The longer Belle interacted with Penny, the more uncertain she felt about whether she was glad to meet Penny here. On one hand, Belle was thankful to have met Penny and genuinely liked her; Penny was easy to talk to, and she seemed like someone who wore her heart on her sleeve. But on the other hand, Belle worried that if Penny was here, it might only be a matter of time before Penny saw just what kind of family she had married into.
'But I guess if she listens, she'll be fine,' Belle told herself. 'If she's from a distant branch of the family, then she won't be affected too much by all the family conflicts.'
That thought eased Belle's heart a little. After all, all she could do for Penny was to tell her what she needed to know and give her some warnings. Just as Penny couldn't help Belle's situation, Belle couldn't do more than this for Penny.
