Page 21 of Persuading Penny (Jane Austen Association #4)

M y heart fluttered at the thought of Steve and his proposal. Or did it? Was that fluttering or angst or uncertainty or... something else entirely?

He was such a good-looking young man. He stood straight and strong.

He spoke with eloquence. He was knowledgeable and educated.

He came from a good family. And though his financial situation wasn’t a priority, it was something to be considered.

His wealth would allow me to live in a beautiful manor with plenty of breathing room, and surely my marriage to him would alleviate my parents’ financial problems as well.

Then why didn’t I jump at the chance to marry him. Why didn’t I invite him to slip that ring on my finger? Surely if I were to tell anyone that Steve Seagram proposed to me, they’d think I was crazy for hesitating at all.

When I’d arrived home that night, I hadn’t mention anything about the proposal; not to my mother, and certainly not to my father. He’d drag me down the aisle if he could.

Instead, I’d hurried to my room and weighed the pros and cons of a marriage to someone like Steve. On paper, it was all pros. What was the con? That he was from London? No. That he was too worldly? No. That he was too good looking? No.

Then what cons were there?

Only one.

I wasn’t in love with him. As much as I enjoyed his company, my conversations with him and the way he could make me laugh, I simply wasn’t in love with him.

Now, as I strolled the grounds of the small cottage, I went over it all again. I mentally made my column of pros and the empty column of cons.

Even after a good night’s sleep, the results were the same. He was a catch, and I was a fool for not seeing it.

“Penny?”

I turned at the sound of the familiar voice.

“Penny, is that you wandering around on this chilly evening?” Aunt Sally said as she made her way to me. Wearing a lovely pink skirt suit, she hobbled somewhat as her pink heels dug into the soft earth that surrounded the cottage. “What are you doing out here?”

“Hello, Aunt Sally.” I went to her, kissing her cheek. “I thought you were in London for another week still.”

She shrugged. “I got bored. London isn’t what it used to be.” She giggled. “All the handsome men are married. There’s no one to flirt with.”

“Well, I’m happy to see you back.”

She walked with me, leaving the mushy grass to take the paved path that winded around the property.

“Oh, but London is so full of gossip,” she said.

“I heard rumors that Mr. and Mrs. Berks are getting a divorce. On the flip side, Louis Courtland and Marty Matthews are said to be an item. Alexandra Pearl is due to have her baby within the month while her sister, Sarah, is recuperating from a recent abortion.”

I had no interest in the social comings and goings of London elite, but I smiled all the same.

“I have to admit, I do miss all that when I’m here in Bath where very little happens.

I mean, yes, we have a lot of tourists, and the Jane Austen vibe going but.

.. It’s nothing compared to London. Although.

..” She paused for dramatic effect. “There is one particularly persistent bit of gossip that seems to revolve around Bath.”

I continued to smile. She knew that I wasn’t the type to be interested in idle gossip, but I knew how much Aunt Sally enjoyed sharing all of these bits of gossip, especially if she found it juicy.

“What’s the connection between London and Bath?” I said.

“Word has it that the son of a recently deceased wealthy Londoner is looking to fulfill his obligations. Apparently, his father’s will stipulates that he shows himself to be worthy of inheriting his father’s fortune. He needs to show he’s matured these past years.”

“Sounds like a reasonable thing to do,” I said, finding the stipulation understandable. “After all, if the son is to inherit millions... well.”

“Hundreds of millions,” Aunt Sally clarified.

“But the poor boy must prove he has the capacity to grow the family wealth, not just spend it. He has to create a business all his own. He has to manage it and make it successful and very profitable. And in addition to all of this, he must get married. Preferably, he should quickly plan for heirs of his own.”

“Still sounds reasonable, Aunt Sally. Well, perhaps pushing for marriage and children is a little much, but... that he should show himself responsible with all this money... Why is this all so controversial?”

“Well,” she said as she stopped and turned to face me. She leaned in close to speak in a conspiratorial tone. “The crazy part of this story, Penny, is that this wayward son is said to want to settle here in Bath. Right here in Bath!”

I frowned. Had she mentioned the name of this young man?

“Yes. Yes,” she went on, growing more excited as the gossip she was sharing grew more and more delicious. “And, get this, he is set to marry a very desperate woman; a woman with a large plot of land; a woman lacking the financial strength to keep that property.”

My frown deepened. No. It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t be.

“Rumor has it he’d like to demolish the home and build a shopping mall. Yep, that would be a major move... a large development project. But, poor girl.” she said with a shake of her head. “I have a feeling she is completely unaware of this boy’s intention.”

“That is... That is quite a rumor, Aunt Sally. But is it all just talk? You know how gossips can be. They take a small rumor and build it up into something spectacular.”

“Oh, but honey. This little rumor was confirmed by several friends of the family. They know what he’s up to.

