Page 73 of The Duchess' Ultimatum
Of course, her announcement was not well received.
“His Grace should be the one who suffers, not you,” Evelina sighed, still holding her. “And that you are the one who will be blamed… it’s not fair.”
“When is it ever?” Penelope said.
“You could still try,” Alexandra insisted. “I just don’t see why you won’t even do that. Stay here a while, see if you can make it work.”
“That will only make things worse,” Penelope explained, even if she didn’t fully believe it. “Better to cut off the limb now before it has a chance to infect.”
“And then what?” Albina persisted. “Once you return home. What will you do? Never see the duke again? Live alone and grow old the same?”
Penelope felt those words like a knife through her heart.Yes, that is exactly what I will do…even the thought of having a child did not appeal to her as it had before, because it felt like a substitute for what she truly desired. If she bore that hoped-for child now, all it would do was remind of her what she had lost.
“When will you tell him?” Evelina asked.
Penelope was about to answer her, explaining she would wait until the guests went to bed and then find the duke in his chambers. But a knock at the door put an end to those plans.
“Penelope…” the duke’s voice floated from beyond the closed door. “Are you there?”
Penelope’s eyes widened. She looked to the three women as if for support, the time suddenly upon her, not certain if she had what it took to go through with it.
“Y – yes,” she stammered. “Come in.”
The door opened and in walked the duke.
His brow tightened to see that she was not alone. “I’m not disturbing you, am I?”
“N – no,” she said. “They were just leaving.” She widened her eyes at the three women, warning them against saying anything.
“I suppose I should find my husband,” Evelina sighed.
“As should I,” added Albina.
“If you need anything,” Alexandra was sure to add, giving her hand one final squeeze. “Please, come and find me.”
The three women left her then, each offering a final look of morose sadness and pity before sifting from the room. The door closed behind them, clicked shut, and that left Penelope alone with Dorian.
He stayed by the door, not moving to be near her. She too, staying back, sensing the tension like a brick wall sitting between them.
“I wasn’t interrupting anything, was I?” he asked.
“No,” she said.
“Good,” he said. “I… I was surprised you skipped drinks.”
“I was not in the mood.”
“Ah, fair enough. It’s been a rather big weekend,” he agreed.
“For many reasons,” she said.
He nodded his agreement, a half-smile, but it died on his lips.
There were only a few feet between them but it felt like miles of distance. Penelope was reminded of when they had first married, two strangers who did not know how to act around the other. Gone was the ease of the previous night. The desire and the pull they had both felt toward the other disappeared.
If I did not know before, I know it now. This marriage, whatever it might have been, is over.
“Dorian, I –”
