The Duke's Masked Wife 2: The Prince's Outcast Bride-Chapter 133: Speaking on wives (1)

"She was lovely," Rue said after Selina left to rejoin her mother.

"She thinks she is smart. I wouldn’t trust her, Rue. She is jealous that you got to dance with Elijah," Penelope said, well aware of what hid behind Selina’s smile.

Penelope continued to explain, "I’ve been watching how the ladies act around my brother for years. I know when they are being kind to me to get closer to him. It is a smart tactic, but I don’t want to grow close to someone who pretends."

"Will she plot against me?" Rue said, prepared for whatever Selina might do.

"She is the kind of lady to get the other ladies to attack you while she plays innocent. I’m sure chatter about your dance with Elijah will pass for others, but Selina might hold onto it. You may ignore what I say and judge her solely on what she says to you," Penelope suggested.

Penelope had her reasons for not being close to some of the ladies and did not want to be the reason Rue didn’t make new friends.

"I trust your judgement," Rue replied.

If there was a reason for Penelope to be concerned, then Rue was going to be careful with Selina. In time, the ladies present would realise that the dance she shared with Elijah meant nothing.

"She will not tell you who is spreading rumours. I believe she only wanted to appear like she was on my side. I could be wrong, so you may still approach her father, but I would not get my hopes up," Penelope informed Tyrion.

"I already know she will not point out anyone. It was a warning to her not to mention it again," said Tyrion.

Penelope smiled, a little excited that they were on the same page. Selina was not someone she would start a friendship with.

"My brother has most likely wandered off to speak to the other gentleman. You should go be with your peers while I stand with my family. I will not leave my mother’s or father’s side," Penelope promised.

Penelope assumed it couldn’t be fun for Tyrion to stand around doing nothing. If she couldn’t survive a moment without him at her side, then she was not as prepared as she wanted to be for the ball.

"My father will not leave my mother’s side, and I will not leave her side. You must have fun," Penelope encouraged Tyrion. "I have my troubles with my peers, but surely the men must be better for you to sit amongst them without conflict."

"You underestimate how much men gossip and bother each other. I will find your brother and speak to him for a moment. I won’t be long," Tyrion promised, lifting Penelope’s hand to his lips to kiss the back of it.

Penelope watched Tyrion as he walked away.

Tyrion headed to a quiet room where drinks were being served to only men. No women came near, so they wouldn’t be so unfortunate as to hear the crude words spoken by men.

Tyrion found Elijah sitting alone with a drink in his hands.

"You had one little dance with Rue, yet you require a drink. I thought it would take a few more dances before you would end up in this state," said Tyrion.

"Only Penelope likes it when you bother her. I don’t like it," Elijah replied, setting his empty glass down. "I don’t smoke," he said, sending away a servant who came to offer a cigar.

"Not unless you want the duchess to lose her mind. So that I don’t fall out of her good graces, I won’t smoke as well," Tyrion said, sending away the servant as well. "I will have a drink."

"You’ve not been married to Penelope for long, yet you need a drink. I hope you have not chased her all this time just to grow bored. I am not afraid to bury you in some dark corner of the kingdom," said Elijah.

"I could never grow bored of her," Tyrion replied.

"I could, and she is my sister. Give it a little time. She’s likely half annoying since she is without Lily, but Penelope has her moments," Elijah said, certain the moment would come.

Elijah looked beyond Tyrion to a man who had been eyeing him since he walked in. It was one of the men who once showed interest in Penelope.

’This isn’t going to be good,’ Elijah thought.

"Are you in a good mood, Tyrion?" Elijah asked, testing the waters.

"Should I not be?" Tyrion replied, curious if Elijah was drunk already. "My wife sent me here to have a good time with my peers. All they have done since I arrived is laugh like fools."

"I think one of them is about to piss in your drink," Elijah said, signalling for a servant to bring a drink.

Tyrion didn’t bother to look around. Whoever had grabbed Elijah’s attention wouldn’t be able to keep their mouth shut for long.

Elijah took the drink from the servant and set it down before Tyrion. "You should enjoy at least one drink."

"Prince Tyrion," Zane said, approaching the pair with a drink in his hand. "What do I owe for having the honour to be in the same room as you two?"

Tyrion took a sip of his drink.

Zane didn’t mind that he was ignored. To Zane, the way Tyrion acted now added to the game.

Zane was paid to keep Penelope distracted and to ruin her so she couldn’t marry Tyrion. Penelope’s success in marrying Tyrion did not change Zane’s plans.

Zane was intrigued by Penelope, and he wouldn’t miss the chance to be with a woman who shared the bed with a prince.

"Since you are here, Lady Penelope must be present. It has been a little too long since I had the chance to speak with her. You wouldn’t mind if I had a word with the lady, would you?" Zane asked.

Elijah seemed to be the only one who noticed Tyrion’s grip on the glass in his hands.

Elijah smiled, remembering how his peers often said that Tyrion wasn’t the kind of man to lose his temper, but that wasn’t so. Elijah had been around Tyrion long enough to witness what happened when he was bothered.

"I would not bother him if I were you," Elijah advised Zane. "He snaps faster than I do, and I am already quite annoyed with you wanting to approach my sister."

Tyrion took another sip of his drink.

Tyrion wanted to avoid Penelope hearing of him strangling someone when she had sent him to have fun, but the man beside him was testing his patience.

Zane ignored Elijah’s advice. "It is quite unfortunate. I was hoping to get to Penelope first. Is she everything that I and others imagined her to be?"

Tyrion set his glass down.