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But his grandfather wasn’t so easily fooled. With a knowing look, he leaned back into his chair, his gaze steady as he waited for an honest answer. He didn’t ask anything. He merely waited. And that was more than enough as James started to squirm in his chair, fighting the urge to tell his grandfather everything. He didn’t want to complain or to worry him unnecessarily.

However, after a moment of hesitation, James finally relented, the words tumbling from his lips in a rush of pent-up emotion. “It’s Penelope,” he admitted. “I fear she’s angry with me though I can’t for the life of me understand why.”

His grandfather listened in silence, his expression thoughtful as he absorbed James’ words. “And have you spoken to her about it?” he asked gently, his voice a comforting presence in the quiet of the room.

James shook his head, a sense of guilt gnawing at his insides. “No, I haven’t. I wanted to, last night when we returned home, but she was being so cold and distant, so I decided not to push the matter until she was ready to talk to me about it.”

“Cold and distant?” he pondered, patting his chin with his index finger. “Well, that’s odd.”

“What is?” James asked.

“Well, as it happened, I was close by last night when a group of young ladies approached Penelope, inquiring about you,” his grandfather spoke slowly, and James couldn’t wait to hear the rest of the monologue. Still, he forced himself to remain quiet and listened intently. “They were rather… vicious, I must say. I was on the verge of interfering and taking her away from them when she surprised me beyond belief!”

“Surprised you?” James couldn’t remain quiet. He was eager to know more. “What happened, Grandfather?”

“Yes, surprised me more than anyone has in a long time,” Grandfather nodded importantly, leaning forward as he spoke. “You see, those ladies started to tell her rumors that have been circling about your parents and sister, hinting at…”

“Me being the one who did it,” James said through clenched teeth, realizing that his grandfather didn’t want to say those words out loud. They had had that conversation far too many times to count, and there was no need to have it again. Still, it seemed that the ton simply refused to let it go. “I know.”

Although he knew all about this theory that had been circling for years, it was still as painful as it was the first time he heard it. He couldn’t understand how anyone could be so devoid of any emotion as to spread such a malicious rumor. A boy being responsible for the death of both his parents and his younger sister just because he was not home when it all happened, and he was the one who found them.

“What happened then?” James asked, almost breathlessly.

A million questions started to swarm inside his mind. And there was not a single answer.

“She defended you,” his grandfather said simply with a victorious smile on his face.

“She… what?” James could not believe it.

“Yes,” his grandfather nodded. “She defended you. She said she refused to believe in rumors, and, I must say, she made them feel an inch tall. Clever girl.”

As James absorbed his grandfather’s words, a flicker of surprise and disbelief danced across his features. “Penelope defended me?” he echoed, his voice tinged with astonishment. He still couldn’t believe it.

His grandfather just nodded one more time. No other words were necessary. James’ mind reeled at the revelation, a tumult of conflicting emotions swirling within him. He had never doubted Penelope’s loyalty or integrity, but to hear that she had stood up for him in the face of such adversity filled him with a profound sense of gratitude and admiration. She had no prior knowledge of any of that, so her willingness to remain on his side was purely out of loyalty to him. Loyalty and he hoped something else.

“I... I had no idea,” James admitted, his voice soft with awe. “I never would have expected her to take such a bold stance on my behalf.”

His grandfather offered a reassuring smile, his eyes warm with pride. “It seems you have chosen wisely, my boy,” he said, his voice filled with quiet satisfaction. “Penelope’s loyalty and strength of character are clear for all to see.”

James thought about it for a moment. “But… why was she so cold and distant with me? I don’t understand…”

His grandfather inhaled deeply. “Perhaps it was all shocking to her. It is a lot to handle, after all. Perhaps she even feels a little offended that you haven’t mentioned it to her yet.”

“I wanted to tell her,” James felt guilty. “I… I just wanted her to get to know me first before she got to know my demons.”

“They are not your demons, James,” his grandfather spoke tenderly. “That is your past. And that was your family. We can choose neither. As for the demons, those belong to your late father, not to you. You aren’t your father, and you never will be. Have no fear of that, my boy.”

“I can’t believe that even in death, he is still haunting me,” James spoke, feeling his heart break for his mother, for his sister, for them all. “It is not enough that he ruined all our lives, but he has to keep ruining them even now.”

“Don’t let him,” his grandfather suggested wisely.

“How?” James wanted to know. “How do I do that?”

His grandfather regarded him with a steady gaze, his eyes filled with wisdom born of years of experience. “My boy, sometimes the hardest conversations are the ones most worth having,” he said softly. “You have to speak to Penelope. You have to answer every single question she has. You said you wanted her to get to know you first. Well, this is how she will do that. She will see beyond the picture of the man you are projecting to everyone. She will see you for who you are.”

“What if she doesn’t like what she sees?” James shuddered at the thought.

“Then, she is not the one for you…”