Penny (Orlan Orphans Book 6) by Kirsten Osbourne

Author:Kirsten Osbourne [Osbourne, Kirsten]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-01-08T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

The meal was very different than the ones Penny was used to at home. Like her family, they said grace before the meal, but there was less arguing at the table. The children were more polite, and no one was throwing bread across the table to others. She found it emotionless.

Tom leaned over, his lips against her ear. She gave a slight shudder at the contact. “Now you see why I was surprised at the meal at your house.”

She nodded. “I feel like I should throw a dinner roll at one of your brothers, just to see how everyone would react.”

He laughed, and everyone stared at him, the polite conversation stopping abruptly.

His eldest brother, John, raised an eyebrow. “Has no one ever taught you table manners, Tom?”

Tom shrugged. “I learned a new way of eating a couple of nights ago. It was a lot more fun.”

When he said nothing else, his father winked at him. “My family wasn’t quite so formal at meals. This was your mother’s doing.”

Mrs. McClain sighed, shaking her head. “You’ll be able to bring whatever manners you like to the table when the house is yours, dear.”

Penny shrugged. “Being raised in an orphanage, I know correct manners, but my adoptive mother has done everything she can to teach us not to use them.”

His mother blinked at her a few times as if not understanding. “Why would she do that?”

“You’d have to meet Edna Petunia to understand.” As she said the words, Penny had a mental image of the proper Mrs. McClain meeting Edna Petunia. She wouldn’t know what to think.

“I’ve heard rumors of the woman Cletus Sanders married. She’s said to be a bit…eccentric.”

Penny nodded. “She’s very eccentric, but there’s not a more loving, giving woman in this world. I consider myself very fortunate to have been adopted by her—even if she is teaching me bad manners.”

“I look forward to meeting her then.”

It was on the tip of Penny’s tongue to say they’d probably meet at the wedding, but she wasn’t going to be like the rest of the people at the table and assume they’d marry.

One of the sisters-in-law, whose name Penny didn’t know, and honestly, she didn’t know the husband’s name either, looked at Penny. “It must be odd to know that you’ve been fated to marry a man your entire life and you just met him this week. I’m not sure how I’d feel about that.”

All eyes were again on Penny, and she quickly chewed the bite of food in her mouth before swallowing it. “It’s definitely strange. I’m not sure I believe it all quite yet, but I…well, I do believe that Tom would make me a good husband.” She felt his hand cover hers under the table, squeezing it lightly.

His father smiled at her. “Does that mean there’s a wedding to plan?”

She shook her head. “Not yet. I need a proper proposal.”

Another sister-in-law grinned. “I think you’re wise to make him do it nicely. It’ll set the tone for your whole marriage.

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