To Capture a Duke's Heart (14 page)

Standing up, Penny grabbed the silver-handled hairbrush from the edge of the dressing table and hurled it in the direction of her stepmother’s head.  “Get out!”

Maryanne’s eyes went wide with shock, the remainder of her sentence dying upon her lips as the hairbrush went sailing past her head and crashed into the wall behind her with a dull thud.  “You-”

Mavis let out an audible gasp as Penny swiveled and reached for the matching, handheld mirror.

Wisely Maryanne clamped her mouth shut, grabbed hold of her skirts and hastened to open the door as Mavis held the gaping bodice of her dress together and scurried after her, pulling the heavy wooden portal closed behind her.

Standing there alone, Penny stared at the door for several long seconds before her trembling knees finally gave out and she slumped to the floor.  Then, pressing her hands to her face she rocked slowly back and forth as a torrent of raw, gut-wrenching sobs wracked her slender frame.  

Later that morning, standing in the vestibule of a small village church located some twenty miles from Gilchrist Castle, Penny turned to her father with tear-filled eyes, trying one last time to sway his decision.  “He despises me, Papa,” she spoke softly, her voice little more than a whisper.  “He truly believes that I set out to trap him,” she continued.  “How can I marry a man who thinks that of me?”  Her expression was beseeching.  “What kind of life will I have with a husband who feels nothing for me but bitterness and resentment?”

“Penelope, my darling,” her father began, grasping her shoulders softly in his hands, “
you
are one of the kindest, most caring and most loving people I have ever known. And just as you and I know that you did not willfully set these events in motion, I have the utmost faith that he will come to realize it as well,” he continued earnestly. 

“Do you really think so?”

“I do,” he replied confidently.  “He is a good man, Penny.  He may be angry now, but give him time and he will undoubtedly discover the truth of your nature and the genuineness of your character for himself.  And then, my darling girl, Gabriel Ashcroft will surely look back upon this day, as the day that the fates bestowed upon him the most wondrous of gifts.”

Penny could only nod, wishing she felt even a hint of her father’s confidence. 

“Now chin up,” he said with an encouraging smile as he stepped back and held out his arm, “for you, Penelope, are about to become a duchess.”

Moments later, with her hand holding firmly to the crook of her father’s arm, Penny turned her head to the front of the church, her gaze moving slowly down the narrow aisle and past the rows of empty wooden pews to the front of the small chapel where it lit briefly upon her sour-faced stepmother, the duke’s two brothers and the aged priest before finally settling upon the man who awaited her at the other end. His features were inscrutable, revealing no outward display of emotion as he waited for her and her father to make their way down the short aisle.  It was only as she drew near that she detected the cold, icy glint in the depths of his eyes, the singular indication of the smoldering anger that lay just below the surface of his impassive facade.  Drawing an unsteady breath, her fingers tightening reflexively upon the sleeve of her father’s jacket, she repeated his words within her head and took the last few steps toward the man who was to be her husband.

Watching as the Earl of Beckford escorted his daughter down the aisle, Gabriel was surprised to see that his bride appeared exceptionally pale, her skin nearly as colorless as the ivory lace that adorned the pale blue fabric of her stylish, yet relatively modest day dress.  She looked apprehensive as well, he noted, and deceptively innocent as she clung tightly to her father’s arm, her long, auburn curls held back with a simple satin ribbon.  He knew better, of course.  It was all just a sham, for the angelic-looking, fresh-faced girl walking toward him was not what she seemed.  No, she may have fooled him once, but she damned sure wouldn’t fool him twice.

The ceremony was brief and uneventful, lasting just long enough for each of them to repeat the vows they were given and for the priest to pronounce them husband and wife.  And much unlike the joyous celebration following Eugenia and Philip’s wedding just a short while ago, there was no resulting fanfare, nor was there a crowd of well-wishers eager to laud the newly married couple as they made their way from the church.  In fact, the only thing that greeted the newly wedded Duke and Duchess of Ainsworth as they exited into the open air was the pair of stylish black traveling coaches they’d left parked in the church’s small courtyard.

Stepping out onto the gravel drive, Penny stood silently at her husband’s side as her father and Maryanne exited the church behind them, followed by the duke’s brothers.  She watched silently then as her father politely shook the duke’s hand and offered his best wishes. 

