A/N Sorry for the long wait, hope everyone enjoys this chapter!
It had been three weeks since the ball and Claude was currently glaring at the scrunched up letter in his hands with such ferocity that it was a wonder that it did not go up in flames. The letter was from Lord Davis and just the mention of the name was enough to send Claude into frenzy. He wished that he had never heard what Victoria had said to Penelope as the words haunted him every day. So for three weeks he had been intensely watching the Lord Davis to make sure nothing suspicious was going on, although deep down he hoped there was as it would work as a deterrent for Penelope.
However he was out of luck and all he had found out was that Lord Davis intended to court Penelope which would ultimately lead to marriage. The letter he held in his hand was the first attempt at courting as he had already read it and knew it to be an invitation. Unclenching his hand and smoothing the letter out, he went towards her study where he had left her to get on with some work an hour ago as he helped Victoria around the house. The moment the letter had been delivered, by Lord Davis' butler, Claude had already decided that he would do everything in his power to stop her going. At first he planned to dispose of the letter but the last thing he needed was for another one to come, which would turn Penelope against him if she found out. So he had to use other tactics.
Opening the door a little louder than intended, Penelope turned her head briefly and then put her pencil down which she had been using moments ago. Over the past weeks to describe the atmosphere as awkward was an understatement. When he had walked in that night on the conversation with Victoria, she noticed him looking rather annoyed. Thankfully he had not brought it up but his behaviour towards her was far sterner. Penelope felt a mixture of confusing feelings in the past weeks. She felt hurt as she guessed he was more intelligent than Victoria and knew that she was attracted to him rather than Lord Davis. She could only assume that he thought her foolish to develop any feelings of the romantic nature towards him and the small rejection had saddened her deeply. She had tried to resolve this of course by being happy in his presence, but he would no longer spend longer than necessary in a room with her. Sighing, she stood up and looked at the letter he had in his hand. Smiling she gestured to it and carefully took it from his hands.
"This is the first letter I've had in a long time! I wonder who it could be from". Even she could hear her fake optimism in her voice and she had to force herself not to grimace as she opened the letter, knowing Claude was more than aware of her false happiness. All the while Claude just stood still and watched her.
As she read the letter a small smile graced her features. It was an invitation to watch the royal ballet preform Tchaikovsky's 'Sleeping Beauty' with Lord Davis. She had always wanted to watch the performance and passed the letter to Claude.
"Isn't this great! Lord Davis is very kind to ask me to join him, although it is rather short notice as the ballet starts tomorrow night. I will have to go and tell Victoria to help me decide what dress will be the most appropriate". She was just about to skip out of the room when Claude's voice stopped her.
"I'm afraid you will not be able to go. Please continue studying, you have yet to complete that essay I set you an hour ago". Penelope could only stare at him and walked slowly back to her seat.
"Why can't I go?" she asked, wondering if she had any other pressing date to deal with but considering she had not been out since the ball, she was confused to what Claude was on about.
Claude meanwhile swore internally. He had a few excuses but he knew that she would argue her way out of them. Trying to think of an excuse she couldn't get out of, he folded the letter and put it in his pocket, ignoring the dull throb in his chest which he had been feeling for the past few weeks whenever in her presence.
"Your dress maker is arriving tomorrow to take your measurements". He lied coolly and began to leave the room. Penelope almost laughed. She knew that he would have told her sooner had that been the case and gave a sigh of disbelief.
"I don't believe that for one moment Claude. I would like you to give the letter to Victoria and ask her to send a response, saying that I accept his proposal and should be glad to go with him. If you are concerned that I won't finish my essay, you are in luck as I should be finished in a few minutes". He pursed his lips in response and she walked over to him and crossed her arms.
"Why don't you want me to go? There is obviously another reason". She wanted to hit him for being so annoying, but decided against it. He in return just started at her as he calculated what to say. He could hardly admit to being jealous of a young boy, but he knew that there was no other explanation behind it.
"I see you are quite determined to go and will not listen to any reason. As if this is the case, you may finish the essay and meet Victoria. Please excuse me". He dodged the question smoothly and made a beeline towards the door. Penelope however had other ideas. She ran quickly, almost tripping over her honey coloured dress and threw herself at the door. Although in her head she had wanted to appear in control, it didn't go quite as planned as she had to remove some of her red curls from her mouth as running with lots of hair can be a problem sometimes. Trying to gather herself, she smoothed the hair, or should she say out of control nest, and crossed her arms. Glaring up at the much taller man, his glasses hitting the light caused a glare and Penelope squinted her eyes in an attempt to see his own. A long time ago, her mother had once said that the eyes were the doorways of the soul and therefore Penelope thought that if she could see his, then she would have a better idea towards what he was thinking. A slight cough broke Penelope's thoughts and she focused her full attention back on the man in front of her.
"Claude, could you please take of your glasses?" Her question left the demon confused, but carefully he removed them and held them in his gloved hands. Penelope tried to contain any feelings of awe at his handsome features and internally chastised herself for feeling her knees go weak. She was not an idiot; of course she noticed that Claude was unnaturally good looking. Yet, in comparison to other women, Penelope was always far more discreet at showing her emotions and therefore would not openly admire her friend. She thought him handsome with and without glasses, but considering it was rare to see him without glasses, Penelope enjoyed the sight while it lasted, and discreetly of course.
