A Lady for the Taking Page 14

  Harry knew, of course, Penny was telling the truth about her cousin, but his every instinct said there was also something she was not saying. Something not in his reports. Penny was hiding something more. He could see the evasiveness in her eyes.

  “So your uncle does not want her to have competition on the Marriage Mart. That is why you are here this Season without her.” It was as good of a guess as any.

  “Something like that,” Penny confessed and again, Harry had the distinct impression there was a good deal more that she was not saying. “The truth is, once Josie arrives in London, I will likely be gone from here and back in Cumbria. This is my one and only chance to have a small portion of happiness for myself. Once this Season ends, so will any chance I have at finding my own happiness with a husband and family. If I have not secured a match, that is.” She added that last bit rather hastily, Harry thought. “So if I am presented with a chance to taste even a bit of happiness, however slight, I am inclined to take it. Especially with you, Mr. Greer. Harry.”

  Harry nearly tripped over his own two feet at Penny’s confession. For once, he had the impression that she was being completely honest with him. There was no deception in her eyes and no hesitation in her voice. There was only clear and honest emotion. For once, she was telling him the complete truth.

  Whatever sort of plan her uncle had in mind for her, the earl had obviously given Penny a finite window of time for her to accomplish her task. Once that window closed, she would be returned to Cumbria and her cousin Josie sent to London, likely to take Penny’s place in the plot. Penny herself would probably all but disappear from the face of the earth, something that troubled Harry greatly.

  By revealing what she likely thought was an insignificant bit of information, Penny had actually provided Harry with a good deal more than she realized. But again, he couldn’t tell her that.

  But he could tell her something else. Something far more flattering. And pleasurable.

  “You flatter me, Miss Marshwood.” Unable to stop himself, Harry pulled Penny just a little bit closer and he once more relished the sensation of having her fully in his arms. “I am not worthy of such esteem.”

  For a brief moment, Penny lowered her eyes and then raised them to his. Once again, he could see nothing but honesty shining in their depths. “You are worthy, Mr. Greer. Far more than you will ever know. Especially in my eyes.”

  Harry had been flattered before. This was hardly the first time a woman had uttered sweet words aimed in his direction with the hope of securing a bit of affection from him. Or more, such as a place in his bed. However, this was the first time he had ever believed those words.

  Oddly enough, for all of the lies that he had a feeling Penny had uttered since they first met, Harry knew that just then, she was being completely honest with him once more. And something inside of him cracked a little bit with the knowledge.

  “Then meet me tomorrow in the lane behind your town home,” he urged, suddenly seized by the absurd need to see her again. Alone this time and not in a crowded ballroom filled with members of the ton. To see what else she might reveal about herself. “We can go riding before anyone else is up and about. You did wish to be discreet in this little adventure, didn’t you?”

  “I don’t have a mount, though I can ride rather well.” There was something akin to panic in Penny’s eyes but it was mixed with desire as well. Harry hoped and prayed that it was a desire to see him again.

  He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. I will provide one.” He paused as the last strains of the waltz began to fade away. “So will you?”

  She wanted to say no. He could tell, but that same inexplicable attraction that kept pulling them together had obviously taken hold of her again. She would agree. He knew she would.

  “Very well.” She shook her head as if she could not believe she was agreeing to his schemes again. “I shouldn’t and my uncle will kill me if he finds out, but very well.”

  Harry grinned. He couldn’t help it. This woman might be plotting against a peer of the Realm and she might be up to no good but, God help him, he desired her. He craved her company and wanted to be near her. Hell, he just wanted her.

  “I will see you tomorrow then. Seven o’clock, bright and early, shall we say? Long before anyone else is up?”

  “Harry,” Penny began but he shushed her.

  “Say yes. Please just say yes.” Then he held his breath and waited.

