"Do you reckon he knows?" Beckett muttered.

Although he very much did not wish to have this conversation with Lord Farrington, he very much wished to know what the man thought about the current situation. That situation being how Lord fancy-pants Lawton had just whisked Penelope out from under them and was now walking her through the facets of a gun as though she'd never seen one before.

If her father truly taught her the mechanics growing up, she likely did not need a teaching like he was giving her. But she was smiling and nodding as if she were truly fascinated.

"Do I reckon he knows what?" Leo asked.

Beckett managed to remove his gaze from Penelope and Lawton to glance over at Farrington. His arms were crossed as he watched the scene, too. But he did not seem concerned. More...annoyed. Perhaps a little amused.

"That we are watching him," Beckett said bluntly. Was this man that daft? "That we suspect him."

"Oh," Leo exclaimed with a wave of his hand. "No, I very much do not think that is what is on his mind."

His blue eyes narrowed, and Beckett followed his line of vision to see Lawton brushing hair off Penelope's shoulder. But his eyes were definitely not focused on her hair. They were focused on her bosom, which was pressed very tightly into a lilac gown today. And until this moment, Beckett had done quite a good job at not looking too closely at it. At her.

They had managed to go a whole two days without another incident. For two full days, Penelope had been fully clothed within his presence.

But it would seem that it did not matter. Because Beckett's memories were taunting him. Even though she had clothes on, Beckett had a perfect image in his brain of Penelope without them. And it did not help that her gowns were not modest in the least.

"You think he has something else on his mind?" Beckett grumbled.

"Don't you?"

Beckett nodded in agreement.

Penelope took that moment to laugh uncharacteristically loud at something Lawton said, swatting him on the upper arm.

"Oh, Pen," Leo sighed. "You are playing a dangerous game, my dear."

Beckett gritted his teeth at the satisfaction on Lawton's face.

"I have half a mind to go pull her away," Leo added, and Beckett assumed he noticed Lawton's look as well.

"As do I."

Beckett did not know how much longer he could stand here and watch this.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Leo turn, watching him with curiosity. Before the man could say anything, though, Beckett cut him off.

"I did not take you as the overprotective type, Lord Farrington." He cleared his throat. "Not for a lady that is not your own and a grown, widowed one at that."

By the time Beckett turned to look at the earl, his eyebrows had risen so far on his head that he suspected that they would disappear into his hairline soon. But then he neatly rearranged his face into his usual, casual flippant expression.

"I have always had the urge to protect Penelope. I don't think many people see how special she is. I don't think she sees it."

He paused, clearly thinking for a moment.

"I suppose I have always felt guilty, too," he said finally.

"Guilty?"

"That I did not marry her and that the result was her wedding Hutton instead. Our parents wished for us to wed, and if I had offered for her, I could have given her freedom and comfort and, most importantly, a friend. Love in a different sense than some marriages, but still." He sighed. "All Hutton gave her was—"

He didn't finish the sentence, trailing off as his gaze darted to Lawton again. He was guiding Penelope's hand now, wrapping it around the gun in an overly affectionate manner.

"Goddmanit."

Beckett felt the same, both because of what he was watching and because he wished to know what Farrington had been about to say.

"For the record," he said, putting a rigid finger in the air between them. "I am nothing compared to her brother. If he were here—" Farrington shook his head.

"She has a brother? Why is he not in attendance?"

He did not honestly care to know about Penelope's brother, but he did wish to get his mind off of the display before him.

"They are half-siblings," Leo explained.

"A bastard, then?"

"A bastard. Not that Penelope cares about such things. They grew surprisingly close despite her father's wishes for them to stay apart. But regardless, her brother does not always wish to mingle amongst the ton."

"I understand," Beckett said dryly.

That was an understatement.

"Yes, I assumed you would," Leo said with a laugh.