"Answer my original question. Why do you not wish for me to go?" Claude, who was already confused at why his glasses had to be removed to answer this question, thought carefully about his answer. Deciding that he could not think of a suitable one, he instead amused himself with having a staring test instead. He had found her actions odd but entertaining when she had blocked his exit, and now that she was stood with her arms folded and a frustrated expression slowly growing on her face, Claude could only see how far her patience would last. He knew he was being cruel, but it was his small revenge for her choosing Lord Davis. Another dull pain throbbed in his chest and like the previous times, he just ignored it, instead focusing on Penelope for his own small entertainment.
Meanwhile, Penelope realised that Claude was neither answering nor blinking. 'So he wants to play that game' she thought. Glaring at him with all her might, she crossed her arms tighter and waited for him to speak. Yet her eyes started to feel irritated and the more she thought about her eyes, the worse it got until she blinked. As soon as she blinked she saw an almost ghost like smirk appear on Claude's face and she unfolded her arms.
"God dammit!" she snapped and turned around to leave the room. She hated playing any game against him as he usually won. Yet, her swift exit was stopped rather quickly when a gloved hand wrapped itself round her forearm and pulled her back.
"Language" he chided with a chuckle and before she could respond, he came in closer so she could feel his cold breath of her lips. Holding her own breath, she could only stare at his golden eyes that were usually shielded behind glass.
"To answer your question, I have no problem at all. However, I do have a problem with you not finishing your work". He stepped back and after placing his glasses back on his face, he moved her away from the door and made his way out of it. Just as he was about to close the door, he stopped and looked over his shoulder.
"You have an extra thirty minutes to complete it. I will collect it when you have finished. Also I will send Victoria to deliver to message accepting the invitation". Seconds later he had closed the door leaving Penelope on her own. As though she had been brought to life, she let out the breath she had been keeping and growled.
"Language?! I know far worse words the -" her sentence was cut short when Claude's loud voice shouted "language" once more. Grumbling, she walked over to her work and picked up her pencil. Although he had technically dismissed her question, she was glad he wasn't acting overly awkward like he had been weeks ago. She did wonder though, why he would allow himself to be so close to her if he disliked the idea of her holding affection towards him. Shaking her head, she carried on writing her essay.
Just as Claude had promised, thirty minutes later, he came in the room and took the finished essay out of her hands just as she was reading over it. He seemed content as he skim read the first paragraph of her eight pages and folded it to put away in his pocket.
"I will read this later in my quarters and give you feedback tomorrow morning". Penelope nodded in reply and began to stand up. Yet she gave a sudden jump when Victoria bust into the room.
"Ah! Mr Faustus! The carriage has broken a wheel so I cannot deliver the letter". She spoke hurriedly and tried to straighten out her uniform which hand creased from her running. Claude on the other hand looked undisturbed and not surprised in the least. He just nodded his head and took the letter carefully saying that he would see to it. Penelope narrowed her eyes slightly wondering if it was just a coincidence but decided to leave it for the moment.
"Why don't you go and start my evening meal instead Victoria? I'm sure Claude here will sort the problem so do not fret" Penelope spoke with a smile encouraging Victoria to relax. Victoria only nodded in return and left the room. The minute she left, Penelope headed straight for the door as well.
Claude followed Penelope curiously and watched as she headed outside towards the carriage. He was about to ask her to go back inside as he would take care of it when she stopped suddenly at the sight of the carriage and pointed a finger at him.
"You did this!" she exclaimed, obvious irritation laced in her voice. Claude tried to stifle to chuckle that he felt crawling up his throat and just shook his head in response. He knew her to be intelligent but was quite impressed she had automatically jumped to the right conclusion. He couldn't decide whether she was either paranoid or knew him too well. The second he had left her to complete the essay, he had checked that Victoria was occupied and went to the carriage. He knew very well how desperate he looked but snapping the wheel in half was his last attempt. He also felt an odd sense of accomplishment as he did so, but he should have foreseen Penelope's stubbornness.
"I have no idea what you are talking about" he replied and smoothed out his tailcoat and dark grey waistcoat. Penelope, on the other hand gave a humourless laugh.
"Don't give me that nonsense. We both know that you have caused this. The minute you found out about that invitation, you have been trying to stop me from going. Perhaps if you gave me a reason that was not some excuse, then I would be willing to listen, but so far today you have deliberately tried to sabotage the event". She ranted angrily and then stormed up to him, closing the distance.
"Your dress is not made for this cool weather, perhaps you should return inside whilst I fix the carriage" he commented dryly and made his way around her smaller body. Penelope was not having any of it. Grabbing his arm, she pulled him so he was facing her way. Feeling as the shoe was on the other foot, since earlier on it as him pulling her; she stood on her tip toes and pulled his face closer with her cold hands.
