Page 11 of His Wild Duchess
The Duke led Penelope into a carriage after she parted ways with Alicia. She stole a glance out the window as the Duke followed suit, her eyes clinging to the family she left behind. Never before had she ever imagined parting ways with any of them. Not in this way. Penelope fell against her seat, welcoming the warmth the hounds gave her.
CHAPTER 4
As Penelope settled into her seat, Titus and Brutus clambered past the Duke, following behind Penelope. She watched as the Duke made a face, lips pressed together tightly as he entered the carriage last. He rapped his knuckles against the compartment wall, and the carriage began to roll away from the church and further into London’s city. Penelope glanced at the forbidding walls that already rose around them, craving her familiar trees and fields.
This time, Brutus rested his head on Penelope’s lap. Titus took the watch, sitting in the corner beside Penelope, his dark gaze never once leaving the Duke. Brutus was quickly snoring as she rubbed his head, running her fingertips along the base of his neck in a massaging manner. Silence overtook the compartment. Penelope reveled in the fact that the ride wouldn’t be too long.
“Are these the dogs you spoke of?”
Penelope looked up at the Duke, lifting her shoulders. “Some of them.”
The Duke leaned forward. “Some?”
“The rest have already been delivered to the townhouse, along with the rest of my things, of course.”
He sighed, annoyance flaring in his words. “I thought I told you that I would arrange everything.”
“Well, that took far too long, your Grace,” she replied, shrugging her shoulders at him. “The animals cannot go days without me, and your way of doing things would have led to just that.” Penelope looked away, reaching to run her other hand along Titus’s snout. “Now, there’s no need to worry about anything.”
“How many are there?”
A devious smile spread across her lips. “Don’t worry, your Grace. You’ll see soon enough.”
If he had been genuinely bothered by her, the Duke worked well not to show it. He leaned back in his seat quite casually, leaning his chin against his hand. A flash of jealousy sparked in Penelopy. While she was long and lanky, at home only on horseback, the Duke seemed to have the annoying knack of looking rather handsome in any place. Penelope shook her head, ignoring the childish thought.
“It seems to me as if you added a few more beasts to your collections just for the pleasure of annoying me.”
Penelope’s eyes snapped back to him, the previous thoughts about his appearance evaporating from her mind. “I must say I don’t appreciate that sort of talk.”
“What on earth do you mean?”
“I would never be so cavalier about my companions, your Grace. They mean more to me than you could ever imagine.”
The Duke tilted his head, a mischievous smirk crawling across his face. “Tell me, your Grace, are the dogs trained, or are they much like their mistress?”
“They are mine in every way,” Penelope stated, her voice firm and resounding, catching the attention of the hounds. They both lifted their heads simultaneously, turning to look up at her. “In whatever way they might act, they were guided by me. Take it as you will.”
“It seems to me that you are as wild as the creatures you champion.”
Penelope gaped, her heart racing beneath her chest. “You, your grace, are not -”
“It is remarkable.”
She froze beneath his stare.
The Duke leaned back into his seat, fingers resting just below his chin. He narrowed his eyes at her with a blaring intensity. “How the dogs react to you.”
Penelope glanced down to see the hounds watching her.
“And I quite like it.” The Duke smirked. “Your wildness. It’s refreshing to see it here, where all are suffocated under the thumb of aristocrats. Here, I thought all women of the Ton were prim and proper.” His eyes trailed over her face. “You keep managing to catch me by surprise. I’m not exactly used to it.”
Her chest grew tight beneath his gaze. Unable to stop the rush of heat that swarmed to her cheeks, Penelope turned away, staring intently out the window. “I am not an attraction that is to be gawked at, your Grace.”
“On the contrary,” the Duke said, giving her a taunting smile. “I find I rather enjoy gawking at that blush of yours.”
Penelope snapped her gaze back to him.“You are a des -”
The carriage smoothly rolled to a stop.
