The Duke's Masked Wife 2: The Prince's Outcast Bride-Chapter 61: Run away with me (2)

When Edgar was approached by his wife to come outside to speak with his daughter, he did not expect to find Penelope standing with Tyrion or to hear that they wanted to elope in the middle of the night whilst everyone else was distracted by the ball.

Edgar glared at Tyrion, as it was only sensible to assume that Tyrion was the one behind this idea.

Tyrion was lucky not to have run off with Penelope without informing Edgar, as then Edgar would have gathered every gun he owned to hunt down Tyrion.

"It is what Penelope wants," Alessandra said, holding onto Edgar’s hand so he wouldn’t leave her side. "Remember how much you love your daughter and want her to be happy."

Edgar hadn’t forgotten how much he wanted Penelope to be happy. It was for that reason that Tyrion was still able to stand beside her, holding her hand while Edgar was present.

"Father," Penelope said, letting go of Tyrion’s hand to go to Edgar. "Time is very limited for us. It won’t be long before someone from the palace comes looking for Tyrion. If they see us, they will do everything within their power to stop us. I want to go with him."

Edgar didn’t like any bit of this. It was going to create problems. He wasn’t concerned about the problems it would create for him, but rather, he cared about how this was going to affect Penelope.

There was no doubt in his mind that Penelope would somehow hold most of the blame for Tyrion getting married in secret.

"Will you stop us? We will have trouble getting past the palace guards, and if your guards join, then we will be caught before we get to the gates. Please accept this," Penelope pleaded.

The last thing Penelope wanted now was to be at odds with her father. If there was ever a couple to understand her decision, it should be her parents, since they got married in the dead of the night after Edgar killed Alessandra’s father for her safety and took her to a church.

"Will you become queen?" Edgar asked.

"No, and he will not become king," Penelope replied.

"Will you return home after this, or are you planning to run away forever?" Edgar asked, needing to know where he could find Penelope after tonight.

While Edgar still wasn’t pleased to know that the two were running off together, he could accept it better that Penelope would not go into the palace.

"Well, I," Penelope stopped, puzzled as to what would come after.

"We’ll return home. I have some things I will need to settle in the palace, and I don’t intend to take Penelope away from her family so soon. I will return with her to the estate in the morning. I don’t have much time left," Tyrion said, looking at the door Edgar came from.

"Go," Edgar said, surprising everyone present.

It annoyed Edgar to say it, but as protective as he was of his children, there came a time when he had to step back.

Penelope walked over to Edgar to hug him. "Thank you," she said, happy she could leave knowing she was in a good place with him.

Edgar hugged Penelope, but as he did so, he glared at Tyrion. He would step back now, but should anything go wrong, he would be coming for Tyrion.

"We must go," Tyrion said, holding out his hand to Penelope.

Penelope hugged her mother before returning to Tyrion’s side to leave with him.

"Go inside to watch Isabelle and the others. I will see that they get out safely. Reed and the others won’t let him leave with Penelope without me allowing it. No matter what, stay by our children’s side," Edgar said, ushering Alessandra inside.

Once news of Tyrion’s disappearance got out, and then there was no sight of Penelope, the ball would become chaotic. As soon as Penelope left with Tyrion, Edgar had to get the others away from here.

Once Alessandra returned inside, Edgar followed the path where Tyrion and Penelope walked and was met with a surprise.

Knights were having a stand-off with not only Edgar’s guards waiting outside, but with the Castro guards, who didn’t want Tyrion to leave.

Damien stood at the front with his sword drawn and pointed at the same man he had seen at Edgar’s gates when he delivered the carriage.

The moment Damien saw Tyrion running with Penelope, he knew which plan was in motion.

"Stand down!"

Damien looked away from Reed to the puny palace guard who kept yelling out orders. Damien and the rest of Tyrion’s knights stood in position to create a wall so Tyrion could get to the horse saddled.

It was here that Edgar realised Tyrion had planned to fight his way out if he didn’t have approval to marry Penelope. Edgar didn’t know if Tyrion was brave or foolish to plot to fight his guards.

"Reed," Edgar said, making his presence known. "Clear a path for those two to leave. Kill anyone who lays a hand on my daughter."

Reed was confused by the order, but he turned on the palace guards to do as Edgar ordered him.

Tyrion helped Penelope up on the horse and then got up behind her so they could leave.

Penelope was able to get one last look at her father standing with the guards before she looked ahead at the gates.

She owed her parents a thousand apologies for the mess she was leaving them in, but in the moment, Penelope enjoyed the feel of the wind in her hair as they rode away from Lord Kingley’s home with Tyrion.

The tension between the Collins and the Castro palace guards caught the attention of the guests both inside and out, with Tobias soon running out in search of his son.

"Edgar, what is the meaning of this?" Tobias inquired, caught off guard by two sides who should never be at odds, pointing weapons at each other. "Where is my son?"

"Gone with my daughter," Edgar replied, taking a sword from one of his guards. "Tell your guards to put their weapons down. If they go after my daughter while she is in your son’s care and something bad happens, I will kill them."

Tobias had many questions.

How was it possible that Tyrion left with Penelope when he had not long ago been dancing with another young lady?

Tobias couldn’t enjoy the news of his son and Edgar’s daughter being together since there was so much conflict outside.

"Why did they run? The crown prince cannot just leave. Is he alone without a guard?" Tobias asked, starting to walk down to where all the guards gathered.

Edgar placed his hand out to block Tyrion from going any further. "Call off their search for him. We need to talk."