  Harry could feel the eyes of the old tabbies boring into his back when he didn’t release Penny’s hand as quickly as they felt was proper. And something else. Someone else was watching him. Harry had been with Bow Street long enough to know when the watcher was the one being watched. He needed to be careful. It was one thing to pursue Penny. It was another to put them both at risk when he had no idea what sort of larger game was being played. And he would never put Penny at risk. Never. Not even if she was out to hurt Phin.

  “Yes,” she finally agreed, her eyes sparkling in the candlelight. “I would love to, and I very much look forward to our ride.”

  So did Harry. But he didn’t say that. Instead, he just smiled, careful not to give too much away to whoever might be watching. He couldn’t risk it. Not when Penny’s safety – and quite possibly her life – hung in the balance.

  Chapter Nine

  Thankfully, Harry didn’t feel those same eyes the next morning as he waited for Penny to emerge from her rented town home. Also, thankfully, there were only a handful of servants about this morning to see him waiting in the lane behind Willfield House, and none of them seemed particularly interested in what he was doing. Then again, most people in London knew who he was so his comings and goings at odd hours were hardly worth remarking upon.

  There were some benefits to being an infamous Runner, he supposed. It made sneaking about that much easier if nothing else.

  Harry had been waiting there for some five minutes and was beginning to wonder if Penny had changed her mind when suddenly, he caught sight of her emerging from the servants’ entrance. And what a sight she was.

  She was wearing a dark blue velvet riding habit trimmed with brilliant gold buttons and smart, white piping. Her glorious hair had been drawn up into an elegant chignon beneath a jaunty little hat that had likely cost a small fortune and was trimmed with rather ridiculous looking, oversized feathers.

  There had been a time when Harry had felt women like Penny, women of quality, wealth, and refinement, were beyond his reach. He was the son of a maid, after all, no matter that the previous Lord Candlewood – the Bloody Duke’s sire – had all but treated Harry like another son and made certain that both Harry and his mother were always well provided for. In his youth, Harry had always imagined he might wed someone very much like his mother one day or perhaps a governess, if he was fortunate. Never had he imagined that a proper lady would be within his reach.

  If he married at all, for even as a child, he wasn’t certain that taking such a risk was wise.

  Then, as he grew older, rumors regarding the man who was most likely his father began to emerge and Harry discovered that, as the bastard of a peer, he was viewed quite a bit differently than others of regular birth. Still, he was afforded many of the same protections that they were, mostly out of sheer luck.

  Harry would not say his youth had been pleasant, but the quickly-forgotten rumors of his parentage, coupled with the protection offered first by Nick’s father and then later by Nick himself, had made Harry’s life a bit easier than it otherwise would have been. Then Harry had joined Bow Street and shown a talent for both investigation and apprehending criminals. Not to mention an affinity for spying.

  From there? Well, things had rather sort of spiraled out of his control.

  Suddenly, Harry wasn’t just working for Bow Street, but for the Bloody Duke as well, and his world quickly expanded tenfold. Nick paid well – very well, actually – and as Harry was a cautious and clever man, he had managed to invest his salary wisely and increase his fortu
nes far beyond his wildest dreams. He would never be as wealthy as many of his friends, but he had more coin than most members of the nobility, that much was certain.

  Harry also soon found himself moving within the world Nick and his friends inhabited more often than not. So Harry had learned to refine his manners and his speech. He also began associating with the gentle ladies that occupied that same social sphere and, somewhere along the way, Harry had gone from a mere Runner of low birth to a respected, not-quite-but-almost “associate member” of the peerage, if there even was such a thing.

  And now, if Harry’s birth father failed to produce an heir in the near future, Harry might eventually find himself with a title after all – whether he wanted one or not. Because someone would need to oversee Viscount Westerly’s four unruly daughters and who better to do so than their bastard half-brother that the viscount was only now thinking about acknowledging? Especially when every other branch of the man’s family tree was not only dead but had long since rotted and fallen off.

