Paging Miss Galloway

by Susanne Marie Knight

  Raleigh had Danny's full attention. Plump lower lip trembling, green eyes widening ... Danny was, as the old saying went, all ears for what Raleigh would say next.

  Raleigh obviously enjoyed having Danny hang on his every word. He sat up straighter and ran his hand through his curly hair. “Ben said I was to go to the town hall, and ask for Miss Galloway.” He held his hand to his mouth and called out, “Paging Miss Galloway!"

  Danny made a strangling noise. Standing so quickly that the chair fell behind, Danny mumbled, “If you would ex-excuse me, I fear I am unwell."

  Without waiting for a reply, the imposter nearly left a trail of dust as he ... she hurried out of the private dining parlor.

  Raleigh's large mouth hung open. “Well, what do you make of that?"

  Edward shrugged. “Perhaps Danny knows or knows of Miss Galloway. Truth be told, if that is the case, no doubt your news comes as a shock."

  "To be sure. Extremely ungallant of that cawker, Ben Galloway, that much is certain.” Raleigh stretched in his seat, then stood. “No matter. I feel plump in the pocket tonight. Aim me toward the whist table, if you will."

  Edward also rose, but he wasn't interested in gaming. Not conventional gambling, at any rate. He didn't need cards to place his next bet. Given what he'd just witnessed at the dining table, he would wager next year's estate receipts—whatever the figure would be—that Danny Augustus turned out to be Ben Galloway's sister.

  * * * *

  "I can't believe it!” Danielle slammed the door to the bedchamber and ran about the room as if she had a tiger by the tail. “I can't believe it,” she repeated, this time with her voice ... and her spirits lower than a hole.

  Benjamin, her responsible brother, playing at cards and losing five hundred pounds? Benjamin, her full-grown brother, behaving like a missish green gel? She tightened her lips. Benjamin, her darling brother, selling her into slavery?

  She blinked back tears. This couldn't be true, and yet it had to have been. Lord Raleigh didn't know her from Adam. He had no interest in teaching her a lesson on the rashness of her actions. He was just relating an incident he had assumed his friend and the page would find amusing.

  An incident that destroyed her illusions. She thought her brother loved her, as she loved him.

  A tear slipped down her cheek, and without thinking, she wiped it away. How could Benjamin even conceive of such a monstrous idea?

  She felt numb. For the first time in her life, she was alone, bereft of friends, family, any living comfort at all.

  Danielle amended that thought. For the first time since her mother died, at any rate. And that had been nearly ten years ago.

  The door opened suddenly. She whirled around to see Lord Tremaine. She panicked, and glanced in the room's looking glass. Fortunately, no telltale wetness shone on her face.

  He placed his hand on her shoulder. “Are you ill, Danny?"

  His concern touched her. Lowering her gaze to the floor, she fingered the edge of her leather jerkin. “Thank you for asking, sir. I had a touch of the ague. It has subsided now."

  She smiled, but her heart wasn't in it. How could she ever be happy or carefree again?

  He stood close to her, close enough for her to smell his masculine scent of bay rum along with the wine he'd imbibed. His nearness seemed to heighten her senses in a disagreeable manner. Her knees grew weak and her heart pounded out its alarm.

  She took a step back, only to find the bed blocking her path. Lifting her head, she gazed into his eyes—dark chocolate brown ... mysterious eyes, and deep enough to drown in. A momentary lightness passed through her. What would it be like to kiss him?

  Danielle! Those are dangerous thoughts!

  She swiveled away and hurried over to the water container. “Um, I will refill your pitcher, sir. Do you require anything else?"

  Those wonderfully dark eyes flickered. Lord Tremaine took a deep breath. “Yes, have the innkeeper prepare water for a hip bath."

  He ran his hand through silver glazed hair, then strode to the open window and leaned outside. “I am glad you are feeling better, Danny,” he called over his shoulder. “Why don't you take a walk around Weobly? It is a beautiful village with a great deal of history."

  Danielle jumped at the chance to not wait on him during his bath. “Yes! I am certain the fresh air shall do me good. Thank you, sir. I will not be long."

