CHAPTER 4

Hello my darlings. I would like to thank those of you who have followed and favoured this story since my last update.

So here is the next chapter, I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural.

It was three weeks after lady Penelope had agreed to pretend to be the Marquess of Dare's betrothed and she was standing at the window of her room looking out at the only view she had ever known one last time, allowing herself a moment of reflection at what she was leaving behind. Her and her sisters possessions were all packed up and waiting in the hallway to be loaded onto the carriages which would soon arrive to take them from this place. To take them and their belongings to London to start a new life, and so she could start her deception. She turned her eyes from the view and looked down at the ring on her finger. It felt strange having it there, as if it didn't truly belong, but then she guessed it really didn't. She had removed as soon as Gabriel and his brother had left, hiding it in her room where her uncle would never find it. She then had had the great pleasure of telling that man that she would not be marrying Lord Rother, no matter what he said. She had enjoyed watching the look on his face when she finished by telling him that she and her sisters would be gone by the months end. It was a look she would cherish, his confusion and anger that she had somehow thwarted his plans. Penny had wisely decided not to mention anything about Gabriel, she did not want her uncle trying to get something from the man. No, he would learn of her engagement when the rest of the ton did. When they were far away from this house which was now his.

With that thought she turned from the window, there was no point looking to the past, they had a future to get to, and it was a future she had never been able to envision giving her siblings. One of happiness and security for the rest of their days, she just had to fool the ton for a season first. Oh good lord, how was this going to work? She had had many such thoughts throughout the last three weeks but she had put them to the back of her mind… but now when it was far too late to change her mind they all came rushing in making her stagger to the stool of her dresser as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. No one would believe a Marquess would fall desperately in love with her at first sight. No one would believe that they were a couple, they didn't even know each other.

She was pulled from her thoughts by her maid.

"Oh my lady." Emily said in understanding when she entered the room to find her mistress sitting staring at her reflection. She was one of the few who knew the complete truth of the situation Penelope had found herself in. She was after all not just her maid but her confidante and friend. They were of an age with each other and had been together for as long as they could remember, Emily being the daughter of the housekeeper. The old viscount had even allowed her to share some of his daughter's lessons, allowing her to learn to read and write as well learn how to be a ladies maid. They had been fast friends ever since.

"Em, what am I doing? I cannot do this." Penny said turning to her friend with troubled eyes. It was too much. She would never be able to pull of this scheme, it didn't help that whenever she tried to pull an image of Gabriel to her mind she found she had forgotten what he looked like. How could she pretend to love someone when she couldn't even remember more than his basic looks of blonde hair and green eyes?

"Yes you can. Just think of the house at the end, the freedom you will all have. And I will be there with you, every step of the way." Emily replied moving so she was kneeling in front of her mistress taking her hands hoping her words would give Lady Penelope the courage she would need to achieve those goals.

"I know you will. Thank you for coming Em, for giving up everything you have here." Penny whispered taking strength from the conviction she could see in her friend's eyes. Conviction in her that she would be able to do as she had been asked.

"I am old enough to leave my mother's side, and my husband is coming with us. I am giving up nothing." Emily responded truthfully. Her husband, Peter, was one of the footmen and Penelope had promised them both a place in her household when she had one. Until then he would work at the house of a Duke and Duchess, a coup in any servant's books.

"Very well. Is everything ready?" Penny asked sitting back straightening her spine and bringing forth the strength she had inside her. She had to do this, there was no other choice.

"It is my lady. Miss Hern is just finishing up in the nursery." Emily replied standing smoothly and once more taking on the role of maid to her mistress. She knew that Penelope needed to social normalities right then. Needed to be practical rather than emotional.

"Very good. Will you ask her to come to me when she is done?" Penny asked the maid, wanting a final word with the governess before they left so she could give her the reference she had already written for the woman singing her praises. Miss Hern was brilliant with her sisters, but she knew she could not ask the woman to come with them on this journey. That would not be fair on her, having Emily and peter dependant on her relationship with the Marquess was enough. If Gabriel's parents ever found out the truth they could be turned out on their ear without question. She did not want a woman who could get other employment in such a situation.

Gabriel sat in the carriage as it rocked its way down the roads heading ever closer to the woman he had told his mother he would be marrying. He stared out of the window, though he saw none of the view. Instead he remembered his mother's face at hearing his words. At how happy she had seemed when he had told her that he had got himself engaged to the former Viscount Simmers daughter. She had readily agreed with him that the lady would need a season to be introduced to the ton, and had insisted on travelling down to London with him when he went to collect his intended, so she could in her words, get things started.

She had been thrilled by the idea that Lady Penelope would be bringing her three sisters with her, planning on the way down which rooms they would have. And even if the youngest was only six, she would not put her up in the nursery. No by the time they had arrived at London, Gabriel was alarmed to find that his mother had already set aside the west wing of the house for his fiancée and her family, including rooms for any staff that Lady Penelope brought with her without thought. He had always known his mother was a force to be reckoned with, but this was something else entirely. He had never seen her so happy to be planning and organising. He had left her at Ravenscliff House giving orders to the butler and housekeeper before he cowardly retreated to his own home. He had not realised how much effort his mother would put into welcoming Penelope into the family, and now he had seen it he felt a twinge of guilt at the deception he was perpetrating upon her. He did not want his mother to be hurt when his engagement came to its inevitable end. But no. It would be fine, because he planned to have found his true bride by then. She would have a wedding to plan, surely that would make up for the deception, correct?

