To Capture a Duke's Heart

by Jennifer McNare

  “Bloody hell,” he cursed under his breath, wondering perhaps if he were to bang his head hard enough against the stone railing he could render himself unconscious.

  “Did you say something?” Rafael asked.

  Turning from Penelope, he swung his gaze to where his brother stood next to him.

  “No, nothing.”

  “Humph, could have sworn I heard you mutter something under your breath,” Rafael said with an amused, knowing expression.

  Gabriel glowered at him, but his brother merely smirked and raised a questioning eyebrow. “Mind your own damned business,” he grumbled.

  “Can’t keep your eyes off of her, can you?”

  Gabriel ignored Rafael’s comment, deliberately turning his focus back to the performers.

  “Hell, in that dress, I can hardly keep my eyes off of her myself.”

  Gabriel’s head snapped back around.

  “Relax,” Rafael stated laughingly. “You know I was merely jesting.”

  “Do I look amused?”

  Rafael appeared to study him for a moment. “Not particularly, no.”

  Gabriel shook his head disgustedly and turned back to the lawn, focusing his gaze on one of the female gypsies, her bare arms and feet moving with dizzying speed as she danced to the beat of the other’s wooden castanets and jangling tambourines.

  “You know, Gabe, you could just take her to bed and end your misery,” Rafael suggested in a low voice, as he too turned back to the performers. “She is your wife after all, circumstances be damned.”

  As his fingers tightened upon the unyielding marble beneath his hands, Gabriel clenched his jaw and managed to keep from telling his brother to go to hell.

  _____

  When Penny made her way to her bedchamber later that night she couldn’t help feeling somewhat disheartened, for instead of accompanying her home from the Farleigh residence, Gabriel had elected to go to White’s along with Rafael, instead. However, knowing that Meg would be waiting for her with her customary, welcoming smile, the sweet-tempered maid ever eager to hear the highlights of Penny’s evenings out, she disguised her mood, affixing a pleasant expression upon her face as she entered into her room.

  Then, for the next half hour, as Meg helped her out of her gown, corset, and various undergarments, removed the pins from her hair and readied the clothing she would need for the coming morning, Penny maintained that expression as she provided Meg with an account of the dinner and a detailed description of the gypsy performance that had followed. Not surprisingly, by the time she was finished Meg’s eyes were wide with wonder.

  “Oh, but it must have been simply marvelous,” she gushed.

  “It was rather spectacular, especially the fire breathing.”

  “I can hardly even imagine such a thing,” Meg said with a disbelieving shake of her head.

  “You know,” Penny remarked as she donned her night rail, “I overheard someone mention that there was a circus being held in Covent Garden next week and I would be delighted to purchase tickets for you and your entire family if you would like to attend.”

  Meg’s face lit up. “You would?”

  “Of course,” Penny replied. “If that’s something you and your family would enjoy then you just need let me know the number of tickets you’ll require and I shall send one of the footmen out to procure them for you straightaway.”

  “Oh I’m certain that they would enjoy that tremendously, Your Grace,” Meg answered, nodding her head excitedly. “Thank you.”

  “You are more than welcome, Meg,” Penny assured her. “Now off to bed with you, for you’ve had a long day and I can tell that you didn’t nap whilst I was out as you should have,” she lightly chastised.

  “No, Your Grace,” she acknowledged. “I tried, but the pains were keeping me awake.”

  Penny knew to what she was referring, for poor Meg was one of those unfortunate women who oft-times suffered particularly painful abdominal cramping during her monthly courses.

  “You asked Mrs. Croft to make you a cup of honey and ginger tea, I hope?” she asked, knowing that the housekeeper’s special blend of tea was one of the few things that seemed to relieve Meg’s discomfort.

  “I did.”

  “And you’re feeling better now, I hope?”

  “Yes, Your Grace, much better.”

  “Good. Well off you go then, for I can easily see to the remainder of my bedtime preparations myself,” Penny said, urging her toward the door.