When he left London, he made his intentions clear.

Apparently, he even had a target. And seeing how he is such a good looking and charming man, they have no doubt that he’ll succeed.

He could talk a woman out of her... well, you know.

..her under garments... in a freezing blizzard. That’s how charming he can be.”

I looked at the cottage and could see Mom through the kitchen window.

Dad... he was so eager to see me marry a man from a good family.

If Aunt Sally was, indeed, talking about Steve, which I was certain she was, would Dad still push me to marry him, if he knew.

Would he not care that this would be a marriage of convenience?

Would he really allow me to have a loveless marriage?

I really couldn’t imagine that he would. Even with all the pushing he’d done lately, I couldn’t imagine he would have me marry a man who only wanted me for Copperfield Corner.

“Are you all right, dear?”

“Yes.” I looked at her. “Aunt Sally”

“Yes?”

“Aunt Sally,” I said with difficulty. “Would this young man happen to go by the name Steve Seagram?”

“Yes!” she said rather excited. “That’s it exactly. Have you already heard the rumor here in Bath?”

I shook my head.

“Then how do you...?” She gasped, her delicate hand coming to block her parted lips. “Penny. Oh, Penny. Please tell me that you’re not the girl he’s looking to take advantage of. Oh, Penny.”

I nodded. “I’m afraid so.”

She backed up and looked me up and down. “Did you...? I mean, have you been... you know?”

“No. We’ve never been intimate.” Come to think about it, we’d never even kissed, other than a peck on the cheek.

“Oh. Thank goodness.”

I closed my eyes in shame. “I’m so embarrassed.”

“Don’t be, honey. Like I said, the man is a charmer. I’m sure he did everything he could to weasel his way into your life.”

“He has, indeed, been charming. He’s very agreeable and easy to be with.”

She looked at me with tender concern in her eyes. “Oh, dear. Are you in love with the scoundrel?”

Smiling, I shook my head. “No.” I let out a snort and found my shame fading as pride took over.

For all his charm, he had not won my heart.

“Actually, that’s exactly what I realized last night.

” I looked into her eyes. “He proposed last night. He told me I was a one in a million woman who made him feel like he’d never felt before. ”

She immediately looked down at my hands.

“No, Aunt Sally. That’s the thing. There is no ring.

.. I mean, there was... a very beautiful ring, but I haven’t answered him yet.

While I was flattered by the proposal, something just didn’t feel right.

Besides the fact that we’ve only known each other for a few weeks, I realized that I’m not in love with him.

Oh, there’s affection and respect, but not love.

Come to think of it, as he proposed last night, he never even mentioned love.

He talked about marriage and kids and a house and a future, but nothing about love. ”

She grasped my shoulders. “I’m so happy to hear that you didn’t fall for him, honey. After all, you are a little na?ve when it comes to matters of the heart. He could have reeled you in, insist you elope and before you know it he owns Copperfield Corner and he’s turning it into Seagram Mall.”

I laughed. Maybe I’m not quite as na?ve as you think, Aunt Sally.

“Truth is, since the very beginning, there’s been something that was a little.

.. a little off about him. There was something too smooth and practiced, too rehearsed.

I tried to ignore it and tell myself that he was simply that worldly.

That everything came so easily to him; the amused laughter and always knowing what to say.

But there was always this lack of sincerity that bothered me.

She cupped my cheeks. “Perhaps you're not as na?ve as I once thought. You’ve grown up, my little Penny. You're a lot more mature than you were so many years ago.”

The back door to the cottage opened and my father came out, a white envelope in his hand.

“Please don’t say anything to Dad about the proposal,” I quickly told Aunt Sally. “He’s determined to have me marry a rich man set to inherit millions. I’m sure he’d be happy to see Copperfield Corner demolished if it meant I’d be married to a Seagram.”

“Nothing about the proposal.” She zipped her lips shut. “But, leave it to me. I’ll deal with your father.”

“This is a sign of a well-bred man,” Dad said, waving the envelope in the air.

“What do you have there, Boris?” Aunt Sally said.

I was afraid to hear the answer. Had Steve been so bold as to bypass me and ask my father for my hand in marriage?

No. Surely, he wasn’t that old-fashioned.

“This,” Dad said, a little breathless as he finally reached us. “This is what class looks like.”

“What is it, Dad?”

Jutting out his hand, he held the letter up to me. “Here. Read for yourself. I’m sure it’s from that Seagram boy. I told you. Well-bred. He went to the best schools. The boy has traveled the world and now... now he has his heart set on you, my dear. Don’t screw this up.”

I glanced at Aunt Sally as I took the envelope from my father’s hand.

“Boris,” she said with a gentle, motherly tone. “I think we need to talk.”

With a hand on his shoulder, she guided him back to the house, their heads hung low as she told him what a scoundrel Steve Seagram really was.