To Capture a Duke's Heart (18 page)

Meg?
Penny wondered as she followed Mrs. Croft with her eyes.

“Meg, dear, come in,” the housekeeper instructed, opening the door to the slender young maidservant standing in the hall. 

The maid, appearing only slightly older than Penny herself, stepped into the room glancing somewhat shyly between her and Mrs. Croft.

“Your Grace, this is Meg,” the housekeeper informed her with a bright smile.  “She is a highly-proficient lady’s maid and would be happy to attend you, unless of course your own maid will be joining you, or you would perhaps prefer to make other arrangements of your own.”

“Hello, Meg,” Penny greeted warmly.  Clearly her arrival sans the accompaniment of her own personal lady’s maid, a decidedly unusual occurrence to be sure, hadn’t gone unnoticed by the attentive Mrs. Croft. 

“Good evening, Your Grace,” the petite, softly-spoken brunette replied as she bobbed a polite curtsey. 

“As it happens, my own lady’s maid, Sarah, was unable to accompany me on our journey to Town,” Penny explained, “and as she is recently wed and expecting her first child, I fear that she will not wish to leave Leicester to join me here in London.  So yes, if you are amenable I would be most pleased to have you attend me, Meg.” 

Meg nodded eagerly, her face lighting up at Penny’s words.  “Oh yes, Your Grace.  I would be honored.”

“Excellent,” Penny replied, pleased by the maid’s enthusiastic response. 

Once Mrs. Croft had taken her leave a short time later, Penny set Meg to the task of drawing her a bath, and then settled gratefully into the warm, scented water as her new lady’s maid busied herself with the pressing of the gown she’d chosen to wear for the evening meal.  Dinner, as Mrs. Croft had informed her, was informal unless there were guests in attendance, thus she’d selected a simple apricot-colored dinner dress from the selection of gowns hanging within the wardrobe.  Until the remainder of her belongings arrived from home she was limited to the garments she’d taken with her to Scotland, but luckily Sarah had packed more than enough gowns within her trunk to keep her suitably clothed, at least for the time being.

So, while Meg set to work on the dress, Penny laid her head back against the smooth rim of the tub and allowed her eyelids to drift shut with a contented sigh.  Then, as the heated water began to soothe her aching muscles, she felt herself succumbing to her previous night’s lack of sleep, her mind drifting languidly, somewhere in-between sleep and wakefulness.  It was only when the water finally began to cool that she roused herself, forced her eyes open once again and set about soaping the remaining travel dust from her body and hair.

She’d just finished toweling herself dry a short while later when Meg tapped lightly upon the door.  “Yes?”

“Excuse me, Your Grace, but one of the footmen has just delivered a message from His Grace.”

Wrapping the towel around her, Penny opened the door and stepped back into her bedchamber.  “A message?”

“Yes, Your Grace.  His Grace requests that you join him in his study at your earliest convenience.”

Though she felt a sudden, uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach, Penny strove to keep her expression composed as she glanced toward the empty fireplace and to the clock sitting upon the stone mantle, noting the time.  “I suppose we had best hurry then,” she replied, for she’d spent more time at her bath than she’d intended and dinner was to be served in less than an hour. 

True to her word, Meg was indeed a most proficient lady’s maid as Mrs. Croft had claimed, and with a marked proficiency she had Penny dressed and readied in no time at all.  Thus, it was with ample time to spare that she made her way downstairs and with the assistance of one of the many footmen in attendance found her way to Gabriel’s study.

Waiting until the footman had retreated, she knocked softly upon the door, her heart beating nervously within her chest.

“Come in,” she heard him call from inside.

Penny opened the door and stepped inside, her eyes going directly to where Gabriel was seated behind a large desk topped with an assortment of loose papers and several thin, leather-bound record books. “You wished to see me, Your Grace?”

“Close the door,” he replied, not bothering to rise from his chair, a deliberate slight no doubt.

Penny pushed the wooden portal closed behind her and slowly turned back around.

“Have a seat,” Gabriel directed, gesturing to one of the two wingback chairs fronting his desk, waiting until Penny was seated before continuing.  “I trust Mrs. Croft saw you settled into your rooms?”  His tone reserved, as was his expression.

“Yes, she was most helpful.  Thank you,” she responded quietly.

Gabriel offered a brusque nod of acknowledgement as he leaned back in his chair, clasping his hands together in front of him.  “While the majority of my staff is undoubtedly reeling in shock at this unexpected turn of events, I have every expectation that they will exert the utmost effort to see you comfortably ensconced and that your transition to mistress of this household is effected as seamlessly as possible.”

Penny sat quietly, waiting for him to continue. 

“In addition, I have informed my brothers that they will need to embark upon the establishment of their own bachelor quarters within the coming weeks.”

