Chapter 20

"My, my, my!" James' grandfather said the moment Penelope entered the dining hall. "What is this stunning vision of ethereal beauty, gracing us with her presence?"

He immediately got up, rushing over to her and grabbing her by both hands. He then proceeded to twirl her around, as if to take a look at her from all sides. He was grinning from ear to ear, much to her delight.

"Good morning, Grandfather," she greeted him with a warm smile, her voice tinged with the soft lilt of morning charm and her inner sense of joy and anticipation at the surprise that was yet to be revealed. "You are too kind."

"No, no, no," he quickly shook his head. "You are too beautiful for these old eyes, my dear. I fear, if I keep looking at you, I might go blind!"

"Oh, no, please, don't do that," she chuckled, and he couldn't help but join in.

"You are right," he nodded, leading her to her seat. He pulled her chair back, waiting for her to sit down, then he took a seat opposite her, saving the seat next to her for James, who still hadn't come downstairs for breakfast. "I still need these eyes, my dear. If for nothing else, then to look at your beautiful face every morning. It brightens my day, you know, your smile and your eyes."

"Thank you, Grandfather." Penelope's heart swelled with love for this old man who had been showing all the fatherly qualities she had ever wished for in her own father.

"But do tell me, my dear," the man leaned closer to her across the table, in a conspiratorial manner, "Where are you off to looking so resplendent this morning?"

Penelope thought about it for a moment then she said playfully, "Well, to tell you honestly, I do not know." She chuckled softly, a blush gracing her cheeks.

He frowned in confusion. "You don't know?"

"No, not really," she was quick to clarify. "You see, my lady's maid has informed me that I am to be taken somewhere for a surprise, and therefore, I needed to wear something special."

"You don't say!" Grandfather's eyes widened in surprise. "I am glad to hear that, my dear. It is high time that these old walls were graced by something other than tragedy. You have brought joy into this old house and to this old man as well. Your presence brings light to even the dullest of days."

Penelope felt awash with tenderness, touched by the man's genuine affection. "Your kindness warms my heart, Grandfather. You…"

It was at that moment that she felt completely overwhelmed. Her emotions bubbled to the surface, realizing that the love and acceptance she had been craving from her family her entire life would never come from them. However, they would come from somewhere else, from the most unexpected sources. She couldn't suppress the single tear that rolled down her cheeks. She hastily wiped it away, hoping that he didn't see it, but she was wrong.

"My dear, what is the matter?" he inquired tenderly, his voice full of compassion.

"Oh, nothing," she quickly shook her head, smiling through the pain. "You all are so kind and patient with me, I could not have imagined being welcomed anywhere like this. You have welcomed me with open arms, and I will never be able to repay you for that. You… you don't know how much that means to me."

"Come now, my dear," he assured. "We are a family. A family treasures each and every member of it. You may not have been born into this family, but you have earned your place in my heart through your kindness, your grace, and your unwavering spirit. You are loved more than you know."

Family. Loved.

Those two words were something Penelope had never spoken in a single sentence. For her, family didn't mean love. It meant responsibility. It meant burden. That was all she was ever to them, except for Adeline. Her sister was the only one who had ever shown any interest in Penelope's life. Vanessa was always the favorite one, the one who carried all the hopes of the family in herself. Running away meant dashing those same hopes, and the burden fell upon the most unlikely candidate: Penelope herself.

"Thank you for that," Penelope managed to muster. "Truly."

"For what?"

A shadow appeared in the doorway, and a moment later, James walked in. He glanced at his grandfather then at Penelope. "It seems I am interrupting something."

"As a matter of fact, you are," his grandfather said gravely, then a moment later, he chuckled. "You may go away and return in… let's say fifteen minutes. Does that sound all right to you, my dear?" The last question was aimed at Penelope, who also couldn't resist chuckling.

"Let's make it half an hour, Grandfather," she replied playfully, much to everyone's amusement.

"Well, in that case—" James pretended to be slightly offended, turning around and heading back out the door, when Penelope called out to him.

"No, no, come back," she said through the chuckles.

"Only if I'm not interrupting," James teased.

"Do come back, you silly lad," his grandfather chastised with good humor, "and do tell us all about this surprise. I am also dying to know what it is."

James' eyes widened in shock. He glanced at his grandfather then at Penelope. "What surprise? I don't know what surprise you are talking about."

Once again, Penelope and Grandfather locked gazes, and they burst into an even more boisterous chuckle.

"Well, Charlotte said I needed to dress nicely," Penelope explained, once the onslaught of laughter had subsided, "because there is a surprise for me today."

James mused, playfully patting his chin with his index finger. "Let me think… a surprise, a surprise… No. I don't recall anything of that sort."

"Well, that is rather disappointing, I must say," Grandfather said, getting up with a loud screech of the chair. "And as you can see, Penelope is far too lovely not to be surprised today. If you won't take her somewhere, then I will!"

