Page 19 of Saved By the Rakish Duke

“She’ll have one soon enough,” boomed a voice behind them.

“Your Grace!” Penelope jolted upright, a hand on her chest as she flashed him an irritated look. “With all due respect—which is very little, mind you—this conversation is none of your business.”

“You dropped this,” the duke returned, his hand holding out Penelope’s fan—which she accepted, “and now that it is safely in your possession again, you two are free to gossip to your hearts’ content.”

After this interruption was dealt with, Penelope had the chance to explain that she and Jerry had arrived at the same conclusion and that she was currently in the process of executing the plan while staying at Blackmoore Manor.

“I’ll help out as much as I can,” Jerry assured her. “Not that you’ll need it, of course.” He winked. “In the few minutes we’ve sat here, you’ve turned heads already.”

Penelope punched his arm. “Thank you, Gray—not for the blatant lie dressed up as a compliment—but for being so willing to help.”

“Of course.” Jerry helped her up off the bench. “But I hope you’re properly safeguarding yourself fromallmonsters.” He discreetly nodded in the duke’s direction.

“I am,” Penelope assured him, “but he’s less a ‘monster’ and more a thorn in one’s side.”

Jerry immediately clicked his tongue in objection, “Whatever you want to call him, the fact is he devours and destroys, Penny.” Jerome looked her straight in the eyes. “Promise me you'llneverlet your guard down.”

“Of course, Gray. I promise.”

Shortly thereafter, he departed from them with a spoken invitation to dine at Blackmoore Manor soon.

About seven minutes after resuming their promenade, Penelope realized that the duke hadn’t done anything to annoy her, which was most uncharacteristic of him.

Her curiosity thus prompted her to set aside her intentions of ignoring him for the promenade.

“I knew you would tire yourself out eventually,” she grinned.

“Hmm?”

“Similar to how parents allow their children to expend all their energy,” Penelope explained. “Now you have none left to bother me with.”

The duke stretched his arms above him. “I’m merely enjoying a relaxing stroll to the park since you appear to have concluded the husband hunt yourself. Though I would warn against deciding too hastily for-”

She held up a hand to stop him. “I’m afraid you’ve lost me, Your Grace. What on earth are you rambling about now?”

He let out a dry laugh.

“What’s so funny?” she asked, growing more irritated by the second.

“Please...” He rolled his eyes. “How much of an imbecile do you take me for?” He lowered his voice to mimic Jerome’s. “‘You need a husband, Pen.’”

So sudden was the disbelief that overcame Penelope that she stopped dead in her tracks.

“He wasn’t offering to become my husband, Your Grace,” she explained, incredulous that she had to do so at all. “Jerry’s happily engaged to Lady Isabelle, Lord Riverton’s daughter.”

He blinked at her upon hearing this, also stopping in his tracks. But his typically stoic expression returned once more as he spun on his heel and quickened his pace. “Is that so? I must have missed the paper that day.”

Penelope tilted her head in confusion and opened her mouth to ask him to elaborate. But then she remembered that most of the duke’s actions didn’t make sense to her anyway. As a result, by the time she had caught up to him, she had already resigned herself to dropping the matter entirely.

“I need to gain a clearer understanding of what you’re looking for,” His Grace muttered under his breath. “Tell me who you recognize here and what appeals to you most about them.”

Her cheeks grew pink, which he must have noticed because he instantly assured her, “We're not jumping straight into choosing candidates. This is more to see what characteristics you want to prioritize.”

With this, Penelope examined the families, friends, and courting couples around them on this breezy April day.

“Well... I always thought Lord Crowsbrook was very nice,” she beamed.

The duke shook his head. “He’s certainly a good man, but aim higher. I thought you wanted someone who could afford to take in both you and your mother?”

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