by Sandy Loyd
Grinning, Parker shrugged. “I had a feeling she’d played before, especially after Miss Bowers’s comment.” With frank admiration, his stare moved slowly over Penny, catching her gaze once it finished the caressing journey. He added, still grinning, “I’ve always savored playing with a worthy adversary, and I find this is a pleasant surprise. Very pleasant indeed.”
A slight blush rose up her under his perusal, causing a tug of awareness. He looked back at the board. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so quick to agree to this game. His attention, when not on the board contemplating his next move, had been directed solely at her and he was now having a hard time ignoring the fiery sensations such blushes generated.
When more than an hour had passed without an obvious winner, Jacques glanced at Mindy and whispered, “I think I will leave the chaperoning to you, mademoiselle. Mornings come too quickly for me, and the men are too hungry.”
Mindy nodded. Parker waved distractedly, but Penny was too absorbed in their game to notice his departure. Eventually, Mindy put her head back against the settee and closed her eyes. Soon her soft snores accompanied the sounds of water lapping against the sides of the ship.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Parker said when Penny began to move her bishop to a precarious position. In answer to his warning, she tipped her head in a challenging tilt and let go of the piece.
Parker deftly took her bishop and realized his error a few moves later when his queen came into jeopardy. Grinning and shaking his head, he said, approval clearly in his tone, “So, who taught you to use such daring strategy, Miss Layton?”
Laughing, she moved to take his queen. “My father. He used to always say it was the biggest mistake he ever made.”
“Oh? Why is that?”
“Because I beat him regularly and, up until he taught me the game, no one in the area could except for Collingswood.” Her hand shot to her mouth as she realized what she’d said. An alarmed blue gaze sought his.
Their stares locked for endless seconds.
“How is it your father plays chess with a duke?” His voice was barely above a whisper.
She closed her eyes and shook her head. “Please, I can’t answer that.” She opened eyes that now glistened with pleading.
Her beseeching expression disturbed him, had him questioning his motives. “Why all the secrets?” He studied her features and noted something else he hadn’t expected. Pain. The thought of his questions placing such heartache in those blue depths left him feeling empty.
“Why is my past so interesting?”
“Your past is not what interests me. What interests me is that you’re so quick to hide it,” he replied truthfully.
“I’ve done nothing wrong.”
“Do your parents know you’re sailing to America?”
“My parents?” Her eyes narrowed in confusion.
“Aye. At first I thought you might be running from them, but the obvious pleasure in your voice when talking about your father negates the notion.”
“My parents are dead and I’m on my own.”
Hearing the sorrow in her words, Parker dropped his goal of questioning her further, not comfortable with destroying their earlier camaraderie any more than he already had. He rose. “Well, I concede defeat. Hopefully you’ll let me regain some of my dignity by playing another game. Tomorrow night, perhaps?”
She offered one of her beguiling smiles and readily agreed.
While Penny woke Mindy, Parker left the room, wondering why the enchanting woman affected him so. Would he ever get over his lust for her? It was bad enough when she was mocking him, but when she’d sent him that smile a moment ago, it took every bit of willpower to walk away as if it meant nothing. In reality, the thought of her bestowing one on him so easily increased this need she stirred tenfold.
~~
With chessboard in hand, Parker stood on deck. A brisk, steady wind eased some of the tropical heat beating down on his neck when the sun came out of hiding from the billowy white clouds forever present in the blue skies above. His gaze swept over the ship. Catching sight of Penny, he bit back a smile when he spied Miss Bowers perched next to her. The damned minx had figured out a way to not only put a cog in his plans of using her friend to dig deeper into her past, but also to foil his attempts to rile her.
Penny no longer avoided him, yet always had her cabin mate close by, which amused him no end. He glimpsed a bit of a challenge in her actions, and he could no more ignore that challenge than he could quit breathing. Of course, after their shared chess game, his quest for knowledge of her past dimmed somewhat. For the last two days, he’d been working to enchant the lady and he could tell she’d warmed a bit to his charm, though she took great pains to hide her reaction.
