Page 18 of The Guardian Duke (Wayward Dukes’ Alliance #21)

As soon as he returned home, Henry had marched to his library and pulled the books that Bernice should not read, nor any of his cousins, from the top shelf. He then took them to his set of rooms and hid them away. He also had not opened them. He had already ached enough from the kiss in the carriage and Henry knew that if he had viewed such drawings and read the passages, his discomfort would have only increased.

It had been a difficult night. A long one that had him waking several times.

It also led him to be in a rather foul mood the next morning so when he entered the breakfast room to find his cousins cheerfully chatting as Judith and Bernice told them all about Athena’s Salon, he had done nothing more than pour himself a cup of coffee and ask that a plate be prepared and delivered to the library. He intended to remain there, behind closed doors until such time as Penelope was due to call for afternoon tea.

At least, that had been his intention, and he did partake of the coffee and breakfast, but his concentration lacked.

He tried to review the missives from his estate manager, and he did, but set them aside without a response while he promised himself that he would address them later.

He then attempted to review the household accounts and check the calculations, but simply did not care. He had never found an error yet so why should he worry about finding one now?

He had wandered. He had paced. He had stood at the window and looked out at the gardens. He had tried to read the newssheets, but there was nothing of interest at the beginning where most of the important information was printed so he did not bother to read further.

Not even the book he had started reading a few days ago, that had kept him entertained, held any interest.

What the bloody hell was wrong with him?

It was because of her .

He should never have kissed Penelope. He should have no knowledge of how her lips felt against his or how her engaging him, taking and giving, could heat the blood in his veins.

He still ached for her. Kissing was not enough. He wanted to caress every part of her being. He wanted her naked before him as he brought her pleasure over and over, teaching her all the ways one might gain release before he took her, making her his own, binding her to him forever.

“Bloody hell!”

He needed a mistress.

To hell with the fact that he had innocent cousins living in his home. It wasn’t as if he brought his lovers here. He visited them, in their homes, and there was no reason why the practice could not continue.

It was the only answer because it was not possible for Penelope to be his lover, unless he married her, and there was no way his body was going to gain peace again without engaging in intimacy.

Except, there was always the option that he could take care of matters as he had done in his youth. That had worked well for a lad of sixteen who had urgings but no female to relieve that aching need, but now that he knew what it was like to be buried in a woman, a hand was simply a means to an end.

At the chime of the clock in the corridor, Henry looked at his watch. It was teatime and soon a gaggle of misses would descend upon his home and for that reason, he opened the door to his library so that he might hear their arrival. But more importantly, he wanted to know when Penelope arrived.

He needed to see her but feared that she would greet him with a slap, which he did not want to have to explain to his cousins.

Nor would she. Therefore, she would likely save the slap for when they were alone.

He grinned. He simply would not be alone with her.

In fact, maybe he should join the women for tea. It was what his cousins had hoped for since they were set on matchmaking.

A useless endeavor, of course, because he did not want a silly, innocent miss. No, the only innocent he craved was Penelope.

Blast!

As the voices carried down the corridor, Henry waited until he was certain that they had all been seated and that tea had been delivered. He’d not heard Penelope’s voice but she could have arrived with the others and with so many talking it was quite possible she either didn’t speak or the others were louder than her.

After checking his appearance in the mirror and finding that all was set to rights, at least on the outside, he strode down the corridor only to be brought up short with one question from a guest.

“Where is Lady Penelope? Is she usually not visiting in the afternoons?”

Why wasn’t she here?

“She sent word that she was suffering from a megrim,” Judith answered.

Henry frowned and hoped that it wasn’t something terribly serious.

“We assumed there was another reason,” one of the guests giggled.

“Such as?” Bernice asked.

“I suppose you would not have heard if you have not left your house yet today.”

“Heard what?” Damaris asked with concern.

“Your cousin and Lady Penelope were seen last evening, in his carriage.”

“He offered her a ride home after we left Athena’s Salon,” Judith explained while Henry’s stomach tightened. He could only hope that they had only been seen in his carriage, which was not nearly as damaging as it would be had anyone seen them kissing.

“My brother walked by after they were stopped before her home,” one of the guests said.

“As did mine,” another giggle.

“I do not understand. Why does it matter?” Damaris asked.

“It likely would not if they had not been kissing,” the first guest answered.

“My brother said that a man only kisses a woman in such a manner when he also plans on.”

“Plans on what?” Bernice asked in alarm.

“I do not know,” the miss answered. “He saw me and did not continue.”

Bloody hell!

“How many people saw the kiss?” Judith asked quietly and with concern.

“There were three other gentlemen with our brothers,” she answered. “They were on their way to White’s.”

Which meant the story likely had been told repeatedly. Henry wouldn’t be surprised if there were already wagers written in the infamous betting book.

No wonder Penelope had not called on his sisters. She had likely heard the gossip, or Felding had and forbidden her from coming here.