  All of which would mean that a woman like Lady Penny would not be beyond his touch now after all. Lady Dory hardly counted. After all, there were days when Harry believed Frost would simply hand his middle sister over to the nearest fishmonger and be done with it, if he thought that would help curb her wild ways, especially as of late.

  Except that Harry couldn’t have Penny. There were the obvious reasons, of course. Her secrets and whatever she was planning regarding Phin, not to mention her uncle who clearly was up to nefarious plans, as the reports that had arrived at his doorstep that morning had indicated. But more than that, Harry hardly knew her. All they had in common was this uncontrollable attraction to each other and eventually, that attraction would fizzle and die. That was the logical outcome after all.

  Still, on a bright and sunny spring morning such as this one, Harry wondered for a moment if something more was possible. And if he even wanted it to be.

  “Lady Penny.” Harry hopped down from his mount as she approached, pushing his thoughts of what could never be aside. “You look lovely this morning.”

  To his surprise, she laughed. “You flatter me, Harry. And it is just Penny, remember.” She glanced around at the deserted lane. “We are alone after all.”

  “So we are,” he agreed as he led her mount over to a mounting block often used by the servants. “Except for these fine specimens of horseflesh, of course.”

  Harry had expected that Penny would not know how to approach a horse despite her claims last evening that she could ride, so he had come prepared with apples and sugar cubes, but his worry was for naught. Penny approached the dappled gray mare slowly, her hand outstretched. “And who might you be, my lovely?” she asked softly, eliciting a low whicker from the horse in response.

  “This is Starlight,” he replied, pleased when the mare nuzzled Penny’s hand. “She once belonged to Lord Dersham, but he lost her to me in a card game. Just as he did Moonbeam, my stallion.” Harry shook his head. “The man is abysmal at both cards and caring for his horseflesh. They are far better off with me, the poor things. Both of them are far too good for a man like Dersham.”

  Reaching into her pocket, Penny produced a bit of apple that she had thought to bring for the occasion and offered it to the mare who snatched it quickly before nuzzling Penny’s hand again in hopes of another treat while the stallion looked on hopefully. “You do like to protect all creatures both great and small, don’t you?” she asked. “Be they a damsel in distress or a horse.”

  Harry could hardly deny her claim, especially since that was how he often described himself. “It is how I was raised,” he said as he helped Penny to the mounting block and assisted her onto Starlight’s back. “My mother was a maid first adored and then later abused by her employer, Viscount Westerly. I am the result of that love. For it was love between them back then. My life at Seldon Park and my association with the Bloody Duke, however, was the result of what happens when love becomes corrupted.” He paused. “And what happens when good people step up to help protect others in need.”

  “I had heard rumors to that effect,” Penny confessed. “I am not one for gossip, but…”

  “But it is common knowledge,” Harry finished for her. “And it is not as if I go to any great lengths to hide my past. Nor does my sire, though he is still not quite willing to claim me publicly. At least not yet. What started as love was corrupted by anger and that is a difficult emotion to overcome.” Together Harry and Penny started out of the lane and towards Hyde Park, the rising sun casting everything in a warm, golden glow. “But I was protected from the worst of scandal and hardship in my youth by the previous Lord Candlewood, the current duke’s late father. I suppose that is where I truly learned my tendencies in that regard.”

  “It is not such a bad thing,” she replied as they turned their horses in the direction of the park, using the back lanes in silent agreement so they would not be seen. “I can think of worse traits to emulate. Far worse.”

  Something in Penny’s tone hinted that she had been exposed to far worse than he had in her lifetime, but Harry allowed the comment to pass. He didn’t want to think of plots or Fullbridge or anything so unsavory just now. Rather, he wanted to enjoy his time with this desirable woman. Everything else could wait, no matter how unlike his usual self that was.

  “True enough,” he finally offered, “but we are not here to talk about my past. We are here to enjoy this fine morning and each other’s company.”

