Page 47 of The Pursuit of Mrs. Pennyworth
“Wait.” The man hopped up and followed Elliot. “I admit I have been asking questions about Mrs. Pennyworth. If you must know, I found her quite attractive, and had hope there was a chance…”
Elliot’s eyes narrowed. “You began to ask about her before you even laid eyes on her.”
He shook his head. “No. I saw her at St. Jerome’s when I first arrived in London. I make visits there once a week to provide spiritual guidance to the children.”
“Guidance, eh?”
“Yes. Children of dubious parentage need saving from the bowels of hell.” He actually looked as though he believed that twaddle.
Elliot waved his hand. “Continue.”
“I thought perhaps Mrs. Pennyworth might be someone I could court.”
“She’s taken,” Elliot growled.
The vicar backed up, the look on Elliot’s face apparently telling him something. “Yes, right. So it seems.” He opened the front door. “Have a good day, Mr. Baker.”
* * *
Charlotte put asideher embroidery as Bridget escorted Mr. Talbot and Miss Garvey into her drawing room. She stood and offered Mr. Talbot her hand and was surprised when Miss Garvey drew her into a hug. She’d never realized how very angular, and solid muscled the woman was.
“Thank you for calling.” Charlotte waved to a settee across from two chairs, with a low table in the center. “Won’t you have a seat? If you will excuse me for a minute, I will have Cook send in tea.”
After giving instructions to Cook, she returned to the drawing room just as Bridget led General Norwich, Sir Michael Evans, and Lady Evans into the drawing room, as well. She hadn’t expected this many people, since her calling day usually saw no more than one or two visitors. But she was delighted to have guests, if for no other reason than to settle her mind.
Elliot would be arriving sometime soon after his visit with Mr. Spencer, but there would be no opportunity to speak privately with him until the guests all left.
“Mary Anna, how very nice to see you. I hadn’t expected you back from Bath for some time.” The young woman, married to the much older Sir Michael, had also been a resident of the boarding house Charlotte had lived in when she’d first arrived in London. The two young women had formed a fast friendship.
Mary Anna had been a shop girl who had caught the eye of her totally besotted husband. They had married a few months after Gabriel’s accident and had spent most of that time in Bath at his home there.
“Sir Michael missed Town and wanted to be here for the holidays.” She gazed fondly at the man. “For some strange reason, he prefers the bustle of the city in the winter, when most everyone else is escaping to the country.”
Once again Bridget appeared at the doorway, this time with Elliot. Charlotte’s stomach muscles tightened as she regarded him. Nothing in his demeanor answered any of the questions racing through her mind. It would be quite some time before they could speak in private, so she must push her anxiety away and be the perfect hostess.
Thomas wheeled in the tea cart, and for the next thirty minutes, Charlotte poured tea, offered plates of small sandwiches and sweets, and made polite, hostess-like conversation. She tried to be discreet in glancing at the long clock in the corner, wishing the time to pass quickly so her guests would take their leave.
“Mrs. Pennyworth, may I use the facilities, please?” Miss Garvey stood and smoothed her skirts.
“Of course. I will have Bridget direct you.” Charlotte rang for Bridget, who accompanied Miss Garvey out of the room just as Sir Michael and Mary Anna stood to take their leave. Suddenly, it appeared everyone was departing. There was a flurry of retrieving pelisses, coats, and bonnets, along with hugs and promises of invitations to be issued, as well as plans for walks in the park.
Mr. Talbot stood near the drawing room door, waiting patiently for Miss Garvey to return. “It was a pleasure, as always, to spend time with you, Mrs. Pennyworth.”
“Thank you, Mr. Talbot. I enjoy your company, as well.”
Elliot joined them and they conversed until Miss Garvey returned. Charlotte walked them to the front door, bid them good day, and they were on their way. She breathed a sigh of relief as the door closed, and she returned to the drawing room, where Elliot paced.
“What happened with Mr. Spencer.” No point in prevaricating. She wanted to know and had waited long enough.
Elliot reached out and took her hand, leading her to the settee where they both sat. “Nothing, I’m afraid.”
“Nothing?” She felt as though a lump of coal settled in her stomach. “He is not the one?”
He shook his head, and took her hand, lacing their fingers together. “I sincerely doubt it. Oh, he is a loathsome individual, and I am sure he is guilty of many of the sins that he waxes on so eloquently about from the pulpit, but he was genuinely puzzled when I asked him about the diamond bracelet.”
“Could he have been pretending ignorance?”
“That is always a possibility, but my years of experience say no.” He rubbed his thumb over her hand. “I’m sorry, Charlotte. It would have been easy had he given me any reason to suspect him. Aside from being an inadequate vicar, an obnoxious and arrogant man, he is blameless in this instance.”
