"You must smile, Tyrion. Today will be a good day since we are seeing our family and friends. Why doesn’t this excite you in any way? Is it because you will see my father?" Penelope asked.
Penelope was happy when she received an invitation from her mother to visit the estate and happier when she heard that many of her friends would be attending.
Tyrion, on the other hand, seemed to be in a sour mood.
"I am thrilled. This is my happy face," Tyrion replied.
"Is it? Does that mean I have been so in love with you that I failed to notice how awful your happy face is?" Penelope wondered, squinting her eyes.
"No, because that would mean you have fallen out of love with me now. I am happy to see our family, but other things linger in my mind," Tyrion said.
"Does it have something to do with your doing a tour of the knights’ quarters yesterday, or your trying to hide that there are burns on your hand? I notice things, Tyrion. Is it something I should know?" Penelope asked, curious who he had captive.
"I don’t think your father would be pleased if I shared it with you. Do you want me to tell you now?" Tyrion asked, willing to share.
Penelope should know where her cousin laid now.
"No," Penelope replied, shaking her head. "If it troubles you even now, then it will trouble me. I don’t want it to affect my time with my family, so tell me when we return home. You must remember to tell me."
"I will," Tyrion promised.
Tyrion looked away from Penelope when the Collins estate was in view.
"Why does it feel like your father’s estate grows by the day?" Tyrion wondered.
Penelope shifted in her seat to get a good look at the estate. "It looks the same to me," she said.
Penelope couldn’t wait to go inside and see everyone. She wished the carriage would go a little faster so they would get there sooner.
Tyrion’s gaze was on Penelope while she looked out at her former home. He knew she missed her family, but he didn’t know it was to this degree.
"You can always visit them and stay the night. I would not stop you from doing so," Tyrion said.
"How could I leave my husband home alone? If I did, there would be rumours by morning that there is trouble with our marriage," Penelope said, the assumptions already flowing in her mind.
Tyrion didn’t care what the town would think. "There will always be rumours. There is something wrong with this town when a lady cannot be with her family without her husband at her side."
"Then, you must join me in staying the night with my family," Penelope proposed.
It was the only way Penelope would stay. While Tyrion didn’t care and there were certain things Penelope didn’t care about regarding the town, she wanted to do better as a lady.
Tyrion had many years of trying to get into the estate to be close to Penelope, only to be kept out of reach from her and forced to stay near Elijah.
"Very well," Tyrion agreed.
"I don’t like your smile," Penelope said, suspicious. What was Tyrion plotting?
"You don’t like it when I frown or when I smile. What expression would you like from me, my dear wife?" Tyrion asked playfully.
"I want you not to plot anything for when we stay at my parents’ homes. We won’t do anything there," Penelope warned Tyrion.
"I wasn’t planning to, but please, tell me what was it your creative mind imagined we would do. Tell me," Tyrion urged Penelope.
Penelope responded by looking out the carriage window.
"My hands are aching. If only my wonderful wife would soothe the pain by letting me hold her hands," Tyrion said, trying to tug at Penelope’s heart.
Penelope gave Tyrion her attention once more. His hands weren’t badly bruised, but she didn’t like the redness that still lingered.
Penelope tapped beside her. "If you want my hand, you must come to me. I was curious why you chose to sit over there."
"The view where I sit is exceptional," Tyrion said as he moved over to Penelope’s side of the carriage.
Tyrion held her hand, and despite knowing that Tyrion’s hand wasn’t in pain, Penelope soothed it for him with her touch.
It was only when the carriage came to a stop that Penelope pinched him.
Penelope ignored Tyrion’s fake cries of pain and instead focused on a familiar face.
"Reed!" Penelope called her former guard. "It has been too long."
Reed opened the carriage door and offered his hand to help Penelope out. He was surprised that the prince hadn’t pushed to help Penelope out. He liked that the prince wasn’t a jealous little man.
"Are Eleanor and the others here already?" Penelope asked, hoping she wasn’t late.
"Everyone besides the Castros and the Callahans is present. The others should soon be here," Reed replied.
Tyrion exited the carriage and held Penelope’s hand. "Where are our guards to go?"
"Anywhere they like. If they head towards anywhere off-limits, they are to listen to the warnings given by the duke’s people. There is water and food for guards if they need it," Reed said, inspecting the men who replaced him.
Tyrion looked to Damien, who would go with the carriage.
"Is Brendon present?" Penelope asked, speaking of Reed’s son. "He sent a letter asking about work, but I have not seen him. We are close, but when it comes to work, I expect him to show up, or I will have to send him away."
"He is inside, and when it comes time for you to leave, I will have him in your carriage," Reed promised.
Whether it be willingly or tied up, Brendon would start his work today.
"Thank you. Tyrion, we must get the gifts for my mother," Penelope said, remembering what she prepared.
Penelope’s eyes lit up when she heard her mother’s voice.
Standing by the door was Alessandra, like she always did when the children were expected to return home.
Penelope left Reed and Tyrion’s side to run up the steps to her mother.
"You must be careful, Penelope," Alessandra said, rushing to meet Penelope halfway so Penelope could stop running.
Penelope embraced her mother the second she was within arm’s reach. "I have missed you dearly, mother."
Alessandra smiled. She welcomed Penelope’s hug and held her daughter tightly. "I have missed you as well, Penelope. You must be more careful with how you run."