Page 12 of The Guardian Duke (Wayward Dukes’ Alliance #21)

Lady Penelope was becoming too much of an interference in his life and Henry required assistance. Therefore, he crossed to his desk and took out a piece of parchment and wrote four simple words before he signed his name. “Meet me at Whites.” He then folded the parchment and sealed with wax with the signet ring bearing the “W” and asked a footman to deliver it to Claybrook.

He then left the mansion and made his way to White’s, took a back corner table and waited.

It was not long before Claybrook stepped into the establishment, looked around and then found Henry and marched in his direction and took a seat.

“What is wrong?” he demanded. “Has an incident occurred that could harm one of your cousins?”

“They are well,” Henry dismissed.

“Then why the urgency?”

“She has taken over my house, my cousins and is attempting to manage my life.”

Claybrook frowned and pulled back. “Lady Penelope?”

“Yes! Who else could be so menacing?”

“Have you ruined her?”

“Good God, of course not.” How could Claybrook even think him to be so low? Though, he had wanted to kiss her and his thoughts did wander into more intimate situations when they danced. Oh, he had ruined her in his thoughts, but definitely not in the manner that mattered to Society.

“Has she caused a scandal that needs to be managed?”

“No!”

“Has she upset or ruined a business venture.”

“No and what does that have to do with anything?” Henry demanded.

“Then I do not understand what is so urgent that you need assistance from the Alliance.”

“She has brought misses into my home,” Henry growled. “They are taking tea at this very moment. Six of them who are of no relation and one of them being her. ”

“Her, as in Lady Penelope.”

“Yes! Have we not already established that?” He paused in his discussion only to order ale for him and Claybrook. “She is the most aggravating woman to walk this earth and I need you to help me rid her from my home.”

“What has she done?”

Henry glared and then listed how they had gone shopping, the cost, the dancing, hairstyles, being forced to hire maids, these teas. “And, now I am expected to host a bloody ball.” Henry leaned forward. “But the worst and most unforgivable is that my cousins have decided to play matchmaker. I overheard them speaking of it this morning!”

“They want you to wed?” Claybrook laughed.

“They fear that I will marry them off, despite my assurance that I will not, but have decided, that if I am caught up in the courtship of a woman that I will be too busy to arrange marriages for them.”

Claybrook lifted the glass of ale put before him and drank, but the humor did not leave his eyes, which was more aggravating than Lady Penelope and her managing his life.

“Do you really think that Lady Penelope, who values her independence and freedom above all else, would assist in your eventual downfall to that of a married man?”

“At first, I did not think she was aware of my cousin’s intention, but can I truly be certain? She does seem to enjoy managing my life.” There were misses in his home right now and in the middle of it all was Lady Penelope, and he had overheard his cousin’s plans.

“Of the five taking tea, would there be anyone in whom you might find an interest?”

“No! They are young and silly.”

Claybrook nodded.

“What?”

“If Lady Penelope were truly assisting your cousins, she would have invited the type of woman you might find attractive. Someone with maturity. Poised, confident and intelligent. Certainly not silly.”

He hated that Claybrook was correct, except… “How do you know that Lady Penelope, in her assistance, would know the type of woman who would interest me?”

Claybrook then had the audacity to roll his eyes! “She observes and pays attention to everything, and no doubt has overheard conversations not meant for innocent ears. She would never invite silly chits into your home, especially the kind that giggle, if she were truly assisting your cousins to see you wed.”

Maybe he was correct… “That still does not change the fact that my cousins are playing at matchmaking for me or that Lady Penelope is at my house daily seeing that they are prepared to return to Society.”

Claybrook smirked. “You should thank her.”

“Thank her! She has disrupted my home.”

“That disruption came when your cousins arrived and I support Lady Penelope’s attempts to see your cousins received in the right circles. Without her interference, as you put it, they would likely turn into spinsters and spend the rest of their days in your household. So, yes, you should thank her.”

He did not want to. He wanted her gone!

He also feared her influence. His cousins looked up to Lady Penelope and he feared that they wanted to be like her, which included freedom, independence and likely spinsterhood.

He also needed temptation out of his house.

Bloody hell!

It wasn’t his cousins or their matchmaking, or even her interference that was the most bothersome. It was because he wanted Lady Penelope Johansen for himself.

How the hell had that come about?

* * *

Penelope was no less disturbed by her thoughts when she returned to the Duke of Eldridge’s home the following day than she had been when she left.

Could she have an infatuation for His Grace?

How could that even be?

Yes, he was handsome, and there was a kindness to him in how he took his cousins in, but he was also a…she could not think of anything she disliked when certainly there must be something.

They argued about what was best for his cousins, but then he usually ended up agreeing with her.

Besides, it wasn’t truly his fault that he did not know how to be a guardian. He had not been one before. No one could expect him to immediately know what needed to be done.

He could have arranged marriages and been done with them, but he hadn’t.

On the other hand, he allowed them to disappear as wallflowers do, which had been a disservice.

But he had allowed her to change that.

He listened to her.

Penelope sucked in a breath. He listened!

Yes, they argued, but he also listened to her reasoning.

Few gentlemen of her acquaintance would have done so. Women, for the most part were dismissed, especially when the topic was of importance, yet His Grace, listened to her.

No wonder she was beginning to think of him fondly. It was not infatuation at all and therefore her heart was not in jeopardy. She simply liked him because he did not dismiss her plans, even when he did not agree with them.

Much relieved that she had determined her emotions as they pertained to His Grace, Penelope knocked on the door and then was ushered into the parlor where the cousins awaited her.

The ball was planned yesterday, and servants were given their orders. The wardrobe was set, they knew how to dance, and hair had been styled. Today, they would receive the most important lesson of all. Who was who, and which rakes to avoid.

As requested, a copy of Debrett’s was sitting in the middle of the table and the sisters were on the settees awaiting her instructions.

“We have taken the liberty to look through the pages,” Judith announced. “We hoped to gain some familiarity.”

She nodded and took a seat.

“We are even in there,” Jael announced with excitement.

“Of course you are,” Penelope chuckled. “Your grandfather was a duke, a peerage that is thoroughly documented with each birth.”

“There is a new book released each year?” Chloe asked.

“No. Only when there have been significant changes, or it has been too long since it was updated. This one is from 1816. Only two years old, so it should be fairly accurate, but I will note if there are marriages and births not yet reported.”

Penelope knew that the sisters would not retain information for each family so she provided names of the misses and ladies who would be best to befriend. It was her hope that when introduced, if a name was not recognized that the sisters would be cautious in their association.

As for the gentlemen, she was very clear on which were to be avoided because of their reputation of being rakes, rogues and scoundrels. This was the list she spent far more time discussing because it was imperative that they know that no matter how charming the gentleman, or what their rank, they could not be trusted or would not make a good husband because they intended to wed for connections and keep mistresses for pleasure.

The sisters had been shocked at some of the examples Penelope provided but it was important that they lose some of their naivety when it came to certain gentlemen of the ton and what to watch for if a man was intent on seduction without courtship, betrothal or marriage.

“What about Cousin Henry, what is his reputation?”

Oh, did she dare tell them?

“Well…he is…” she winced because Penelope did not want to be untruthful. “He has the reputation of being a rake, a bachelor who enjoys his freedom. However, he would never encourage or ruin an innocent. A respectable rake,” she concluded.

“Is that what they say about me, Lady Penelope? That I am a respectable rake.”

Oh dear.

Penelope slowly turned in her seat to find His Grace standing behind her. Her face burned and she wanted nothing more but to crawl under the table.