Page 78 of Saved By the Rakish Duke

“And you promise you won’t provoke him?” Penelope prompted, narrowing her eyes.

“I promise,” he mumbled, before dropping his gaze to return to the morning paper in his hands.

“What was that?”

“I said, I promise!” he snapped.

Some promise.Penelope sighed to herself presently, as she watched both men give each other the cold shoulders from their respective picnic blankets.

“What book is it today?” Lord Gloushire asked as Penelope carefully lowered herself onto the other side of the blanket he had claimed and began going through her basket.

“An abridged collection of the works of John Donne,” she answered, successfully retrieving the volume. “Shall I read it out to you?”

“Please do,” her suitor encouraged.

“I shall go check if Lady Punton requires any assistance minding the children,” the duke declared as he suddenly jumped to his feet.

Penelope bewilderedly watched him leave.Wasn’t he excited to hear her read just the other day? Why did he suddenly look as though he couldn't wait to get away from her now?

“Sit closer so I can hear you better, dear.” The viscount patted the spot next to him, before turning to the dowager duchess. “That is, of course, if our acting chaperone would be so kind to allow it?”

“I'm notthatstrict,” chuckled Her Grace, “and far be it from me to get in the way of young love.”

Penelope flashed her a polite smile of thanks and crossed the blanket to sit next to the viscount, but still at a respectable distance, of course.

Opening the volume, Penelope let out a delighted squeal, “Oh, ‘The Good-morrow'!” she excitedly exclaimed,. “Certainly one of my favorites from him!”

Despite having developed a rather... bitter view of love and marriage, even she could not resist the pure love that overflowed and shone forth in every line of the poem.

“It was certainly an early marker for the talents that Donne possessed,” smiled the viscount. “Even if it was just a tad fanciful.”

“Fanciful?” Penelope frowned. “On the contrary, Lord Gloushire, Donne clearly meant every word he wrote. Can’t you feel the awe for his partner dripping off of his words? The yearning and-” she paused to find the right word, “-and hunger his soul harbored for hers?”

“Oh, I’m certain that he loved his partner very deeply, Lady Penelope,” chuckled her companion. “I suppose it is just that such passions are more commonly found among the young, whereas people my age are inclined to a more... realistic view of such matters.”

“I beg to differ, Lord Gloushire.” piped up the dowager duchess. “I'm more than happy to share that my husband and I were giddily in love—almost maddeningly so—right until he was taken away from me.”

She continued with a sentimental smile, “While you are right that such devoted acts of passion are normally tied to the young, I can wholeheartedly attest that we do not lose them even when we grow old.”

Her words reminded Penelope of the conversation she had had with His Grace the other day and her eyes wandered to land on him as he playfully splashed water onto the children.

Wouldheunderstand The Good-morrow's appeal?

Perhaps that was why he was able to speak so confidently about the properties of love as well as the tender affections he would show if he were married—he had witnessed it in his parents.

“I shall take your word for it, Your Grace,” chuckled the viscount. “I’m afraid I’m more serious than romantic.”

“Everyone has their strengths,” the dowager duchess assured him. “Besides, Lady Penelope doesn’t seem to mind one bit, isn’t that right, pet?”

Penelope tore her eyes away from the river’s edge to meet her suitor’s eyes once more. “Not at all! Especially since Lord Gloushire is quite sweet in his own way.”

“I’m the most fortunate man in the world.” He beamed, kissing her hand once again.

“Not nearly as fortunate as I,” Penelope answered.

The duke’s voice from the other night echoed in her head. “Not nearly as fortunate as I,”it said.

With one more chaste kiss on her hand, the viscount released it as he urged, “Right, well, I’ve delayed your wonderful reading for more than long enough. Please do carry on, my beloved.”

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