Free Folly by Sabrina York

imperceptible nod. “Pennington.”
    “Good morning, my lady.” He bowed deeply. “I’m sorry you are
under the weather.”
    “Thank you, Pennington.” She turned back to Eleanor, studied
her. “Darling, have you done something different with your hair?”
    Eleanor lifted a hand and smoothed a curl. She bit her
lip—perhaps to hold back a smile. She’d had a different hairdresser this
morning. It had taken him nearly an hour to tame her wild curls.
    “No. I just decided to go with a simpler style today.” She
did smile now and Ethan found himself biting his lip as well to hold back a
responding grin. Eleanor patted Helena’s arm. “Don’t worry about our shopping
trip, dear. We can do it another day.”
    “I can take you.” Ethan surprised himself with the
spontaneous offer but not nearly as much as he surprised the two women. They
gaped at him as though he had spontaneously sprouted a second head. No doubt
they thought him ludicrous, but suddenly it didn’t seem like an absurd prospect
in the least. For one thing, he would spend the morning with Eleanor. And, all
things considered, that was what he wanted more than anything.
    “Really, Pennington.” Eleanor did have a charming smile,
when she gave it rein. Three dimples blossomed on her right cheek. He filed
away a mental note to explore them later with his tongue. “You needn’t put
yourself out.”
    He bowed. “I live to serve, Lady Eleanor.”
    Helena eyed him warily. Her gaze slid back to her friend. “I
do feel terrible. Abandoning you like this.”
    Eleanor took Helena’s hands in her own. “Nonsense. We’ll be
fine. Oh, Helena. You’re as cold as ice. You should lie down.” Her brow
puckered. “Perhaps I should stay with you.”
    “I wouldn’t hear of it.” Helena drew back and gripped the
door. Ethan noticed her knuckles were white, her body trembling.
    “Has Darlington called the doctor?”
    A deep voice resounded behind them. “Darlington has, indeed,
called the doctor.” James stepped around Ethan and glared at his wife. “What
are you doing out of bed?”
    She flushed. “I was coming to talk to Eleanor.”
    “I told you not to get out of bed. I told your maid you were
not to get out of bed. Where is that girl?”
    “James, please. Don’t blame her. I insisted. I wanted to
talk to Eleanor.”
    Darlington growled. He actually growled. “You could have
sent a note.”
    “That is hardly the same—” But whatever Helena was going to
say devolved into a loud squawk as James swept her up into his arms and marched
back into the room, closing the door on his guests with a sharp kick.
    “Dear me,” Eleanor murmured.
    “I do believe we’ve been dismissed.”
    Eleanor nibbled her lower lip, her eyes wide. “Quite.” He
took her arm and led her to the great curving staircase. “He was rather…”
    “Possessive?”
    Certainly. “I was thinking domineering. The way he swept her
into his arms and carried her off.”
    Ethan slowed as they reached the marble foyer. “From your
tone, the breathless way you say the word…”
    “Yes?”
    He shrugged. “It makes a man wonder.”
    “W-wonder what?”
    “If you weren’t a tad jealous.”
    “Jealous? Nonsense. Darlington is my best friend’s husband.”
    “Not jealous that Helena has Darlington, my little one.
Jealous that she has a domineering man to take her in hand.”
    A red tide rose on her cheeks. It was a delightful sight.
She glanced away. “I cannot know what you mean.”
    Ethan laughed. “Can you not?” He took her arm and steered
her into the breakfast room, relieved to see the sideboard was still covered
with chafing dishes. “Eat up, little one. We have a busy day ahead of us.”
    “We do?”
    “We do. For I am taking you shopping, whether you want to go
or not.”
    * * * * *
    “Seriously, Ethan.” Eleanor sat back in the carriage as the
horses lurched forward. “You cannot think to escort me to the dressmakers.
You’ll expire from boredom.”
    He