But then his laugh vanished, and Beckett quickly realized why. Lawton had taken to standing beside Penelope as she raised her gun in the air, training on the distant target. Which would not be so bad if it were not for his hand pressing into the small of her back. And sliding lower.

Beckett swore beneath his breath and pushed off the balls of his feet to storm over there. Penelope might be fine with flirting with the enemy, but Beckett was not fine with watching it. She was giving Lawton the impression that he could simply get away with anything he might like whilst staying at her estate, and that was certainly not the case.

"Lady Hutton," he said tersely, approaching her with quick steps.

Beckett realized a bit too late that he should have likely waited until she lowered her weapon before sneaking up behind the lady, but Penelope handled it with grace, bringing the gun down slowly and turning to face him.

It was nearly done with too much grace.  Like she'd been expecting him.

Damn woman.

"Colonel?" she asked, raising a brow.

"You are needed, my lady."

Beckett inwardly cursed himself for not having a better excuse. He hadn't precisely thought through his rescue mission.

"I am needed?" Penelope repeated, a mocking smile appearing on her sweet face.

"Yes," Beckett said gruffly. He refused to manifest a ridiculous excuse now, so he left it at that.

Nodding, Penelope gave the weapon back to Lord Lawton and excused herself. But not before gripping the man's arm and smiling broadly, telling him of what excellent company he was.

Beckett gritted his teeth and somehow managed not to grab her by the elbow and drag her away.

"What the devil was that?" he muttered as soon as they were out of earshot of Lawton.

"I was conversing with my guest," she said, raising one hand to check on the position of her pinned curls. "Making them feel welcome, of course."

"Oh, I assure you. Lawton felt very welcome. He felt welcome to do just about anything he liked."

Penelope smiled, and it annoyed Beckett to no end. "I had everything under control, Colonel."

"Like hell you did."

"So tell me," she said, switching course. They were marching toward the house now, despite the fact that Beckett had no destination in mind. The wind blew gently, pushing them along. "Who exactly needs me?"

"No one bloody needs you," Beckett grumbled. "And you know that."

She stopped abruptly, and Beckett halted as well. He looked down at her, watching as tiny wisps of hair tried to escape her pins. He half expected her to say something cutting and then return back to the lawn, with all of its men and guns. But her lips tilted up in a mischievous smile instead.

"My housekeeper's name is Mrs. Fraser."

Beckett frowned. He was not following.

"Mrs. Fraser?"

"Yes, next time you wish to unnecessarily extract me from a situation, you might say that Mrs. Fraser wishes to speak with me."

Beckett grunted, ignoring a hot feeling on the back of his neck.

It was likely the sun.

"Noted, my lady."

She narrowed her eyes at him, and Beckett corrected himself.

"Penelope. Noted, Penelope."

The lady gave a nod of satisfaction before cocking her head to the side.

"So since I am not, in fact, needed, where shall we go?"

Beckett looked around the vast grounds, not really knowing or caring what they did next. He was not used to making idle decisions. Ones of leisure and pastime. He was used to making orders and taking orders.

"I will go where my lady wishes to go. I am merely here to serve," he said, squinting back down at her. The rays of the sun were bright today. An unusual occurrence in the English countryside.

"And what if your lady wished to return to the fields? I believe Lawton would welcome me back to share his afternoon experience."

Beckett tried very hard not to roll his eyes. He was aware that she was goading him. And he was also aware that it was working.

"No," he said simply.

"No?"

He took a step forward, close enough that he could see the faintest freckles on her cheeks.

"I said I am here to serve you, and that means keeping you away from danger, even if you insist upon flirting with it."

Penelope's eyes sparkled. "Who am I to flirt with, then?"

Beckett cleared his throat and shifted on his feet.

"Anyone else but Lawton."

"Anyone else?"

"Anyone else."

She smiled. "Noted, Colonel."

"Beckett," he corrected. He did not know why he corrected her, but he did.

Her smile grew.

"Noted, Beckett."