Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
Another two days passed without Penelope seeing her husband. She knew now beyond a doubt that he was purposefully avoiding her. Just as she knew the reason. Frustratingly, there was nothing she could do.
If I take over the arrangements as I did, he will just tell me I have overstepped and refuse to do as he promised. But if I do nothing, the result will be the same. He wants me to fail.
The other option left to her was simply to give up and go home.
And as those two days dragged on, the realization growing that her best laid plans were going nowhere, she very nearly considered doing just that.
The only thing which stopped her was that whenever she did think about leaving, picturing her return and the life that waited for her, a cold shiver ran through her spine and she felt that same emptiness that had been appearing more these past few months creep deeper inside of her.
She couldn’t give up. Not yet. As to what she was going to do, and how she might force Dorian to change the way he was behaving toward her? She had no idea.
It was for that reason that she found herself on that third day doing as she had done the past two, going for a walk through the back garden. Just to get out of the house. Just to get some fresh air and think. Praying for an idea to fall into her lap and solve everything.
Hopes and dreams, she knew… or I thought I did.
It was just past mid-morning when Penelope stepped outside, headed west along the stone path because it snaked lazily through the large garden, by far the longest route through the mass of hedges and flower beds.
She wasn’t paying much attention, still thinking about the duke and what she might do, and for this reason she didn’t notice that for the first time in almost a week she wasn’t alone.
“Good morning,” a soft voice spoke from down the path.
Penelope almost jumped out of her skin, she was caught by such surprise. Her head snapped up, and her eyes widened to find a young woman standing no less than five feet in front of her.
Penelope had never seen the woman before, and she knew immediately it wasn’t a member of staff. She was about the same age as Penelope, with black hair cut short, a round face with pretty features, and big eyes that were deep blue and curious.
“Did I scare you?” the young woman asked. “I truly didn’t intend to. But the way you were looking at your feet as you walked, the world might be ending and you would not have noticed.”
“I…” Penelope frowned, unsure who this woman was and what was going on. “Yes, I was a little distracted. But you did not scare me.”
“Liar.”
“You did not!”
The young woman hesitated before smiling, as if she wasn’t sure that she should but was taking a chance. “You must be Penelope. I have looked forward to meeting you.”
“I am…” Still, Penelope had not a clue who this woman was. She looked about the empty garden as if for an answer, seeing that they were alone. “And might I ask who you are?”
“You are going to have to, as I doubt you have even a clue who I am.”
“Should I?”
“I would say not,” the young woman bowed her head and scrunched her face. “I would have been truly surprised if you knew anything about me.”
“I… if you tell me who you are, that will certainly change.”
“My fault, I suppose. Or so Dorian would say.” She blew through her lips. “How is anyone to know of me if I refuse to be known. Never mind that I like it that way… or mostly, I do. It does make for rather awkward introductions, however.”
Penelope did not know what to say. This woman, whoever she was, had a strange quality to her. She was clearly a little nervous, unsure about Penelope and how she should behave toward her. But there was also a sense that she did not want to be this way, as if she was fighting that side of herself.
Indeed, where she fidgeted with her hands and stayed back, awkward in how she glanced at Penelope and looked away, there was a glimmer of excitement to her. A sense that she might turn and run at any moment, or break into a smile.
She is nervous about me for some reason, even if she seems to know that she does not need to be. As if she had been told she can trust be but isn’t so sure…
“My name is Barbara,” she offered finally. “Or rather, Lady Barbara Campbell, if you wish to be formal about it. I wouldn’t be.”
“Barbara…” Penelope said the name, still not putting the pieces together.
Barbara huffed. “Dorian’s younger sister.”
“Dorian’s younger… oh! Of course, yes. I am sorry…” An awkward laugh. “I knew that. Silly me, taking so long to put it all together.”
“You had no idea he had a sister, did you?” she said flatly.
Penelope grimaced. “Not in the classic sense… or, in fact, in any sense.”
It did not surprise Penelope that she did not know this about her husband.
That she had known almost nothing about him before they married did not help, and that he fled from their marriage as soon as it was official added to the secrecy.