  Despite Penny all but shoving Meg toward the door, the dedicated young maid hesitated. “You’re quite sure?”

  “I am.”

  “Alright then,” she finally agreed. “Good night, Your Grace.”

  “Good night, Meg,” she replied with a fond smile. “Sleep well.”

  As Meg left the room, Penny made a mental note to speak with Mrs. Croft on the morrow about an increase to Meg’s monthly wage, for she was such a hard and dutiful worker and deserved to be rewarded for her efforts with a great deal more than a mere visit to the circus. Then walking over to the vanity, she sat down, picked up her hairbrush and began to run it slowly through the heavy mass of loosened curls hanging down the length of her back, her thought’s, sparked by her conversation with Meg, turning to her own monthly courses, or rather the recent lack thereof, just as they had on several other occasions during the past month. For while her monthlies had always been somewhat irregular from the time they’d commenced, some five years earlier, she had never gone without bleeding for more than two months’ time before.

  However, as it was now over three months since she experienced her last course, she had begun to wonder if there might be reason for concern. Unfortunately, however, as a woman’s monthly courses, as well as nearly every other issue related to the female reproductive process, were hardly a seemly topic of polite conversation, even amongst other women, she was entirely uncertain if the matter was significant enough to warrant medical attention. Although, considering that she felt in perfect health otherwise, aside from a recent and atypical bout of afternoon fatigue, which she could easily attribute to the uncharacteristically late hours she’d been keeping since the start of the Season, she could hardly imagine that it was cause yet for alarm.

  And so, minutes later, as she put out the lamp, climbed into bed and laid her head back against the soft, feather pillow, she allowed her thoughts to drift along an entirely different path, one that led inevitably to Gabriel. And with a sigh of frustration, she couldn’t help wondering if he had even noticed the extra effort she’d made to garner his attention that evening. For other than the compliment he’d given her when she’d joined him in the front hall earlier that night, he hadn’t appeared the least bit affected. Then again, she pondered morosely, would it even have mattered if he had been? For even if he did desire her, it certainly didn’t guarantee that he would ever act upon that desire. So what to do then?

  Regrettably, she hadn’t the faintest idea. Thus, it was that very question that kept her staring into the darkness for the next two hours, her mind spinning as she tried to determine an immediate course of action, until finally she settled upon a plan. Unfortunately, however, the plan she’d come up with was nothing short of terrifying.

  It was only after another three quarters of an hour had passed, just as she was on the verge of dozing off and forgoing the idea entirely, that she was suddenly roused by the muffled sound of movement coming from Gabriel’s chamber next door. He was home.

  For what felt like an endless amount of time, but was assuredly little more than a few short minutes, she lay unmoving beneath the covers, her heart beating a frantic staccato within her chest as she tried to summon the courage to rise from the bed. It was even harder than she’d thought it would be, but knowing that the necklace Gabriel had gifted her with earlier that evening presented the perfect opportunity to implement her plan, an opportunity she might not get again, at least not anytime soon, she knew she had to do it. And so, taking several deep, fortifying
breaths, she pushed aside the bedsheets and swung her legs over the side of the mattress. Then, lifting her night rail over her head, she tossed it onto the bed and reached for the silk dressing gown that lay at the foot of her bed, slipping her arms into the wide sleeves and tying the sash at her waist.

  Moving across the floor on unsteady legs, Penny walked to the dressing room door and slowly pulled it open. In the darkness, she could see the faint glow of light just visible beneath the opposite door, the door to Gabriel’s chamber. You can do this, she told herself, repeating the thought over and over in her head as she stepped into the room and moved across the floor, listening at the door for a moment to make certain he was alone. As Gabriel rarely had his valet wait up for him during the Season, when arriving home in the wee hours of the morning was hardly an uncommon occurrence, she was fairly confident that he would be. Then, holding her breath, she hesitated for just a second before raising her hand and rapping her knuckles ever so lightly upon the door. For several seconds there was only silence on the other side of the door, but then, just as she was about to knock again, she heard Gabriel call out for her to come in.

