His pulse jumped. He’d have to get Penny. There was no other option.
A slow grin spread across his face.
Penny lay in bed, exhausted but unable to fall asleep.
She’d managed to change out of her gown on her own, though it hadn’t been easy, and she’d slipped into her old, faded night shift.
Which had served to remind her that she was just a simple girl who’d been orphaned and now wanted to start an orphanage.
She’d never become the wife of an earl.
Not that she wanted to be.
She rolled her neck as a sigh escaped her lips. All right, fine, she did.
But even if her fantasy became a reality, which it likely wouldn’t, marrying a man like Logan meant giving up some of her dreams.
How could she be a countess and still manage several orphanages? And that was only the first question.
Logan struck her as a man who needed his own mending, and she had a full plate of children that craved her love and affection.
And even if all that weren’t an issue, how likely was he to want her?
He was a man who strove for perfection. Even she could see that. And she was as far from perfect as a woman might be for an earl. Well, there were worse, she supposed but then again, he wasn’t likely to be acquainted with those women, so she was back to her prior point.
Letting out a huff of breath, she rose from the bed, shoving off the covers. Her feet slapped against the cold floor, but she paid the sensation no mind as she began to pace.
She could not be his paramour. Too many other people relied on her for their own health and safety.
But that kiss…
She rubbed her face, letting out a loud groan. Her heart and her head were at odds. She lowered her head toward her chest.
A knock at the door made her chin snap up. It had to be close to two in the morning.
“Penny,” Logan called from the other side. “We have a bit of a problem.”
“What?” Her heart rose in her throat as she raced to the door tossing it open.
He stood there, large and imposing on the other side. “Natty,” he started.
Her pulse raced. “What’s wrong?”
“She’s in my bed.”
Penny blinked. “Is she hurt?”
“I don’t think so. I just found her there, asleep under the covers.”
Penny slumped against the jamb. “You scared me.” Then she straightened. “Why didn’t you just carry her to her own bed?”
His mouth opened and then closed and then opened again. “I didn’t think of that.”
Somehow, all the worry of the night overwhelmed her, and her head dropped against the cold wood. “I don’t think I am strong enough to do this.”
He shook his head, reaching out to touch her arm. “I’m sorry. I can carry her to her bed. You don’t have to lift her at all.”
“Not that,” she whispered, her voice a bit hoarse. “All of it. Once upon a time I had a family who held me up when I was about to fall. Now there is no net. I’m all alone and so many people depend on me.”