To Capture a Duke's Heart Read Online Free PDF

sneaking out of the schoolroom and down to the kitchen when she wasn’t looking.”
    “Oh dear, you must have kept the poor woman on her toes,” Penny replied with a grin.
    “Indeed, I did,” Lord Wexley agreed laughingly.  “In fact, she had a devil of a time keeping me in the schoolroom at all, especially when the weather was warm and the sun was shining; for I confess I was far more interested in climbing trees and chasing butterflies than sitting inside and studying my lessons.”
    “Alas, boys will be boys,” Penny remarked lightheartedly.  “In fact I’ve little doubt that my younger brother, Charles, will be following a similar path in no time at all.”
    Lord Wexley had proven to be a delightful dinner partner, Penny thought, as they ate their dessert and continued to converse, for he was intelligent, amusing, attentive and quite attractive as well.  Not as handsome as the duke, of course, but with thick, dark blonde hair, striking, hazel-colored eyes and lips curved upward in a seemingly perpetual smile, he was quite pleasant to look upon. Even so, the charming viscount failed to elicit even a tiny semblance of the overwhelming, visceral reaction she had experienced during her brief introduction to the Duke of Ainsworth, nor did she feel anything even remotely similar to the heightened sense of awareness she felt whenever her eyes alighted upon Gabriel Ashcroft.
     
     
    With the meal concluded a short while later, Penny joined the other women as they made their way to the drawing room for coffee and tea, whilst the men remained behind to enjoy an after dinner port.  They would meet up again before long, however, as the Gilchrist’s had planned a musical performance for the evening’s entertainment.
    “You have nothing to be nervous about,” Penny said to Eleanor as they seated themselves upon one of the velvet-covered settees placed throughout the drawing room.  “You have a beautiful voice.”
    “Yes, but I’ve never sung in front of such a large group before,” Eleanor replied anxiously.  “What if I’m dreadfully off pitch or my voice cracks or I forget the words.”
    “You won’t!”
    Eleanor shook her head, sending her brown ringlets bouncing.  “You can’t possibly know that.”
    “ Yes , I can,” Penny asserted, taking hold of Eleanor’s hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze.  “I’ve heard you sing a number of times over the years and you’ve never once done any of those things.”
    “But those were small gatherings with family and only a few close friends in attendance,” she responded worriedly, biting down upon her lower lip.
    “Listen to me, Eleanor Cunningham,” Penny directed in a firm, no nonsense tone, “you are going to be fine.  You are going to sing just as brilliantly as you ever have before and you are not going to forget a single word.  Do you understand?”
    Eleanor nodded, a slight smile curving her lips.  “Fine, if you say so then I shall try to have faith that all will go on without a hitch.”
    Penny smiled confidently, giving her friend’s hand another squeeze.  “I do and it will .”
    “Let’s discuss something else then, to help redirect my thoughts.”
    Letting go of Eleanor’s hand, Penny lifted a teacup from the silver serving tray in front of them, handing it to Eleanor before taking a second cup for herself.  “Alright then, what shall we talk about?” she asked.  “Or should I say who shall we talk about?” she continued in a hushed voice.  “Michael Ashcroft, perhaps?”
    “And why ever should we discuss him?” Eleanor queried, even as a faint, telltale blush slowly began to color her cheeks.
    “I saw the way he was looking at you during dinner,” Penny whispered.  “He appeared quite taken with you.”
    Eleanor’s eyes widened as she regarded Penelope anxiously.  “Do you really think so?” she asked, no longer feigning disinterest.
    Penny grinned.  “It certainly seemed so to me,” she avowed.