To Capture a Duke's Heart

by Jennifer McNare

  Watching as the Earl of Beckford escorted his daughter down the aisle, Gabriel was surprised to see that his bride appeared exceptionally pale, her skin nearly as colorless as the ivory lace that adorned the pale blue fabric of her stylish, yet relatively modest day dress. She looked apprehensive as well, he noted, and deceptively innocent as she clung tightly to her father’s arm, her long, auburn curls held back with a simple satin ribbon. He knew better, of course. It was all just a sham, for the angelic-looking, fresh-faced girl walking toward him was not what she seemed. No, she may have fooled him once, but she damned sure wouldn’t fool him twice.

  The ceremony was brief and uneventful, lasting just long enough for each of them to repeat the vows they were given and for the priest to pronounce them husband and wife. And much unlike the joyous celebration following Eugenia and Philip’s wedding just a short while ago, there was no resulting fanfare, nor was there a crowd of well-wishers eager to laud the newly married couple as they made their way from the church. In fact, the only thing that greeted the newly wedded Duke and Duchess of Ainsworth as they exited into the open air was the pair of stylish black traveling coaches they’d left parked in the church’s small courtyard.

  Stepping out onto the gravel drive, Penny stood silently at her husband’s side as her father and Maryanne exited the church behind them, followed by the duke’s brothers. She watched silently then as her father politely shook the duke’s hand and offered his best wishes.

  “Thank you,” Gabriel replied with a courteous nod. “Now, if you will excuse me, I’ve need to speak with my driver before we depart,” he said, before moving toward the waiting coach.

  As the duke began a discussion with his driver, Penny looked anxiously to her father.

  “Maryanne, dear,” the earl said, noting Penny’s expression, “perhaps you would be more comfortable waiting in the carriage until we’re ready to depart.”

  “Yes, I believe you’re right,” she was quick to agree. “Safe journey, Penelope,” she said then, stepping forward to enfold Penny in a brief, obligatory embrace. “With the start of the Season just around the corner I’ve no doubt that your father and I shall see you soon.”

  “I will look forward to it,” Penny replied as Maryanne released her. Then, waiting until her stepmother was out of earshot she turned to her father and said imploringly, “Promise you will bring Charlie with you to London for the Season, Papa, please.” Though she knew that Maryanne would be opposed to the idea, she simply couldn’t bear the thought of not seeing her beloved brother in the weeks and months ahead.

  Her father nodded. “I shall, darling. I promise.”

  “And please tell him how very much I shall miss him and that I will write to him every week.”

  “I will.”

  She offered her father a slight smile then, trying desperately not to cry. “I shall miss you too, Papa.”

  “And I you, my darling,” he replied, a surprising hint of moisture evident in his own eyes. “I love you, Penny,” he said quietly and then pulled her into his arms for a fierce embrace.

  Penny pressed her cheek against her father’s chest, breathing in the crisp, woodsy scent of his favorite cologne. “I love you too, Papa.”

  “All will be well, my dear,” he whispered against her ear.

  Penny wasn’t so sure about that, but she didn’t voice her concerns aloud. There was simply no point. Instead, she simply said, “Yes, Papa, I’m sure you’re right.”

  “There now, that’s my brave girl.” Pulling back, he placed a light kiss upon her forehead. “And just so you know, Penny,” he said with sudden solemnity, “upon our return home, I will be instructing my London solicitor to open a bank account in your name with a deposit more than sufficient to cover any future needs you might have.”

  Penny looked at him in surprise. “Papa, that isn’t necessary,” she hastened to assure him. “I shall be fine, truly.”

  “Yes, I’m sure you will be, darling. Nevertheless, it shall ease my mind to know that you will have access to your own funds if the need should ever arise,” he explained.

  “Alright then.” She nodded in understanding, offering him an appreciative smile. “Thank you, Papa.” Then, leaning against his chest she gave her father one quick, final embrace.

  As they parted, the duke returned from his discussion with the driver. “If you’re ready,” he said to Penny, “we should be getting under way.”