The revelation caught her completely off guard.  “Oh, but surely that isn’t necessary?” Penny exclaimed, horrified to think that she would be responsible for ousting Michael and Rafael from their family home.

“As this is no longer a bachelor residence,” Gabriel stated, eyeing her pointedly, “I’m afraid that it is.” 

Dash it all! 
With their impending displacement, whatever animosity Rafael and Michael felt towards her was sure to be increased tenfold, Penny reasoned in dismay.  

Straightening, he motioned to one of the papers lying atop his desk.  “I’ve had my secretary prepare an official wedding notice to be delivered to
The Times
first thing
tomorrow; and while the announcement will not be delivered in time to make the morning edition, I would expect the news of our marriage to be common knowledge by the end of the day, nevertheless.”

“I see.”  Penny felt as if her head was suddenly spinning, for everything was happening so fast. 

Gabriel stood up then and reached into his jacket pocket.  “As I assured your father, I have every intention of affecting the guise of a contented bridegroom,” he said as he withdrew a small, velvet-covered box, “at least publically, that is.  Of course, I would hardly do justice to the role if I failed to provide my new bride with a lasting token of my affection.”  Stepping around the desk, he lifted the cover of the box, revealing to Penny the ring that lay nestled within.

It was an enormous, rectangular cut emerald, the center stone flanked by one, slightly smaller rectangular-shaped diamond on each side.  It was absolutely magnificent.

“This is the engagement ring my father gave to my mother,” he informed her as he removed the ring and held it aloft between his thumb and forefinger.

“It’s beautiful,” Penny uttered softly.

He looked at it thoughtfully for several seconds and then held it out for her to take. 

Penny eyed him hesitantly and then slowly extended her hand, her heart constricting as he dropped it unceremoniously onto the center of her palm. 

“If it doesn’t fit, I’m sure that we can have it resized,” he said tonelessly, slipping his hands casually into the pockets of his trousers as he looked down upon her.

Sitting there, Penny gazed upon the breathtaking ring in silence for several long seconds, compelling herself not to cry as a myriad of emotions ran riot within her head; until finally, with an unsteady hand, she grasped the gold band between the tips of her fingers and slowly slid it onto her left ring finger. To her surprise it fit perfectly, almost as if it had been made expressly for her.  But of course it
hadn’t
been made for her, nor had it been
intended
for her.  And yet, there it was, resting upon
her
finger; for she
was
the new Duchess of Ainsworth, for better or for worse.  Had the circumstances been different, she mused, the moment would have assuredly filled her with joy.  But the circumstances weren’t different; and as the weight of the ring settled upon her finger, she was filled with naught but a dull, crushing sadness.  Nevertheless, she gathered her composure, lifted her face to the duke’s inscrutable gaze and said simply, “Thank you, Your Grace.”

He regarded her in silence for a moment, the muscles along the sides of his jaw flexing nearly imperceptibly as if he were clenching his teeth perhaps, before finally he responded.  “If we are to portray this farce with even a hint of believability, Madame, you would do best to forgo the formality.  You may call me Gabriel, or Ainsworth if you prefer.”

Though not explicitly cruel, the words were spoken with such icy disdain that they flayed Penny like the lash of a whip. 
Give him time,
she thought, drawing strength from her father’s words as she nodded.  “Thank you,
Gabriel
.”

He tipped his head fractionally in approval.  “If you are ready then,
my dear,
I shall escort you to the dining room.”

Over the course of the following days and as Penny became increasingly more comfortable in her new home, she slowly began to take on more and more of the domestic responsibilities and gradually established what was to become a daily routine.  In the mornings, Meg, who was proving to be an absolute delight, helped her to bathe, dress and style her hair before she made her way downstairs to the breakfast room, where she and Gabriel shared the morning meal.  Rafael and Michael seldom made an appearance at the breakfast table, however, and in fact, rarely rose from their respective beds prior to the noon hour.  For despite the fact that the Season had yet to begin, they went out most evenings and seldom returned home until the wee hours of the morning.

Once she’d finished her breakfast, Penny then met with Mr. Thompkins and Mrs. Croft, respectively, to go over the upcoming day’s activities, the household accounts and to discuss any other domestic matters that required her attention.  Then, once those meetings had been concluded, she sat down and spent what seemed to her a rather exorbitant amount of time with the duke’s exacting French chef to go over the menus for the midday and evening meals.

Following that, the remainder of the morning was hers to do as she pleased, as Gabriel more often than not was closeted within his study whilst she was left to her own devices.  For the most part, she spent her time exploring the house and the grounds and learning what she could about her husband and his family.  She studied family portraits, read through numerous journals detailing the family history and learned what she could from her conversations with the various members of the household staff, or as much as she could anyhow without seeming overly intrusive. 

