*Few weeks before the wedding*
Penny and Damien walked into the forest, their shoes stepping on to the grass of the land, and their hands intertwined together. The weather today was perfect where there were lesser grey clouds that were replaced to lighter ones which were white in color. As if the weather itself was turning around for a few days giving the land of Bonelake a momentary break from all the rain.
Sunlight peered through the gaps of the trees above them.
"Did all the people from the old mansion go back to their families?" Penny asked in wonderment as Durik had said how there were other toads like him who were trapped. She had met the people to dispel the spell but she didn't know what happened after that.
"Some of them got back to their family. Some don't have a family so the council is going to fund the money and food until their life stabilizes," he answered her.
"What did Murkh say?" Penny asked Damien, looking to her side where he was walking beside her.
"She should be alright. Grace will recover but the wounds on her face, that he isn't sure if it will heal. Though technically it should as she is a pureblooded vampire but that might take time."
"I see…" her words trailed. A week passed since they had brought Grace home. A week where her mother and her uncle had died. A week since they finally had peace where she didn't have to keep watching over her shoulders for any possible threat, "She lost too much blood."
"Hmm, it is why Grace was lucky that she still survived. If it were a vampire, maybe she wouldn't have survived. Fleurance might take some time."
Penny nodded her head. Everything was so calm around them that it felt surreal. Damien and Penny had started to take walks together from the mansion and into the forest.
"Say Damien...why didn't you approach me the first time you saw me?" she asked him, a serene expression spread around her face.
"I don't remember why. I wish I knew what stopped me from coming and talking to you. I am sure you wouldn't have refused such a handsome face," Damien praised himself.
Penny chuckled, looking down at the green grass and then to wherever they were walking to, "What makes you think that? I think I would have chased you for being a pushy strange vampire."
"I find it hard to believe that, that would be your first impression of me."
"Well that was if you met me outside the theater. I guess my actual impression was horror. I remember you screwing the auction man's hand," Penny said recollecting the memory that looked like it took place a week ago, "But I think when I first saw you. When you jumped on the stage after raising the gold so high, I hoped you were a good man so that I could run away easily."
Damien grinned at that, "Always ready to run away. Just like a little mouse."
"Can you blame me? You made me walk bare feet on the ground, didn't give me food, didn't give me blanket one night-"
"It was funny the way you kept moving away in the bed. I couldn't help but tease you that night. In my defense, I added more logs of wood that night so that you wouldn't catch a cold," Damien said, squeezing her fingers that he was holding.
"Yes, also making me pull out weeds in the rain. If I could I would have thrown you in the sea but then I was worried you would throw me in there before I would know it," Penny said, "But you sat down with me that night. Pulling weeds in the garden," she laughed. He had given her the work and instead he was doing it later.
They stopped walking and Damien pulled her close to him, "What else?" he asked, wanting to hear more from her lips. He had always enjoyed listening to her talk.
Penny placed her hands on his chest and then shoulders, "But I later found out that not everything you did was to hurt me. And it wasn't you being cruel to me and you did it for a reason," she knew Damien enjoyed tormenting her and maybe if he had told her why he did it, she would have understood it sooner but he hadn't let her, leaving her in suspense whilst she wondered how a man like him could exist, "I might continue telling you this forever, but I am happy to be here with you. With the way things went..."
For once Damien didn't bring out his narcissist side and he said, "I know. I wouldn't have wished life to turn any other way with you," he then stepped back making her confused and he sat down on the ground holding Penny's hand, "We told everyone we were engaged but we didn't get the time to do it. The weather looks good, the birds are singing."
Penny could feel her heart thud in her chest. She gulped the nervous bundle of knots which she felt in her stomach.
"Breathe Penny," Damien said looking at her, "I won't say I fell in love with you the moment I saw you but I think I might have fallen in love with you the second time I saw you. You stood there in the rain with an umbrella in your hand. I was going for council work when I saw you for the second time," It was urgent matters with regards to the recent massacre that had taken place at that time, "I had the coachman turn around again so that I could take a look at you again. Love at second sight, that is what I would like to believe. I would have you in any form. Now or in future. Any day, any time. I am happier to have met you, Penelope. Somewhere happy that there were rumors that didn't allow a man to approach you. I love you and will continue to love to have you next to me. To spend the remaining years of ours together."
Damien then pulled out a ring in his hand, "Marry me, mouse. I promise to cherish you for so long as I can and will live."
Penny blinked back the tears that were threatening to fall down from her eyes and she breathed with a smile breaking on her lips.
"Yes. Yes, I will marry you, Damien," hearing her words, Damien pushed the ring on to her ring finger and he stood up to kiss her lips.
When they pulled away, Penny said, "You do know I come with a crazy set of long lost relatives right?"
"Mhmm," he hugged her, "I know. I have decided to increase the cell room in the dungeon so that we could accommodate them all in there," Penny giggled hearing this.
"Sounds like a wonderful idea."
"What did you think about your master? I come up with brilliant ideas," he said, lifting up her hand, he kissed the back of her hand.
"Thank you, for being so thoughtful," Penny said to him. They spent some more time in the forest before getting back to their room by apparition as Damien made love to Penny like it was their very first time.
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Scroll to read the chapter 'Exclusive interview with Damien and others' and 'Extra scene'
Books that fall in Lord's Duke and the Ghost series:
#1 Valerian Empire
#2 Heidi and the Lord
#3 Bambi and the Duke
#4 Young master Damien's pet
#5 Belle Adams' Butler
The Crown's Obsession