“And you surmised this all on your own?”
Alexander only smiled.
“Well then,” she continued. “You are not incorrect. There is something that has been bothering me. Or gnawing at me, more like.”
“You may tell me,” Alexander insisted. “And now is as good of a time as ever.”
“You are insistent.”
“Only because I am curious,” he said, “and because I do not see the point in spoiling an otherwise nice evening with something that may be easily resolved. So, I would advise you to tell me.”
Alexander was not sure what her response might be. She had a contemplative expression on her face, and her hesitation told him that it might go either way.
“It’s about Odette,” she said finally.
That caught his attention. His shoulders tightened just slightly as he waited for her to go on. Penelope looked at the space over his shoulder as they turned.
“I want to take her out,” she said. “Just for walks, to the park. She is hardly a toddler, and can be expected to look after herself, as long as she is under my supervision.”
“I am not sure if I understand you,” Alexander replied, knitting his eyebrows together. “You did take her out, just the other day into the town. What else do you need?”
It was a serious question. When it came to Odette, and specifically the matter of her safety, he was not one to take any chances.
“I don’t like that Odette can’t breathe without approval from your guard dogs.”
Her words were blunt, but Alexander knew better than to be surprised by that now. Clearly, the matter had ruffled her feathers enough for her to be speaking so harshly.
“She’s going to debut in only a few years, she’ll be a lady of theton,” she continued, “Surely she should be able to go for a stroll without it turning into a production.”
“That’s what this has been about?” Alexander picked at her brain a bit more. He found himself growing irritated by her complaints, but tried not to show it. “You resent the fact that she has protection with her?”
“I’m not saying she shouldn’t have protection. I know that being the daughter of a duke must come with its own risks,”she countered. “But two enormous Scottish guard dogs of men following us everywhere? I don’t think that achieves anything.”
“I think Fergus and Lewis would be rather flattered if you called them that to their face,” Alexander commented.
“They growl when they smile,” she said flatly. “And I just find the whole thing entirely unnecessary. She deserves to feel like a normal girl sometimes.”
They twirled in a slow arc. He didn’t interrupt her again, deciding that as annoyed as he felt, he would give her a chance to explain herself more.
“She’s a wonderfully bright girl,” Penelope said. “ She doesn’t say it, but I can tell she wants more freedom. She wants to feel like she belongs with other girls her age. And I want to help her get there. But I can’t do that if every outing has to be cleared and scheduled in advance.”
Alexander finally looked down at her, properly.
“I do not doubt your intent, which is pure. And if anything, I am happy that you seem to care about her well-being like this.”
“But?” she prompted, already hearing it in his tone.
“But Odette is not just a girl. She’s my daughter. And I’m not just a man who happens to have a title. There are people in this worldwho might try to exploit the fact that she is my daughter, and try to harm her to get through to me.”
“But how do you…”
Alexander did not let her finish her statement.
“She will never have the freedom other girls do,” Alexander said quietly. “It might not be the most convenient thing, but that’s the cost of the life I’ve built. Her safety comes first.”
Penelope looked up at him, frustrated.
“You talk about protection like it’s a lifelong sentence. You can’t honestly believe she’ll never be allowed to breathe without two guards watching her every move.”