“Thank you,” Gabriel replied with a courteous nod.  “Now, if you will excuse me, I’ve need to speak with my driver before we depart,” he said, before moving toward the waiting coach.

As the duke began a discussion with his driver, Penny looked anxiously to her father.

“Maryanne, dear,” the earl said, noting Penny’s expression, “perhaps you would be more comfortable waiting in the carriage until we’re ready to depart.”

“Yes, I believe you’re right,” she was quick to agree.  “Safe journey, Penelope,” she said then, stepping forward to enfold Penny in a brief, obligatory embrace.  “With the start of the Season just around the corner I’ve no doubt that your father and I shall see you soon.”

“I will look forward to it,” Penny replied as Maryanne released her.  Then, waiting until her stepmother was out of earshot she turned to her father and said imploringly, “Promise you will bring Charlie with you to London for the Season, Papa, please.”   Though she knew that Maryanne would be opposed to the idea, she simply couldn’t bear the thought of not seeing her beloved brother in the weeks and months ahead.

Her father nodded.  “I shall, darling.  I promise.”

“And please tell him how very much I shall miss him and that I will write to him every week.”

“I will.”

She offered her father a slight smile then, trying desperately not to cry.  “I shall miss you too, Papa.”

“And I you, my darling,” he replied, a surprising hint of moisture evident in his own eyes.  “I love you, Penny,” he said quietly and then pulled her into his arms for a fierce embrace. 

Penny pressed her cheek against her father’s chest, breathing in the crisp, woodsy scent of his favorite cologne.  “I love you too, Papa.” 

“All will be well, my dear,” he whispered against her ear. 

Penny wasn’t so sure about that, but she didn’t voice her concerns aloud.  There was simply no point.  Instead, she simply said, “Yes, Papa, I’m sure you’re right.” 

“There now, that’s my brave girl.”  Pulling back, he placed a light kiss upon her forehead.  “And just so you know, Penny,” he said with sudden solemnity, “upon our return home, I will be instructing my London solicitor to open a bank account in your name with a deposit more than sufficient to cover any future needs you might have.”

Penny looked at him in surprise.  “Papa, that isn’t necessary,” she hastened to assure him.  “I shall be fine, truly.”

“Yes, I’m sure you will be, darling.  Nevertheless, it shall ease my mind to know that you will have access to your own funds if the need should ever arise,” he explained.

“Alright then.”  She nodded in understanding, offering him an appreciative smile.  “Thank you, Papa.”  Then, leaning against his chest she gave her father one quick, final embrace.

As they parted, the duke returned from his discussion with the driver.  “If you’re ready,” he said to Penny, “we should be getting under way.”

Aside from their wedding vows, they were the first words the duke had spoken to her since she’d left his chamber earlier that morning.  “Yes, I’m ready,” she responded with only the slightest tremble in her voice.  “Goodbye, Papa,” she said softly, and then turned toward the duke’s waiting coach.

Taking hold of the footman’s hand as she approached the vehicle’s lowered steps, Penny hesitated for the briefest moment as she eyed the shadowy depths of the coach’s interior. There was no turning back, she knew that, even so it seemed to take every bit of strength she possessed to lift her foot and place it upon the first metal step.  Somehow she managed it, however, and seconds later she was inside. 

Sitting down onto the forward-facing seat she quickly gathered her skirts around her and settled into the farthest corner of the vehicle, her left shoulder pressing against the wall’s soft, leather-covered interior as first Michael and then Rafael entered the coach behind her, seating themselves upon the opposite side.  Ainsworth followed a few seconds later, dropping onto the seat cushion next to her as the door swung closed behind him.

Moments later, once the duke’s two burly footmen, quite a fierce-looking duo despite their elegant red and gold livery, had taken their positions at the rear of the vehicle they were off, the sound of the heavy coach wheels crunching loudly upon the graveled drive as the driver set the horses in motion.  Twisting her head, Penny directed her gaze out the window, watching as the little church grew smaller and smaller in the distance as the four, matched greys moved along the narrow country lane and gradually picked up speed. 

For the next several minutes a heavy, awkward silence filled the interior of the coach, until finally Michael and Rafael began to discuss their upcoming stopover in Hawick and their imminent visit to the Earl of McKesson’s stables, eventually drawing the duke into their conversation as well.