  Opening the door, Penny stepped into Gabriel’s chamber, her eyes sweeping the dimly-lit room until she saw him at the side of his bed, an enormous four-poster that took up a considerable portion of the wall behind him.

  What the hell was she doing in his room, in the middle of the night, in her dressing gown with her fiery mass of curls hanging unbound at her back, Gabriel wondered, eyeing Penelope uneasily as she stood just inside the door. “It’s rather late for you to still be up isn’t it?”

  “Yes, I… I couldn’t sleep,” Penny responded, her eyes fastening for a moment upon the expanse of skin revealed by his partially-open shirt.

  He waited for her to continue. She didn’t. “And was there something you needed?” he prompted.

  “Hmm? Oh, yes actually,” Penny replied, tearing her gaze from his chest. “I just wanted to thank you again for the necklace.”

  “I see. And that couldn’t wait until morning?”

  “Err, yes, I suppose it could have,” she acknowledged. “It’s just that I happened to be awake and… heard you come in,” she continued lamely. “So anyhow, thank you, again that is.”

  “You’re welcome, again,” he replied, maintaining a dispassionate tone as he kept his gaze deliberately focused above her neck.

  Penny swallowed reflexively, a lump forming in her throat. Clearly he wasn’t going to be making this any easier for her, though she pressed on nonetheless. “Is something troubling you?” she asked hesitantly. “You seem rather… out of sorts.”

  Damn her. Why the devil was she still standing there? “Do I?”

  “You enjoyed your evening, I trust?”

  Hell no, he hadn’t enjoyed his evening, thanks to her and that damned dress; for not only had he scarce been able to keep his eyes off of her throughout the night, he’d had to watch as his duchess had been ogled by nearly every other gentleman in attendance as well, he thought in irritation. And now here she was, standing inside his bedchamber wearing nothing, it appeared, but the thin layer of her dressing gown. It was vexing to say the least and he felt his temper flare. Thus, his tone was slightly acerbic as he responded, “Doubtless not as much as you enjoyed yours, I would imagine.”

  “Mine?” Penny regarded him curiously, somewhat taken aback by his response, as well as his tone of voice. “Yes, I rather did enjoy the night’s festivities,” she replied with a somewhat hesitant smile.

  “That’s hardly surprising, I suppose,” Gabriel remarked, “considering the inordinate amount of attention you received, at least from the gentlemen in attendance, anyhow. Carrington in particular seemed quite taken with you.”

  Ah, so he had noticed. “Did he? I hadn’t noticed.”

  “Didn’t you?” Gabriel scoffed. “I must say I find that rather hard to believe considering that Carrington prides himself on his seductive charm and winning appeal,” he continued derisively. “Hell, the man is renowned for being the most profligate rake in all of London.”

  “Oh my,” Penny exclaimed, affecting a look of mock dismay as she felt her confidence slowly begin to mount. “How could dear Lady Farleigh have seated me next to such a nefarious gentleman at dinner, much less have allowed such an individual into her own home?”

  Gabriel stared at Penelope in disbelief. “Do you think that I am jesting, Madame?”

  “No certainly not,” she assured him. “However, I must admit to being a bit surprised that you would proclaim the Earl of Carrington London’s most profligate rake, for I am quite certain that Rafael takes an inordinate amount of pleasure in the long-held belief that he holds that title for himself,” she continued with a laughing smile.

  “I’m serious, Penelope,” Gabriel snapped, unamused by the deliberate nonchalance of her attitude. “You would be well-advised not to encourage Carrington’s interest.”

  “Yes, I can see that you are quite serious,” Penny replied. “So serious in fact,” she continued with a speculative expression, “that if I didn’t know better, I might think to wonder if you were perhaps… jealous.”

  “Jealous?” The accuracy of her assumption struck him through like the pierce of an arrow, but he’d be damned if he would let it show, responding instead in a disdainful tone, “I fear you greatly overestimate your appeal, Madame; for I assure you that I merely have little tolerance for men like Carrington, men who harbor the mistaken belief that they would ever be permitted to avail themselves of something that belongs to me.”