On top of all that, she had spent the last three years thinking as little about Dorian as she could do, no desire at all to learn anything about him because why would she?
With that figured through, a realization suddenly came upon Penelope. Something of far greater importance.
“Wait a minute.” Penelope’s eyes widened in accusation. “It was you! You were the one who wrote me, pretending to be Dorian inviting me to come here and help with his party.”
Barbara grimaced with guilt. “Guilty as charged.”
“How did you… why?” Penelope asked, feeling a slight stab of anger. “I don’t understand – what are you playing at?”
“Oh, nothing wicked, I assure you.” Barbara shrugged. “My brother needed help, and he would never admit it. I just thought it might be nice, giving the two of you a chance to reconnect as you should have done years ago. Besides, it was a good way to get him to leave me out of having to help.”
Penelope stared at the young woman in bewilderment, unsure what surprised her more. That she had been the cause of all of this, or that she did not seem to care.
“But enough of that.” Barbara hesitated, face scrunched tight as she decided something. And then, coming to that decision, she hurried toward her and then took her by the arm. “You are going for a walk, yes? Might I… might I join you? Dorian is out for the morning, and I have grown rather bored.”
“I… I suppose so.”
“Wonderful.” Her smile was unsure, but she let it grow on her face as she linked her arm through Penelope’s and then started to lead her down the path. “So, tell me about yourself.”
“What would you like to know?”
“Everything,” she said. “Or anything, really. I rarely meet other people, so I dare say that whatever you choose to share will be most thrilling.”
Penelope could not stop eyeing the woman as if she was insane.
The way she spoke suggested that she rarely left the house, so innocent and unaware of the outside world…
not to mention what most would deem as normal social behavior.
But she was kind, this interaction was clearly a struggle for her, and that went a long way toward making Penelope feel comfortable.
Besides, it is nice to have someone else to talk with. And I get the sense that Barbara is of the same mind.
For that reason, Penelope relaxed considerably, allowing herself to be led by Barbara, and more than willing to speak about literally anything because everything that she said excited the young woman beyond what it should have done.
“You really attend balls on your own?” Barbara gasped when Penelope told her one of the many things she did to pass the time. “I could never – do you not feel scared? Overwhelmed… as if everyone is looking at you?”
“I did at first,” she said. “But you get used to it. Besides, let them look. Maybe they will like what they see.”
“Oh, you are funny!”
Barbara was charmingly curious. And she loved hearing about how independent Penelope was, seeming both jealous and disbelieving because in her mind the idea of living alone and having to do everything by oneself was impossible to comprehend.
Indeed, the good mood continued for some time…
that was until they reached the back corner of the garden where Penelope noticed the statue.
It was carved from grey stone, about half as tall as Penelope, and of a beautiful woman standing with her hands held together in prayer.
Penelope had seen it each day on her walk but was yet to approach, sensing that perhaps it would not be right to do so.
“It is my mother,” Barbara said, her tone turned solemn. “I see you looking.”
“Oh.” Penelope grimaced. “I did not mean to…”
“It is fine,” she sighed, not sounding as if she meant it. “She died many years ago, my father a few years before that.”
“So, it has always been just you and Dorian?”
“Oh no,” Barbara said with a serious expression on her face; brow furrowed as if she thought Penelope was trying to make a joke. “There was also Mark.”
“Who is Mark.”
“My older brother, even older than Dorian. He too passed away, several years ago now – did you not know?”
“No…” Penelope shrunk back, feeling embarrassed for a reason she could not explain. “I had no idea.”
She didn’t know anything about Dorian’s family.
Or his life, for that matter. A man who she had been married to for three years and he was a complete stranger.
It should not have mattered, as she told herself so often that she did not wish to know him or care to do so.
And yet… it feels wrong. This marriage, my life, I really am alone in this world.
They walked quickly from the grave, around the back of the garden, and were soon on their way to the back door. It was perhaps only thirty minutes altogether, but it was the best thirty minutes of Penelope’s life since arriving at the estate.
