“Odette will be having most of her meals in her chambers now,” he said as an explanation.
One of Penelope’s eyebrow s shot up. “And why is that? She had a difficult day yesterday, and I think it would be better for her to join us. I do not want her to sit alone with her thoughts for too long.”
Alexander remained unfazed, as though he had not even once considered whatever Penelope was saying to him. “Sit down,” he repeated himself, though this time there was an urgency in his voice.
Penelope felt her heart beat faster. Something was not right. Still, she obeyed, crossing to the chair opposite him.
“I’ve made a decision,” Alexander said finally.
A silence stretched between them again. For his anger, he seemed to be having trouble telling her what the decision was.
“And am I meant to read your mind?” she asked. Her tone was more sarcastic than she had intended but she could not help herself.
“No,” Alexander pressed his lips together in a thin line. “I have made the decision that you shall no longer be staying here with us.”
Penelope blinked, first unable to comprehend what he had just said to her. Surely, this was some sort of jest?
“I beg your pardon?”
Alexander did not burst into laughter, though. By all measures, he seemed to be quite serious.
“This marriage between us was a mistake,” he said, even more bluntly than the first time. “I had brought you in so that you may be a good influence on my daughter, but the events of the day before have proven to me that it is not the case.”
Penelope felt her cheeks redden, half from embarrassment and half from anger. Her thin fingers folded themselves into fists under the table.
“If you are so easily asking me to leave,” she finally said, her voice coming out shaky. “Where do you expect me to go? Do you realize the severity of your own words?”
Alexander winced but then quickly schooled his face back into a neutral expression.
“I know exactly what I am asking of you,” he said. “As for your residence , I shall give you a choice. Either return to your father’s house or take up residence in one of the smaller estates in the countryside.”
The words struck her like a slap. Her knuckles had gone white now.
“Your Grace,” she said, though the title felt hollow in her mouth as she said it , “I am not sure why you are resorting to such drastic measures.”
“I have every reason to,” he said. Where she had wished for warmth from him, he only gave her more stiffness. “This cannot continue. I should never have brought you into this house.”
“But I was not trying to defy you,” Penelope defended herself. “I never intended for what happened yesterday. I swear to you, I only went to find Odette and bring her home safely. What else would you have me do in a situation like that?”
Alexander’s jaw clenched.
“It is not about what you should have done, or what the circumstances were,” Alexander explained, once again bizarrely calm. “The truth is that I had set some rules for you and you were unable to follow them. That alone is reason enough for me to ask you to leave.”
“You expect me to follow rules when I am in a situation as urgent as one where Odette had gone missing?” Penelope’s voice rose for the first time that morning. “That does not sound like rules that are set for my well-being. Rather, it sounds like you were keen on running a dictatorship and I have caused problems to that plan.”
“You should have told me,” he snapped. “I would have handled it.”
“But there was no time!”
“There was always time,” Alexander bit out. “You simply didn’t trust me to do what was necessary.”
Penelope’s chest felt tight, her heart pounding painfully against her ribs.
“I trusted you with everything. But I didn’t want to risk losing her while we waited for you to act, or even worry you,” She swallowed hard, blinking against the sting in her eyes. “I.. I thought you’d understand.”
“I do.” His voice softened, barely. Then it hardened again, as though he had to remind himself to put on whatever hard exterior that he thought was fitting. “But it doesn’t change the fact that what happened was too much of a violation. I cannot keep you here.”
“Why?” The question burst out of her trembling lips. “Why are you doing this? You said you wanted a marriage of convenience, fine. But why exile me now? What was the point of marrying me in the first place then?”
