The Proposal (15 page)

“Yes.”

Lydia looked more than a little skeptical over this.

“What if Father went with us?” Walt suggested.

“I think that would be fine, Walt, but I can’t answer for him. He had a meeting this morning, and I’m not sure how long he’ll be.”

“When did he leave?”

“Rather early.”

“Then he could be back anytime.”

Lydia smiled at her son’s optimism and let the matter drop.

“All right, ladies,” Marianne said to just the little girls. “It looks like it’s the four of us. When you’re done, gather baskets and bonnets and we’ll be off.”

The girls moved to leave, but Lydia stopped them.

“The flowers aren’t going anywhere. You need to finish eating.”

Emma looked as though she would protest, but with a glance at Penny she sat back and finished her meal.

Unbeknownst to Penny, Lydia and Marianne were keeping an eye on her as well. It wasn’t long before all the children were ready to leave the table, and when they did, Lydia wasted no time.

“Did you notice the way Penny watched you?”

“How could I miss it?” Marianne asked right back. “Do you think she had enough to eat?”

“Probably not. She seemed completely distracted by you.”

“Do you have any idea what she could be thinking?”

“I only wish I did. She’s a fascinating little child,” Lydia said thoughtfully, still staring at the place where Penny had been sitting. “One minute she’s playing along, doing fine, and then another minute she’s looking worried but won’t talk about it to anyone but her brothers.”

“She’s been through so much in the last few months. The person she needs most isn’t here. It’s not hard to understand why she seems so unsettled.”

The older woman agreed with her, neither one of them knowing that in the next two hours Marianne would need to muster every drop of patience she could manage. Penny came along willingly to the fields to pick flowers, but after picking only a few, she stood staring at Marianne. Whenever Marianne would turn to her, Penny would drop her eyes in embarrassment. If Marianne tried to engage her in conversation, Penny kept her answers to a nod or shake of the head. Marianne exchanged glances with Lizzy and Emma on several occasions, and those little girls tried to include Penny, but at the moment, Penny was clearly in a world of her own. Marianne was beginning to think she would have to give up when a small matter came up.

“Tell her,” Marianne heard Emma say to Penny.

“Will you?”

“No, just tell Marianne. She’ll take care of you.”

Thinking she might need to step in, Marianne watched Penny hesitate, but then she surprised her by coming close and whispering, “I have to be excused.”

Marianne smiled.

“Shall we show her our secret place, girls?”

Emma and Lizzy nodded, eyes coming alive with mirth and excitement, before Marianne took Penny’s hand and began to lead her to the woods.

“I must tell you, Miss Penny,” Marianne began in a conspiratorial tone, “that when we just can’t make ourselves walk back to the house, we sneak this way to our secret place.”

Penny’s little eyes were huge as they looked up at the woman who was holding her hand, but she said not a word.

Walking with direct purpose, Marianne took the girls into the woods on a short path before cutting off and slipping into a secluded spot. The branches had done a work on everyone’s hair, but once inside the small cove formed by the bushes, Penny couldn’t help but notice it was spacious, completely surrounded by bushes and trees. It was also completely private.

“Here we are!” Marianne proclaimed in delight, and Penny found herself smiling.

“You can go right over here, Penny,” Lizzy directed, and suddenly everyone had the giggles.

By the time they left the secret spot, walls had come down. When Marianne knelt down once again to pick flowers, Penny was right beside her. That little girl handed her a small, delicate purple bloom.

“Oh, isn’t that pretty, Penny! Are there more of those?”

“It’s for you,” Penny told her, having missed the question in her fascination with this woman.

Marianne smiled into her eyes before putting her arms around her and giving her a gentle hug. To her immense pleasure, Penny returned the embrace.

“Thank you. It’s so pretty. Just like you.”

“I think you’re beautiful.”

“Well, thank you, Penny.”

The two smiled at each other before Lizzy—who was just a tad jealous—came to join them.

Just twenty minutes later they were ready to head for the house and show Lydia their bouquets. A very different foursome returned to the house, Penny’s small hand tucked into Marianne’s larger one as she chimed in on the conversation all the way back.

London

“Where is this child?” the magistrate, Judge Lucas, asked of Jennings. Mrs Smith was being held in the next room.

“She’s with my sister right now.”

“How am I supposed to accuse this Smith woman if I can’t see the marks she left on the child?” Mr Lucas asked, his voice not giving Jennings much hope.

“It’s been several weeks now, sir,” Jennings answered, keeping his voice respectful. “Even if Penny were here, the marks would have faded. I have one of my maids with me, however. Megan saw Penelope’s bruises and is willing to attest to that.”

“What’s her full name?” the magistrate asked, searching the papers before him.

“Megan Cornell.”

“Where is she?”

Megan stepped forward, not at all cowed by the judge’s scowl. She knew that if he would just look at her, he would realize who she was.