  Aside from their wedding vows, they were the first words the duke had spoken to her since she’d left his chamber earlier that morning. “Yes, I’m ready,” she responded with only the slightest tremble in her voice. “Goodbye, Papa,” she said softly, and then turned toward the duke’s waiting coach.

  Taking hold of the footman’s hand as she approached the vehicle’s lowered steps, Penny hesitated for the briefest moment as she eyed the shadowy depths of the coach’s interior. There was no turning back, she knew that, even so it seemed to take every bit of strength she possessed to lift her foot and place it upon the first metal step. Somehow she managed it, however, and seconds later she was inside.

  Sitting down onto the forward-facing seat she quickly gathered her skirts around her and settled into the farthest corner of the vehicle, her left shoulder pressing against the wall’s soft, leather-covered interior as first Michael and then Rafael entered the coach behind her, seating themselves upon the opposite side. Ainsworth followed a few seconds later, dropping onto the seat cushion next to her as the door swung closed behind him.

  Moments later, once the duke’s two burly footmen, quite a fierce-looking duo despite their elegant red and gold livery, had taken their positions at the rear of the vehicle they were off, the sound of the heavy coach wheels crunching loudly upon the graveled drive as the driver set the horses in motion. Twisting her head, Penny directed her gaze out the window, watching as the little church grew smaller and smaller in the distance as the four, matched greys moved along the narrow country lane and gradually picked up speed.

  For the next several minutes a heavy, awkward silence filled the interior of the coach, until finally Michael and Rafael began to discuss their upcoming stopover in Hawick and their imminent visit to the Earl of McKesson’s stables, eventually drawing the duke into their conversation as well.

  As an avid rider, another interest she had long shared with her father, Penny was familiar with the famed McKesson stables, though she’d never been there herself. In fact her own mount, Apollo, a beautiful black stallion with a white star and strip upon his forehead and four matching white socks had been purchased from the Earl of McKesson during her father’s last visit. But as the duke and his brothers made no effort to include her in their discussion, not that she had expected them to in any event, she kept her head turned to the window and her gaze focused upon the passing scenery.

  They had been on the road for a little over two hours when they reached the outskirts of Hawick, and by the time the coach wheels turned onto the road leading to the Earl of McKesson’s country estate, another twenty minutes had passed. During that time Gabriel’s new bride had scarcely uttered a word, keeping her eyes trained out the window for the first hour of their journey and then closed for the remainder, her cheek resting lightly against the padded, rear seat cushion. He doubted that she had actually slept, however, for despite the numerous bumps in the road her posture hadn’t altered more than a fraction, her back straight and her left side still pressed tightly against the far wall.

  As they rounded the earl’s front drive and the horses gradually slowed to a stop, he darted a brief, sidelong glance in her direction, noting that her head had straightened and that her eyes were open once again. It wasn’t until the door swung open a minute later, however, that she finally turned her face from the window. Coward, he thought. Then again, considering the degree of daring and the sheer, unmitigated audacity it had taken for her to do what she’d done, her present lack of courage seemed ridiculously incongruous. No, in all likelihood her current display
of timidity wasn’t cowardice at all, but just another ruse, a feeble attempt to gain a modicum of sympathy or even a small measure of benevolence, he surmised. Regrettably for her, however, he hadn’t the least intention of extending either.

  Rising from his seat, Gabriel stepped from the coach and was promptly greeted by the Earl of McKesson as he hastened down the wide marble steps leading to the front entrance of the grand, three-story manor house. “Ainsworth, it’s good to see you again,” he hailed with a welcoming smile.

  “And you, McKesson,” he replied warmly, extending his hand. “It’s been far too long.”

  The earl nodded his shaggy head as he took Gabriel’s hand, his wild mop of ginger-colored hair glinting in the bright sunlight. “I was thinking that very thing when I received word of your impending arrival,” he stated, before turning his attention back toward the coach as Rafael and Michael exited the vehicle. “And you’ve brought your brothers along, I see.”

  “Lord McKesson, hello,” Michael replied.

