by Tamara Gill
“Jenkins?” she asked, fear settling in the pit of her stomach.
Jenkins turned pale, “He is asking for you. There has been…”
“What, Jenkins? Tell me!”
Jenkins turned to the door and waved for Penelope to follow him. “He was attacked. He is hurt.”
Penelope thought of nothing else. She rushed after Jenkins and together they ran the several streets to the Duke’s house. She noted the carriage in front of the house and several bystanders on the street. She heard someone murmur ‘police’ and someone else ‘scandal’.
She rushed up the stairs and into the house. Mrs. White saw her and waved her up the stairs.
“He is with the physician. He has been asking for you.”
Penelope ran as fast as she could up the stairs and down the hall to his room. She stopped in the doorway. He was sitting up in bed, propped up by pillows. There were bloody bandages on the edge of the bed and on the floor. The physician was looking at a horrible wound and was dabbing at it with a clean cloth.
Nat saw her in the doorway and he smiled at her weakly.
She rushed to the other side of the bed and sank onto it, taking his other hand in hers.
“What happened?” she cried.
The physician spoke for Nat. “It seems that our Duke decided that other matters were more important than his own health.”
“Who did this? Who hurt him?” Penelope cried in dismay as she noted how truly pale Nat was, and how cold his hand was in hers.
The physician glanced at Penelope, “I will explain if you would let me.”
Penelope clamped her mouth shut.
“The Duke was shot in Belgium. He was just telling me that they did not have the surgeons or nurses that they needed to treat everyone, and with the disturbing news that he was getting from here, he was in a hurry to get home. So a nurse removed the bullet from the wound, washed and bandaged it, and he arranged to be released from his duties, to come home. Once he got here, rather than see to the treatment of the wound, he focused on other things. Then last night, it appears that he chose to walk home from the Masquerade. He was attacked by some ruffians. Whilst he did handle them expeditiously, the tussle tore this wound open and aggravated the infection which had set in. He is lucky that the infection had not progressed further – for such can kill a man, left untreated.”
Penelope felt the tears streaming down her face. “You can help him. You can heal him.”
The physician understood her concern. He was grave. “The Duke is not showing signs of blood infection. However, it just might be too soon to tell. I will have to have a more experienced physician come and look at this wound. We might be able to stop the infection from spreading.”
“If not...?”
“Penelope, don’t…”
Penelope glanced at Nat and then back at the physician. “What happens if you can’t stop the infection?”
The physician shook his head. “He could lose his arm at the shoulder. Or… he could die.”
Penelope gasped. Nat squeezed her hand.
“Penelope. Look at me.” Nat begged her. She raised her eyes to his. “No infection is going to take me away from you. Do you understand?”
Penelope nodded as tears continued to flow. The physician looked at her. “I need you to leave now so that I can better treat him. I need to clean the wound properly, and make sure that no fragments of the bullet remain.”
Penelope moved out of the room and closed the door behind her. Jenkins was waiting in the hall. She quickly wiped her face and went to him.
“Will he get better?” Jenkins asked anxiously.
Penelope didn’t know how she knew, but suddenly, deep down she did.
“Yes. He needs time, but yes, I believe that he will.”
Chapter Fifteen
Penelope was in the study when Lady Abigail barged in.
“YOU!” she belted out as she saw Penelope sitting behind her brother’s desk.
Penelope looked up calmly.
“Hello, Lady Abigail,” she said, as she rose to greet her soon to be sister-in-law. “How was your journey?”
Lady Abigail fumed. “Where is my brother?”
Penelope moved past Lady Abigail, the loathing coming off the other woman like a wave, and went towards the stairs. She called over her shoulder.
“He is expecting you.”
Lady Abigail clenched her hands tightly, then she turned to follow Penelope. When she entered Nat’s room, she forced herself to bite her tongue as she saw Penelope sitting on the edge of the bed, holding her brother’s hand.
“Abi,” Nat said. He was still weak, but his arm had been saved and was bandaged up to his shoulder and supported in a sling around his neck. “I am glad that you have come. I was worried you wouldn’t.”
Lady Abigail said nothing until she sat down in the chair next to the bed.
“Why am I here, Nat?”
“I wanted to tell you in person, rather than in a letter.”
“Tell me what?” Lady Abigail’s coldness struck Nat to the core and he wondered, again, if he had done the right thing. Penelope squeezed his hand encouragingly and he forced himself to remain firm.
“I chose not to press charges against Lord James.”
Lady Abigail rolled her eyes. “That was gracious of you. I suppose my annulment still stands though, and all of those other ridiculous rules?”
Nat nodded. “Yes.”
“So, why am I here? Just so you can tell me how kind you were to James?”
Nat shook his head. “No, Abi. I wanted to tell you what Lord James is doing. He has agreed to leave the country. He is on a ship headed to the Americas now. I have arranged for him to take on a position with a tobacco grower so that he will not be homeless. He travels under an assumed name, and no one knows of his deception or subterfuge. I assumed because you claimed to love him so deeply, that this would please you and bring you comfort.”
