Discovering the Devil

S i x

VI

PAULINA inspected Penelope's ring for the second time. "It really is beautiful."

"I suppose," her friend replied.

"You thought it was the prettiest thing you'd ever seen two weeks ago."

"Opinions change, Polly," Penelope snapped.

Polly raised her eyebrows. "Are you all right, dear?"

"Would you be alright if you were being--" Penelope abruptly cut herself as a maid came into the breakfast room to serve more cakes.

Polly stared at her in surprise. "Do you no longer trust your own staff?"

"You can't be too careful," Penelope replied acerbically. "I have a feeling she probably enlisted a servant or two to spy on me."

"Who?"

Penelope rolled her eyes at the question. "Who do you think?"

"Oh." Polly giggled. "Are you really so afraid of your future mother-in-law?"

"I don't expect you to understand. Your mother-in-law to be is an angel."

"She is," Polly agreed. Mrs. Abernathy was a shy, slightly nervous woman in her middle years who absolutely adored her future daughter-in-law.

"Well, mine isn't. I swear she's watching my every move."

"You're being paranoid," Polly said as she bit into a lemon tart. "What were you saying before you were cut off?"

"I was saying that I was being forced to marry the duke."

"Forced?" Polly's words dripped with awe. "But no one can force you to do anything." Penelope then recounted the tale of her engagement to the duke from start to finish, even the details that included Lord Hawthorne. Polly latched onto her every word and was bereft of words after her friend was done. "Goodness," she finally breathed.

"Goodness, indeed," her friend agreed sullenly. "I can't believe she's making me do it."

Polly didn't ask who the 'she' was this time. "I'm surprised too. The countess has always let you do whatever you want."

"Apparently that time has come to an end."

Polly thoughtfully took a sip of tea. "And there's no way of holding off the wedding?"

"No, my mother was quite clear. The engagement is already going to be for a year, that's all the reprieve I get."

"I'm sorry, darling."

"Me too."

"At least you get to be a duchess."

"I'd rather stay Miss Redwood." They lapsed into a brief silence. Penelope glanced at her friend's ring, which looked a little prettier than it had the last time. Polly was staring at it too with a small smile. Penelope grudgingly looked away. Her friend was too absorbed in her own upcoming matrimony to truly comfort her. It was just as well. No one really liked self-pity, not even best friends.

"What was he like?"

"Solomon? Polly, you've met him."

"No, not Solomon!" Polly's eyes glittered. "The Devil."

"Oh." Penelope didn't know why, but the question was sort of irritating. "Cold. Sarcastic. Priggish."

"That's it?"

"Contrary to popular opinion, he doesn't have horns," Penelope said drily.

"You can't blame for being surprised. He did kill his brother."