  “Hello,” Rafael seconded as he too shook the earl’s hand. “Good to see you again.”

  “And who else have you brought with you?” Lord McKesson asked curiously, turning back to the coach, his eyes going wide as the footman assisted Penelope from the vehicle.

  “Alistair, please allow me to introduce you to the new Duchess of Ainsworth, my wife, Penelope,” Gabriel said, as she stepped down onto the cobblestone drive.

  The earl’s bushy eyebrows shot up nearly to his scalp. “Your wife?”

  “How do you do, my lord,” Penny said softly.

  “Forgive me,” the earl replied with a slight shake of his head. “I wasn’t aware that you had married,” he continued, looking briefly to Gabriel and then back to Penelope as he collected himself. Then placing his hand upon his abdomen, he executed a polite bow. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Your Grace.”

  “Penelope and I were only recently wed,” Gabriel informed the earl, though he was careful not to specify just how recently.

  “I see,” the earl responded with a bob of his head. “Yes, well, welcome, welcome. Please, allow me to escort you into the house, Your Grace. I’ve refreshments waiting inside.” He offered his arm to Penelope, smiling amiably as she thanked him and placed her hand upon his sleeve.

  “Regrettably my wife and daughters are currently on holiday in Edinburgh,” he told her as they walked up the steps and entered the front hall, followed just a few steps behind by Gabriel and his brothers. “Making their final preparations for the upcoming Season, you know.”

  “Of course,” Penny nodded understandingly. “The timing is unfortunate, for I would have enjoyed meeting them.”

  McKesson grinned. “No doubt they will all be beside themselves once they return home and discover that they weren’t on hand to meet the woman who finally succeeded in coaxing England’s most eligible bachelor to the altar.”

  Hearing what sounded like a muffled harrumph behind her, Penny fought the urge to cringe. Managing a gracious smile instead, she allowed the earl to lead her into the front parlor.

  A few steps behind, Rafael nudged Gabriel with his elbow and murmured in a low voice, “You’d best dispatch a letter to the states the moment we return to London lest Mother hear the news of your sudden nuptials from someone else.”

  Gabriel nodded in agreement. His mother would be shocked enough to learn of his precipitous marriage, but if she chanced to hear of it from someone other than himself; well needless to say he would never hear the end of it.

  After several minutes of exchanging pleasantries in the front parlor, McKesson rose from his chair to join Gabriel where he stood near the room’s massive stone fireplace, while Penelope, Michael and Rafael continued to drink their tea and avail themselves of the vast selection of cakes, scones and small crustless sandwiches the earl’s kitchen staff had prepared.

  “She’s delightful, Ainsworth. And what a beauty,” Alistair murmured in a hushed voice as he regarded Penelope with undisguised admiration. “Wherever did you find her?”

  Uninvited in my bed, Gabriel thought petulantly. Nevertheless, he was careful to maintain a pleasant expression. Not only due to his promise to Beckford, however, but because he would much rather suffer in silence than reveal the actual, humiliating circumstances of his marriage to anyone. He was a man who controlled one of England’s largest fortunes, held a seat in Parliament, managed numerous estates encompassing several thousand tenants and directly employed several hundred individuals. To divulge that he had been so easily duped by a mere slip of a girl would have been mortifying to say the least. He still had his pride, by God, battered and bruised as it was. “Penelope is the Earl of Beckford’s daughter.”

  “You don’t say,” Alistair remarked in surprise. “I recall Beckford mentioning that he had a daughter during his last visit, though I hadn’t realized the girl was of marriageable age.”

  “Penelope is eighteen,” Gabriel replied, discomfited by the sudden reminder of his wife’s youth, for it rankled to know that the woman who’d managed to dupe him with such astonishing ease was in fact little more than a child.

  The earl grinned. “Snapped her up before the other gents could get a look at her, did you?”

  Gabriel managed a slight smile. “Yes, I suppose you could say that.”

  “Always knew you were a clever chap,” Alistair remarked with an approving nod.