Demonstratively, he walked over to Penelope and offered her his hand. "Where do you fancy going, my dear? I shall take you to the end of the world if you wish me to!"

Penelope smiled, exchanging a coy glance with James. "Thank you, Grandfather. I accept your?—"

"No, no, no," James interrupted. "If anyone is taking Penelope anywhere, it is me, Grandfather."

"So, there is a surprise?" his grandfather exclaimed victoriously.

"Yes," James nodded. "Which all of you have ruined, thank you very much."

He said it with such mock indignation that they all burst into laughter at the same time.

"Do sit down, lad," Grandfather suggested. "And let's have breakfast. But when you return later, I want to hear all about this mysterious surprise."

"Of course," James grinned, taking a seat next to Penelope, whose heart was dancing even more now than it did that morning.

* * *

"So, you really won't tell me where you are taking me?" Penelope asked once they were settled in the carriage which gently rocked them down the cobbled streets of the city.

"No," James said simply, grinning.

"Well, that's not nice," she pouted playfully.

"That's why it's called a surprise, Penelope," he chuckled. "Which, once again, was almost ruined as everyone else had informed you of it before me."

"But I still don't know what it is," she reminded him. "So, nothing is ruined."

"I suppose you are right," he replied with that same smile. "And in all that morning commotion, I didn't even tell you something very important."

Her eyes widened at his words, a slight redness flushing her cheeks. "What is that?"

"You look absolutely breathtaking," he murmured softly, his voice filled with admiration.

He remembered how he was momentarily speechless at the sight of her in the dining hall. His eyes widened in awe as he took in her ethereal beauty, his breath catching in his throat at the sight of her radiant presence. Even now, he couldn't help but steal glances at her, his eyes lingering on her like a painter captivated by his muse. He marveled at the way the color of the gown accentuated her porcelain complexion and at the way her eyes sparkled with a light that illuminated everything around them.

"I do?" she asked shyly, looking down for a moment, as if she needed to muster the courage for those words, then she locked eyes with him once again.

"Truly," he whispered, reaching out to gently grasp her hand, "you are… the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."

"James, I…" she started, but the sudden halt of the carriage made her stop.

"I do believe we have arrived." He smiled like a mischievous little boy. He wanted to hear what she was going to say, but he wanted to show her the surprise even more. There would be time enough for more conversations later, he hoped.

He helped her out of the carriage, his heart racing with slightly nervous energy as he led her through the busy streets. She didn't ask about their destination again although he could see the question burning in those beautiful eyes of hers. She walked beside him, her expression curious but trusting, unaware of the surprise that awaited her.

With each step, he stole glances at her, marveling at her grace and beauty. Her presence next to him filled him with unexpected pride and gratitude, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of affection for this woman who was leaning onto his arm. He was aware of the gazes other people were giving them, and he knew she had captured their interest as well, but she was his.

As they approached the jewelry store, he could feel his pulse quicken with anticipation. He knew that inside, there were treasures beyond compare, one of which she would choose as her own. He stopped in front of the door, as she read the sign above, finally realizing where they were. She turned to him, looking confused.

"A jewelry store?" she asked as they were lingering in the doorway. "But… it's not my birthday."

His brows furrowed. "I know," he replied with a gentle smile.

"But… I always got gifts on my birthday… just then," she explained, and he realized that her family hadn't appreciated her as much as they should have. He planned on rectifying that dreadful mistake.

"You deserve gifts every day, Penelope," he asserted, patting her hand which rested on his arm and leading her inside.

"Are you certain about this?" she asked, her voice in a low, barely audible whisper.

"Of course," he whispered back. "I want you to choose anything you'd like."

She hesitated then smiled. That was the moment when he realized that there was nothing he wouldn't do to see her happy, to see her smile.

As they stepped into the jewelry store, the soft chime of the bell announced their arrival, and they were greeted warmly by the clerk behind the counter.

"Good afternoon, madam, sir," he said with a polite nod, a friendly smile lighting up his face. "Welcome to our establishment. How may I assist you today?"

James returned the smile, his heart still pounding with that same nervous excitement from before. "Good afternoon," James replied, his voice full of anticipation. "We are here to browse your selection of fine jewelry. Perhaps some pearls?"

At the mention of pearls, Penelope's eyes widened with surprise, her gaze darting to her husband in wonder. She had obviously not expected a visit to a jewelry store and even less his knowledge on her favorite kind of jewelry. He had seized the opportunity to speak to her sister in private, asking about some of her favorites, and while Adeline herself wasn't certain about many things, she did remember that Penelope loved playing with their mother's pearls and would often get punished if the two girls got caught.

The clerk nodded understandingly, his eyes twinkling with eagerness to assist. "Of course, sir. We have a lovely collection of pearl jewelry that I'm certain your wife will adore."

The man proceeded to reach for something under the counter, a moment later extracting a black, velvet box. He opened it slowly, as if it held the most precious of all of his possessions. As he did so, Penelope gasped softly.