"Please just tell me what's wrong? What could be so important that you had to break the carriage to stop me going with Lord Davis?" She didn't care how desperate she sounded, as long as she got an answer. Claude felt a pang of guilt at her distress but shoved it away. He felt a sick sense of satisfaction that she was upset as he was suffering because of her. But a sharp pain hit his chest and he gave a small gasp and doubled over. His knees never hit the ground as he expected because Penelope managed to catch him, just about, and slowly lowered him to the floor, which was thankfully not he gravel but rather concrete.
"Oh my God, Claude are you okay? You can't get ill! Well I don't actually know that but I always assumed as much" she rambled as she placed her hand on his forehead. She suddenly remembered the day she first met him and images of his covered in blood flashed through her mind. She guessed he could get ill then. Claude took a few deep breaths and opened his eyes waiting for the pain to subside. This had only happened a couple of times and on those occasions Penelope had never been there to witness it. The cause of the pain was due to his debt. If he purposely went against the debt, which was in this case acting as a friend, he would feel an immense amount of pain. Although it can be argued that when he lost his temper, he was not acting as a friend it had always been unintentional to cause any upset. Furthermore, he learnt that he would only feel any prominent pain if he had intentionally caused her to be in distress and if her upset had lasted long enough for him to have recognised it. His selfishness in this instance was breaking the deal in the debt and therefore he was being made to pay for his mistake of not acting as a friend.
He remembered the first time it had happened which was when she had only been young. He had not been in her service for that long and was still feeling rather bitter about the debt. Due to this resentfulness, he had purposely ignored her when she had asked him to join him for her picnic and read to her. He had almost fallen down the stairs as he was struck by such a powerful sensation. It was then that he learnt that he had to be a good friend for his own sake as well. Over the years, he had felt pangs of pain and dealt with them well by clearing up any upset that he may have caused. Over the three weeks, he had only felt a dull throb sometimes and dismissed it. He realised that it was a foolish decision considering he was now on the floor again.
He moved Penelope's hand from his forehead and moved his own from his chest. Looking at her worried features, he accepted that he would have to allow her to go and be with Lord Davis even if he disliked the idea. But he would tell her the truth that he had sensed Lucy at the ball and was worried for her safety. However he would not tell her the reasoning behind his pain as he knew that she would blame herself and feel worse.
"Calm down, I'm fine". He sighed and began to stand up, already feeling numb from the cold floor. Yet Penelope practically pushed him down again causing him to groan at the impact. She apologised quickly and knelt down beside him.
"What do you mean that you are 'fine'? You are obviously not, as you wouldn't be on the floor. I've never seen you like this, something must be wrong!" she exclaimed and she started to bite her pink lips as she was beginning to grow anxious.
"I wouldn't be on the floor if you would allow me to stand up. Your evening meal should be fully prepared at this rate and Victoria will be coming to get you shortly. I will explain later after you have eaten and warmed up. Allow me to fix the carriage in the meantime". She looked as though she was about to argue but his pleading eyes caused her to reluctantly accept. She stood up first and then held her hand for him to stand up. Gently he took her hand and stood back up to his full height, towering over her once more. He went to pull away his hand when he realised that she had laced her fingers through his and pulled his hand closer so her cheek rested against his knuckles.
"You promise to explain this and you promise that you are alright?" she asked uncertainly. He sighed and nodded his head. Moving his other hand, he used his thumb to gently trace the outline of her cheekbone and detangled his other hand from her own, but not without one final squeeze. She gave him a small smile and just as he was about to lean in and do the one thing that he had fantasised the most, Victoria's voice echoed throughout the garden.
"Lady Penelope, your meal is ready!" Penelope, who had been stood as still as a statue, silently hoping that Claude was going to kiss her and not just do what he had done previously which was talking instead, whipped her head around and saw Victoria's form appear around the corner of the house. Penelope did not see Claude's eyes glow angrily behind her as the moment she turned back he had straightened up and gestured for her to go. She nodded and ran back towards the house. But not before turning around to check he was ok. Yet he already had his back turned and was making his way towards the carriage.
When Claude reached the carriage he knelt down to be at level with the wheel and snorted at the fact that he had to fix his own mess. He had been both annoyed and thankful that Victoria had interrupted them. He had genuinely been ready to kiss her and the thought frightened him. Although he desired much too much to kiss Penelope and of course not just that, he could ultimately end their friendship which as something he wanted to avoid. As he started to reattach the broken wheel he had gleefully smashed apart, he was replaying the previous events in his mind. Penelope had, dare he say, looked almost hopeful as he leaned in and he had no idea why. He believed she was in love, or falling in love with Lord Davis. That night when he had walked in on her conversation and heard Victoria's words, he had assumed it was Lord Davis they were talking about. But judging by her reaction, Claude started to believe otherwise. 'Could she have really have meant me?' he thought and shook his head, deciding to focus on the task at hand. 'Impossible' he thought, answering his own question. But the more he thought about it, the more likable it started to seem. Her reaction whilst dancing with him at the ball, her affectionate nature towards him and her general concern for him all made him question whether she returned his feelings. Whether she did or did not, he would first have to answer her question and make reasonable excuse for why he had been in pain. But he knew one thing for sure; Lord Davis would no longer be the only one courting Penelope.