  They rode together in surprisingly companionable silence for a while, until it was Penny who finally broke that silence. “I’ve not known much protection in my life, at least not since my parents passed away. My uncle is hardly the paternal sort, I’m afraid.” She sighed as they slowed at the entrance to Hyde Park and Harry gestured to a path that led off to the right, deeper into the park. “Since my cousin Elizabeth passed, my Uncle Charles has not been the same, not that he was ever the warm and nurturing sort to being with.” She bit her lip. “I should not have said that. I have no idea why I did.”

  “Perhaps because you need to talk and people find that I am a good listener?” Harry offered as they began to trot down Rotten Row, which was all but deserted at this early hour.

  “Perhaps.” Penny urged her mount on a bit faster and into a gallop. Harry’s horse matched hers stride for stride. “Still, my cousin has been gone for a good many years now, but Uncle Charles refuses to allow her memory to fade. It makes living with him…difficult at times. Which, I suppose, is why I am treasuring my time here in London so very much.”

  Once more, Penny’s face flushed and Harry knew she had again revealed more than she intended. She was coming to trust him, which was good, even if her instincts urged her not to. Still, Harry couldn’t help this woman if she didn’t trust him and refused to open up to him at least a little.

  Because at some point after he had left the ball last evening, Harry had made the decision to help Penny no matter what it cost him, even if that meant leaving his position with Bow Street. The truth was, he’d become jaded over the last several years and nothing, not even the brief flare of attraction toward Lady Dory had done much to shake him from his ennui.

  But Penny? Well, she was different and not only because she wasn’t like the sophisticated London debutantes and merry widows he was accustomed to dealing with. She was innocent and yet also warry. She was open and yet still keeping secrets. In short, she was the most confounding, confusing woman he had ever encountered and she fascinated him like no other. Not to mention that she made his blood run hot in a way no other woman ever had.

  “I’m sorry,” Harry replied finally. “I wish there was something I could do for you.”

  Penny offered him a small, sad smile. “There is nothing anyone can do, I am afraid.” Then, she shook her head as if shaking off sad thoughts. “But enough of that. It is a glorious morning and I am in fine company. There is no need to be so maudlin.”

  “Indeed, there is not,” Harry agreed
quickly, just as eager to change the subject as she was. The more he learned about this woman, the more of a mystery she became, but he was having the time of his life attempting to unravel her secrets. “So let us enjoy the morning, shall we? Race you to the far edge of the Serpentine?”

  Penny laughed, her reaction to him unfettered now, which warmed his heart. “I shall win, you know!” Then she was off before Harry could even reply, leaving him racing to catch up.

  He did catch up to her quickly, Moonbeam’s longer legs eating up the distance between him and Starlight rather easily. Penny and Harry raced side by side for a bit and then, as they neared the far end of the Serpentine, Harry pulled his horse ahead and motioned for Penny to slow and then follow him through a bit of brush and bramble to the side of the path.

  He was pleased when she didn’t hesitate and instead plunged through after him, her horse easily keeping up with his, mostly through her skill with the ribbons. Finally, when he had reached the long-forgotten area of the lake with its too-steep banks and old follies, Harry pulled Moonbeam to a stop and was gratified when Penny eased Starlight up beside him.

  “Where are we?” she asked as she looked around, the dappled morning sun filtering through the fresh, green leaves. “It seems as if we have left London behind entirely! I don’t remember seeing such a place before! It is magical! Truly!”

  “We are in an old section of the park,” Harry replied as he slid off of his mount and then helped Penny from hers, his hands feeling so very natural and right around her waist. “This was an original part of the Serpentine, but the banks were built far too steeply for most people to navigate, so it was abandoned. Ladies dislike resembling drowned cats after they fall in when they lose their footing. Or so I am told.”

  As Harry had hoped, that last comment elicited a laugh from Penny, a sound so light and musical that he swore he would never tire hearing of it. Stepping carefully to avoid the mud from recent rains, Penny moved toward the edge of the forgotten bit of lake, not seeming to care about the possibility of ending up head first in the muddy water.