Chapter Twenty-Seven

J ames's arrival at his Aunt Fitzgerald's home was a surprise to his aunt but not to Cecily.

She simply beamed, embraced him, and informed him that there was the perfect event for him to attend that evening.

"It's not like you to come to London, James," his aunt said, peering at him through her half-moon spectacles. "Although I also hear you are to marry, and that was rather unexpected too."

"Well, I would hate to be predictable," he said with a wry smile, for he had spent many years very much enjoying everything in his life being predictable.

"You are not staying long enough to open up your townhouse, then?" his aunt asked.

"No. This is only to be a short visit, and so, if I might trespass on your hospitality, I will not open up Dunloch Place."

His aunt waved a hand through the air. "Of course. I have plenty of rooms here, and they sit empty most of the year." His aunt was a wealthy widow, having chosen never to remarry after the death of her husband some fifteen years earlier. She seemed to rather enjoy her life as a matron of society, with enough money to do as she pleased and no one to answer to.

"You have come to speak to Lady Penelope, yes?" Cecily asked him softly while their aunt ordered tea to be brought to the parlour.

James nodded curtly. He was not used to answering to his sisters for anything, but he supposed that, since Cecily was the one who had told him to come, it was fair enough for her to ask his intentions.

"Yes. Although I would appreciate it, before I see her, if you could apprise me of what happened with Antonia so that I have all the facts."

He was still rather irritated that his sister had not come to him, as the head of the family, to deal with the situation. And he thought Cecily was aware of this, for she nodded meekly in response to his request.

"When we go to change for the ball," she said quietly, with a glance at their aunt to make sure they weren’t being overheard, "I will tell you everything then."

"Thank you," James said, finding that the words felt a little unusual coming from his lips. "And Lady Penelope will definitely be at the ball tonight?"

"She assured me she would be," Cecily said, before taking a seat again opposite their aunt and taking a cup of tea from the table. "It is to be her last ball before she leaves to return to you in Scotland – so your timing is impeccable."

Part of James wondered if he should go now to her family home and seek her out. He found himself keen to speak with her, to tell her that he hoped they could have a proper marriage, that he wanted to forgive her, to trust her again. And that he was grateful for everything she had done for his family.

But that conversation would make far more sense once he knew exactly what had occurred. And seeing her at a ball would avoid the risk of high emotions if he saw her in private. Besides, he rather wanted to dance with her.

It was an odd whim, and not one he had felt before. He did not like London, or balls, or dancing. But it was the way of the world that people met in places such as these. And although he knew Penelope far better than any girl he had danced with, he rather wanted to do things properly. To see her dressed in her finest gown, to watch her twirl beneath the candlelight of the glittering chandeliers.

The banns had been read. As soon as they returned home, they could be wed – and their life could begin.

It was a life full of uncertainty and excitement and unpredictability. And, rather surprisingly, James found himself looking forward to it.

◆◆◆

She had no real wish to dance, and so she hovered at the edge of the room, avoiding any groups of young men who seemed keen to partake in the evening's festivities. Her mother and father were in their element, both clearly enjoying socialising without the pressure of finding their daughter a husband – and indeed, with a proposal they could excitedly share with the world.

It seemed to have escaped their notice that their daughter was not swept up in the enjoyment as they were.

She kept watch for Cecily, who she believed was attending with her aunt, although not Antonia, whom Cecily thought needed a break from society for a little while.

The two had become friendly, and they would soon be sisters-in-law, even if Penelope's marriage to the Duke was not to be all she had wished for it to be. It would be nice to have sisters. Having grown up as the only child of the Earl and Countess Strachan, she had been rather lonely. She had become very good at entertaining herself, finding places on the estate to play pretend, swim, climb, or fish. But she had often wondered what it would be like to have a brother or sister to do those activities with.

Well, very soon, she would have three sisters-in-law – and rather a lot of time at her disposal, from what the Duke had led her to believe, to spend time with them and find ways to make the days more enjoyable.

The main door to the great hall opened, and a strange awareness rippled through Penelope's body before she spotted him. Indeed, it was enough to make her turn to see whether a window was open and a draught had been let in. And then she saw him.

He was somehow even more handsome in this grand setting, with everyone wearing their best clothes. Not that he wore anything different than she had seen him in most days, except for the addition of a top hat, which he removed as soon as he entered. He was accompanied by his aunt and eldest sister, but Penelope barely noticed them.

She only had eyes for him.

It took him a moment to find her in the crowd, but when he did, he strode towards her, having handed his top hat to the footman at the door.

She felt frozen in place, and yet unbelievably warm. Why was he here?

He stopped right in front of her and gave a short bow. "May I have the next dance, Lady Penelope?"

He offered his hand, and she took it without hesitation. "Yes, of course," she replied, rather embarrassed at the way she stuttered. It was just such a surprise to see him there...

It felt like all eyes were upon them as they stepped onto the dance floor and the band began to play. "I thought you didn't like London," she managed to say when she regained control of her mouth.

"I don't." It was a typically short response, but Penelope needed more. She needed to know why he had come – and if it signified that anything had changed. She could not bear to have her heart broken yet again.

"I did not expect to see you here," she said eventually, when he had nothing else to say.

"And I did not expect you to run to London when our marriage is imminent." He gave her a look that made her forget why she had come to London in the first place. "Or to save my sister from ruin."

Penelope opened her mouth and then closed it again before making another attempt at speaking. "How did you–"

"Cecily," he answered before she finished her question. "I am wondering now if she is not quite as silly as I always thought," he said with a half-shrug.

They continued to move in time with the music, neither of them seeming to need to expend much energy on following the steps.

"I had hoped... I know how important the family name is to you," she managed to say, struggling to find the right words. "When your sister told me of Antonia's unwise attachment, I only wanted to help..."

"You did help. And I appreciate it. You are right – I set a lot of store by my family name. Our family name."

Penelope swallowed. Although she had been saying it to her parents, and they had been saying it to the rest of the world, it was only at that moment that it began to truly sink in that she would soon become the Duchess of Dunloch. A whole new name and identity for her to live up to.

"I am sorry," she blurted out, and then almost stepped on his foot as the words in her mind began to distract her from the dance. "I never intended to trick you. Well, I did... But not for any nefarious purpose, I swear."

He nodded slowly. "I think...that I can believe that."

Hope began to flicker in her heart. "But I can see now how foolish I was. How I ruined everything... And if you can only be married to me in name, then I will accept it and do everything in my power to get you to trust me again," she said in a rush, as the music came to an end. "But I would really like to start our married life properly, living in the same home – living at Dunloch."