"I meant no harm. I heard that you are already with child, so I didn’t want to stress you. I would never try to sully your name," said Harper.
"I do not believe you. I have been married to my husband for no more than a week, yet you think I was carrying his child already. You know what your words mean and the kind of lady it would paint me to be. Do not try to act innocent now," said Penelope.
Penelope once liked to ignore these women unless she was forced into a conversation with them, but now, she realised speaking up to put them in their place was far better.
"I have heard things about each one of you, but I have chosen not to repeat gossip. Should I stoop to your level?" Penelope asked.
Penelope’s friendship with Julie led her to hear plenty of gossip. Most of it was always true, but Penelope had nothing to gain from speaking of it in the past.
Since these ladies wanted to go so low, Penelope could go even lower just for one day.
"From homes in debt to no suitors at your doors. Should I partake in gossip?" Penelope asked.
"You were confident that your peers would back you, but they are already thinking of how to throw you to the fire. It is quite easy for you to be on that side, laughing with them today, and then where I stand tomorrow," Penelope said to Harper.
"The difference is," Penelope continued. "I have a husband and family to back me, while you will find it hard to endure the lies they come up with."
Harper was afraid, but she didn’t want Penelope to see it.
Even though Harper didn’t have anyone to back her now, it was better than where Penelope stood with so many rumours surrounding her name. Anything was better than being accused of cursing the former crown prince.
"It was a harmless mistake, and I will not do it again. There is so much you must focus on, so a child mustn’t come yet. Learning to be a good wife is important now," said Harper.
Penelope smiled. "You speak as if you could tell me how to be a good wife."
"I can. My mother has put a lot of time and money into tutoring me to become a good wife. I will never be so careless as to do anything to disappoint my husband or ruin his name," Harper replied.
"Oh, is that so? Well, when you become a wife, perhaps I might turn to you for help," Penelope said, holding Rue’s hand since it was time to go back closer to her mother.
"You!" Harper balled her hand. "I will marry."
"I am certain you will," Penelope answered. "There are fine gentlemen present, so you should take the chance to dance with them now."
"So I could run off with one in the middle of the night?" Harper questioned, feeling supported when some of the ladies around her laughed.
"I think running off with a man of your choosing might be best for you. I fear letting your father pick with the circumstances your home faces. Good day," Penelope bid the women goodbye.
"She lies," Harper said, wanting the lies about her finances to stop. "My home is in good order."
Amelia knew what Penelope said was true, but she wasn’t ready to push away Harper yet. Harper was so desperate for attention from the ladies present that she would do anything.
"I believe you," Amelia said, stepping forward to comfort Harper. "She looks down on us because we are not yet wives. Fear not, we shall all marry soon. You spoke of a man you had your eyes on. Now is the time to find him and share a dance."
Harper nodded her head. She had gotten a glimpse of Zane, but she had been too shy to approach him.
With Amelia’s support, Harper was ready to find Zane and ask him for a dance.
Octavia smiled upon seeing Harper believe what Amelia said. She watched Harper foolishly leave to find a man who did not exist.
"She is holding onto your every word," said Octavia.
"It’s good to have a pet. I forgot what it felt like to have one. She was so bold to bring up Penelope having a child. See to it that the rumours that Penelope is pregnant do not die down. She must think this will pass," Amelia said, keeping a close eye on Penelope. "It will not."
Octavia didn’t think their attacks were working since Penelope handled them well. "She didn’t falter like I thought she would. I will not approach her again for the rest of the ball. I can feel the duke’s eyes on me."
Octavia knew when to quit. Her father would not go easy on her if Duke Collins were to show up at their door. She still needed to find a husband, and with her father being the one to make the final decision, Octavia did not want to upset him.
"The show is not over yet. Our amusement just arrived," Amelia said, pleased to see that Warren had finally shown up.
Meanwhile, Penelope safely returned to her mother’s side with Rue and Lily.
"They will not stop," Lily said, speaking of Harper and the others. "They will not stop until they think your marriage is ruined and you are breaking down in tears."
"They will grow old waiting for such a moment to happen. There is a ball full of men who are ready to find a wife, yet they waste their time worrying about me. How is it that I was the one least concerned about marriage, but I am married?" Penelope wondered.
"You ended up with the man most ladies were waiting for, so now they must set their sights on someone else. The crown prince is dancing with ladies. I should spoil the others’ night by asking Teo to dance with me," Lily joked.
Lily was tempted to see the ladies lose their minds over one sister marrying the previous crown prince, and then Lily seemingly entertaining Teo.
"You do not have feelings for Teo, so do not waste your time," said Penelope.
"But you would also love to see them panic," Lily whispered.
Penelope smiled since she was guilty of wanting to see it. "I have missed you. It is not right for us to be so far away from each other."
"I think of it as you causing mischief on your side of town, and I do it on the other side," Lily replied. "Isabelle and I are doing our fair share of bothering Elijah for you-"
"Duchess," Warren spoke, interrupting the pleasant moment. "We must speak."