  "See that you are not, Danny. I am apprehensive about your safety. Nighttime and abundant libations seem to bring out the worst in some villagers."

  "Yes, my lord. I shall be careful."

  As she closed the door, she heard him mutter, “I certainly hope so. At the moment, I feel as if I am a bit of history myself."

  Why does he feel aged? Danielle puzzled on that as she clicked the door into place. Lord Tremaine wasn't old. Still in his thirties. Plenty of time to marry—

  Stop!

  After she scolded herself, she rushed to accomplish her tasks. She had more important matters to consider. The most important one being was what in the world was she going to do when she finally got her hands on that rapscallion brother of hers?

  * * * *

  By the time Danielle returned to The Red Lion Inn, she had calmed down. She didn't have a plan of action, per se, but she had thought of a few choice words she planned on throwing Benjamin's way when she came across him in Bath.

  She'd walked around the picturesque Tudor village at a very good clip. All because of the freedom of movement brought about by wearing breeches. No mincing steps for her. She'd lengthened her stride to circle the wide center street with its many black and white-timber framed houses. With all the houses she saw, no two of them had the same design! Amazing. Weobly was delightful, truly one of the most charming places she'd ever visited.

  She'd stopped to smell fragrant flowers in the rose garden located in the street, figured out her strategy, then returned to the inn. She didn't have a timepiece, but it felt as if she'd been away for about an hour.

  Was that enough time to be gone? Was Lord Tremaine ... Edward done with his ablutions?

  She thought of him as Edward now. Earnest and caring. Hair tinged with grey—no, silver, but still extremely virile to set her maiden's heart aflutter. As she entered the inn, she flushed hot. Imagine what her father would do if he ever found out....

  Then Danielle burned hotter, and not with maidenly coyness. Imagine what Sir Ambrose would do when he learned of Benjamin's perfidy. And learn of it he would!

  Standing in the corridor outside the bedchamber, she placed her ear against the door. No sounds issued from within. Had Edward retired?

  She opened the door a crack.

  "Is that you, Danny? Bolt the door behind you. Blasted cow herders are our neighbors for the night. They keep bursting in, forgetting which room they are assigned."

  She did as he ordered, then gazed around the room. Edward sat behind the desk, dressed in his chintz dressing gown. He was preoccupied with many papers scattered over the desk's surface. Legal papers, as far as she could make out. The rest of the room was drenched in gloom but for the desk's golden candelabra. Its six candles flickered light over his large frame.

  He glanced up at her. His eyes seemed to darken. “You look a fearsome sight. Did the quaint country air not agree with you?"

  She frowned. What was wrong about way she looked?

  Bother! Here she was, reacting like a woman. He wasn't talking about her appearance, but her expression. She'd walked into the bedchamber thinking about retribution against Benjamin.

  "I am fine, my lord. Weobly is a most agreeable village.” She hurried over to the hip bath near the fireplace. Its wet, metallic high back glistened in the dim light. Not only had Edward finished bathing, but the water had been removed.

  He returned his gaze to his papers. “Did you spot Raleigh downstairs?"

  Getting on her knees, she set to work on cleaning his boots. “No, sir. I did not. Would you like me to summon him?"

  "Paged by
the page?” Edward chuckled. He paused for a moment as he scanned some figures in front of him. “No, I only desired to make certain Raleigh got to bed at a decent time. I would like to leave at sun-up."

  She nodded. Bending over to polish the left boot, she felt a dig in her side. The binding material was too tight, pinching her skin. Last night the fabric had also bit into her, waking her up several times.

  Danielle glanced over at Edward, but he was busy with his work. She adjusted the binding, then finished shining the boot. She could hardly wait until it was completely dark in the room. Then she'd remove the constricting cloth. Sleeping on the floor was difficult enough. She didn't need a painful chest to add to her woes.

  It wasn't long before Edward professed he was ready for bed and said goodnight. Soon blackness blanketed the bedchamber.

  She slipped off her jerkin, then removed the binding. Relief! Oh, how her skin itched! Instead of scratching, she briskly rubbed her ribs, then rebuttoned her shirt.

