Page 10 of Saved By the Rakish Duke

The dowager duchess smacked her son’s hand away. “Duncan! Stop taunting Lady Penelope about her injury.”

“But I’mnotteasing, Mother.” Evidently perplexed at her assumption, “I really do wish to dance with her. Based on how she walked to her chair earlier, she’ll be able to manage this song—it’s rather laidback.”

The dowager duchess exhaled deeply, “Duncan, I don't know what’s gotten into you today but-”

“He’s right, Your Grace.” Penelope placed a hand on her chaperone’s arm, “I should be able to manage.”

Naturally, Penelope suspected that His Grace was always up to something. But after the most boring hour of pretending to nurse an injured ankle, Penelope decided the risk was worth it so she could satisfy her curiosity.

“As long as you’re certain, pet,” the dowager duchess finally acquiesced. “But beverycareful about your injury.” Turning to her son, she warned, “And that goes double for you.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“Yes, Mother.”

Taking his hand, Penelope followed him towards the other dancers on the ballroom floor and took their places.

“I wanted to thank you,” he cleared his throat, “for your help with Lady Jane earlier.”

Penelope raised an eyebrow amusedly. “You’re welcome, Your Grace.”

“About a minute or so after you two left me, Lords Shawstead and Ponstonbrooke emerged as they ‘just so happened’ to be taking a leisurely stroll with a journalist from the Daybreak Chronicler,” the duke explained.

Penelope sucked in a deep breath through her teeth. “Oh dear, ifsomeonehadn’t arrived in time to pry Lady Jane off of you, then one imagines that tomorrow’s headline would have been quite devastating for you.”

He smiled at her, but somehow this smile was different than the ones he had thrown her way back at Blackmoore Manor. In fact, it appeared his entire demeanor towards her had shifted since then.

“I had the situation well under control.”

Penelope flashed him a look, prompting him to add, “Although I suppose I underestimated how quickly those snakes were going to arrive.”

“Exactly.” Penelope lifted her chin triumphantly, “But if you don’t mind me asking, Your Grace, what did you do to deserve such extreme measures being taken against you?”

“Who says I deserve any measures against me at all?” He grinned, “I could be a man of honor for all you know.”

She snorted, “Please, Your Grace. A lady can’t guffaw in public.”

“What? It’s true!” His grip on her waist tightened. “You just haven’t had the chance to know-”

But he gave up halfway through his sentence upon seeing Penelope wipe a tear of laughter from her eye.

“I’m not as young as the other debutantes you toy with,” she reminded him, “so I’m not so easily deceived, Your Grace.”

“There you go again acting as though you know me,” the duke smirked. “But can I let you in on a secret?”’

“What is it?” She apprehensively raised an eyebrow.

He leaned close, so close that his breath tickled her ear. “If Iwastoying with you, I can wholeheartedly assure you that we’d be...elsewhereby now.”

The blood rushed to her face, but Penelope was not backing down so easily. “Then I suppose I should let you in on a secret too, Your Grace.”

She nodded for him to come closer once more. “You’re not the only wolf in sheep’s clothing here.”

He straightened up with an amused but somewhat skeptical expression. “A bold claim, Lady Penelope. But though you may not be a sheep, I highly doubt you’re a wolf.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” She furrowed her eyebrows.

“You clearly dislike me but still helped me out earlier, didn’t you?” he reminded her. “Face it, Lady Penelope, you may not be a sheep, but you’re no wolf either.”