Her mouth parted in offense, but he didn’t stop.
“Rule three…” He met her gaze evenly. “You are to never fall in love with me.”
Penelope stared back at him, her mouth agape. Then, a strange feeling engulfed her, and she broke out into a laugh.
“That is one rule you can rest easy about, Your Grace,” she said. “I do not think that I will be falling in love with you, any time soon.”
Alexander stared at her, his expression darkening into something she did not quite recognize. She wondered if she had gone too far or offended him. In reality, she was only being honest, as she often had the habit of being. Even when it landed her in trouble.
For a moment, he did not say anything. But she watched him as he took a step closer to her.
“Is that the case?” he asked, in a softer voice now. “And what makes you so confident?”
Penelope tried her hardest not to grow distracted by just how close he had stepped towards her.
“Well, for one thing, this is not a marriage born out of love. So the chances of it blossoming are already low,” she explained . “Besides, you have made it quite clear to me already that you are not interested in any kind of love match with me. So that resolves the problem altogether.”
Alexander only closed the distance between them further in response. So much, in fact, that she ran out of space and her back came into contact with the wall behind her.
“The problem?” he asked, his gaze scanning her face. “It would be a problem, you think, should you fall in love with me?”
Suddenly, Penelope’s throat was parched, and she could hardly focus on the conversation .
“Yes,” she said. “That is how you have phrased it. If it is serious enough to be made into a rule, then one can assume that it would be a problem. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Penelope was embarrassed by just how weak her own voice was sounding, but his proximity seemed to have an effect on her.
“I am just surprised at your confidence,” he said, and then dragged a finger across the side of her jaw. She froze in response. His touch seemed to have made her entirely incapable of thinking.
“You should not be,” she said, clearing her throat. Her cheeks were burning, and she was certain that he had taken note of it. It would be impossible for him not to notice, considering how close he was.
“You have spirit,” he said, still not taking a step back. “I will give you that.”
“I will try not to bother you with it,” she replied, as though it was something to apologize for. At least, that was what she had been told for most of her life.
“Bother me?” he repeated, seeming rather amused now. “No, I do not think it bothers me. If anything, it is new.”
His response confused her. Was he being appreciative of her, or was this meant to be some sort of covert taunt that she had not yet deciphered?
She opened her mouth to speak, but the duke had already stepped back from her.
“I would advise you to get some rest,” he said, already walking away. “You will be shown your quarters. Good night.”
CHAPTER 4
“Never fall in love with me,” Penelope repeated to herself, trying to match the tone of the duke. She stood in front of a tall mirror in what was now her new home, inside of her chambers. “As if I could be so tragically foolish.”
It was her first morning in her new home, and she did not have much company to keep her occupied. All she could do was amuse herself by mimicking her husband, and his ridiculous rules.
“Who says that to their bride on their wedding day, anyway?” She muttered under her breath. And the fact that he had said it with such conviction, as though simplyexistingin his presence was enough to make her fawn!
Penelope scowled at her own reflection across the room.
“Well, don’t worry, Your Grace,” she said to the empty air, “you’re about as romantic as a pile of rocks. I do not anticipate falling in love any time soon.”
But then she remembered the way he’d looked at her father. The way he had said,I do not intend to fail her.She bit the inside of her cheek.
No.She could not let herself think like this.