In the afternoons she shared the midday meal with Gabriel and his brothers, who now made an effort at least to include her in their conversations, though Penny understood that it was more for the servants’ benefit than hers.  For like she and Gabriel, Michael and Rafael were simply lending their hands to what her husband had so aptly referred to as the
farce
they were all endeavoring to portray.  And as servants’ gossip was often known to rival that of their illustrious employers, even amongst the most loyal of household staffs, it was imperative that they maintained a united front not only in public, but at home as well.

After luncheon, the remainder of the day was once again hers to spend as she wished, as Gabriel and his brothers busied themselves within the house, or more often than not, ventured out to occupy themselves elsewhere.  Of course once the
ton
returned to Town and the Season began that would inevitably change, with countless invitations to balls, fetes, dinners, breakfasts, musicals and a host of other social gatherings delivered to their door each morning.  Thus, before long the bulk of her afternoons would likely be spent sorting through and responding to the anticipated barrage.  In the meantime, however, Penny most often spent her time in the library, perusing the vast collection of books that occupied shelf upon shelf of the two-story, circular-shaped room, their numbers well into the thousands.

Then, with the exception of the dinner hour, which the four of them continued to share each night, Penny was left to spend the greater part of her evenings alone, whilst the men journeyed out to one of the exclusive gentlemen’s clubs or private gaming establishments to which they were members.  It was most often then, during those solitary evenings when she sat alone in her chamber, propped against the bed pillows with an unopened book in her lap, that the melancholy set in, despite her efforts to keep it at bay.  For in spite of being surrounded by an entire houseful of servants, she had never felt more alone.  But it was later still, when she’d finally extinguished the bedside lamp and settled beneath the covers that the utter bleakness of her situation, as well as her future, weighed heaviest upon her. For after the first few nights, as she’d laid awake long into the wee hours of the morning, listening for the smallest sound to alert her to the doors between her and Gabriel’s chambers being opened, it became all too clear that her husband had not the slightest intention of seeking out her bed and that she would remain his wife in name only, perhaps indefinitely.

_____

Entering through the door of White’s at past ten, much as he had for the past several evenings, Gabriel proceeded into the lobby and cast a cursory glance around the sparsely occupied front room, noting for the most part the presence of the selfsame gentlemen he’d encountered on his previous visits.  The addition of one gentleman in particular, however, was both an unexpected and decidedly welcome sight.

“Ainsworth,” the gentleman hailed, noting his arrival. Then rising from the depths of a burgundy-leather wingback chair, he set his drink upon a nearby table and strode forward with an affable smile.

Percy Hawthorne, Viscount Reinford, had been one of his classmates at Eton and over the years had become one of Gabriel’s closest friends.  “Reinford, I didn’t know you were back in Town,” he greeted, striding forward to shake Percy’s hand.

“Indeed.  I arrived just this afternoon, in fact.”

“Hello Reinford,” Rafael and Michael greeted as they followed Gabriel into the room.

“Michael, Rafael, it’s good to see you,” Percy replied warmly.

“I say, Percy, it’s a bit early for you to have left Reinford Park, isn’t it?”  Rafael queried, eyeing him curiously.  As they all knew, Percy was an avid sportsman and loath to leave behind the lush woodland surrounding his country estate for Town any earlier than he absolutely had to. 

Percy nodded dolefully.  “Regrettably it is; but sad to say we suffered a small house fire at the Park earlier in the week which necessitated our untimely departure.”

Gabriel frowned, eyeing him concernedly.  “No one was hurt, I hope.”

“No,” Percy shook his blonde head, “fortunately not.  The fire was discovered and contained before anyone was injured, thank Heavens, and the damage was limited to only a small portion of the house,” he assured them.  “Nevertheless, Mother and the girls were insistent upon vacating the premises as the repairs get underway.”

The girls as Gabriel was aware were Percy’s younger sisters, twenty-year-old Constance and eighteen-year-old Claire, the pair under his guardianship since the death of their father two years earlier.  “Well, I hope you know that if there is anything at all that we can do to help, you’ve only need let us know,” Gabriel avowed.

Percy nodded appreciatively.  “I do, and thank you.  You needn’t worry, however, for I’ve got the situation well in hand.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

“In any event, that’s enough about my present woes,” he stated, looking pointedly at Gabriel through a set of wide brown eyes.  “What’s this I hear about you getting leg-shackled?  And to the Earl of Beckford’s daughter no less; a young lady whom Constance assures me hasn’t even yet made her debut?”

Affecting a good-humored expression, Gabriel nodded.  “Tis true, believe it or not.”

Shaking his head in apparent disbelief, he looked to Rafael and Michael for confirmation.

