Page 29 of Setting a Maid's Heart on Fire

Determination had got him through a lot in life, and he wasn’t about to give up now, not just because a woman had rejected him, especially when there was so much at stake.

He told himself that it was because of his sisters, because he had promised himself he would always take care of them, and if he didn’t fix things with Lady Rose, then he might well lose everything, but deep down, he was aware of something else.

It was something that made him even more determined than ever, and even though he couldn’t explain it, he had a terrible feeling that it wouldn’t go away no matter how hard he tried to make it.

There was something about Lady Rose, something different that made him curious, something that made him want to get to know her better and not merely because he desired her. He was no stranger to admiring an attractive woman, and yet there was something entirely different about her.

Perhaps it was because she was entirely unlike any other noblewoman he had ever met. He couldn’t be sure, but he was certain that he would not stop until he had proven to her that he was not the kind of man who wished to take advantage of her.

Glancing back over his shoulder at the door that now separated him from her, he thought,You are my wife, Lady Rose; I shall never harm you. I shall cherish you as a wife ought to be cherished.

Chapter 18

I had to do it,Penelope told herself firmly the moment Lord Chatham exited her bedroom.I had to be harsh with him.

It had been the only way to ensure they were both safe, the only way she could be sure that the duke would easily get an annulment once she had absconded away, or so she thought. She reminded herself again of the letter she intended to write once she was gone from the townhouse and hoped that the duke would forgive her for not having been able to think of another way out of things.

I was desperate,she thought, wishing she could tell him everything face to face. That much he deserved. He had been a true gentleman, a man she would have proudly called her husband under better circumstances, yet she knew there was no chance of that.

A maid could never become a duchess. That title was for the likes of Lady Clara St Clair, though Penelope loathed the thought that such a cruel and ruthless woman could hold such a powerful title.

It was not for her to judge, but she couldn’t even begin to imagine why the likes of Lord Chatham would ever agree to marry the likes of Lady Clara. There was really only one explanation,he has never met her.

Another thought occurred to her at that moment,but he has met me and he has married me.The swooning, excited feeling that followed her thought was almost intoxicating, and it took all of her self-restraint not to allow it to overwhelm her entirely.

The urge to call the duke back was almost too powerful to resist as she realised that he had practically chosen her. Of course, he had no idea who she truly was, but surely if he had taken any dislike to the woman he believed her to be, he would not have married her.

Instinctively, Penelope’s fingertips rose to her lips where he had kissed her, and she shivered at the reminder of their passionate moment together. She was still tingling all over, unable to stop thinking just how brilliant it felt to be kissed by a man.

It was the first real kiss she had ever experienced, nothing at all like the single peck she had received from a servant boy many, many years ago back in France when she had been little more than a child.

Her heart raced to imagine how he had kissed her, how she had felt that he wanted her more than he had ever wanted anything in the world. She had felt it in his kiss, in the way he touched her, and she knew that if he came back into the bedroom now, she would not be able to resist him for a second time.

His musky, masculine scent still wreathed all around her, and when she closed her eyes, she could still see his face, mysteriously dark brown eyes, strong features, and dark hair, which she longed to run her fingers through while he kissed her once more.

It had been almost impossible to stop him the first time. The desire to continue kissing him had most definitely been leading to more. She could still feel a warm, tingling sensation between her thighs, even minutes after he had left the room.

How can I just leave him without explaining?she thought suddenly. After the kiss they had just shared, after seeing the hurt in his eyes as she told him to stay away from her, she wasn’t sure she could bring herself to make things any worse than they already were.

Things will only get worse if he comes looking for me.It was a terrible realisation, and not for the first time she regretted the mess she had got herself into. No longer was she just the maid who had run away from her home using her mistress’s identity; she was now the maid who had married her mistress’s betrothed in an attempt to escape her own horrible existence.

They will not see it that way,she realised grimly. How could any noble person ever be expected to understand the hardships of a maid? It was impossible to think that any of them could.

All she could imagine was what would happen if the truth were discovered, what would happen in only a few weeks’ time when Lady Clara finally arrived in England for a wedding she had no idea had already occurred.

I have until then to get this all figured out,she decided. She had thought several times of leaving during the night, but after having spent even an hour with the duke and seeing how much of a gentleman he was, she had quickly realized that it wouldn’t be so simple.

She could already imagine the kind of pain she would feel writing a letter to such a gentleman from a tavern with no intentions of ever telling him the truth face to face.I have enough regrets,she decided firmly.I won’t add any more to the list.

For tonight, at least, she knew she was safe. She had a warm, comfortable bed to sleep in and a roof over her head. She was well aware that the duke would not trouble her again. She had seen the look on his face as he left, a look that told her she wouldn’t be troubled by him again no matter how long she remained in the townhouse, at least until she approached him.

For a moment, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to imagine what it would be like to take back all she had said, to allow him to kiss her again and touch her in a way she longed to be touched. Then she quickly shook herself mentally, deciding it was better not to get lost in such fantasies. For now, her most important task was to rest and get prepared for whatever might happen in the morning.

Just take it one day at a time,she told herself as she snuggled down into the mountain of pillows and settled down to sleep.I can figure this out as I go.

Even as she nuzzled into the bedsheets and closed her eyes to sleep, she tried her hardest not to think of how badly her decision to take things one day at a time had already gone. Things couldn’t continue badly forever. The cycle had to end somewhere. At least, that was what her mother had always told her when she was still alive.Help me get out of this, Mother, please.

The next morning, Penelope awakened to the sound of someone knocking on the bedroom door. Her heart hammering in her chest for one wild moment, she allowed herself to imagine it was the duke.

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