Page 54 of Tamed By a Duke
"Yes, your Grace, I might have to push you in if you continue to ravish my friend so publicly," Julia cautioned in a whisper, as she edged toward the pair.
"A special license will remedy matters," Penrith replied, his eyes locked on Charlotte's, "In fact, once I deliver Miss Drew home, I will set forth straightaway for the Archbishop's palace and procure one."
"Might I suggest a bath first?" Julia said with a sigh, but even the ice-cold Lady Julia could not keep the smile from her lips as she took in the pair of love-struck fools before her.
Penrith looked down at himself, seeing for the first time what his dip in the pond had done to his attire. His clothes were covered in muck, his breeches stuck to his thighs, his shirt scandalously transparent.
Charlotte gulped; she rather liked this dishevelled version of the duke, but perhaps now was not the time to say.
There would be plenty of time to tell him just how much she had enjoyed the view once they were wed.
"Excuse me, your Grace," the voice of the race-master called, "Might we be permitted to begin now?"
"Er. Yes, yes. Carry on," Penrith waved an imperious hand, though the impression was rather ruined by the string of pond-weed which had attached itself to his sleeve.
"Come, let us slip away while no one is watching," Charlotte urged, and as the race began, Charlotte, the duke, and her two friends fled the scene.
Once they had reached the copse where they had left their vehicle, Penrith took command, ushering Violet and Julia into the barouche.
"We shall call for tea in the morning," Violet promised Charlotte, as they clambered inside the carriage.
"Perhaps leave it till the day after," Penrith replied, with a wink, "Miss Drew will be busy preparing for her wedding in the morning."
Two shocked faces greeted Penrith's declaration, but he paid them no heed, he simply waved the carriage away with a careless hand.
In silence, Penrith helped Charlotte into his waiting curricle, before clambering in beside her.
"Are we to be wed in the morning?" she asked, as he urged the horses into a gentle trot. It seemed rather sudden, though given the circumstances of his proposal, it was also rather pertinent. What would her father say when he found out that Charlotte had been ravished by a soaking wet duke in front of a crowd of hundreds? People would already be spreading scandalised whispers the length and breadth of London, she thought nervously.
"Oh, yes," Penrith smiled, "I would marry you now, if I could."
"And I you," Charlotte offered shyly, reaching out to take his free hand.
It felt so right, to be sitting beside him, with her hand in his, facing toward the future together.
"Oh, Lud," Charlotte whacked her forehead with the palm of her hand, as a sudden realisation dawned on her.
"What is it?" Penrith looked momentarily concerned.
"I am going to have to explain all this to my grandmother," Charlotte replied with a laugh, "I will ruin her triumph at having a duchess as a granddaughter when I explain what a scene we made. Though, I suppose she would expect me to ruin things somehow. Why fight against her expectations?"
"You are no longer fighting alone," Penrith replied, lifting her hand to his lips to kiss, "I am here to battle by your side."
"Will you fight for me, even if I start calling you Shuggy-wuggy?" Charlotte wondered idly, seeking to tease him a little.
"You can only push a man so far, my dear."
"Oh, but what fun I will have, seeing how far I can push you, my darling Penrith," she replied with a mischievous smile, which the duke responded to with one of his own, before he drove them on into the sunset.
Epilogue
One Year Later...
Charlotte was seated upon the chaise in the drawing room of Penrith House, with a book in hand. The morning sun shone through the sash-windows, illuminating the splendour of the room's decor and bathing everything in a golden glow.
It had taken Charlotte a few months to become accustomed to the fact that she was now the mistress of this splendid house. And it had taken her just a little bit longer to feel comfortable traversing through the immaculate rooms without feeling like she was going to break or spill something.
But Penrith had helped her immensely with settling into her new role as duchess. He had held her hand when she had accidentally broken a priceless vase, bolstered her spirits whenever she made a socialfaux pas, and had guided her whenever any issue arose with the staff.
