a bit more time with Penny. Let’s get you back in her good graces.”
“Are you certain she’ll be amenable to socializing?”
“She’ll be amenable. If she’s not, I’ll set her straight at once.”
Luke sighed. “This is a disaster.”
“It’s not a disaster until I declare I don’t want you as my son-in-law. For the moment, we’re marching down the same road.”
“Fine.”
“But I’ll have to ask Miss Carstairs to leave. I’ll regret it, but I will. It wasn’t appropriate to have her as a guest. A Pendleton cousin invited her without apprising me, so I didn’t realize she was coming. We have too many impressionable young people here. If I’d been notified, I’d have quashed the idea.”
At hearing that Charles would ask Libby to go, Luke suffered a wave of panic. He couldn’t bear it! Yet what had he expected? With their affair being exposed, what other option was there?
“Must you kick her out?” Luke asked. “Isn’t that rather harsh?”
“I’m afraid so, and I doubt you’ll believe me, but I’m doing it for you. You need to separate yourself from her for a bit. When she’s close by, she’s the center of your attention. You can’t focus on what’s important.”
“Yes, I suppose that’s true.”
“You’re assessing Penny with an eye toward marriage. I’d like you to ponder that notion and no other. You owe me that much, don’t you think? Miss Carstairs will only distract you.”
“I suppose that’s true too,” Luke glumly concurred.
“Mr. Falcon should go with her. He’s entirely too friendly with Penny, and he’s a bad influence.”
Luke wouldn’t be sorry to see the cheeky oaf disappear. “I wasn’t aware that he’d ingratiated himself to her. I’ve chatted with him quite extensively, and he’s not a boy who should be flirting with her.”
“I agree.”
“Would you like me to meet with Miss Carstairs for you?” Luke asked. “You’re so polite, and I can’t picture you ordering her to pack her bags. This is my fault, and I should take care of it for you.”
“I’ll handle it,” Charles said. “She and I have grown cordial enough to have a frank discussion.”
Luke blew out a heavy breath. “When will you confer with her?”
“Later today. It’s already after two o’clock. I can’t force her out when supper is approaching. I’ll request she depart in the morning.”
At learning she’d be in residence one more night, Luke was like a condemned felon who’d just discovered his life had been spared by the king.
“I feel terrible about this,” Luke said, and Charles shrugged.
“These things happen.”
Charles stood and gestured to the door. “Shall we head out and bluster into the middle of the party? The festivities were moved into the house because the grass is so wet.”
Luke motioned to his whiskey. “If you don’t mind, I’ll finish this, then I’ll catch up with you.”
“Thank you for talking about this with me. It’s was extremely difficult, but we staggered through it without embarrassing ourselves.”
Luke snorted with disgust. “Speak for yourself. I’m incredibly embarrassed.”
Charles started out, and at the last second, he halted and glanced back. “Miss Carstairs’s presence in the manor this evening will be a huge temptation for you. Don’t disgrace yourself under my roof. I can put up with a lot, but I have to draw the line at you sneaking into Miss Carstairs’s bedchamber. This is Penny’s home after all.”
“I won’t misbehave. I respect you too much to act that way.”
“Good.” Charles nodded. “I’m glad we cleared that up.”
Then he was gone, and Luke was left to fuss and stew all alone.
Libby would depart, and apparently, he would stay right where he was. He’d have to pay more attention to Penny, would have to play the part of doting swain so she stopped despising him. He wanted that, didn’t he? He wanted to please Charles. Didn’t he? He still wanted to wed Penny for her dowry. Didn’t he?
Charles was correct that Luke should remember what mattered—and that was Penny. For pity’s sake, he’d only known Libby a few weeks. Would he sever his fond acquaintance with Charles just for her? Would he relinquish Penny’s fortune just so he could continue to roll around on a mattress with her?
He asked questions to the quiet room. “Would Libby be worth that much turmoil? Would I be mad to cut ties with the Pendleton family—just for her?”
When voiced aloud, there was no denying that he sounded deranged.
What kind of man made those choices? He certainly didn’t, and he had to get a grip on his unruly fixation before he carried on like a lunatic. As Charles had advised, he had to separate himself from her so he could determine if he might not be as besotted as he assumed.
Except what if—when the party ended and he followed her to London—she’d vanished and he never found her again? What if? What if?
The prospect sent such a wave of terror racing through him that he stumbled over to a chair and plopped down. He sipped his whiskey, thinking that he must have been bewitched by her. There was no other explanation, and if she’d cast a magical spell, how could he free himself?
He had no idea, and truth to tell, he had no desire to free himself. If he couldn’t have Libby Carstairs by his side for as long as he could keep her there, what was the point of anything?
Penny strolled down the hall to a rear door that led onto the verandah. It was cool and wet, and she was bundled in a cloak and intending to walk to the stables where she would pretend nonchalance as she arranged carriage rides—weather permitting—for her guests the next day.
In reality, she would slyly eavesdrop on the grooms to discover if they might know where Simon was hiding. She’d been searching for him everywhere. It had been hours since she’d quarreled with her father, and she was anxious to discuss the situation with him. He was the only
