Penelope's Guardian (Promises Book 3)

by Laura Clarke

  “I hear Bixley’s here this evening, and that he’s learned some new tricks.” All the ladies laughed, and Penelope fumed. “Did you teach him those? He tells me you and he spent quite a bit of time alone.”

  Forget the timetable, Penelope said to herself. It was time to cause the scene now and hope that Emmett had found the books already. She turned back to Mary and her crowd.

  “Perhaps he can teach them to you later.” The laughter grew, the young ladies not even hiding it, but laughing out loud, which was considered terribly rude, and an affront to everyone around. Penelope’s anger doubled as they whispered to each other. “He tells me you need new material, I guess you can call sexual movements material, can’t you? I hear you bore him in the bedroom.”

  The laughter was gone, and there was a great deal of gasping and movement. Penelope thought that maybe some of the older ladies had fainted at her words. Proper ladies did not talk about sex.

  “I’m sorry, have I let the cat out of the bag?” Penelope giggled.

  “Everyone knows that you and Bixley are lovers,” Mary said. “After all, your guardian had to drag you out of his arms at the Avondale Party,” Mary tittered. “I hear you were having intercourse in the gardens.”

  “Really? Then you must be dumber than I thought,” Penelope said. “You have to be naked to have intercourse, don’t you? Or is there something you can teach us all? Have you figured out a way to screw with your clothes on? You and Bixley, or you and Clark from the lending library? Did you do it amongst the books, or did he take you into the back room with all the boxes and the dust?”

  “You miserable little bitch,” Mary growled.

  Penelope laughed. “Obviously I’ve hit a nerve. Do you not want the public to know about your lovers? They obviously know you didn’t give a damn about Chester. After all, you’re at a party mere weeks after his death, and you’re wearing peach. Shameful.”

  “I could say the same thing about you,” Mary said.

  “But I wasn’t his wife,” Penelope said.

  “He left you a great deal of money, though,” Mary said. “Perhaps he was more than your guardian, as Sway is more than your guardian. Perhaps I should have a chat with him.”

  The evil glint that crossed Mary’s face made Penelope see red. “I’m so sorry to have made you hot, Mary. Let me help you cool off.”

  She turned around, and with all the strength she had, she picked up the punch bowl and tossed the contents in Mary’s direction.

  “You bitch!” Mary screamed, or rather sputtered, Penelope thought with a laugh. Several of her friends had received a good drenching, too, and were complaining about their dresses being ruined.

  Mary reached for her, but a man stepped in between them. It took Penelope a few seconds to realize it wasn’t Emmett but a man she didn’t know.

  “I demand you throw this woman out!” Mary yelled. “Jacob, do you see the scene she has caused?”

  “On the contrary Mary, she had help in causing this scene,” the man said. “You gave as well as you received.” He turned to Penelope. “Jacob Cutler, your host.”

  “Forgive me, sir,” she said.

  His smile told Penelope he had rather enjoyed the whole event.

  “What’s going on?” Emmett’s tone said he wasn’t happy. Penelope hoped it was a joke.

  “Your ward is rather impetuous,” Cutler said. “She and Mary have, shall we say, had an altercation.”

  “Done it again, have you?” Emmett said. “Cutler, is there a room upstairs that I can borrow for a while? My ward needs a good talking to, or more than that.”

  “On the third floor,” Cutler said. “First door on the left.”

  “Thank you.” Emmett grabbed hold of Penelope’s arm and steered her toward the stairs. As they climbed, Penelope could hear the laughter that filled the room. She wasn’t sure if it was directed at Mary, who was still sputtering her outrage that “the likes of her had been allowed inside the party,” or if the crowd thought it was funny that Emmett was about to punish her.

  They were both breathing hard by the time they got to the third floor. Emmett pulled her into the room that Cutler had indicated. He slammed the door and turned the key, taking it out of the lock and pocketing it. Then he burst into laughter.

  “I can always count on you, can’t I?” he said. Before she could answer he gathered her in his arms and kissed her, deeply and passionately.

  “You’re very happy,” she said. “Would you mind telling me what you were doing while I was having a shouting match with Mary?”

  He crossed to the bed and picked up a book. Penelope’s eyes widened.

  “How did you get them?”

  “I had a man steal them from the house where Mary is staying, and then I gave the man who intended to buy them good money. It was worth it.”

  “So, what happens now?” she asked. “She’ll see you carry them down the stairs.”

  “Oh, we’ve taken care of that,” he said. “Tell me what happened.”

  “You should have heard what she said to me, indicating that Bixley and I were lovers. Saying that he’d learned new tricks from me. The little bitch.”

  “Language, Penelope,” he said. “We’re going to stay here long enough that people think I’m spanking you. Will you be able to cry and act pained when we leave?”

  “I can do that,” she said with a smile. “This scheme of yours is rather entertaining.”

  “We still have to make our escape,” he said.

  “I’m sure you have it all planned out.” He kissed her again and she nestled against his chest. “Did I earn something new, perhaps a feel of your cock?”

  “Not right now,” he said. “I don’t want to have to hide my crotch when we go downstairs.” He paused, and it seemed as if he were considering something.

  “What?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “Take off your skirt, hurry before Cutler comes up.”

  “Why would he come up?”

  “Do as I ask, please,” he said.

  “She put her hands on her waist, feeling for the ties.

  “Let me,” he said. He undid the stays and when the skirt fell to the ground she stepped out. Then she watched, in shock, as he picked up a book and slipped it into a pocket that had been sewn into the skirt.

  “Brilliant,” she said.

  When he’d hidden each tome, he helped her back into the skirt.

  “Leaving this party will attract attention,” he said. “Are you ready for it?”

  “Very,” she said, just as someone knocked on the door.

  “Cutler.” Emmett crossed the room and unlocked the door to admit their host.