The scowling visage finally looked up from the papers, and Jennings watched in amazement as the judge’s face lit with pleasure.

“Why, Meggie, is that you?” the man asked, using her name from childhood.

“It’s me, sir.”

“Working as a maid, are you?”

“Yes, Mr Lucas,” she said again, not bothering to mention that she’d been a maid for years.

“Are you treated well?”

“Very well, thank you, sir.”

“Your mum’s foot is right again. I’m having breakfast the way I like.”

Megan, whose mother had cooked for Mr Lucas for many years, only smiled at him.

“Tell me about this woman and the little girl, Meggie.”

Megan gave a swift rundown, not leaving any facts out, telling how the children arrived with almost no warning and how Mrs Smith kept Penny in her room all day.

“And you saw the marks?”

“I did, sir.”

“Did it look as though she’d struck her?”

“No, more like pinch marks from strong fingers.”

“And the child? Was she difficult?”

Megan’s eyes softened. “Not in the least, sir. She’s the sweetest child you’ll ever hope to meet.”

“Very well. I’ll hold Smith over for trial.” The gavel came down. “Next case.”

But before Jennings and Megan could walk away, Judge Lucas called her back. He bent over and told her something that made her smile. Jennings waited with surprising patience for her to be done. Once in the carriage, he questioned her.

“You knew that magistrate?”

“Yes, my mum is his cook.”

“I think you might have won that battle for us, Megan.”

“I hope so, sir. I hope they put that wicked Mrs Smith away where she can’t hurt anyone else.”

Jennings hoped for the same thing, but he mostly hoped that this distasteful business would wrap up soon and he could get back to Tipton.

Tipton

“Tell me something, Thomas,” Palmer questioned the young man when they had a moment alone. “You seem very comfortable when I read from the Word and when we go to church. Did your father do those things with you?”

“Yes, sir. Our father taught us the Scriptures from the time we were very small.”

“That’s wonderful, Thomas. Has that been a help during this time?”

Tears came to Thomas’ eyes.

“I don’t know if I would have made it otherwise, sir.”

Palmer put a hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“You’re doing a fine job, Thomas. Your father would be proud.”

“I hope so. I hope he knows that we remember what he taught us.”

Palmer was proud of what the man had done. What father didn’t hope for such a thing?

“May I ask you a question, Mr Palmer?”

“Certainly.”

“We’ve noticed that Mr Jennings isn’t comfortable at church and when you read from the big Bible in the evenings. Do you know what he believes?”

“Not specifically, I don’t, but I know he has a hard time with the concept that people sin.”

Thomas’ brows rose.

“How could he doubt it? I mean, right now he’s in London because of the way Mrs Smith treated Penny. How could he think she’s not a sinner?”

“He probably does, but he wouldn’t put himself in the same category.”

Thomas nodded.

“That’s an easy mistake to make.”

Again Palmer was impressed with the boy’s maturity and insight. They talked for a bit longer before some of the other children came looking for Thomas. As Palmer watched Thomas and his own Frank walk away, he determined to check with his son and make sure that his own beliefs were as sound as those of Thomas Jennings.

“I don’t have very good news, I’m afraid,” Lydia greeted Marianne when she arrived just after breakfast on Saturday morning.

“Oh, what’s wrong?”

“My girls got into the candy, and both have sick stomachs.”

“Oh, no!”

“Oh, yes. I’m not very happy with them right now.”

“What about Penny? Is she ill?”

“No, and I don’t want her to pay for Emma’s and Lizzy’s foolishness. I think I’ll leave them with Judith, and just Penny and I will go with you.”

“Oh, that’s fine.”

“Penny is finishing her breakfast. I’ll go in and hurry her along and tell the girls where we’re going.”

Thinking that Penny would only be distracted by her presence and that Lizzy and Emma would not wish for company, Marianne went to the small salon to wait. She had only just taken a seat when James and Walt wandered past.

“Hello,” Marianne greeted them, and the two boys peeked in before joining her.

“Are you off to town today?” Walt asked.

“Yes. Your sisters are not well, so your mother and Penny are going with me.”

“They ate too much candy,” James said with a small shudder, making Walt laugh.

“James isn’t too fancy on sweets.”

“Is that true, James?” Marianne asked. “What do you like?”

“I like a few sweets, the occasional biscuit or cake, but not candy.”

“I must admit I have quite the sweet tooth.”

“Have you ever made yourself ill?” James asked.

“I might have as a child, but I can’t say that I recall.”

Years of training kept James from voicing his thoughts. The very idea of eating too much candy was appalling to him, but he didn’t want to sound insulting. He was only glad his own sister wasn’t involved. He didn’t think his father would have been too pleased about that.

James knew he was doing it again. At certain moments he could almost persuade himself that his father wasn’t really gone, that they were just separated from him for a time. He knew it wasn’t the best way to view his father’s passing, but some days he felt it was the only way he could cope.