Page 18 of Claimed By Her Forbidden Duke
Penelope nodded. “I was gone for a while, but occupied by…” She hesitated. “The Duke of Blackstone.”
She did not expect her friends’ silence. They all blinked at her, their expressions ranging from Daphne’s frowned concern to Mary’s stunned pout to Cecilia’s smirk.
“Oh,Pen,” Cecilia cried, cackling. “You little vixen! We set you up with an escort, but you sought a much more important man. Well, well played.”
“No!” Penelope said quickly. “No, you misunderstand. I was notwiththe Duke of Blackstone in such a way, but rather prevented from entering Julian Gray’s house. I tried to pass myself off as a maid, but he recognized my name because your driver spoke it, Cecilia. He told me… he told that he could offer what Julian Gray would and asked me why I was there.”
“What did you tell him?” Mary’s eyes widened. “You did not give him the details, did you?”
“Of course not!” Penelope protested. “I told him it was a personal matter and that it was none of his business.”
“Good,” Mary said, sighing. “I do not like the Duke. Perhaps he is nicer than gossip suggests, but… well, I know of his sister, Lady Arabella, and she has gone through a great deal of heartbreak because of him.”
“I know, I have heard many things,” Daphne added. “He reappeared two months ago, but before then…” She shuddered. “The ton says that he vanished into thin air one night and did not return for seven years. Not even when his sister was left defenseless, without proper provisions, until their cousin stepped in. He did not even return for the former Duke’s funeral. I heard that while he was gone, he killed a man.”
“One man? I heard he murderedseveral.” Despite Cecilia’s chilling words, her smirk only deepened. “Penelope, whathaveyou gotten yourself into?” She looked proud, but Penelope could only feel panic.
“Whatever it is, do not continue it,” Mary told her. “He is dangerous, Pen. We encouraged your loss of virtue or at least some exploration, but we can simply book you back in with Mr. Gray. You do not need to seek out the Duke of Blackstone again.”
“I did not seek him out,” Penelope insisted. “It was happenstance.”
“I find it terribly exciting.” Cecilia giggled, her eyes twinkling. “Perhaps some danger is what you need to break up the monotony. It can be fun, and you of all people deserve a lot of fun. His Grace could be the very thing you need.”
Penelope didn’t know what to say to that. She blushed as she looked out the window, tempering her embarrassment. Still, she trusted her friends. The warnings and the encouragement. Cecilia’s boldness was a breath of fresh air, a perspective she often overlooked out of fear.
“I heard he once took a lady’s virtue right against the wall of a townhouse while a ball was going on inside,” Cecilia continued. “I do not care if I am the only one who thinks it is scandalously seductive. If my Reginald were to surprise me with such a daring act, I would not refuse.”
“Oh, Cecilia, do not be so improper!” Daphne muttered. “Heavens, you cannot be trusted in these conversations.”
“On the contrary, I believe I can be most trusted, for I am most experienced,” Cecilia countered, smiling smugly. “Reginald is tender with me when we make love. A truly confident man when he wants to be, but he knows I like to be held afterward.”
“That is… unexpectedly sweet.” Mary laughed softly before turning back to Penelope. “However, we must discuss the other issue at hand. Whether the Duke is dangerous or not, interested in you or not, he now knows something about you that could ruin your reputation. He could tell the whole ton that you were outside an escort’s house.”
“Atyoursuggestion!” Penelope protested, defensive in her shame. “I never would have been caught had you not all insisted it was what I needed.”
“Teasing aside, Pen, I am truly sorry,” Cecilia said. “It was my idea in the first place, and I convinced Mary and Daphne it was a good idea. I did not see such a surprise coming, and only planned to blackmail Julian Gray should he ever leak his client list—which I do not believe he would.”
Daphne nodded. “We will protect you—our husbands shall, as well—if His Grace decides to spread the word. You will not face such gossip alone. His word alone has power due to his rank, but we would be at least six against him, and that is without your testimony.”
“Who would Finley believe?” Penelope found herself asking, and the ladies fell silent, thinking as she did.
He would fly into a rage, and the accusations would spew from his mouth, thinking that his precious, innocent sister had been influenced and taken advantage of.
Or, worse, he would accuse her of being a harlot.
“Regardless, ladies, thank you. But I do not feel as though His Grace would say anything. After all, what washedoing at Julian Gray’s house? He was clearly not there to be serviced.”
Mary sighed heavily. “Men always come out unscathed.”
“I disagree,” Daphne cut in. “The Duke of Blackstone’s reputation was pristine before he disappeared. Now, there are rumors that some places turn him away, even with his new title. To be found cornering an unchaperoned lady in the middle of the night, and outside an escort’s business no less? It would not do him any good.”
“Who cares?” Cecilia scoffed. “The point is what our dear Penelope shall do when she sees His Grace again.” She wiggled her eyebrows, eager for more excitement.
Even Penelope had to admit that this was the most exciting thing to happen to her in some time.
She blushed, staying quiet, but Cecilia only gave her that silent, knowing look, as if she somehow knew there had been moments the night before when Penelope had been mesmerized by the Duke’s commanding presence.
But whatever her friend was about to say was interrupted by the childish giggles coming from the doorway right as Daphne’s daughters hurried in.
