The familiar sound of the wheels rolling over the cobblestones filled the first few moments of the journey, accompanied by the occasional rattle of harnesses and the muffled voices of pedestrians outside.
Penelope settled against the cushioned seat, allowing herself to relax only slightly as she watched the houses pass beyond the window. The morning had grown brighter, and the earlier rain had left the streets damp beneath the pale sunlight.
Small puddles still gathered along the edges of the road, reflecting fragments of sky whenever the carriage passed them, while London appeared to have already forgotten the storm. Carriages moved steadily through the streets, gentlemen crossed between shops and residences, and ladies in bonnets and cloaks hurried along with servants close behind them.
It was an ordinary morning for everyone else. For Penelope, however, the day already felt considerably more complicated than it ought to have.