He now looked forward to the next few days rather than dreading them, so much so that he wished the voyage wouldn’t be over quite so quickly.
Pushing that thought aside, he ambled toward the two women sitting in a shady spot, obviously enjoying the afternoon breeze. Neither seemed bothered by the continual rocking of the schooner under full sails.
“Ladies.” He nodded, dropping onto the empty bench next to them. He then started setting up the board on a nearby table.
“Mr. Davis,” Mindy gushed, smiling. “How nice to see you.”
“I’m sure it is. But I’d thought we were ready to dispense with formalities. You’re to call me Parker. If you don’t, there’s no way I can return the favor and call you anything other than Miss Bowers.”
“Of course. I forgot.” A blush darkened her already pink cheeks as she cleared her throat. “Parker. After all, we are friends, are we not?”
“Exactly, Mindy.” Grinning, he turned his attention to the blonde beauty next to her. “And what about you, Miss Layton? Are we to keep up the formalities?”
Due to the tropical humidity, both women dressed in less formal attire than their first night on board the ship. Penny wore a light blue muslin gown that, without petticoats, pantaloons, or the whalebone stays of a corset, outlined her lush, compact figure, sending the usual signals to his brain that incited his senses. Whenever near her, those senses were on full alert.
“I have no problem with formalities.” She smiled sweetly, yet he caught the bit of mischief displayed in her eyes before she shuttered the look. “I prefer to allow only close friends the privilege of using my given name.” Her new expression definitely said he didn’t fit into the category.
“I must be doing something wrong.” His grin only widened and he clutched his chest over his heart. “I thought we were friends.”
“You thought wrong.” Her chin rose an inch, presenting her usual stubborn mien. “We’ll never be friends.”
“My mistake.” His smile quickly died and he remained silent, lost in thought. Finally, he seized her gaze again and asked solemnly, “What would it take to ensure your favor?”
He held the stare, unwilling to mask the intensity he felt just then. After being in her company, trying to charm and cajole her for days, he realized his plans had been a double-edged sword. He’d been the one charmed. More and more he loved seeing her impish smile. In fact, he said things just to put one on her face, because her smile could warm his heart for the entire day. And this concerned him.
Penny broke eye contact and glanced at the hands she nervously wrung. After an uncomfortable moment, she sighed. “Why do you need my favor? Isn’t Mindy’s enough?”
Parker shrugged. “One cannot have enough friends.”
“You really think we can be friends?”
“Don’t you?”
She shook her head and cast her focus upon the water. His followed. The gentle splashing was the only sound until a fish jumped, its plop dispelling the quiet.
Eventually she spoke, her soft voice barely audible. “No, I don’t.”
“Why?” He hated that his whispered word held a note of desperation, as if the answer was too painful to bear.
“Because friends don’t pry.” S
he inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. She glanced up, allowing him to see the honesty shining from her eyes. “They realize some things are better off left alone.”
Parker sucked in a breath. The sound of her clipped English accent never ceased to tug a reaction from his gut. The raw anguish in her tone had him questioning his motives again. Maybe her secrets were better off left alone. He leaned against the rail and scrutinized Penny’s face, as if by staring he could discover the reason her secrets mattered. Why did he have the urge to uncover them? Why did she intrigue him? “Maybe you’re right,” he finally said, still eyeing her. He really did see her as a friend. And as one, Parker felt her best interest would be served by getting her safely to her destination so she could marry her intended, however fishy those plans seemed.
He nodded. “Go ahead and make your move. I’ll not ask any more questions today.”
~~
“Good evening,” Penny said, breezing into the dining room. The captain, Mr. Hillman, Mindy, and Mr. Davis were seated along with two other officers, their dinners already on the table.
