Emaleneangel: I'm fine with productively critical reviews but I need a total of at least five reviews to continue posting.

Penny Weslyan, daughter of the Earl of Havenworth, could barely contain her glee as the plush carriage pulled up in front of a large house that would their be home for the remainder of the season. At twenty years she was rather old to be enjoying her first season in London but her father had been in the continent for the past three years and her mother simply refused to take up residence in the city without him.

In the time that she had waited patiently for her father to return to England she had planned what she would do when she finally arrived at the capital city. She had spent a great deal of time planning where to go, what to do, who to make the acquaintance of, and most importantly who to marry. It was during one of these discussions with her neighbor, Mary Beth, that she discovered the answer to the later.

His name was Jeremy Dunfrey, Marquise of Alborndol, and from Mary Beth's description of him he could brake any woman's heart. Penny had never mentioned her plans to marry the confirmed bachelor to anyone, knowing that they would only chide her for making assumptions before she met someone. But Penny had very little patience so to her the sooner that she found and trapped her husband the better.

She even started her journey before she had made it to town. She tried to find out his interests from friends and the social section of the paper without appearing too obvious. When she met him she wanted to appear compatible. And from everything she learned he seemed to be the perfect gentleman for her. Agreeable, of a good family, nice, and handsome. The only thing that did not recommend him was that was rumored to be somewhat of a rake. But she was sure with time that she could reform him, and an ex-rake was sure to bring the excitement to her life, which she had been longing for since before she could remember.

She took her brother's hand as she stepped out of the carriage and looked up once again at the large brick house. It would do perfectly. She stepped aside to let her other siblings out. Her parents had traveled in the carriage before them, and they were already walking up towards the door, laughing like carefree children. Her brothers and sister followed them.

She stayed behind to tell the servants which bag was which. Her mother had long since handed the household duties over to Penny. Penny was a perfectionist and when something was amiss she would not hesitate to yell, although her fits were usually followed by an apology.

After she had directed the servants she walked up beside her brother Evan. "So what do you think?" At twenty-two, Evan was one and a half years older than she was. His light blue eyes were smiling even wider than his lips as he looked over their new home. "It's wonderful. Although I knew it would be since you made the arrangements. But you must confess it odd having houses so close to us." Penny nodded. She had lived her entire life in a sparsely populated area of Devon.

"Come here. Come here quick Penny," said Augustana as she raced out and grabbed Penny's hand. The rest of the family had already entered the house. And Penny didn't doubt that in the few minutes she had spent in their new home the energetic six-year-old had already surveyed every inch of it.

"Where are we going?" asked Penny, trying to maintain some dignity as the girl pulled her up the steps.

"You'll see." They stopped at the doorway of a room with Augustana's, Ana for short, trunks in it.

"What is it?" Ana crossed her arms and scowled disappointed that her sister had not been smart enough to guess what she was so excited about.

"A big girl bed," she said gesturing to the large canopied bed. Back home Ana had slept in a bed custom made to fit her. Penny wondered if the young girl would even be able to climb on her new one without help.

"I'm surprised that I didn't notice it before. I'm very happy for you."

"Maybe now that I have a big girl's bed mama will let me attend the balls."

"Why don't you ask her?" she said figuring that her mother would find a tactful way to discourage the girl without crushing her hopes. Penny was often too blunt for her own good, and she knew that Ana would not be allowed anywhere near a ballroom for at least ten years.

She walked downstairs to inspect the library. Her family was full of avid readers so she had needed to procure a house that would accommodate all of the Weslyan books. Evan sat slouched in a large armchair behind the mahogany desk, flipping through a book. Another man stood off to his side absorbed in a rather large volume about antiquities. Penny smiled at his familiar blond hair and glasses.

She placed her hands on her side and scowled playfully. "You know I'm beginning to wonder if you really live with us. Perhaps in a secret room that I am not aware of?" The man looked up from his book and smiled. His green eyes sparkled behind his spectacles. He ran a hand through his neatly groomed curly blond hair.

"Penny dear, it's so good to see you," he said kissing her on both cheeks.

"And you too Alex." Alex was one of her few neighbors back home. A year younger than Evan the three of them had grown up together. Evan and Alex, like their fathers before them, still remained the best of friends. Penny's ability to play with them shrunk as she grew older, but they still remained close.

"How long have you been in London?"

"Two days. The trip to Italy was quite successful. I found a number of items that will add immensely to my collection." Both Alex and Evan collected various things of value. While Evan's expertise was limited to jewelry, Alex was what they called a generalist, collecting everything from paintings to rare fishing rods. Penny was always somewhat surprised at how far his expertise ranged. She had learned from Evan how had it was to acquire the basic knowledge of one field. But she guessed that Alex was smart enough.

"And you're already back to the books. I simply do not understand you, or my brother for that matter. We're are in London, you should be having fun, not working."

"But Penny this is how I have fun. But since you seem so intent that I am not, how do you suggest that I have fun."

"Most people come to London to find a spouse. I suggest that you find a wife," she said challengingly. "Is there anyone that you fancy?" Alex's face lost its playful smile. He suddenly looked like he had been backed into a corner. Penny smiled victoriously.

"Um," was all he managed to say, and several times as well. Luckily for him Mrs. Weslyan chose that moment to enter the room. She sighed, "Honestly Pen, how many times do we have to tell you not to scare your brother's friends? How are you Alex dear?" she asked hugging the man who had been like family to them all. "Are your parents in town? I would love to call on them if they were."

"They arrived a week ago. They decided not to journey to Paris after all since her sister is expecting."

"You should ask them to come dine with us tonight."

"I would, but they have already asked me to ask you the same question."

"Well we certainly wouldn't pass up such an offer."