“Welcome home, Your Grace,” one of the staff members said. Instinctively, Penelope turned to the duke before realizing that it washerthey were referring to.
She had a title now, though it would take her time to get used to it.
“Right, of course,” she cleared her throat, “well, thank you for welcoming me.”
“You shall be shown to your quarters by one of the maids,” Alexander spoke up. “At any moment, someone will be there to assist you around the house. There is no shortage of staff here.”
Penelope nodded, looking around. Everything from the furnishings to the size was much grander than she had back home.
The staff had all but dispersed now, except one young maid who stood at the bottom of the stairs. Presumably, she was waiting to show Penelope to her quarters.
“Am I meant to go to my quarters straight away?” she turned to Alexander.
“Yes,” he said, but more like a question. “What else did you have in mind?”
“Well,” she cleared her throat. “I was hoping to meet your daughter before that.”
“Immediately?” Alexander seemed surprised at her request, even though in her mind, it had been a perfectly normal thing to ask.
“Well, I believe in doing things sooner rather than later,” Penelope asserted. “And I am sure she must know that I am due to arrive, so it would be nice.”
Alexander regarded her with a look, and then shook his head firmly.
“No. It is not the right time,” he said.
“Not the right time?” Penelope asked. “And why is that? I was under the impression that the very reason you married me was to look after your daughter. So I cannot fathom why this is not the right time.”
Alexander had a look of annoyance cross his face.
“I would advise you to have more patience, especially when it comes to matters as important as this,” he said. “I have not yet told you the rules yet.”
“There are rules?”
There was no word that Penelope despised more than this one. She had thought that she had escaped the stringent rules of her father's household, only to be told a fresh set was waiting for her.
No, this was not quite right. Anyone who knew her even slightly knew that she had great trouble following rules.
“Are you ready to hear them?” Alexander said to her, watching her closely for any sort of reaction.
“Will you tell them to me now?”
“Only because you have expressed a great desire to not waste any time,” Alexander said, just as sarcastically.
“Well, then.”
“Rule one: you must never disturb me unless it concerns my daughter.”
“You mean the daughter who I cannot meet?”
“Rule two,” he continued, as though she hadn’t spoken, “you are not to leave the house without informing me. I expect to know where you are, always.”
“Always?”
“I did not stutter.”
“And what if I told you that I am not used to telling people about my whereabouts.”
“Then you better get used to it,” Alexander tilted his head slightly, unimpressed. “You’ll find the rule practical, given your tendency to run.”
