Loving a Fearless Duchess: A Historical Regency Romance Book(71)

Penelope thought. “Would he tell either of you?”

Edward said, “Probably not. He is going to be furious with me for taking over his title. That will eat him alive.”

“Penelope, I think Edward’s right. He’s not going to get retrospective on either of you. You are asking something he won’t give. He will take great pleasure in knowing that he has something over you.”

Penelope nodded. “I understand. May I come with you when you tell him? I would like to see his reaction.”

Edward looked at Nash who looked back at Edward.

“I’ll think about it. I can almost guarantee he will say something to deliberately hurt you, and I don’t want to put you in that position.”

Nash said, “I agree with Edward. You have nothing to gain and everything to lose.

“Can I come and listen from the hall?”

Nash threw up his hands. “Why?”

“Because I’ve put up with him my whole life, because he mutilated me, because I want to see for myself he will never hurt me again.”

Nash looked at Edward. “I’ll talk to Edward about it. We’ll let you know.”

“No. I want to talk about it now. Let’s settle this.”

Edward looked hard at Penelope. “Nash and I have to discuss what we will talk to Henry about. Once that is complete, we’ll decide. Nash is married to you, so as your brother, I’m going to tell you this so he doesn’t have to – you’re trying to push too hard on this. It could backfire on you.”

*****

“Remember, Penelope, you will be in the hall. Henry is not to know you are there. There will be a bodyguard in front of you so you can’t go in, and he will bodily remove you if you utter a sound. We don’t want Henry to know there is anyone out there.”

Penelope nodded. She was happy she got to go. As the carriage bumped along, Edward and Nash went over what they would tell Henry. Penelope was a little nervous about seeing him again. She would only see a sliver of him through the barely open door of the parlour, but that would be enough.

When they arrived, Henry was already in the parlour with two guards. He couldn’t see the drive for the front door from the windows of the parlour. He knew he had visitors, just not who.

When Edward and Nash walked into the room, Henry’s eyes went wide, but Penelope could tell he was trying hard not to move. Other telltale signs were his stiff body and clenched fists.

Tea was delivered, and Nash and Edward poured tea and ate sandwiches and talked to each other as if they were the only two in the room.

Edward looked over at Henry, “Tea?”

Henry said no and continued to sit silently.

They talked of the deer killed during the last hunt then stopped, turned to Henry and said, “Let’s not bore Henry with talk of that.”

They talked of a fox getting into the henhouse, and the subsequent bloodbath then stopped. “Never mind that,” Edward said.

They talked of the three wolves that went down Main Street in the night preying on the family dogs. Nash shook his head. “Terrible, what happened.”

The whole time, Henry didn’t move. He sat stiff and kept his fists clenched.

When she peeked in, having stretched herself around the bodyguard to see, Penelope almost gasped at Henry’s appearance. Good thing she didn’t, or she would be thrown out before the meeting began.

Henry looked older. Not that his hair was grey, it wasn’t. Not that he had lines on his face, he didn’t. His eyes were dull and lifeless. Penelope remembered when Henry was provoking her his eyes lit up with joy.

His mouth turned down. He had lost that happy, arrogant smile brought out when he saw the pain he inflicted on others. His shoulders slumped. Gone was that frenetic energy that caused him his ill-advised impulsiveness.

Edward turned to Henry, “How are you, Henry?”

“What do you want,” he said in a low growl.

“We are here for a visit of Edgewood and the surrounding villages. And we wanted to see your new home. How are you enjoying it so far?”

“You both can laugh all you want, but when I get out of here, you two and Penelope will be the first I come after.”

“When you get out? Henry, did anyone tell you that you are never getting out? You’re here for the rest of your life.”

Henry shot to his feet, and one of his guards took a step forward then stopped when he saw everyone was safe.

“My father will come to his senses and get me. He needs me to be his heir, or the dukedom will end. It’s only a matter of time before he comes for me,” Henry snarled then sat, pleased with himself.

Penelope furrowed her brow. How could he possibly think that? she thought.

Nash laughed then leaned forward. “Henry, you are not the only male heir your father has. And his title and lands don’t all depend on you.”

Now it was Henry’s turn to laugh. “Do your homework Nash; I’m the only one –”

Edward stood and walked behind his high back chair, leaning his forearms on it.

Henry took in a short breath. “No.”

Edward answered, “Yes. Did you forget Cecilia is his sister, and I am her son?”

“Yes, but, but –”

“No buts, Henry. Avery has declared me his heir. The ton sends its sympathy, by the way. You see, you have fallen off your horse and hit your head on a rock. You are in a coma. If you ever awake from your coma, which is highly unlikely, the brain damage is likely to be too great to expect your brain to function in a normal way ever again.”