Indeed, as they approached the back entrance, she was laughing at a joke that Barbara made, one which had Barbara laughing just as hard. And it was because they were so distracted, that neither noticed how they were being watched…
“… truly! And not just spiders, but he is terrified of all bugs.”
“Oh, he is not,” Penelope laughed.
“Well… maybe not terrified,” she admitted. “But the last time a spider found its way into the house, he was locked in his study. He told me he was busy and did not want to waste time dealing with such things. But I knew the truth.”
“And what truth is that.”
“Obviously that he doesn’t like spiders!”
“Maybe he was just busy,” Penelope laughed.
“No, no. He is a big softie,” Barbara giggled. “Which is why he likes to pretend to be so mean. Makes him feel more tough than he is.”
“Barbara…” The duke’s voice cut through their hysterics like a hammer beating against a gong. “What is the meaning of this?”
The two women froze mid-step. Their eyes widened as one, laughter dying on their tongues, mouths dropping open to find Dorian standing at the end of the pathway.
He had his arms folded across his chest, a single eyebrow raised in derision, and a look on his face that made it seem impossible that such a stern figure could be afraid of something as harmless as a butterfly.
“Dorian…” Barbara grimaced. “I was just… telling Penelope of –”
“I heard well enough what you were telling her.” He did not sound angry, but he did not sound particularly happy either. “My meaning is, what are you doing out here? I thought to find you in your room.”
“Just taking advantage of the day, Brother. It is rather lovely.”
“Even more so beyond the estate, I assure you.”
She scoffed. “Somehow, I doubt it.” She laughed softly then and shook her head, pulling her arm from Penelope’s and stepping forward. “Penelope, it was lovely to meet you. Please, feel free to come by my room anytime you wish.”
“I will…” Penelope could not look away from Dorian, who was eyeing the two of them with an unreadable expression. Both dark and curious in one. “And it was nice meeting you.”
Barbara giggled as she approached her brother. There, she touched him on the arm, said something that Penelope could not hear, and then wandered inside.
This had the unfortunate result of leaving Penelope alone with her husband.
“I did not know you had a sister,” Penelope said, swallowing the lump that had appeared in her throat.
“It is no great secret.”
“You might have mentioned her.”
He shrugged. “You did not ask.”
“Yes, well…” She clicked her tongue awkwardly, not at all sure what was going on. Or why the duke was looking at her like that. “I will just be going inside then…” She started along the path, her head down as she made to walk around him.
“You two seemed to be having a nice conversation,” he said just as she was about to pass him by.
“Excuse me?” she stopped and looked at him, surprised to see that he wore a slight smile.
“She is not ordinarily so comfortable with strangers,” he said, the smile growing just a fraction. “And I can’t remember the last time I saw her laugh like that around somebody she has only just met.”
“Oh.” Penelope blinked, not at all understanding what he was trying to say. “She is lovely. I am glad to have met her.”
“Me too,” he said, the smile remaining on his lips. “More than you realize…”
Penelope waited for him to say something else, because she had no idea what was going on or why he suddenly appeared so happy. She could see that he wanted to say more, a thought forming behind his dark eyes.
“Tomorrow,” he said finally, the smile dropping, his serious facade returning. “You and I, it is time we begin to discuss the arrangements of this party.”
“We… it is?” Penelope gaped.
He nodded. “I don’t intend to perform by half-measures, and if it is to be as I wish, the two of us will need to work together. I assume that meets your approval.”
“It does…” she said hesitantly.
“Good.” Another short nod. “Once you break your fast, find me in my office and we will begin.” His lips thinned for an instant, as if he had something more to say, but then he turned on the spot and hurried back inside without so much as a second glance spared for Penelope.
And once more, Penelope was left alone. Staring stupidly at where the duke had just been, her mind reaching for an explanation that she didn’t even know where to start with if she was to find it.
Something had just happened between herself and Dorian, something significant – enough that he sought to change his mind from nowhere.
And for what felt like the hundredth time, Penelope was forced to admit how little she knew about her husband.
Only for once, it did not feel quite so depressing and resolute.
In fact, felt to her like something was changing between them, a step forward taken which could lead to… Penelope had no idea!
She was, however, curious to find out. And that had to count for something.