  Danielle snuggled under the bedding as best as she could. It had been a very long and trying day. She had no trouble going to sleep.

  * * * *

  Edward shifted in the bed. An hour had passed since he'd blown out the candles and waited for Danny's breathing to subside into an even rhythm. She'd slipped into heavy slumber almost immediately, but he was a cautious and patient man. He didn't want to risk her waking up.

  Her. Yes, he was that certain his little page was female. And based upon that knowledge, he'd worn a nightshirt instead of his usual sleep attire—in the raw.

  He flipped back the bedcovers, sat up, and slowly placed his bare feet on the wooden floorboards. The cold of the floor hit sensitive skin, giving him a bit of a shock. He eased up to a standing position and carefully walked over to Danny's curled form. Excess drink impaired his movements to a degree, so he took his time to reach her.

  The soft light of the moon crept into the room through a crack in the closed drapes, and illuminated her sleeping figure. She lay on her right side, facing the fireplace. Edward feasted his eyes on the delicate planes of her face, her short hair skewed this way and that, and her plump pink lips pouted as if in response to a disturbing dream.

  His body stirred at her innocence and his breathing grew ragged. He licked his lips. Begad, she was a beautiful, elusive sprite.

  Edward willed his body to behave. Reaching down, he gradually raised the blanket. What it revealed completely took his breath away. Her left arm rested along the sweet curve of her hip, the right nestled under her head. Her shirt, coarse and homespun, had ill-fitting buttonholes. Some of the buttons had become unloosened. The soft swell of her left breast was plainly in sight, along with a rosy nipple just begging to be suckled.

  In all his adult years, he had never seen a sight as sensuous. The torment of desire hit him full force, but of course, he could not act upon it. Gulping down his craving, he gently replaced the blanket, then stumbled back to bed.

  Bed, yes, but who could sleep?

  Edward lay on his back and stared up at the plaster ceiling. Now that he knew Danny's secret, how was he supposed to look her straight in the face without thinking of what he had just discovered tonight?

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  Chapter Five

  One thing Danielle had in her favor: she was resilient. By the time she and Edward and Xavier ... X—what a peculiar nickname—reached Bath, she was quite over her doldrums.

  She nodded her head, agreeing with her thoughts. Oh yes, she hadn't lost her anger. Her dastardly brother would taste her wrath, that much was certain.

  But her natural exuberance reasserted itself. The city of Bath in June was magnificent. Awash in carefully tended fields of tulips, this fine example of Georgian architecture sparkled with excitement—even in the rapidly failing daylight. Forget Benjamin and his problems. She'd deal with him later.

  Xavier put it more succinctly. He stopped his horse at the bank of the river Avon, rubbed his lower back, then shouted out to the city at large, “Now the fun begins!"

  Edward laughed at his friend as he sidled his own animal to the river's edge. “Fun for one, to be sure. But some of us have business to take care of."

  "Faddle!” was Xavier's impertinent reply. “Nothing makes a man more boring than legal matters."

  "Paraphrasing the old proverb—all play and no work makes Jack a dull boy, Raleigh,” Edward spoke wisely.

  "Not to Jack,” Xavier retorted.

  Danielle smiled. It was good to hear the two lords’ friendly bickering. When they laughed, she joined in. In that carefree moment, she studied Edward's profile. All day he'd seemed preoccupied, frowning more often than not. Whatever legal matters he had ahead of him must've been serious, indeed. She'd gathered that he was unsure of what his inheritance entailed. Was the Tremaine estate large? With an adequate income? The buildings and grounds in good repair? Or would the new Earl be burdened with debts and the estate in desperate need of renovation?

  She released a heavy breath. Her problems were miniscule when compared with his.

  "Cold, Danny?” Edward asked, obviously misinterpreting her sigh as a shudder. “Come, let us cross the Pulteney Bridge and find our accommodations. I believe my solicitor set us up at the White Swan Inn."

  Xavier snorted along with his stallion, then urged the horse forward. “Old Hemsley's as inept as ever, I see. Couldn't arrange for regular lodging instead of a demmed tavern, could he? Nothing like resting one's body on a solid bed that's built for sleeping and wenching. I should know, these past few nights have been the very devil."

