Discovering the Devil

T h r e e

III

PENELOPE stared at the earl galloping away in amusement. No man had ever resisted her flirtations before—no man except Hawthorne. He'd looked genuinely disgusted by her advances. She released a laugh as she started up the walkway to the castle. That would teach him never to visit that lake again. Geraldine, her personal servant, shook her head in admonishment once Penelope entered her chambers.

"You've gone swimming again, ma'am?"

Penelope began to remove her soaking skirts. "How did you guess?"

"You're wet to the bone!" She removed Penelope's chemise. "You promised not to do this again."

"I have no memories of making such a promise."

Geraldine sighed loudly. "I have half a mind to tell your mother about this behavior."

"You wouldn't dare."

Geraldine regarded her mistress with pinched eyes. "And why not? Don't think I'm afraid of being let go on your account, ma'am. I used to change your nappies."

"I wouldn't ever presume to have the power to see you gone," Penelope said sweetly. "I'm only trying to protect you from my mother's temper. Imagine how angry she'll be knowing you knew about this habit all these years and you didn't mention it."

"Hmph. As if I don't know a thing or two about the countess' temper," Geraldine muttered. Someone, presumably the butler, knocked on Penelope's door.

"What is it?" Penelope asked.

"The Duke of Burberry is here to see you."

My week is up, Penelope thought. The duke had given her the ring a week ago without taking an answer to his proposal. He promised to come back in exactly a week to hear her answer. "Tell him I'll be in the drawing room in ten minutes."

"Ten minutes," Geraldine sighed. "You overestimate my abilities." Geraldine was quick with dresses and hair, exceptionally quick, and Penelope mussed coils and wrinkled clothes were corrected within the ninth minute. When she entered the drawing room, the duke was staring at the breakfast table. She wondered why until she approached the table herself and silently kicked herself. She'd forgotten to put the ring in its box.

"Your Grace," she greeted.

He turned to her with a pained smile. "What happened to 'Solomon?'"

Penelope lowered her eyes to the ground before lifting them to meet his again. "It's nice to see you, Solomon."

"You began this visit with formalities and I see you're not wearing your ring. I gather that you want to decline."

So, he was beating her to the punch. "You'll meet an amazing woman one day, but that woman is not me."

"I've already met the most amazing woman in the world. I don't mean to let her go."

"You'll find another."

The duke seated himself at the table and looked up at his intended. "I'll give you three hundred thousand pounds. You can forget about your dowry."

Penelope felt herself getting dizzy. This man couldn't be serious.

"If bothersome mamas are a concern, you needn't worry. The dowager duchess can be a trifle meddlesome, but my main estate is a days' journey from her's. She won't frequent our house more than once a month. And though I have a great deal of respect and love for my mother, I shall take first the counsel of my wife," Solomon continued. He briefly paused to let his words sink. "And don't fret over the responsibility of birthing a big brood—our family can be as little or as big as you like. You don't have to worry about making male heirs either; I'm a modern man. If we aren't blessed with boys, I'll gladly bequeath the dukedom of Burberry to our daughter."