  Clever indeed, Gabriel thought in disgust. So bloody clever that he’d managed to land himself square in the middle of a perfectly-laid trap, one that had led him straight into the parson’s noose.

  “The young ladies will be devastated, of course, to learn that you are officially off the market,” the earl continued with a chuckle. “Though I’ve no doubt that the continued eligibility of those two charming rogues,” he added, motioning toward Michael and Rafael “will help to ease their collective heartache.”

  “Yes, I’ve a feeling you are correct on that account,” Gabriel agreed, glancing at his brothers in sudden sympathy. Now that he was legally wed it was inevitable that his brothers would find themselves even more highly sought after than before; as despite their being second sons, they were both well on their way to amassing considerable fortunes of their own, thanks in part to his expert guidance and a number of sound financial investments.

  “Well then, if everyone is suitably refreshed, perhaps we should make our way to the stables,” the earl suggested a few minutes later.

  Rafael and Michael were on their feet at once, their matching expressions undeniably eager.

  “Of course you are more than welcome to remain here at the house if you would prefer not to accompany us outdoors, Your Grace,” the earl said to Penny as she rose from her seat on the velvet-covered settee.

  “Actually, Lord McKesson, I believe I’ll join you, for I would enjoy seeing the horses as well.”

  “Of course, of course,” he replied with an enthusiastic smile. “I should have expected you to be a horse lover, your being Beckford’s daughter and all. Are you in search of a new mount for yourself, perhaps?”

  “No, not presently,” she answered, taking the earl’s arm once again as he led them from the parlor. “In fact I acquired a new mount not that long ago, one of yours actually.”

  The earl’s bushy eyebrows rose in surprise. “You don’t say?”

  “My father purchased him during his last visit here, a marvelous black stallion named Apollo.”

  “Oh yes, a splendid animal,” he declared, eyeing her with a combination of surprise and admiration, “though quite massive and highly spirited as I recall. You must be quite a horsewoman to handle a brute like that, Your Grace.”

  “He is a bit rambunctious,” Penny agreed good-humoredly. “But yes, I am extremely comfortable in the saddle and Apollo and I suit each other quite well, I assure you.”

  The earl smiled, seeming genuinely pleased. “I’m delighted to hear it.”

  Following a short walk to the rear of the pro
perty, they reached the stable where McKesson’s thoroughbreds were housed and then entered through a set of wide, double doors. Breathing in the familiar scents of freshly cut hay, oiled leather and horses, Penny felt right at home as she surveyed the bevy of activity within the huge wooden structure. She was careful to watch her step, however, clad as she was in a pair of dainty kid slippers, rather than her sturdy leather riding boots.

  “After receiving your missive,” the earl said to Gabriel, as he led them further into the cavernous building, “I believe these four here to be best suited to your needs,” he continued, motioning to the grouping of stalls on his right.

  Gabriel nodded, while Rafael let out an admiring whistle as they neared the stalls.

  “Magnificent animals, each one,” the earl stated proudly.

  “Indeed they are,” Michael agreed as his eyes leapt eagerly from stall to stall.

  “I have several others of course, which you are more than welcome to consider,” McKesson stated, “but I know that you will settle for nothing but the best, Your Grace, and I can assure you that these four are the finest of the lot. Finest group of young thoroughbreds in all the land actually, if I do say so myself.”

  “I don’t doubt it,” Gabriel replied with the utmost sincerity.

  “Alright then, let’s take a closer look shall we,” the earl suggested, directing them to the first stall.

  Once each of the horses had been thoroughly examined, the animals were led from their stalls and readied to be taken outside.

  As the duke and his brothers conversed with the earl, his records keeper and the head trainer, just outside the stable doors, Penny excused herself from the group and made her way to the paddock, walking alongside the split rail fence until she reached one of the narrow benches spaced at equal intervals along the perimeter. Stepping up onto the thick, smoothly-sanded wooden slab, she crossed her arms atop the highest rung and watched as the stable master and a trio of grooms led the horses into the enclosure. They were all beautiful animals, a bay, two blacks and a grey, each of them a superb representation of their breed.