Jacques came up behind her carrying two bowls. “Bonsoir. Ça va, mademoiselle?” He placed one on the table in front of her chair and one at his spot. Then he sat.
“Très bien. Merci, Jacques.” Penny smiled warmly. “It smells delicious.” Her bowl appeared to be filled with the usual bean and seafood soup they’d had too many times in the past two weeks, complete with scallops and potatoes.
She shook her napkin and laid it on her lap, purposefully ignoring Parker. Thank God she’d soon be able to escape his confusing presence. “I’ll miss the balmy weather once our journey ends.”
Penny chanced another glance at him and forgot to breathe. In the past few days, he seemed to smile at her more and more, and when he did, like right now, the dangerous element in his expression disappeared. Heavens! Parker was far too attractive. She looked away, fighting the urge to return his grin, and ate a spoonful of soup instead.
“When are we reaching land?” Mindy asked.
“We should be spotting land sometime tonight, and enter the Chesapeake in the early morning hours. We’ll reach Baltimore tomorrow after the noon hour,” Lucas replied. He took a sip of bourbon. “We’re all excited at the prospect of finally ending our journey.” Turning to Penny, he asked, “So, what are your plans after we dock?”
“I’ll need to secure passage to San Francisco. I’ll be taking the train.”
“You’re traveling by train across the country all alone?”
“My plans are set and I’ll be fine. What can happen on a train?”
Lucas shrugged. “I only hope you’ll be careful. Transcontinental travel isn’t easy and there are many dangers, especially for a woman alone.”
“Of course I’ll be careful.” Penny caught the silent communication that passed between the captain and his brother. Her annoyance grew. “I made it this far, didn’t I? The rest should be easy.”
Parker cleared his throat. “We’re only worried about your safety.”
“You have no need to worry.” His sincerity did what all his other ploys over the past few days failed to do, push through the rest of her resistance. The admission, along with the genuine concern in his voice, made Penny feel as if her safety were the most important thing in the world to him.
“I could accompany you and provide escort for a day or two, just to make sure you’re all right.”
“That’s a kind offer.” She should be scandalized at the thought, but she wasn’t. Not when the earl had wiped most of her maidenly sensibilities away with his behavior. It might even be nice to have such an escort, but she couldn’t allow it. It became harder and harder to keep her distance, to keep thoughts of their kiss out of her mind. And when he gazed at her as he was doing now, she could almost feel his lips again—was ashamed to admit she’d love nothing more than to feel them again.
Heat flared on her face. She shook her head, using the movement to avert her eyes. “But like I said, I’ll be fine,” Penny stated firmly, once she could speak without giving her inner thoughts away. She couldn’t risk spending even one more hour in the attractive man’s company. She already dreaded leaving him, and now more than ever, she had to remember her plans with Geoff and stick to them. Nothing had changed in these past weeks. She was still running from a monster. Her beloved would be meeting her soon enough, and until that happened, her life would never be safe. Sensing the determination of the men at the table to foist Parker’s solution on her, Penny added quickly, “Besides, Mindy and her sister will be escorting me on the train and stay until my betrothed meets me in San Francisco. Isn’t that right, Mindy?”
Mindy looked up, clearly startled. “Um, yes. That was the plan,” she said, blushing furiously at the obvious lie.
Both men eyed each other again, but neither spoke.
Penny let out a sigh of relief when Hillman got up to leave, changing the focus of their thoughts. She had one night left and then her adventure would begin in earnest.
~~
After dinner and another game of chess, Parker watched Penny and Mindy maneuver toward their cabin as the ship rocked back and forth. He then climbed the narrow stairs to the top deck to find his brother.
“I’m worried about Miss Layton,” he said, seeing him at the wheel and hurrying to his side.
“What?” Lucas chuckled. “No longer interested in finding out her secrets?” He waved a hand. “Parker, you need to quit obsessing over her.”
