Page 49 of Cinderella's Charade With the Duke
‘So how in the world have you ended up as this Lady Penelope Denning when you began here as Miss Hattie Potts, governess?’ Trudy examined the sandwiches and finally selected a cucumber mint.
‘Reporters were hounding His Grace at the Manor and gave his daughter and me quite a fright one morning out by the lake. The men are desperate for gossip about him and his late first wife to sell to the papers.’
‘That does not explain how this…’ Trudy paused and pointed at her dress and styling ‘…came to be.’
‘William had the idea of me becoming Lady Penelope Denning for the ball to celebrate his succession. He hoped it would keep the reporters at bay if I was to be his betrothed. It would give them the story they wanted, he said, so his daughter could be left alone as the reporters gave her a fright. For her benefit and for his, I agreed.’
‘But he acts as if youarethis Penelope Denning when he knows you are not,’ Ophelia stated. ‘It makes little sense to me.’ She snagged another shortbread biscuit and popped it in her mouth. She made a small moan as she savoured it.
Heat crawled up Hattie’s neck and into her cheeks. If she had possessed one, she would have used that blasted fan from the ball to cool herself, but she didn’t, so her flush deepened. ‘It is because he has lost his memory and believes IamLady Penelope Denning,’ Hattie replied and made a grimace.
Trudy choked on her cucumber sandwich and Ophelia landed a clean blow between her friend’s shoulder blades. Ophelia patted her on the back and then turned a narrowed gaze on Hattie as if she were taking on Trudy’s line of questioning.‘How? You have an entire household that knows you are no such person.’
‘That is true, but they are pretending I am. Then there was the ball where I was introduced to thetonasher, so all of those people believe I am as well.’ She looked down at her hands. Now that she was explaining all of it, it sounded rather horrid and deceitful.
‘You mean many people believe you are this made-up person?’ Ophelia asked, her eyes widening.
‘Yes. Somehow, I was able to be her. I put on fancy gowns and jewels and imagined myself to be the girl with a lovely home and parents who cared for me, just like we did when we were young. It was easier than I thought it would be to become someone else and pretend to have had a different past, like the one we always dreamed up. And a different life,’ she mused and shrugged. Finally, she dared lift her gaze to them. To her surprise Ophelia was smiling. She clapped her hands together.
‘That is truly wonderful and so romantic. You have become the princess and lady you were always meant to be. And you have found a man who cares for you and treats you as such.’ She sighed, her gaze wistful. ‘It is your happily ever after.’
Trudy snorted. ‘It is a lie is what it is.’
‘Trudy!’ Ophelia said, trying to shush her.
Hattie frowned, but nodded. ‘She is right. I know it is. And I know it will not last, but for now…for now it is…simply wonderful.’
‘But why are the servants and his family lying to him as well?’
‘To protect him. He and his daughter have lost much over the years and the Doctor, who knows I am not this Lady Penelope, hopes my presence as his betrothed will aid in his recovery. His household cares for him so much they have continued the ruse. They are all quite lovely,’ she added. ‘Even the fussiest of them, like Mr Simmons.’
‘He must be a good man to have a staff who adore him so and for him to have caught your affections,’ Ophelia added, reaching over and clutching Hattie’s hand. The gentleness of it undid her and her throat tightened.
‘Yes,’ Hattie agreed, swallowing back down the emotion. ‘He is the best of men. I only wish he cared for me asme, Hattie Potts. Not as Lady Penelope.’
‘So, before, when you were merely the governess, he showed no interest in you?’ Ophelia added, her brow crinkling. ‘I find that hard to believe with the way he looks at you now. Perhaps he had some inkling of feeling for you then, but could not show it as your employer.’
‘Perhaps there was something there,’ she added, ‘but he believes me to be his equal now. What will he do when he remembers who I am, realises I am no Lady Penelope, and that I continued with a ruse that was meant to be temporary?’ Her shoulders relaxed. Saying her fears aloud to them soothed her. She hadn’t had anyone to truly confide in about her fears until now.
Trudy reached over and placed her hand on top of Ophelia’s and Hattie smiled when she saw their hands stacked atop one another like when they were younger. ‘If he does not choose you again as Hattie Potts, then it is his loss, is it not? And no matter what, you will always have us.’
‘Always,’ Ophelia added. ‘You survived without the love of a duke before and, if need be, you can again.’
The thought of losing him and the life she had built here, no matter how fragile and imaginary it was, awakened the frightened child in her. She knew what it felt like to have the foundation of everything she knew ripped out beneath her feet and she wanted desperately to never ever feel that way again.
‘I know. I just don’t want to,’ she added quietly, squeezing their hands before letting go.
Chapter Twenty
William watched Penelope hug her friends one last time before closing the carriage door and waving to them as the coach pulled away along the gravel, kicking up a few rocks as it continued down the drive. She hugged her body, the features of her face tightening as the carriage turned on to the main road and disappeared behind a cluster of lush green foliage from the large oaks. Her shoulders sagged and she rubbed her upper arms as if chilled, but didn’t turn to come back inside.
He stepped away from the window and went to her. He reached her side and slid a comforting arm around her back. She leaned into him without hesitation and rested her head along his shoulder.
‘Thank you for sending for them and preparing such a lovely visit for a few days. It was extraordinarily kind of you.’ She wrapped her arms around his waist.
He breathed in the sweet scent of her, pulling her to him. The familiar need and desire to hold her tighter and yet never be able to have her close enough budded in his gut, setting his body on fire. ‘For you,’ he said, pressing a chaste kiss to her head, ‘anything.’
She chuckled. ‘Then, perhaps a walk, Your Grace? I feel restless now that they have gone.’
