4

                                    

                                          
The day of the auction came much too quickly for Penelope's liking. The dress was exactly as the modiste described it. Penelope kept it hidden under the bed and looked at it every night before turning in. It would be a complete scandal. 
                          
Minerva came over that evening and helped do her hair and dress her in the costume. Penelope's parents had plans to see a play. The timing couldn't not have been better.  There was no chance they would see her in the Grecian attire. 
                          
"You look lovely, Penny. Are you sure I can't convince you to give up this charade?"
                          
"Absolutely not!  In for a penny, in for a pound."
                          
"Indeed, Penny." Minerva winked at the use of her name in the saying. 
                          
Penelope donned the cloak and took the same route to the brothel. Upon her arrival she was whisked away to a bed chamber. She was told the old bawd would be there shortly. 
                          
Within a few minutes, Mrs. Z came in. She was dressed to impress - ready for the show. "Got quite the crowd expected tonight. Lots of fine gents ready for a turn at one of their own!"
                          
It was a bit disgusting for Penelope to think of men she knew bidding for her time and body. "That's great. Hopefully that means a lot of money."
                          
"Cash for ye gash," the bawd said crudely with a laugh. "Now you have a mask, right?"
                          
Penelope pulled out a golden lace mask that would cover half her face. Only her lips and chin would show. 
                          
"Great. Get yourself ready. Only a few more minutes, milady," Mrs. Ziegler said as she rushed out the door leaving behind a heavily perfumed wake. 
                          
Penelope looked herself over in the mirror. She removed the cloak and added the mask. From her reticule she pulled a lip rouge and painted her lips a deep red. 
                          
She examined herself in the mirror some more. The woman before her showed no resemblance to Penelope Sheppard - daughter of a viscount and 22 year old virgin. She looked like a worldly goddess. The bits of natural gold highlights in her brown hair sparkled in the candle light. Her lips looked plump and ravaged. Her eyes looked like a calm sea before a storm. She was ready. 
                          
Just then, the door opened to Mrs. Z again. She presented her hand, "Ready, girl?"
                          
Penelope nodded and the bawd lead her down to the grand salon. The room was packed with gentlemen lounging at tables, many with prostitutes on their laps or cooing in their ear. The men grew silent as she entered. All eyes on her. 
                          
"Gentlemen! I know many of you have waited all week for this evening. And as you can see, I have not disappointed you!" Cheers came from the crowd. "Tonight you bid for two evenings with the goddess before you. A lady. A virgin. A woman ready for ruin. For the right price!"
                          
The men applauded with some hooting their approval. 
                          
"The winner will own this lovely girl for two nights in a place of your choosing. She will do your bidding."
                          
"Unlike my wife!" One man called from his seat. 
                          
"Exactly why you come here, gents!  So shall we start the bidding?  Fifty pounds!"
                          
Penelope looked around at the audience. She saw many men she knew from her time in London. But she also saw men that were too old or young to be bothered with the season. The back of the room was filled with pipe smoke, but through the clouds she saw Kendrick and the duke. 
                          
The bidding quickly went up. They were now at 500 pounds. This is when Kendrick stood and raised the bid to 550. Please no, she thought. 
                          
The bidding continued with Kendrick now in the fray. Until it was clear he was out of funds to bid. And that's when the other shoe dropped. The duke make a bid, "1,000 pounds!"
                          
The rest of the room grew silent. This was an astronomical amount. Even for a lord. The bawd didn't miss a beat and slammed down her gavel declaring a winner. "1,000 pounds to the Duke of Cambridge. Come collect your prize, your Grace!"
                          
He slowly stood and made his way to the front with some congratulations from his peers. Although he had just won, he looked bored and unimpressed. 
                          
Penelope looked at the man she would be stuck with for several days. He didn't seem like the man she had seen days before. He seemed even harder. It looked like he planned to punish her. 
                          
Alexander handed the bawd the money and grabbed Penelope's hand. "We are going to my townhouse."
                          
Little did he know, but she was familiar with the home. She wondered if they had gotten the vomit out of the bedding and floor. She almost wanted to chuckle at the idea. But her nerves barely let her function much less laugh at her predicament. 
                          
This was perhaps one of the worst outcomes from this foolish endeavor. This man had done nothing but vex her for over a week. He was rude, arrogant and called her plain. Now she had to lose her only valuable possession to him. 
                          
"Come along, my lady," he said as he pulled her through the crowd. 
                          
"Wait! My cloak!  I can't been seen traipsing around London," she explained. 
                          
"Fine. Go get it, but don't try to run from me. You are mine. Understand?"
                          
"Yes, your Grace," she said and scurried off to the room where she readied herself.  She looked at herself in the looking glass. This was it.  Her moment of truth. Bought and paid for. 
                          
She grabbed the cloak and put it on making sure to keep the mask in place. She could not risk the duke seeing her face. Even though she planned to leave England, she couldn't afford a scandal holding her back or ruining her family. 
                          
Penelope returned to where she had left the duke. He was speaking with a few friends. She decided to keep her talking to a limit as to not tip off Kendrick or his ilk. 
                          
"Ready, my lady?" He asked. She simply nodded her head, and they began to go toward the door.  "My carriage should be right outside."
                          
She nodded again. He would think her mute at this rate.
                          
After they were comfortable in the opulent carriage, they began some polite conversation. Or at least it started that way, "So have you any experience with men?"
                          
"Pardon me, your Grace?" Charlotte barely choked out her response.  He knew she was a virgin!
                          
"Kissing. Touching. Those types of things."
                          
"N-no, your Grace. I have never kissed or...touched a man," she responded. 
                          
"A true innocent," he muttered. "And you really want to go through with this?"
                          
"Yes, your Grace. I plan to leave England with the money. I'll just pretend it is like my wedding night and think of doing it for country and queen."
                          
"The hell you will," he said as if she had just insulted him. "You will not lay there like a dead, cold fish."
                          
"Y-yes, your Grace. S-so why are y-you doing this?" Her curiosity got the better of her. 
                          
"I'm bored. I'm being forced to marry to have an heir. The gaming hells and whore houses have started to bore me, and the idea of taking what isn't mine to take is quite exhilarating. Plus I couldn't let any of those poxy lords get to you."