A week later Wentworth was hosting a dinner party with all their friends in honor of Penelope and Harry.
Her stomach had butterflies visiting her. A week had gone by since her abduction and subsequent rescue. She’d not seen her family since. Harry had wanted her all to himself. According to him, he had much to atone for. They spent the past week with him atoning.
Their lovemaking reached levels Penelope never knew existed. People only talked about a woman’s duty to her husband when it came to the marital bed. Strange no one admitted how beautiful, satisfying, and utterly emotionally connected two souls could become. She could hardly remember a time without him. He’d become her everything.
As she thought of her husband, he appeared in her bedchamber just as her maid put the finishing touches to her hair. Beautiful butterfly sapphire and diamond hair clips. A generous gift from Harry. He purchased them new, not liking most of the Sinclair family jewels.
“That will be all, Clarisse,” Penelope said with a smile when she caught Harry’s eyes in the mirror. Dark blue eyes that never failed to move her. To the outside world it would appear as though Hugh Sinclair escorted her to her family home this evening. Harry still had to go around town in his disguise. As he told her earlier in the day, to the whole of the ton he was a cripple and would have to stay a cripple at least until he resigned from the War Office.
Rising from her chair, she spun in a circle, sending her royal blue skirts swishing around her legs. “How do I look?”
Her husband’s eyes darkened, and his smile faltered. “Too good to take you to your brother’s for dinner.” He stepped closer to her. Except it was more like a prowl. He took her lips in a deep probing kiss that curled her toes inside her silk slippers.
“You look good enough to eat.” His deeper than normal voice said, “And I’m famished.”
Penelope laughed and stepped out of his reach. “We mustn’t be late. You know how Thomas can be.”
Harry expelled a laugh. “Yes. Let us be on our way then.”
As it turned out they were the last to arrive, and all eyes turned toward them as the butler announced their arrival.
“Everyone is staring at us,” Penelope whispered.
Harry patted her hand. “Not us, dear. They are looking at you as you look divine.”
She laughed and shook her head. “You are so wrong. It’s the first time you have ventured out in public without your Duke of Newbury disguise. They don’t know what to make of you. Which I may add, is very kind and trusting of you to trust my family to keep your secret.
Wentworth and Bella hurried over. “Newbury, Penelope, welcome,” said her brother. After bows and greetings, Wentworth said, “Nice to see you as yourself, Newbury. No more disguise.”
Bella’s eyes widened. “You knew and didn’t enlighten me?”
Wentworth shrugged a shoulder. “Come, let us make the rounds.”
Penelope’s sisters were there with their husbands. The Earl of Northborough and the Earl of Bridgeton. Also in attendance was the Marquess and Marchioness of Amesbury. Mr. Stuart Spencer and his lovely wife, Miranda, and Mr. Smythe and his wife, Mary. It shocked Penelope when she saw her other brother, Sebastian and his wife, Teagan. All her family and friends, except for the Dowager Duchess, were in attendance.
Standing in the drawing room, on the arm of her husband, there wasn’t anywhere else in the world she’d rather be. She’d been blessed with more than she deserved since her humble beginnings. And never would she take anything or anyone for granted.