Page 60 of The Pursuit of Mrs. Pennyworth
“My dear, it is hard to imagine anyone having a logical motivation for leaving despicable things on a woman’s front steps, but he does seem somewhat, shall we say, possessive of you? Almost as if, since he was your late husband’s friend, he feels entitled to inherit you?”
“Inherit? I am not a pile of money, or a box of trinkets that one bequeaths to a friend.”
“No. But he might feel as though he has the right to step into Mr. Pennyworth’s shoes.” He hesitated for a moment, studying her. “Or his bed.”
She shook her head furiously. “Oh, no. I could never think of him in that way.” Good heavens, the thought of sexual congress with Mr. Talbot almost brought up her breakfast. “Anyway, how would sending these horrible things to me equate into him receiving my affections? That doesn’t make sense.”
“It doesn’t make sense to either you or me because we are sane, logical people. Our tormentor, whether it is Talbot or not, doesn’t think the way normal people do.” He leaned back on the seat and studied her. “Perhaps he believes if he frightens you enough, you will turn to him as you said you did after Mr. Pennyworth died.”
“But I haven’t told anyone about the packages.”
“Precisely. Which could account for the items growing more sinister. If he is our man, he is hoping you will receive something that is so horrible, you will have to seek someone’s help, and to his way of thinking, that someone would be him.”
Charlotte sighed. “I really, really hate this. I hate not knowing what will show up next, which one of my friends might be devious enough to do this to me, and when it will all end.” As her voice cracked at the end, she turned and looked out the window, tears standing in her eyes.
“Charlotte, come here.” Elliot’s low voice filled the small space. When she didn’t move but kept staring out the window, blinking furiously to avoid the tears threatening to fall at any moment, he added, “With only one good arm, I can’t drag you over here, so I will ask again that you come here.”
Taking a deep breath, she stood and moved next to him. He grinned. “On my good side, if you will, please.”
She gave him a wobbly grin, and switched sides. He immediately put his arm around her and drew her against his chest. “I have a plan that’s been meandering around in my brain while I lay in bed waiting for this cursed injury to heal.”
“A plan?” She wiped the corners of her eyes.
“Yes, all the details have not been worked out in my mind just yet, but since everything points to Talbot, I am planning something that will make him show his hand. If it works, I can confront him, and with the attack from a couple of weeks ago, along with the recent shooting—which, by the way, the police tend to frown upon—I should be able to get him to confess and send him off to Scotland Yard to never bother you again.”
Charlotte rested her head on his shoulder. “I want so very much for this all to be over.”
“I know, sweetheart.” He brushed the hair off her forehead. “As do I.”
Once again, she thought of the peacefulness of her old life returning. But could she resume her old life, the way it had been before the strong feelings that had developed between them? Before he brushed the hair from her forehead and called her “sweetheart”?
On the other hand, was it possible this was just a job to him? Would he have no compunction in walking away when the case was resolved, and Mr. Talbot behind bars? Would he then move onto the next assignment, never to see her again, since perhaps these feelings were in her imagination? Did she want them to be only on her side, so she would not be tempted to give her heart once more to a man who might one day disappear from her life, leaving her a widow again?
The torment of these questions left her weary and confused. Weeks of anxiety, always waiting for the next package and its gruesome offerings, had taken a toll on her nerves.
She pushed all of it away. It was a beautiful autumn day, the sun was shining, and the park would be lovely. She had a handsome man to stroll the Serpentine with, and that was sufficient for now.