Rafael merely bobbed his head, while Michael replied with a grin, “I assure you its true Reinford, for Rafe and I were both in attendance at the blessed event.”

“Hells bells,” Percy uttered incredulously, “the lady must be quite something for you to have surrendered your long-held bachelor status and so
precipitously
at that.”

Gabriel didn’t miss the unspoken question reflected in Percy’s tone.  It was the same, thinly-veiled query he’d been deflecting since the announcement of his marriage had been made public.  But Percy was a friend, and one who knew him well. 

“Trust me, Reinford,” Rafael remarked with a raffish grin, purposefully redirecting Percy’s attention from Gabriel, “you have only to cast your eyes upon the new Duchess of Ainsworth to understand what prompted my brother’s uncharacteristic behavior.”

“Is that so?” Quirking his brow, Percy returned his gaze to Gabriel, his expression shifting to reflect an interest of an entirely different sort.  “Snapped up the next incomparable have you, Ainsworth?”

Gabriel merely smiled in response, clapping Percy amiably upon the back.  “Come along, Reinford,” he suggested.  “Let’s secure a table and we can continue our conversation over a friendly game of cards.”

At the mention of cards, Percy’s eyes took on an enthusiastic gleam.  “Friendly my arse,” he scoffed good-naturedly.  “I’ll be taking back that two-hundred pounds I lost to you the last time we played and then some.”

“We’ll see about that,” Gabriel replied with a light-hearted chuckle.

_____

It was at the end of her first week in London when Penny’s belongings arrived from Beckford Hall and along with them a much anticipated letter from home.  And so, as the footmen quickly set about unloading the trunks from the coach and transferring them to her bedchamber, she enlisted Meg, along with two of the upstairs chambermaids, to begin their unpacking whilst she escaped to the privacy of her sitting room, eager to read her father’s letter.  Breaking the wax seal as she sat down upon one of the room’s upholstered armchairs, she hurriedly withdrew the single sheet of parchment and set to reading. 

Following his initial greeting and subsequent hope that she was faring well, her father went on to provide a brief accounting of home, affirming that all was well at Beckford Hall, though as expected her presence was sorely missed by all.  In addition, he offered his assurance that her brother was fine and gradually adjusting to her absence; the situation made far easier, he claimed, with Charlie’s understanding that he would be accompanying his parents on their impending journey to London and would see his sister soon.  Before closing, he reminded her of their previous discussion and included the name and direction of his London solicitor, as well as the bank that handled his funds and the details of the account he’d set up in her name. 

With a fond smile Penny gazed upon the earl’s scrawling signature for a moment and then returned her focus to the top of the page and read through the entire letter once more, heartened by the knowledge that she would see both her beloved father and brother before the month’s end. And so with her spirits markedly lifted, she refolded the missive, returned it to its envelope and then rose from her chair, slipping it into the pocket of her skirt.

Returning to her bedchamber shortly thereafter, she found Meg and the other maids setting about their tasks as the final trunk was carried into the room and placed alongside the others.  And as Meg appeared to be doing an admirable job of managing the proceedings, aptly directing the other two women as they emptied the numerous trunks, boxes and assorted cases scattered about the room, Penny removed her father’s letter from her pocket and carried it over to the small nightstand that sat next to her bed.

Taking hold of the top drawer’s weighted, brass handle she pulled it outward, intending to place the letter inside, but the drawer’s forward progress was suddenly arrested, almost as if it had caught upon something inside.  Jiggling it to and fro as she attempted to dislodge it, Penny frowned when the stubborn drawer refused to budge any further.  And so, setting the envelope aside, she bent down to peer into the stand’s shadowy confines, noting as she did that something had become wedged between the back of the drawer and the top of the nightstand.  Reaching her hand inside she grasped the impeding object and with a few sharp tugs managed to wrestle it free.  It was a small, thin book bound in crimson-red leather.  Holding it aloft she read the title stamped in gold leaf upon the cover,
The Liaison of Madame D’Aubry and the Ardent Footman
.  Although she was an avid reader, the title, a rather peculiar one at that, as well as the author’s name noted on the cover’s bottom right corner,
P.L. Trent
, was entirely unfamiliar to her. 

The book must have belonged to the former occupant of the room, Gabriel’s mother, the dowager Duchess of Ainsworth, she realized as she studied the elegant gold script. And while curious, she hadn’t the time to study the book further.  Perhaps later, when she had a quiet moment to herself, she would give it a read she thought as she returned it to the drawer.  Then retrieving her father’s letter from where she’d laid it atop the stand she placed it into the drawer alongside the book and pushed it closed.

Turning her attention to the controlled chaos surrounding her then, Penny moved to join the others as they continued to unpack her things.