Lady Abigail got to her feet. She trembled with rage. “You thought that sending the man I love to another continent would be a show of mercy?”
Penelope and Nat blinked in the face of Lady Abigail’s naked rage. She spun around and picking up the chair, she threw it against the wall. Jenkins, who had been waiting outside the door, stepped inside.
“Your Grace…?”
Nat shook his head. “It is alright, Jenkins.”
Lady Abigail threw her arms over her head and screamed at Nat. “It is NOT alright. It will never be alright! You self-righteous…” She paused. “You whore around with the likes of that scullery maid, and you go off to war to kill whomever you disagree with, and you spend your free time doing whatever you please, and you dare to judge James and I?”
Lady Abigail reached into her reticule and pulled out her copy of the contract that she had signed for Nat. She tore it up and then marched to the hearth where she dropped it into the fire. She marched back to the bed and glared down at her older brother.
“Your mistake was thinking that you could control me, like father thought that he could control me. Your mistake was thinking that I was something I was not. You do not control me, and you will not control me. I am leaving, Nat. You will never see me again.”
Nat raised himself from the pillows and letting go of Penelope’s hand, he reached out for Abigail.
“Abi…”
She stepped away from him and sneered, her face transforming into something truly ugly.
“Never call me that again. I have no brother. I have no family.”
Without another word, she stormed out of the room and out of the house.
Chapter Sixteen
Several weeks later, Penelope sat in her grandfather’s garden. He had been delighted to approve Nat’s request for her hand in marriage. Nat had long since left, and Lord Asbury had also retired for the afternoon, leaving Penelope to linger in the garden. She sat on the bench and gazed beyond the low walls, out over the hills. So much had happened in such a short time.
&nbs
p; She could not believe that, in less than a year, she had gone through so much. She still had to pinch herself every time she saw Nat looking at her with love in his eyes. She still had to quiet her heart when he brushed her hand or kissed her gently. They were both more than happy with the idea of a quick wedding. Neither wanted a big ceremony. The only people they were inviting, beyond Lord Asbury, were Lord Thomas Weatherly and his family, the household staff, and the Parson and his son. Being such a small ceremony, they would be married within a couple of weeks, as soon as the banns had been read.
Penelope looked up at the clouds drifting through the sky. She had a great deal to be thankful for. Nat’s arm had healed. He still had twinges of pain from time to time, and he had lost some of the motion in his shoulder, but the infection had disappeared and he was as active as ever. Once the physician had cleared him to go, he had sent Penelope back to her Grandfather, and he had returned to Derhamshire where he set about preparations for his new bride.
Penelope was busy planning decorations, working with the local seamstress on her wedding gown, and preparing for the arrival of the Weatherlys and of additional staff who would be residing at her grandfather’s home for the wedding. Lord Asbury had insisted that the wedding breakfast take place in his garden, after the ceremony in the local church. After all, he had said, he had missed her mother’s wedding, and he would not miss hers. Penelope had thought to invite her Aunt, but Lord Asbury had told her that it was not necessary. He had already informed her Aunt, and Lady Dankerson’s response had been less than gracious. Penelope sighed deeply. She had hoped to reconcile with her Aunt, just as she hoped that, someday, Nat would be able to reconcile with Abigail.
She thought back to the letter that Nat had sent her the day before. The detective he had hired had tracked Lady Abigail to a ship which had left for the Americas. Nat assumed that she was going to try to find James. He had sent word on to his friend who owned the tobacco plantation to keep an eye out for Abigail. Penelope knew better than to dissuade Nat, his love for his sister was still strong, even though it brought him great sadness. Still, the fact that he knew where she was going did seem to give him a small amount of peace.
Penelope also smiled as she looked forward to seeing Violet with the Parson’s son again. The last time that her friends had visited, it was Augusta who had noted the budding romance growing between her sister and the young man. She and Penelope were quite delighted at the prospect, even as Augusta was drawing the attention of a couple of new suitors of her own. Both of the sisters were a great joy to Penelope. She appreciated their loyalty and their unwavering kindness as she traveled back and forth from London to Asbury and even to Derhamshire, where the Duke had invited the three of them to visit, so that he could introduce Penelope, officially, as his bride-to-be to his household and the surrounding community.
She nearly laughed out loud at the memory. He’d kept introducing her as the Baroness Shelton to people she knew and who had recognised her instantly as the orphan girl who had helped to run Lady. Dankerson’s house. She had been afraid that she would meet with hostility and rejection, but the people were accepting and welcoming, some expressing their great relief that her disappearance those months before had not ended tragically. Throughout that day, though, her greatest delight was standing next to Nat, hand in hand, and growing more comfortable in the warmth of his smile.
With the sun casting long shadows across the hills, she realised that it was nearing time for dinner. She rose and returned to the house. As she turned to go up the stairs to her room, to prepare for dinner, she heard a commotion outside. At the base of the stairs, she turned back towards the door. The door flew open and the Duke strode in with purpose. He immediately saw her standing on the stairs and made his way to her.
