Panged with fury and a shame she had no business feeling, Pen stepped out from the shadows of the alcove. The unexpectedness of her presence caused screams from the gossiping maids, and Phoebe, after collecting herself together, twisted her mouth into an unrepentant snarl.
"If it isn't our Lord's favorite pet herself," she commented with a chuckle.
Penelope flicked off the comment as she would do to a mosquito's bite; minuscule, but it still stung. She proceeded to walk down the stairs, ignoring them, but Phoebe was right behind her heels.
"You do know you are the fiftieth lady I would see the Master sleep with this year alone?" Phoebe asked. Penelope heard the giggles from the other maids, boosting Phoebe's jeers, but she kept walking.
