Chapter 29

"Penelope!" The front door opened and instead of her parents, Penelope saw Vanessa with her hands outstretched. "How wonderful of you to have made it!"

Without waiting for Penelope to respond, she rushed forward to embrace her sister. The hug seemed warm and affectionate, but Penelope couldn't shake the feeling that something was not right. Vanessa's grip was a bit too tight, her smile a tad too wide.

Penelope also couldn't escape the realization that her sister seemed to have taken great care to look dazzling that evening. Even when she wasn't trying, she was breathtakingly beautiful, the kind of woman who turned heads wherever she went. This evening, however, she looked more beautiful than ever. Her gown, a deep emerald green, perfectly complemented her striking features and golden hair which was pulled together in a low bun. Her eyes sparkled with an almost ethereal light, and her wide smile was radiant.

Her sister pulled away from her, resting her hands on Penelope's shoulders. "Let me look at you, my dear sister."

Penelope gritted her teeth. Her sister had never acted this way towards her.

"Hello, Vanessa," Penelope smiled kindly but without much affection to her voice. "It is lovely to see you."

Vanessa then turned her attention towards James. "And this must be the famous duke I've heard so much about."

Penelope bit her tongue not to say anything. How did she have the nerve to speak in such a manner when she knew what she had done? Penelope couldn't believe such two-facedness. She was fuming, upset that she was a part of this charade.

Before she could say anything, Vanessa threw her arms around James in a hug that lingered a moment too long. Penelope's eyes widened in shock and disbelief as she locked gazed with a startled James, whose hands spread around Vanessa, but he did not return the embrace. When Vanessa finally pulled away, he smiled awkwardly.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Vanessa," he spoke politely, bowing before her.

"Oh, it's Vanessa, please," she giggled, waving her hand at him. "Do come in you two; Mother and Father are dying to see you!"

The same happened with Penelope's parents. "Penelope, you look… refreshingly unconventional today," her mother pointed out. Then, she turned to Vanessa for confirmation. "Doesn't she, my dear?"

"She most certainly does, Mother," Vanessa was quick to agree.

Penelope forced a smile. She offered her cheek to her mother, both of them choosing to kiss the air instead of each other. The greeting with her father was far more formal.

"Penelope," her father nodded curtly.

While they extended a lukewarm greeting to their own daughter, her husband received a far warmer welcome.

"Ah, Your Grace," Penelope's mother exclaimed, gently touching his arm as she spoke. "How lovely it is to have Your Grace in our humble home."

Penelope's father shook the man's hand firmly. "You truly complete our little celebration this evening, Your Grace. Thank you for coming."

James exchanged an awkward glance with Penelope, but there was nothing either of them could do to make the situation less awkward or unpleasant.

"And how have you been, Your Grace?" Vanessa wondered. "The life of a duke must be so very exciting!" She said, clapping her hands in amusement.

James frowned with a dismissive half-shrug. "Duties and obligations, I'm afraid."

He was then showered with numerous questions regarding his well-being, his business, his estate. While they were excitedly talking to the duke, Penelope seized the moment to embrace Adeline. The very presence of her sister soothed her. It reminded her that even in a storm, there was a safe harbor for her.

Finally, they all sat down to dinner, and Penelope glanced at the clock on the wall. She swallowed heavily, realizing that there were still at least three hours of this torture left to endure.

As the evening progressed slowly, with each moment feeling like an entire hour to Penelope, Vanessa's attention remained firmly fixed on James. She sat beside him, her every gesture and word directed towards him with an intensity that made Penelope's unease grow with each passing second.

"James, do tell me about your travels," Vanessa said, her voice sweet and melodious as she leaned in closer to him. "I've always found tales of adventure so captivating."

James shifted uncomfortably in his seat, casting a quick glance at Penelope, who was seated across from him. Her parents, seated at either end of the table, seemed equally enthralled by Vanessa's attentions. Only Adeline remained silent, almost invisible at the table.

"Oh, I'm afraid I've mostly traveled for business, rarely for pleasure," he replied diplomatically, obviously in an effort to steer the conversation away from himself. "But tonight is about celebrating your return home, isn't it? I do believe you should grace us with your stories instead of me boring you with mine."

Penelope's parents exchanged a knowing glance, but her father nodded agreeably. "Of course, Your Grace. But you are our esteemed guest."

"Yes," Vanessa's smile widened, her eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief. "And I've been told that you have such interesting stories to tell."

"You are too kind," James replied, "but I'm afraid that in this particular case, you have been told something that wasn't entirely true."

"Why don't you share something with us and then allow me to be the judge of that?" Vanessa asked.

Seeing no way out, James recounted the tale of his travels to Spain with Vanessa listening to him as if in a trance.

Penelope felt a mixture of frustration and resignation as she watched the scene unfold. She knew her parents' preference for one daughter over the other, and that was nothing new, but this evening, it felt especially pronounced. And James, caught in the middle of it all, seemed to enjoy the attention.

"My, my, my, that is a captivating tale!" Vanessa said, clapping her hands joyfully.

"And how was your journey?" James asked politely.

Penelope shot a glance in her sister's direction, but Vanessa didn't acknowledge it. "Oh, it was absolutely wonderful!" Vanessa assured them all.

Penelope's teeth gritted against each other in an effort not to say anything. She couldn't believe it. She honestly couldn't believe that someone had the nerve to act in such a manner when everyone around her knew the truth.

"I was hoping to stay a little longer visiting more places up in the North," Vanessa admitted with a smile, "but I missed my family too much and had to return."

Penelope cleared her throat so loudly that everyone looked in her direction. Her eyes were a blaze of fire, shooting right at her sister, who seemed to be willingly oblivious to it.