He scooped her up into his arms and kissed her with a deep passion which she was no longer afraid of. She wrapped her arms around his neck and allowed herself to get lost in his kiss and the comfort of his embrace. After several minutes, she pulled away, laughing.
“This is unexpected, my love.”
He swung her around and set her back on the stairs. “The house is as ready as it will ever be, and I am impatient. I could not stay away any longer. Do you think Lord Asbury will object to me staying here until the wedding?”
Penelope laughed. “I doubt that he will object, though I know the Parson will. He might insist that you stay in the Rectory with him and James.”
Nat cocked his head to the side, “But I would get to see you every day?”
Penelope nodded. “Of course.”
“Hmmm… Well, I can manage that then.”
Penelope laughed. “Have your things brought in. I was just going up to prepare for dinner. You need to as well.”
Nat smiled at her mischievously and he kissed her again. “I could happily go without dinner if I could just hold you a little longer.”
Penelope took his hands in hers and she held them to her chest. “I agree…” At that moment, Lord Asbury called from the landing above them.
“Save it for the wedding, young man.”
Nat stepped backward, perplexed at being caught behaving so informally. He glanced up at Penelope’s grandfather and nodded. “Yes, Lord Asbury.” He winked at Penelope. “I will have my trunk brought in.”
Penelope smiled and watched him stride out through the open door. She turned and met her grandfather on the landing, and slipped her arm through his. Together they watched Nat return.
Lord Asbury turned to Penelope and saw the light in her eyes.
“You truly love him deeply, don’t you, my dear?”
Penelope faced her grandfather and kissed him on the cheek. “Yes. With all of my heart.”
Lord Asbury acted as if he was offended. He stepped away and with a smile that gave the lie to the act, he moved down the stairs calling back up to her, “You had better keep a piece of your heart in reserve for me, my dear. And also for the children I hope you have…”
Penelope laughed. “Of course!”
Lord Asbury reached the bottom of the stairs and caught Nat by the arm.
“And you, lad… I will talk to the Parson in the morning, so don’t get comfortable. I happen to think it is bad luck for the bride-to-be and the groom to share the same roof before their wedding.”
Nat raised an eyebrow at Lord Asbury.
Lord Asbury shrugged his shoulders. “Can you blame me? I see the way that you two stare at each other.”
Nat swallowed hard and stifled his amused laugh. He nodded. “As you wish, my Lord. I will just stay tonight, and then spend the rest of the stay with the Parson.”
***
The wedding was upon them before they knew it. It was small as they had wished it to be. Augusta and Violet had arrived several days before the wedding to help decorate the church with the decorations Penelope had made. They helped her with the final fitting of her dress, oohing and aahing over its shade of palest blue with white flowers woven into the bodice, neckline, and half-sleeves. Augusta had taken the same white flowers and woven them into a headpiece, so that when Penelope walked down the aisle to meet her groom, she looked beautiful, in an elegant way that suited her perfectly.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, they all gathered around the newlywed couple, wishing them well. Carriages took them the short distance from the church to the Asbury Hall gardens, where food and drink were laid out awaiting them.
The day went past in a flow of good conversation and friendship, until mid-afternoon, when they were to leave. After some tearful farewells, Nat helped Penelope into the carriage and then took his seat beside her. As the carriage pulled away from Asbury, she leaned against him and looked up at him.
“So where are you taking me?” she asked.
Nat looked down at her and smiled.
“Where would you like to go, my love? We can go anywhere.”
Penelope smiled. “I hope you didn’t have travel plans, because there is nowhere I would rather be than with you
at Derhamshire.”
Nat turned to Penelope and searched her face.
“Truly?”
Penelope nodded.
“Take me home, Your Grace. Take me home.”
I hope you enjoyed Penelope’s story! If you like a rags to riches story, you will love the stories in this series The Smithfield Market Romances
My Dear Reader
Thank you for reading and supporting my books! I hope this story brought you some escape from the real world into the always captivating Regency world. A good story, especially one with a happy ending, just brightens your day and makes you feel good! If you enjoyed the book, would you leave a review on Amazon? Reviews are always appreciated.
Below is a complete list of all my books! Why not click and see if one of them can keep you entertained for a few hours?
The Duke’s Daughters Series
The Duke’s Daughters: A Sweet Regency Romance Boxset
A Rogue for a Lady
My Restless Earl
Rescued by an Earl
In the Arms of an Earl
The Reluctant Marquess (Prequel)
A Smithfield Market Regency Romance
The Smithfield Market Romances: A Sweet Regency Romance Boxset
The Rogue’s Flower
Saved by the Scoundrel
Mending the Duke
The Baron’s Malady
The Returned Lords of Grosvenor Square
The Waiting Bride
The Long Return
The Duke’s Saving Grace
A New Home for the Duke
The Spinsters Guild
A New Beginning
The Disgraced Bride
Love and Christmas Wishes: Three Regency Romance Novellas
Collections with other Regency Authors
Love at the Christmas Ball
Love, One Regency Spring