  “I see.”

  Gabriel’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Do you?”

  “I am hardly unaware that extramarital affairs are a rather common occurrence amongst our peers,” she replied offhandedly. “That is what you are alluding to, is it not, that you believe Carrington may well intend to pursue one of those amorous liaisons with me?”

  Gabriel nodded brusquely. “You understand correctly.”

  “Yes, I believe that I do,” Penny affirmed. Then cocking her head to the side, she eyed him consideringly for a moment. “Although, I have to admit that I can’t help finding the severity of your attitude somewhat curious,” she remarked, keeping her tone deliberately blasé, despite the fact that she was fairly trembling inside, “especially as you have made it abundantly clear that you don’t want me for yourself.”

  Gabriel’s teeth ground together, for it was obvious that Penelope was intentionally attempting to provoke him. “What I want, or don’t want, has entirely no bearing on the matter,” he informed her.

  “Doesn’t it?” she queried, valiantly maintaining her brave front, knowing that she had to press on if she had any hope at all of breaking through the barriers that Gabriel had erected between them.

  “Perhaps I wasn’t entirely clear,” Gabriel stated forebodingly, pinning her with his sharp, piercing gaze. “No one takes what’s mine, whether I want it or not.”

  “I see,” she replied with a disdainful, “humph. And I’m… yours?”

  “You are the Duchess of Ainsworth,” he said matter-of-factly.

  Penny shrugged indifferently. “I am your duchess in name only.”

  They stared at one another in silence for one seemingly endless moment, and then Gabriel was suddenly striding toward her.

  Penny stood unmoving as he crossed the floor, her breath lodged in her throat as he took hold of her upper arms and yanked her toward him. “Be that as it may, Madame, you do bear my name,” he stated in a low, menacing tone, “and it is for that reason and that reason alone that no other man will ever touch you.”

  Looking up into his angry, storm-clouded eyes, just inches from hers, Penny knew the moment was upon her; and if she didn’t act now, she might never have the courage to do so again. “Then perhaps you should touch me,” she said softly.

  Gabriel froze, the quietly uttered statement catching him completely off guard; and for one of the few times in his life he was rendered completely and utt
erly speechless. But then, seconds later, when he finally found his voice, the words seemed to slip from his lips of their own accord. “Do you want me to touch you?” he asked raspingly, despite the obvious fact that he was touching her already, his fingers still curled around her upper arms.

  She met his gaze unflinchingly. “Yes.”

  The simple, one word response struck Gabriel with the force of a lightning bolt. Rational thought abruptly fled, as did any semblance of caution, his good sense giving way to the sudden and overwhelming surge of white-hot desire coursing through his veins. And with little thought to the consequence of his actions, he dragged Penelope up against his chest and bent his head, crushing his lips against hers in a wild, uncontrolled kiss that seemed to emanate from the very depths of his soul.

  Penny’s response was immediate; her reaction to the sudden pressure of his mouth upon hers, a soft little mewl of encouragement, an unmistakable combination of both pleasure and satisfaction as their lips melded together. And then, seconds later and with only the slightest urging on his part, she parted her lips, surrendering her mouth to the gentle, yet determined invasion of his tongue as he moved to explore the sweet recesses of her mouth. But it was when he felt the first, tentative brush of her tongue against his that he lost himself completely.

  Releasing his hold upon her upper arms, Gabriel dropped his hands and wrapped his arms around her back, grasping her bottom to pull her more tightly against him, crushing her pelvis against the rising swell within his snug-fitting breeches as he continued to kiss her with a masterful determination, delighting as she grew bolder and her tongue began to parry with his.

  Lifting her arms, Penny wound them around Gabriel’s neck, reveling in her victory, for she could feel his manhood growing hard and thick against the woolen fabric of his trousers, an irrefutable indication that he wanted her just as much as she wanted him.