Page 17 of Her Sinful Duke

He could see now that they knew they had incurred the wrath of a man who tolerated no trespassers upon his domain.

“Now, you will find your way back where you came from,” he ordered them. “If I see you again on my property, rest assured that I will use drastic measures to assure that you will never ever step foot here again.”

With a sense of bitter defeat, the hunters turned around and started walking with their hands still bound. None of them said anything, not even the aggressive one who was so vocal just moments ago. James knew that being lenient would only create more trouble. Some people needed a firm hand to realize the mistake they had made and to ensure that they would never make it again.

He watched them walk slowly until he had gotten bored of it. He turned to his steward. “Let us head back, Milligan. I think I have had enough excitement for one day.”

* * *

“Oh, it is you, lovely, lovely Penelope!”

Penelope had never received such a warm-hearted welcome upon entering a room and from a person she had barely exchanged a few words with.

“You don’t mind if I call you Penelope, do you?” Lord Dunlop asked, approaching her the moment she entered the dining hall, his hands outstretched at her. “That is your name, after all!”

She could not resist chuckling at that last part. It was, after all, true. And all the more amusing because of it.

“Yes, indeed it is,” she nodded, allowing him to take her by the hand and lead her to her place at the dining table. His touch was gentle, fatherly. She appreciated it more than she could ever describe it in mere words. He pulled up a chair for her then. Only after she was seated comfortably, did he take a seat opposite her. As he did so, she stole a chance to take a closer look at him.

The duke’s grandfather was a figure of venerable age, yet his presence exuded an undeniable vitality that belied the years he carried. His face was weathered and lined with the passage of time, but his eyes sparkled with a youthful twinkle that hinted at a lifetime of mischief and merriment. Despite the stoop of age that bowed his frame, there was a certain grace in his movements while his demeanor was at once both dignified and approachable.

But perhaps it was his warm, infectious smile that left the most lasting impression — a smile that seemed to light up the room and melt away the cares of the world, inviting all who beheld it to share in the joy of his company. Penelope had to admit that she liked him from the outset.

“Ah, the scones!” he exclaimed upon seeing that the servant girl was bringing a tray filled with scones. “Penelope, you absolutely must try these. They are positively divine, if I do say so myself!”

With a polite nod, Penelope accepted one from the servant girl, placing it onto her plate. The smell was indeed divine. “Thank you, Lord Dunlop.”

The man chuckled heartily, waving off the formal address with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Oh, no, no, no, my dear. Just call me grandfather. We’re practically family now, aren’t we?”

A warm smile graced Penelope’s lips as she nodded in agreement. She had never met anyone so… spontaneous, so in tune with his momentary thoughts and acting upon them without any fear of being judged. She wondered what it would be like to be so unrestrained and liberated. Perhaps it came with age?

“Of course… Grandfather,” she nodded delightfully.

“My, my,” he said eyeing her somehow mischievously, “you are even more beautiful like that — when you are blushing slightly. I do believe James did something incredibly fortuitous in his previous life to deserve you in this one!”

This time, they both chuckled at his words. Although everything he did and said seemed theatrical and somehow, overly done, Penelope did not see it as such. On the contrary, she could see a man who was masking deep sorrow with silliness and regaling everyone with all sorts of tales that amused him. Who was she to say that his way of dealing with grief was wrong? Penelope was certainly not of that opinion. She actually preferred such people to those who would clam up and blame the entire world for the tragedies that had befallen them.

“Maybe I did something to deserve him?” she suggested when the onslaught of laughter died down a little. Her words amused him as his eyes widened in surprise.

“You?” he considered with a delighted chuckle, obviously not expecting such a witty retort. “Perhaps, perhaps…”

He reached for his teacup, turning to the servant girl who was standing a bit further away from them, ready to be called at any moment.

“My… tea fortifier?” he asked pointing at his teacup.

The servant girl quickly grabbed a small saucer and poured just a little bit of some white liquid into his cup. Then, she proceeded to pour the actual tea into it. The man seemed focused on the process with delight, clicking the tip of his tongue against his upper teeth, then he lifted his gaze to Penelope and spoke again.

“I must tell you about the time I tried to teach my old hunting hound to dance. It was a sight to behold, I assure you!”

Laughter bubbled from her as she leaned forward, eagerly awaiting the promised story. “I can only imagine, Grandfather. Do tell!”

And so, amidst the clinking of silverware and the aroma of freshly brewed tea, the lord launched into a lively anecdote, weaving a tapestry of humor and nostalgia that filled the air with warmth and joy. As the tale unfolded, Penelope found herself swept away by the old man’s charm, grateful for the unexpected camaraderie that had blossomed between them in the quiet hours of the morning.

CHAPTER10

In an effort not to think about how handsome and utterly ravishing her husband looked in the glow of the morning sun, Penelope decided to distract herself by writing a letter to her sister. She was sitting at her escritoire with a quill poised delicately in her hand and a sheet of fine parchment before her.

Her thoughts flowed effortlessly as she penned each word with care, her elegant handwriting a testament to her upbringing and education. With each stroke of the quill, she poured her heart into the letter, expressing her longing for her sister’s company.

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