“Every. Single. Rule,” he continued, his eyes flashing with anger. “You left the estate without protection. You lied to my staff. You took a horse alone, and then brought my daughter into danger.”
“You do not understand the full story,” Penelope flinched, noticeably distressed by how he spoke to her. “I had no choice but to come here.”
His blood boiled at the thought.
“Of course, you had a choice,” he barked out. “Y ou only chose the wrong thing.”
“But you do not even know what happened,” Penelope argued. “I could not have left her on her own.”
“You risked her life,” Alexander’s words were sharp, and devoid of any warmth. He could see the confusion and fear in Penelope’s face. He did not like speaking to her like this, but when it came to his daughter, nothing else was more important .
“If I hadn’t gone, she would still be missing,” Penelope said in final defense of herself. Alexander did not know the specifics , only that he had found her and Odette in a place he had forbidden them to g o. That alone was enough to ignite his ire.
Alexander exhaled slowly through his nose, closing his eyes briefly. “We will discuss this later,” he said curtly, glancing back at Odette, who was still yet to say a word. “Not here.”
“Fine,” Penelope said, turning away from him. Her shoulders were taut with tension. A thought occurred to Alexander that he should reach out and relieve some of that tension, but he restrained himself immediately.
He was meant to be cross with Penelope. Softening towards her would do him no good.
He turned away, and helped Odette into the carriage.
“I shall be fine on my own,” Odette said the first thing to him all afternoon.Apollo jumped in after her, laying his head protectively across her lap.
Alexander pinched the bridge of his nose. That was the Odette he had been accustomed to dealing with before Penelope came into his life, the one that was brusque in her responses, and troublesome.
Penelope stepped up next, pausing at the threshold. She glanced back at Alexander. He said nothing, merely offered his hand to steady her as she climbed in.
Once inside, Alexander shut the door firmly and took his seat opposite them. The carriage began to jolt forward.
Penelope’s hands twisted in her lap. Her eyes flicked toward him, hesitated, then dropped again.
Alexander leaned back, resting one arm along the windowsill. Now that there was some stillness to the scene, the reality of what had almost happened hit him harshly. His knuckles whitened against the sides of the carriage.
“Alexander,” Penelope’s voice broke through the silence. She had been watching him carefully, a frown spread across her face.
“Not now,” he repeated. He did not wish to discuss anything in front of Odette.
She fell silent and did not attempt to speak again.
Perhaps for the better,he thought to himself.
Odette shifted in her corner, gazing out the opposite window, her cheek resting against Apollo’s fur.
When the carriage ride finally came to an end, Alexander was the first one out of the carriage. A line of worried servants waited for them as they arrived.
“Take Lady Odette to her chambers, make sure she is bathed and that any wounds are tended to,” he said to the staff, who listened to him at once. Then he turned to Penelope, “And escort the Duchess to my study.”
He did not wait for the orders to be acted on. Instead, he swiftly made his way over to his study. A moment later, Nancy brought in Penelope. She was leaning against the maid’s shoulder before she was sat on the sofa inside.
“That will be all,” he said to Nancy, wanting to speak with her alone. Nancy frowned, but agreed. Finally, for the first time that day, they were alone.
“Penelope,” Alexander was the first one to break the silence. His gaze dropped to her arm. “Show me,” he murmured.
“I thought you would wish for us to speak first,” she said.
“Do as I say,” he tried to keep his voice stern, but it was difficult when they were alone like this, and she had that impossibly sad look in her eyes. “Please, let me see.”
He gestured to her arm, which he had noticed since the moment he found her at the park. She had an obvious strain on it, even though she was trying her hardest not to let it show.
