need. It gives her an odd sort of pleasure. You
are quite wise to indulge her.”
How to Daz zle a Duke
49
“Is it an indulgence to pack for a trip?” Sophia remarked
languidly. “A most peculiar perspective. Of course, I do suppose
she could buy whatever she needs when she arrives. Where are
you bound, Lord Cranleigh?”
As annoyed as she was with Sophia at the moment, Penelope
did find she agreed with her completely. Who ever heard of pack
ing being an indulgence? Edenham, for all his glorious looks,
might be a bit trying on occasion. She might well need to begin
packing for their wedding trip now, to save him the annoyance
of her doing it under his own roof. Yes, that seemed a stellar plan;
she’d begin as soon as she returned home.
“I am not completely certain, Lady Dalby,” Cranleigh said,
looking slightly less forbidding than usual. In fact, he looked very
nearly embarrassed. “As you may or may not be aware, I have
spent time abroad ship in the China Trade.”
“Lord Cranleigh, I am aware of it,” Sophia answered. “In
deed, you have quite the look of a seaman about you, which is
nearly fatally dashing, as I’m sure you must know.”
Cranleigh, remarkably, looked almost flushed. Why, was he
blushing ?
“Amelia has said something very much like,” Cranleigh said
in a hoarse undertone.
“Have you met our uncle Timothy?” Iveston asked Sophia. “He
runs his four ships out of New York. We see him rarely, for obvious
reasons, first and foremost being that he is so often upon the sea.”
“How gracious you are, Lord Iveston, for surely you could
have argued that the most obvious reason was that he was an
American colonial in revolt against his king,” Sophia said pleas
antly. “It is so refreshing to see the bonds of family hold, even
against the backdrop of war. But, to answer your question, I met
Mr. Timothy Elliot only once, in New York, as it happens, and
his lovely wife, Sally, was kindness itself. Is she well, do you
know? I imagine the duchess must miss her profoundly.”
50 CLAUDIA DAIN
Of course, Penelope was eating it all up with a spoon. Their
Upper Brook Street house was on let from the Elliots, who had
it from the Hydes, which was hardly a coincidence. If one were
going to lease a house, certainly it was wise to do so with a
house that belonged to a duke. Sally Elliot and Molly Hyde were
sisters, that much she had just learned. She knew the families
were somehow related, but until now, had not puzzled out how.
“If she does, she does not speak of it,” Cranleigh said. He did
have the habit of speaking for Iveston, which was clearly some
thing of a necessity. Iveston might be a bit slow in the head; it
would certainly explain why he was so rarely out in Society
and why he rarely spoke when he was. “There is an Elliot ship
due any day now, and quite unexpectedly, Amelia has declared
that she is for a sea voyage. I can but oblige her.”
Sophia smiled at Cranleigh in considerable warmth and said,
“Unexpectedly? You are too modest, Lord Cranleigh. I do ap
plaud you, however. Any man who obliges his wife only rises in
my estimation.”
“I should think so,” Edenham said with a good-natured smirk.
“What sort of woman would you be to not react so? But it is not
always in a woman’s best interest to be obliged. I have been in
structed that following such a course, over too long a stretch of
ground, leads to coddling, which is never to be desired.”
Oh, Lord, but he was going to be a torment to her good
nature.
Sophia laughed in Edenham’s face. Penelope was secretly and
enormously delighted. Oh, to be married and widowed so that
she could then do whatever she wanted!
“Instructed? By whom, I should like to know?” Sophia de
manded.
“By my mother,” Edenham said solemnly, though his brown
eyes were twinkling suspiciously.
“Oh, very well then. I’m certain your mother had her own
How to Daz zle a Duke
51
good
are quite wise to indulge her.”
How to Daz zle a Duke
49
“Is it an indulgence to pack for a trip?” Sophia remarked
languidly. “A most peculiar perspective. Of course, I do suppose
she could buy whatever she needs when she arrives. Where are
you bound, Lord Cranleigh?”
As annoyed as she was with Sophia at the moment, Penelope
did find she agreed with her completely. Who ever heard of pack
ing being an indulgence? Edenham, for all his glorious looks,
might be a bit trying on occasion. She might well need to begin
packing for their wedding trip now, to save him the annoyance
of her doing it under his own roof. Yes, that seemed a stellar plan;
she’d begin as soon as she returned home.
“I am not completely certain, Lady Dalby,” Cranleigh said,
looking slightly less forbidding than usual. In fact, he looked very
nearly embarrassed. “As you may or may not be aware, I have
spent time abroad ship in the China Trade.”
“Lord Cranleigh, I am aware of it,” Sophia answered. “In
deed, you have quite the look of a seaman about you, which is
nearly fatally dashing, as I’m sure you must know.”
Cranleigh, remarkably, looked almost flushed. Why, was he
blushing ?
“Amelia has said something very much like,” Cranleigh said
in a hoarse undertone.
“Have you met our uncle Timothy?” Iveston asked Sophia. “He
runs his four ships out of New York. We see him rarely, for obvious
reasons, first and foremost being that he is so often upon the sea.”
“How gracious you are, Lord Iveston, for surely you could
have argued that the most obvious reason was that he was an
American colonial in revolt against his king,” Sophia said pleas
antly. “It is so refreshing to see the bonds of family hold, even
against the backdrop of war. But, to answer your question, I met
Mr. Timothy Elliot only once, in New York, as it happens, and
his lovely wife, Sally, was kindness itself. Is she well, do you
know? I imagine the duchess must miss her profoundly.”
50 CLAUDIA DAIN
Of course, Penelope was eating it all up with a spoon. Their
Upper Brook Street house was on let from the Elliots, who had
it from the Hydes, which was hardly a coincidence. If one were
going to lease a house, certainly it was wise to do so with a
house that belonged to a duke. Sally Elliot and Molly Hyde were
sisters, that much she had just learned. She knew the families
were somehow related, but until now, had not puzzled out how.
“If she does, she does not speak of it,” Cranleigh said. He did
have the habit of speaking for Iveston, which was clearly some
thing of a necessity. Iveston might be a bit slow in the head; it
would certainly explain why he was so rarely out in Society
and why he rarely spoke when he was. “There is an Elliot ship
due any day now, and quite unexpectedly, Amelia has declared
that she is for a sea voyage. I can but oblige her.”
Sophia smiled at Cranleigh in considerable warmth and said,
“Unexpectedly? You are too modest, Lord Cranleigh. I do ap
plaud you, however. Any man who obliges his wife only rises in
my estimation.”
“I should think so,” Edenham said with a good-natured smirk.
“What sort of woman would you be to not react so? But it is not
always in a woman’s best interest to be obliged. I have been in
structed that following such a course, over too long a stretch of
ground, leads to coddling, which is never to be desired.”
Oh, Lord, but he was going to be a torment to her good
nature.
Sophia laughed in Edenham’s face. Penelope was secretly and
enormously delighted. Oh, to be married and widowed so that
she could then do whatever she wanted!
“Instructed? By whom, I should like to know?” Sophia de
manded.
“By my mother,” Edenham said solemnly, though his brown
eyes were twinkling suspiciously.
“Oh, very well then. I’m certain your mother had her own
How to Daz zle a Duke
51
good
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