"I remember, this one time I was walking through York…" Vanessa started, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she recounted tales of her imaginary travels, her animated gestures drawing everyone's attention. Penelope couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy as she watched her sister effortlessly command the room. She knew she had to do something.

"Indeed, York is quite renowned for its historical charm," Penelope interjected smoothly, her tone light yet probing. "Pray tell us more about the Minster. I've heard it is the most magnificent cathedral in all of England."

Vanessa hesitated for the briefest moment, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her features before she continued. "Oh yes… the Minster was quite remarkable. The architecture was awe-inspiring and the stained glass windows were breathtaking."

Penelope leaned forward slightly, her smile never wavering. "And did you have the pleasure of walking along the city walls? I understand they offer the most splendid views of York."

Vanesa faltered again, clearly searching her memory for details. "Why yes, I took a lovely walk along the city walls. The views were indeed spectacular."

"And did you happen to visit the famous Royal Crescent?" Penelope inquired, her eyes gleaming with a hint of early triumph.

Vanessa nodded, flushing sightly. "The Royal Crescent? Yes, of course. It is such a prominent landmark, how could I not visit it."

Penelope smiled, pressing her hand to her lips. "Oh, goodness… how silly of me. I asked you about a landmark in Bath not York. But it was York where you were, right? Not Bath?"

Vanessa's eyes widened in shock, crumbling under the weight of her sister's polite yet pointed inquiries.

"Oh, there were so many places in so little time," she smiled nervously. "Who could remember them all?"

"Who could indeed?" Penelope echoed with a nod.

Penelope's parents didn't seem to pay any attention to the actual conversation that just took place and were enchanted by Vanessa's presence, continuing to shower her with praise and admiration, while commenting on her beauty and charisma. "Vanessa, my dear, you always find a way to light up a room," her father said, his tone filled with genuine affection.

Penelope tried her best to maintain her composure, masking her feelings of insecurity behind a polite fa?ade. She knew her sister's return had shifted the dynamics of the evening. In fact, it would turn their entire world upside down. Penelope was absolutely certain of it. This evening was only the beginning of that monumental change.

And not only that, but Penelope noticed that James was focused on Vanessa as well. He was listening to her intently, smiling at her comments, and nodding. He hadn't looked in Penelope's direction once in the past half an hour. She wondered if he was perhaps wondering what it would be like to have married Vanessa instead?

Penelope's heart froze. She always believed Vanessa to be more beautiful than herself. After all, Vanessa was the agreed upon bride. Penelope had only entered the play as a secondary character, substituting for the role of the female protagonist. She wondered, with much fear, if Vanessa was endeavoring to charm James into changing his mind and changing his wife as well?

Shuddering at the thought, Penelope pushed the chair behind her so loudly that the screeching noise made Vanessa stop talking, and all eyes were on her.

"I beg your pardon, everyone," she said with a smile and a trembling voice, "but I feel a little lightheaded. I shall go and freshen up in the powder room."

James immediately stood up as well. "Do you need any help? Are you all right?"

"I'll be fine," she replied, appreciating his concern. "I will be back shortly. You just continue having fun without me."

Biting the inside of her cheek in an effort to displace the pain, she knew that they didn't care whether she was there or not. Trying to suppress tears, Penelope rushed to the powder room, closing the door behind her. Breathing heavily, she glanced at herself in the looking glass, urging herself to calm down.

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, willing herself to find calm amid the whirlwind of emotion swirling within her. She focused on the rhythmic sound of her own breathing, letting it anchor her in the present moment. Then, she opened her eyes, gazing into the ornate looking glass. She met her own reflection, her eyes revealing a kaleidoscope of emotions. Fear, uncertainty, longing. They were all there, omnipresent, gripping at her very throat, making it difficult to breathe. She willed herself to push aside the doubts and insecurities that threatened to overwhelm her, summoning a quiet strength from deep within.

"You can do this, Penelope," she whispered to herself, her voice barely above a breath. "You will not let this moment define you."

With renewed determination, Penelope straightened her posture and smoothed the folds of her gown, steeling herself for the challenges that still lay ahead. She knew that she couldn't control the actions of others, but she could control how she chose to respond.

Just as she was mustering the courage to get back to the dining room, she heard a soft knock on the door.

"Who is it?" she asked, hoping it was Adeline or James.

"Penelope," she heard from the other side of the door. "Please, let me in. I just want to see if you are all right."

But it was Vanessa.

Penelope's heart was beating inside her ears, drumming and drowning out any sounds that were attacking her from the outside world, such as the seemingly sweet and empathetic voice of her older sister. Penelope knew it would be better to just tell her to go away and leave her alone, but she couldn't do that.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door, and Vanessa immediately smiled at her, letting herself in. She closed the door behind her, staring at Penelope with concern.

"Are you feeling better?" Vanessa inquired sweetly. "We all miss you at the table."

Penelope resisted frowning. "Yes, thank you for asking. I do feel somewhat better."

Vanessa beamed, her eyes widening. "Oh, thank heavens. I was so worried when you left."

Penelope was certain that wasn't the truth. However, what she didn't know was why did Vanessa, of all the people at the table, come after her. Penelope would have expected Adeline. In fact, she longed to have Adeline there by her side to tell her how it all made her feel. Adeline would listen. But Vanessa was here because she had a hidden agenda. Penelope was absolutely certain of that. And what frightened her was the fact that she still couldn't figure out what that hidden agenda was.

Vanessa turned her attention to the looking glass, focusing on her own reflection. She smiled, revealing a row of pearly whites, then suddenly, she looked in Penelope's direction with a sly smirk.

"It is such a shame, you know," she said with a sigh.

Penelope frowned. "What is?"

Vanessa shrugged. "The duke is actually quite handsome and charming. Such a shame I was forced to leave and now, he is stuck with you."