Henry turned on his heel and marched back to the library. There would be no greeting the guests today since there were far more important matters that required his attention.

* * *

Penelope tossed and turned all night. She could not get comfortable and her body was on edge.

She had never suffered the like.

She had even remained in bed long after she normally rose because she could not make sense of what was wrong, nor could she quiet her thoughts as they continually returned to His Grace and that deliciously wonderful kiss.

She wanted to experience more, no matter how wrong it would be to do so.

Did it truly matter if she allowed herself to explore and enjoy pleasure that left her ruined. It was not as if she intended to give up her freedom and independence so why save herself for marriage.

Except, there were consequences and she could not risk finding herself in an interesting condition.

Penelope rose from her bed and wandered to the window to look out at the day. The sun was bright for a change and promised pleasant weather.

Was it possible to enjoy pleasure without the fear…or not engaging in all activities that could result in a child?

Oh, she wished she knew more, but Penelope wasn’t even certain what the pleasure entailed. All she knew was that her body was on edge, tense, as if it needed…

She turned away from the window with a heavy heart. She had no idea what was wrong with her. All she knew was that it all began with Eldridge’s kiss and she hadn’t been the same since and wondered if she would ever return to herself.

Goodness! That thought was rather disconcerting. She had rather liked how things were before his lips.

Except, she was also immensely happy that she had experienced a passionate kiss.

Penelope sank into a chair. “Oh, what to do?”

At the knock at the door, she bid her maid enter.

“Marquess Felding has requested an audience, Lady Penelope.”

“She frowned. “So early?”

“It is noon, Lady Penelope, and I think he is concerned because you did not come down to break your fast since you have never slept so late.”

Again, she frowned. How had it become so late?

This was all Eldridge’s fault. If not for him and his lips and tongue…goodness it was suddenly warm…If not for him, she would have been dressed and already broken her fast, and likely been shopping, or something equally enjoyable. Instead, she had wandered around her chamber and wondered about him and pleasure.

This certainly would not do.

“Tell my brother that I will attend him shortly.”

The maid nodded and left her, closing the door, and with the efficiency that she had practiced since youth, Penelope pulled a day dress from the armoire, brushed then arranged her hair and set herself to rights for the day before she made her way to Noah’s library.

“You wanted to see me?” she asked.

He looked up from the papers on his desk and glared. “Close the door.”

Goodness why was he angry?

Penelope did as he asked and came to stand before his desk. She was used to Noah being irritated. It was an expression she and her sisters often saw after he became their guardian, but there was something different in his manner today, but she could not imagine what she had done to anger him.

“To think that I thought my days of worrying about a sister being ruined were behind me because until now, you and Patience have shown remarkable sense and I do not expect Phillipa to ever come to London or enjoy a Season.”

Oh dear. “Patience? What has she done?” Penelope asked as she sank into a chair before his desk. Patience was three years younger and Penelope had spent hardly any time with her this Season. First, she had simply been observing and bored and then she started spending all her time with the Simpson sisters. In fact, she had hardly seen Patience. Had she been more attentive, would her sister not be in trouble now?

“Not Patience,” Noah said. “You!”

“Me?” she asked in alarm. “I have done nothing that could risk my reputation.”

He snorted. “Is that so?”

“It most certainly is!” she insisted.

“Does that mean that you were not in the carriage owned by His Grace, the Duke of Eldridge last evening, alone?”

Oh dear!

“Does that mean that the five gentlemen who passed were only imagining when they saw the two of you in a tight embrace while, as it has been described to me, he was devouring you?” Noah yelled.

Penelope pulled back at the anger.

Oh, she would like to deny what they had clearly witnessed but could not. His Grace had been devouring her and she would have let him continue…she winced and bit her bottom lip.

“You know what this means.”

Her heart sank. “No…no…please Noah. Do not force me to do anything that we will both regret.”

“Such promises can only be made when a reputation is not at stake.”

“I will return to the country.” Though she loathed to do so, it was better than being forced into a miserable marriage.

Except, at least she would finally discover the pleasures that had only been hinted at.

On the other hand, Eldridge would likely resent her and thus, have no desire to kiss her again, let alone anything else. “I promise never to visit his home again. I promise not to assist his cousins. I promise not to leave the house. I promise…”

Noah held up his hand so Penelope stopped talking, though she was terribly afraid of what her future would be.

She should have pushed His Grace away the moment his lips touched hers. Except, it had been so wonderful that all caution had flown from her mind.

“I intend to call on Eldridge.”

“Please, Noah, no.” Tears filled her eyes as panic clenched her heart.

“For now, it will be a discussion. I will decide your fate after.”

Her heart was pounding so fiercely that Penelope was certain that it was going to fracture her breastbone as the muscles tightened in her neck.

This could not be happening.

“When do you plan to pay him a visit?” Her voice croaked with the question for she nearly could not speak.

“Later, this afternoon, after the time for polite calls have concluded.”

That was a very odd response. “Why then?”

“Because there will be nothing polite about my visit.”