Page 68 of The Pursuit of Mrs. Pennyworth
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Despite what seemed like a surprise to Charlotte, Elliot had given a lot of thought to his proposal. It obviously appeared to her that it had sprung from their lovemaking last night. Admittedly, that had been the catalyst for his proposal, but his thoughts had wandered in the direction of her as his wife for a while. He was still unsure about her hiding something from him, but the more he’d come to know her, the more he was certain there was nothing nefarious attached to her.
In other words, she was no Annabelle.
“Marriage?” The shock on her face looked as if he had proposed they run naked through the streets together.
“Yes. Marriage. Based on what happened here last night,” he waved his hand at the two of them, “I think we are certainly compatible. We have been working together for several weeks and have gotten along just fine.”
“I hadn’t planned on ever marrying again.”
He frowned. “Why not? Isn’t that what most women want? Husband, home, children?”
She shifted and sat up so she leaned against the headboard, and regarded him. “The primary reason women desire the married state is because there are very few opportunities for them to provide for themselves. I worked for a bank before I married Mr. Pennyworth, and believe me, it was not a pleasant undertaking.”
Easing himself up, trying to hold his arm steady, he joined her, leaning against the headboard. “Why is that?”
“Women are not respected in the workplace. I must have been asked two or three times every day why I was not married, and busy raising children. When Mr. Fenster hired me, he told me in no uncertain terms that the only reason I got the job was because no man had applied for it up until then, and he needed someone right away, since the man I was replacing had died.”
“Yet, you did marry.”
She gazed off into the room. “I married Mr. Pennyworth because he was charming, and at that point I had no reason to eschew marriage.”
“But you do now?”
“Not to dishonor the dead, but my husband was a bit foolish.” She gave him a wistful smile. “He worked hard at his law practice, but every hour not spent at his office was filled with games of chance, races, visiting his club, and accepting stupid wagers.” She shook her head. “Aside from Mr. Talbot—and I never understood why they favored each other—Gabriel’s friends were of a silly nature, also. It was one of their wagers that cost him his life.”
Sensing her reluctance to continue, he covered her hand with his. “You have done a fine job of dodging my question, sweeting. Will you marry me?”
A light scratch on the door drew their attention, and he swore Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief. “That is Bridget. I will send her away, and then you must go back to your room before she returns.”
Charlotte quickly pulled on her dressing gown and padded to the door and opened it, her body blocking Bridget’s view of the bed. “I am feeling a bit lazy this morning. Can you please bring me a tray? I shall return to bed.”
“Yes, of course.” The girl hurried away and Charlotte turned back to him.
“You must leave now.”
He gathered his clothes and hurriedly dressed himself. As he reached the door, he turned back to where Charlotte sat on the edge of her bed. “I will expect an answer…this morning.” With those words, he gave her a slight kiss on her lips and left the room to return to the bedchamber he’d been occupying.
With Charlotte havinga tray in her room and not joining him for breakfast, he was left alone in the dining room, contemplating the night before, his proposal to Charlotte this morning, and her reluctance to accept.
When she hadn’t appeared from behind closed doors by mid-morning, he gathered up the papers he’d been working on and stuffed them into a satchel. He had to visit one of his clients regarding some legal work. He caught Thomas at the door and reminded him that any packages delivered should not be presented to Mrs. Pennyworth, but left for his return. She was not to open anything without him present. He also reminded the footman that he should attempt to stop any delivery person and hold him until Elliot returned.
Feeling as though he’d covered everything, he caught the omnibus to the business district where his client’s offices were located. The day was chilly, a certain reminder that winter was on its way. He pulled his coat tighter around him as he left the vehicle and walked the two blocks to Mr. Granger’s office.
He had his head down against the wind that threatened to blow him off his feet when he glanced up at the jewelry store across the street. The door to the shop opened and Mr. Talbot stepped out. Every time Elliot saw the man, he became more suspicious. He waited until Talbot had rounded the corner, and then switching directions, Elliot crossed the street and entered the jewelry shop.
An elderly man stood behind the counter and glanced up when Elliot closed the door. Two women stood at the end of the counter, examining watches. He approached the man. “Good morning.”
“Good morning, my good man. How may I help you?” Despite the wrinkles, the man’s bright smile brought youth to his face.
“I am interested in purchasing a bracelet. One with diamonds. Do you have such a thing?”
The man’s eyes lit up at the possibility of selling an expensive piece of jewelry. “Yes, indeed I do. Excuse me for a moment.” He ambled to the opposite end of the counter from where the women stood and removed a velvet tray that he placed on the counter in front of him. He pulled back a black linen cloth to reveal three bracelets. “These are my finest pieces.”
Elliot studied them. “But none of them are what I am looking for. I was hoping to find a bracelet similar to one the man who just left had shown me. It was gold, with rubies and diamonds imbedded. He said he had purchased it here.”
Elliot watched the man as he considered for a minute. “Oh, yes. Mr. Talbot. He did purchase a lovely bracelet, just like the one you described.” His smile faded. “I’m afraid that was the only gold diamond and ruby bracelet I had. I am expecting more in my next shipment, but that won’t be for another month.”
