Page 17 of Saved By the Rakish Duke

“Apology accepted, but only just barely,” the older woman snapped. “For the disruption you’ve caused, I shan’t offer you breakfast. Be on your way now!”

With that, the two men bade everyone a good morning and bound out the door.

“I’m so very sorry about all of that, pet,” the dowager duchess turned to her, hands still on her hips, “but I’m afraid I've been fighting a losing battle against their mischief since they were schoolchildren.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for, Your Grace.” Penelope grinned. “With all due respect, His Grace’s friends seemed exactly as I would imagine them.”

“And what, pray tell, do you mean bythat?” The duke raised an eyebrow, taking his seat at the head of the table.

“It means she's hardly surprised that a troublemaker like yourself is friends with other troublemakers.” The dowager duchess sighed.

“Hardly!” objected the duke, slicing into his eggs. “Last nightIwas doing nothing but keeping them out of trouble.”

“Oh really, Your Grace?” Penelope teased. “Because I could have sworn that I thought I saw you in a bit of a scrape in the-”

He shot her a look, halting her mid-sentence.

“In a scrape in the...?” prompted his mother.

“She’s only joking, Mother,” he answered, still not taking his eyes off of Penelope. “By the way, how’s yourinjury, Lady Pen?”

Now it was Penelope’s turn to narrow her eyes at him.

Mr. Rowley knocked on the door. “I’m so sorry to disturb you, Your Grace. But you asked me to remind you about answering Lady Musebridge’s latest correspondence before the afternoon mail gets collected.”

“Oh yes, thank you, Rowley.” Her Grace rose from her seat, and with a stern finger reminded her son, “Behave yourself.”

Once the dowager duchess left them alone, His Grace leaned forward. “Were you just about to double-cross me by mentioning the incident with Lady Jane?”

“Not at all, Your Grace.” Penelope folded her arms. “You almost sounded disappointed when you mentioned how you did nothing except oversee your friends last night, so I thought it worthwhile to remind you of some of last night’s highlights.”

He swallowed his food before retorting, “Is that so? Because I’m beginning to get the impression that you weren’t serious about wanting my help after all.”

“Iamserious!” she huffed.

“Then it’s time to prove so.” He stretched his hands above his head stifling a yawn. “Thanks to your chosen deadline, we must get to work right away. Let’s go out for a promenade this afternoon.”

Penelope nodded slowly. “Very well, Your Grace. Although, we might have to ask the dowager duchess to fill in for my mother as chaperone.”

He furrowed his eyebrows. “Why? Wouldn’t your mother care to join us?”

“At the moment, she doesn’t even care to join us in the waking realm.” Penelope exhaled, keeping her eyes on the table.

But the duke appeared unfazed by this. “Leave it to Mother and me. We shall get her out for the sake of fresh air.”

Penelope narrowed her eyes skeptically. “But how, Your Grace? She won’t even-”

“My family’s always been a most persuasive bunch,” he answered vaguely. “In the meantime, carry on with your day as usual.” He waved her away with one hand while using the other to signal to the maid to retrieve the newspaper from the other end of the table.

With that, Penelope took her leave, but just as she reached the doorway, the duke snapped his fingers as he suddenly remembered, “Ah yes! I hope you like the present I had the servants deliver to your room.”

She tilted her head. “Present?”

“You’ll see,” he smirked.

Great...she groaned,What’s he up to now?

CHAPTER6