Shaking the thoughts and guilt from his mind he turned to what he needed to do on the journey back to London. His mother had asked him questions about Lady Penelope that he found he could not answer to either of their satisfaction. He would need to spend the time getting to know the lady he would be introducing to the ton as his future wife. Luckily it would take two days for their carriages to return from Dorset. That would give him and Penelope time to come up with the stories they would tell, and time to learn more about each other.

Penny had moved to the study to finalise all the paperwork when Miss Hern came to her. Smiling at the older woman she gestured for her to take a chair while they talked.

"I have appreciated your services Miss Hern, you are much loved by my sisters I know. I have prepared you a reference so that will be able to gain future employment and I want to thank you for all you have done for my family."

"Lady Penelope, I understand that as you are to marry a Marquess your sisters will need a higher standard of education than I have been giving them so far, but I believe I could guide them to the level needed to become members of the high ton. I would very much like to stay on in your employment." Miss Hern replied her spine completely straight as she meet Penny's eyes. She loved these girls more than she could say, and she did not want to leave them now. Not when their world was changing so very much. Surely Lady Penelope understood her sisters would need consistency, especially little Elizabeth. And she could educate them to the level required, she knew she could.

Penny looked at the women in front of her and smiled. She had a backbone and her sisters did love her so. It would be good if she could take her with them, but… if only this was not all fake. If only she and Gabriel really had fallen in love and this was all true, then she would take Miss Hern with her without question. Could she really take the women when the truth could be discovered at any time? When they could be left with nothing in a second? Though with that thought came a memory of the Marquess, of Gabriel, telling her that to him it would be a real engagement. Surely he would not leave them with nothing. Taking a deep breath she made her decision. But she still felt the need to warn the woman of what was to come, if she stuck to her words and came with them.

"Miss Hern, are you sure you wish to come with us? We will be staying with the Duke of Ravenscliff in London for the season."

"I have worked in houses of the ton before my lady, I understand and I want to come with you." Miss Hern replied decisively. She had never had such a good home as the one she had had with this family, and she wasn't ready to leave it.

"Very well. Pack your things and say your goodbyes, the carriages will be here within the hour." Penny responded with a nod. It would be good for her sisters to have someone they knew looking after them, after all she knew that when the season started she would not be spending as much time as she liked with the girls.

"I have already done so." Miss Hern replied with a smile of gratitude that lady Penelope was trusting her to educate her sisters to the standard that would now be required of them. For they would soon not just be the daughters of a Viscount, but also the sisters of a future Duke and Duchess.

Gabriel was pulled out of his thoughts as the carriage turned off the road, heading down the drive which would lead him to his fiancée and her family. It would be, he realised, the first time he met her sisters and he hoped they liked him. Hoped they didn't resent him for taking them away from the only home they had ever known, even if he knew they would find another soon enough, even if it wasn't his own.

Penny heard the sound of hooves on the drive and grabbed her sisters so that they could go and met the man they believed she was going to marry. She had not told them the truth of the situation, they were too young, and they had no idea of the circumstances that had led to this decision.

The four Coburn ladies stood together on the top step with Emily, and Miss Hern behind them while Peter stood at the bottom of the steps as they all watched as three carriages pulled up in front of the house. Peter moved quickly when they came to stand still, moving to open the door of the lead carriage for the Marquess of Dare who had come to collect his future wife.

Gabriel climbed out of the carriage taking note of the footman's bow as he did so. But when he turned to the ladies waiting for him he found his eyes drawn to only one of them. The one who had his ring on her finger, the one he would be introducing to all his friends and family as his future bribe.

"Penelope." He said as he bowed over her hand before raising it to his lips for a kiss as he stared into her beautiful eyes, which today looked more green than brown.

"Gabriel. May I introduce my sisters?" Penny replied remembering just in time not to call him my lord. They had agreed to be less formal, in the hopes that it would show that they had feelings for each other, even if they did not.

"Of course." Gabriel replied taking her hand and placing it on his arm as he smiled at the three girls in front of him.

"This is Beatrice, Charlotte and Elizabeth." Penny said as each of her sister's curtsied when her name was called, even if little Elizabeth found it a hard thing to do.

"A pleasure to meet you. You are all as beautiful as your sister." Gabriel replied bowing to each of them and taking their hands to give them an extravagant kiss while he smiled his most charming smile. In doing so he made Beatrice blush, while Charlotte smiled sweetly and Elizabeth beamed up at him.

Penny watching on realised that within that second he had somehow made it so he had her sisters eating out of the palm of his hand. How did that man do that? But then Gabriel turned his charming smile onto her and she found her breathing become uneven. Oh, that was how.