“I’m not obsessing, just concerned. Mindy’s sister is with child and in no condition to travel. Which means it’s a lie and Penny’s going alone with no one to help or protect her,” Parker said, his irritation rising. “You can’t tell me you’re not thinking the same thing because I saw it in your eyes at dinner. ’Tis obvious she’s on her own.” And running from something, he added mentally. The thought of the fragile young beauty being out in the world without protection bothered him more and more. There was no way he could simply let her walk away without ensuring her safety.
Lucas sighed and lit his pipe, sucked in a long puff, then blew it out. The sweet scent of burnt tobacco filled the air. “Yes, but it seems she doesn’t want our help.”
“She’s your responsibility. You said so yourself. Are you denying that?” Parker demanded and leveled his now narrowed gaze at his brother.
“No, and I am worried about her. Maybe you could keep your eye on her—at least until she’s safely on board her train. Once she’s traveling, she does have some amount of safety in the other passengers. My biggest worry is what happens to her when she gets to California. Unfortunately, the moment she’s off my ship, it’s out of my control.”
Parker grunted. Lucas had a point. The two stayed silent, absorbed in their thoughts. Finally he said, “I’ll watch out for her because I’m going along, and she won’t even know I’m there.”
Lucas’s loud laughter rang out.
“What’s so funny?”
“You! Have you lost your senses?”
“Maybe. But damn it all, I can’t have her going out into the world alone.” Plus, he’d have a purpose, a perfect solution to this new need to help others. What better way to start than making sure she was safe? He’d simply delay his trip home a few more weeks, after which he’d planned on staying put. “Since you’re going to see Mother, you could inform her of my delay.”
“I thought we’d go together. My ship’s only in port for unpacking, reloading, and provisioning, so I won’t have but a couple of days before sailing to London,” Lucas said with a rueful smile. When Parker didn’t respond, he asked, “Why would you go to such great lengths to help her? Seems she has her life planned out and those plans don’t include you.”
“I can’t explain it. I’m sure she’s running from someone, but it’s not her parents as I once thought. They’re both dead and she has no one else.”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were in love with her.”
“No.” Parke
r laughed outright. “Enchanted, yes. Attracted, yes. But love? No. You know love doesn’t exist for us.”
Nodding, Lucas took another puff on his pipe. “It’s not a bad idea. Just don’t let the lady see you.”
Parker rubbed his hands together, feeling energized. “Don’t worry, she won’t.”
Chapter 9
“Good-bye,” Penny yelled as she waved to the group of sailors hanging over the sides of the ship. “I’ll write.” She never realized how hard leaving would be. Parker, his brother, the captain, and even Jacques had become her surrogate family, and saying her good-byes to them had been heart wrenching.
She turned back to the noisy dock filled with seamen, travelers, and their families. Everyone had someone to meet but her. She pushed the scary thought aside. This was a new adventure. America was a perfect place to hide and full of promise. Gerald Knightsbridge would never find her in this big, open country. Still, ignoring the stench of fish, foul water, and sweat while darting through the throngs of rough-looking dockworkers unloading not only Lucas’s ship but also two others now docked, she was glad she had an escort of sorts. She now understood Parker’s concerns.
To alleviate those concerns, Penny kept to her deception. She trailed behind Mindy, her sister, and husband after her friend explained Penny’s plight, letting them think she was traveling to meet Geoff in California, rather than the other way around.
Less than an hour later, with the trunks on board, Penny tried not to gawk as the horse and buckboard drove toward the center of town and the train station. Once away from the docks, Penny’s fears ebbed. Baltimore looked no different from London, and she and Mindy had ridden those streets often enough to add to her comfort level now. She had to remember Geoff would be joining her soon.
“Your belongings will be safe here, ma’am,” the burly stationmaster said, taking the tip Mindy’s brother-in-law handed him. “Just bring proof of ticket purchase, and I’ll make sure they’re loaded properly when your train arrives.”
She took the claim check he held out and smiled.