  Oh dear. Danielle felt herself flush. Xavier certainly seemed preoccupied with females of a particular persuasion. In the illumination from shops lining the bridge on both sides, she eyed his broad shoulders and curly brown hair. She sighed again. He would make an eligible match ... except for that propensity of his.

  The city streets were crowded with carriages, horses, and leisurely strollers. Ahead of her, Edward and Xavier talked, but she didn't pay attention, even when the swinging wooden sign of the White Swan Inn came into view. Instead she scanned beautiful buildings so tall, so grand. She felt like an infinitesimal speck next to them.

  She couldn't help sighing again. Somewhere in this big city was Benjamin. Come tomorrow morning, her job was to ferret him out and ring a peal over his unworthy head.

  * * * *

  It was almost six in the morning. Edward blinked his eyes awake. He should still be abed, but necessity dictated his early rising. After dressing as quietly as he could, he picked up his polished boots by the fireplace, then gazed down at Danny's sleeping figure.

  She rested on her side with both hands under her cheek, and knees bent in a curved position. The sight of her innocent slumber stirred him. A blanket failed to cover her shoulders, so he reached down and gently tucked it under her chin.

  A soft murmur escaped her lips.

  What would it be like to kiss those pink lips ... and do more?

  His conscience urged him to leave—for her sake and his.

  He walked into the corridor and then leaned against the shut door. Blast it, Sterling. You are old enough to be the girl's father.

  He smiled grimly. Nothing like a dose of reality to put a damper on one's libido.

  Finding a chair, Edward sat and slipped on his boots. He endeavored to stay away from the bedchamber for a time so she could prepare herself in privacy.

  What am I going to do about Danny? He shook his head not knowing the answer.

  "Milord,” boomed a loud voice, louder than a body should speak at this indecent hour of the morning. “Ye take me aback, beings up so early."

  The White Swan Inn's proprietor hurried over, wiping his hands on a pristine white apron. “Mayhap I can do something for ye, sir?"

  "Gently, gently, my good man. A rooster does not crow as piercing as you.” Edward clapped his hand around the innkeeper's bowed shoulders and led the man to the staircase. “In point of fact, I do have a matter of
business you could handle for me."

  Once downstairs, he entered the private parlor, shutting the door behind them. “You understand your messenger must use the utmost discretion, yes?"

  The proprietor, Mr. Murdock, nodded profusely, which sent the loose skin of his jowls a-wobbling.

  "I am looking for a young gentleman who has fallen on hard times. His name is Ben Galloway. I do not know much else about him except he has an unfortunate predilection for gaming. Unfortunate because the fellow is unlucky."

  "T'will be done, milord. I have just the very lad for the job.” Murdock winked. “Anything else, sir?"

  Edward sat at the table and waited while the innkeeper poured him a mug of freshly brewed coffee. “Yes, also let my solicitor, Mr. Hemsley of Frances Square, know that I have arrived in Bath. Tell him I desire to see him at his earliest convenience."

  "Yes, milord."

  "Bring a complete breakfast—eggs, ham, trout—everything.” Edward took a sip of the hot beverage. “And Murdock, leave the door open."

  The proprietor raised his bushy eyebrows, kept his comment to himself, and did as he was bid.

  Now that the door was open again, Edward repositioned himself at the table so he had a clear view outside the private parlor. A view that included the staircase to the bedchambers above.

  He smiled into his mug. A precaution, to be sure, however, he had a sneaking suspicion his imprudent little page intended to take flight. Unless she planned to dangle out the third story window, the stairs were the only way down.

  Danny could not escape. He felt responsible for her; it was his duty to return her to her father.

  Edward placed his hands around the mug and stared at steam rising from the hot coffee. Her father must have been frantic with worry. Should he send word to the Baronet Galloway today?

  But here was a devil of a quandary. He was not certain Danny actually was Baronet Galloway's daughter.

  Edward leaned back in the chair and propped his feet up on the table. Since he did not yet know Danny's true identity, he would do nothing. Which was just as well. He had a feeling that he had enough on his plate just keeping Miss Danny Augustus in his pocket.