As an avid rider, another interest she had long shared with her father, Penny was familiar with the famed McKesson stables, though she’d never been there herself.  In fact her own mount, Apollo, a beautiful black stallion with a white star and strip upon his forehead and four matching white socks had been purchased from the Earl of McKesson during her father’s last visit.  But as the duke and his brothers made no effort to include her in their discussion, not that she had expected them to in any event, she kept her head turned to the window and her gaze focused upon the passing scenery.

They had been on the road for a little over two hours when they reached the outskirts of Hawick, and by the time the coach wheels turned onto the road leading to the Earl of McKesson’s country estate, another twenty minutes had passed. During that time Gabriel’s new bride had scarcely uttered a word, keeping her eyes trained out the window for the first hour of their journey and then closed for the remainder, her cheek resting lightly against the padded, rear seat cushion.  He doubted that she had actually slept, however, for despite the numerous bumps in the road her posture hadn’t altered more than a fraction, her back straight and her left side still pressed tightly against the far wall. 

As they rounded the earl’s front drive and the horses gradually slowed to a stop, he darted a brief, sidelong glance in her direction, noting that her head had straightened and that her eyes were open once again.  It wasn’t until the door swung open a minute later, however, that she finally turned her face from the window.
Coward
, he thought.  Then again, considering the degree of daring and the sheer, unmitigated audacity it had taken for her to do what she’d done, her present lack of courage seemed ridiculously incongruous.  No, in all likelihood her current display of timidity wasn’t cowardice at all, but just another ruse, a feeble attempt to gain a modicum of sympathy or even a small measure of benevolence, he surmised.  Regrettably for her, however, he hadn’t the least intention of extending either.

Rising from his seat, Gabriel stepped from the coach and was promptly greeted by the Earl of McKesson as he hastened down the wide marble steps leading to the front entrance of the grand, three-story manor house.   “Ainsworth, it’s good to see you again,” he hailed with a welcoming smile.

“And you, McKesson,” he replied warmly, extending his hand.  “It’s been far too long.”

The earl nodded his shaggy head as he took Gabriel’s hand, his wild mop of ginger-colored hair glinting in the bright sunlight.  “I was thinking that very thing when I received word of your impending arrival,” he stated, before turning his attention back toward the coach as Rafael and Michael exited the vehicle.  “And you’ve brought your brothers along, I see.”

“Lord McKesson, hello,” Michael replied.

“Hello,” Rafael seconded as he too shook the earl’s hand.  “Good to see you again.”

“And who else have you brought with you?” Lord McKesson asked curiously, turning back to the coach, his eyes going wide as the footman assisted Penelope from the vehicle.

“Alistair, please allow me to introduce you to the new Duchess of Ainsworth, my
wife
, Penelope,” Gabriel said, as she stepped down onto the cobblestone drive.

The earl’s bushy eyebrows shot up nearly to his scalp.  “Your wife?”

“How do you do, my lord,” Penny said softly.

“Forgive me,” the earl replied with a slight shake of his head.  “I wasn’t aware that you had married,” he continued, looking briefly to Gabriel and then back to Penelope as he collected himself.  Then placing his hand upon his abdomen, he executed a polite bow.  “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Your Grace.”

“Penelope and I were only recently wed,” Gabriel informed the earl, though he was careful not to specify just
how
recently.

“I see,” the earl responded with a bob of his head.  “Yes, well, welcome, welcome.  Please, allow me to escort you into the house, Your Grace.  I’ve refreshments waiting inside.”  He offered his arm to Penelope, smiling amiably as she thanked him and placed her hand upon his sleeve. 

“Regrettably my wife and daughters are currently on holiday in Edinburgh,” he told her as they walked up the steps and entered the front hall, followed just a few steps behind by Gabriel and his brothers.  “Making their final preparations for the upcoming Season, you know.”

“Of course,” Penny nodded understandingly.  “The timing is unfortunate, for I would have enjoyed meeting them.”

McKesson grinned.  “No doubt they will all be beside themselves once they return home and discover that they weren’t on hand to meet the woman who finally succeeded in coaxing England’s most eligible bachelor to the altar.”