  “I’m so sorry,” Penelope said the minute he was in the room.

  He looked stern for a few minutes, and then he burst out laughing.

  “I’ve never seen anything like it. My wife is thrilled, absolutely beside herself with happiness.”

  Penelope couldn’t help but laugh.

  “You’ll get many invitations after this,” Cutler said. “People will expect you to make a scene.”

  “Don’t encourage her, please,” Emmett said, but Penelope was sure there was laughter in his words.

  “Is Mary still downstairs?”

  “No, she is in my wife’s sitting room, planning revenge,” Cutler said. “I have a carriage waiting to take you back to London.”

  “London?” Penelope said.

  “We’re returning the royal family’s property tonight, before anything else happens,” Emmett said. “I don’t want to be responsible for them anymore.”

  “An overnight trip to London? How very exotic,” she said.

  She hoped that meant they would play in the carriage.

  “I’m going to carry you out over my shoulder,” Emmett said. “Say loud and clear that we are heading for London. I want people to know we’re leaving Bath.

  “As you wish,” she said. “Please make my excuses to your wife, Mr. Cutler.”

  “I
will, Miss Martin, and please come back when you are Lady Sway. It will be wonderful to get to know you as a future duchess.”

  “Thank you, sir,” she said. She didn’t want to add that she was afraid she would never be a duchess. His family would never accept her.

  “Emmett, there are a few things there that you might like,” he said. “You know what I mean.” It was not a question, and Penelope wondered what it meant.

  “I do, thank you, my friend,” Emmett said.

  “What does he mean?” Penelope asked. But she didn’t say anything else as Emmett picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, and started down the stairs.

  Chapter 10

  The crowd hooted and cheered as they gained the bottom floor. Penelope had half a mind to wave to her adoring fans, but she knew that would break the role she was supposed to be playing. Because of that she started to scream, pounding on his back to let her go, yelling she didn’t want to return to London, and calling him names that no self-respecting woman should know. The funny part about it is that she’d learned them from Mary.

  She wondered where her former friend was right now. She lifted her head and saw the crowd that had gathered to watch. They were all laughing.

  “I hate you all!” she screamed out.

  From somewhere back in the room a woman yelled out, “Come to my party on Monday. I want to see what you do next!”

  The crowd laughed, and Emmett pushed through the door. People coming in pushed back to make way for him. One person said, “Oh we missed it!”

  “Bugger you all!” Penelope screamed, and Emmett slapped her on the bum, much to the delight of the party’s late arrivals.

  With the help of a footman he deposited her in the carriage and climbed in behind her. Once he’d rapped on the roof of the carriage it started forward.

  Penelope waited until they were clear of the doorway and she giggled.

  “That was sort of fun,” she said. “And we have the books, except the one you found at the house in London.”

  “I’ve already turned that one over to the royal family,” he said. “I didn’t want to be responsible for it.”

  “How did you get the books from the man who wanted them so badly.”

  “The royal family made him an offer he couldn’t refuse,” Emmett said. “He had already paid Mary, and she had left the books at the party. I repaid him. Mostly.”

  She didn’t care for where this was heading. “I don’t think we should travel to London with the books in the middle of the night. What about highwaymen?”

  “We’re not going to London tonight,” he said.

  “Are you going to tell me the next step in the plan?”

  “Where would be the fun in that?” In the darkness she could see him wink.

  “Where are we going?” she asked. “I seem to remember you saying I wouldn’t be a virgin after tonight.”

  “The night’s not over,” he said. “We have some business to attend to first, concerning the objects in your skirt.”

  “Seems to me as if everything we’re doing tonight rests on objects contained in my skirts.” She laughed and crossed the carriage to sit down next to him. “Can I at least have a kiss to tide me over until the actual event?”

  “You may,” he said. He stroked her cheek. “Close your eyes.”

  She did as he asked.

  “I would kiss you, but I’m afraid I would not be able to stop,” he whispered, his voice full of passion. “I have specific plans for tonight, and they don’t include using the carriage seat for passion.”

  “Just one kiss?” she said. She leaned toward him, and when he pulled away she scurried back to her own seat. “Fine.”

  “Don’t pout, it’s not becoming,” he said. “You must trust me on this.”

  Instead of smiling she forced her lips together and made sure to frown.

  “Such a baby,” he said, and he laughed. It was all Penelope could do not to laugh along with him.

  The carriage slowed, then made a turn. “Where are we going?” she asked.

  “On an errand,” he said.

  “After ten at night?” she asked. “Why won’t you tell me where we’re going?”

  He smiled and winked again. Penelope crossed her arms over her chest and settled back against the seat.

  “Penelope, don’t be so glum,” he said. “You judge things too quickly.”

  “You leave me out of everything, so I feel like that makes us even, I do something you don’t like and you do something I don’t like.”

  “So be it,” he said. They rode in silence. The carriage made several turns, and although she didn’t look out the window, Penelope could swear they were making a circle, one that would take them back to the center of town. She wanted to know their destination, but she would be damned if she would ask him. He would probably just smile and wink and say she would see when they got there.

  The carriage pulled to a stop and Penelope did look out the window this time. They were in front of a row of townhouses, set into a circle.

  “It’s the one on the end,” Emmett said.

  There was already a conveyance in front of the house he pointed out. The moment they were out and walking toward the house the carriage they’d been in took off at a fast clip.

  “Are you worried that someone is following us?” she asked.

  “There is a distinct possibility that could happen,” he said. “I don’t trust Mary, and there were a lot of people who wanted those books. If they found out they were sold, they might try to get them back. They might think I have them again.”

  “That’s why we’re not going to London?”

  “Exactly.” They hurried up the steps, to the door, which opened before either of them reached for the knob.

  “You’re early,” a man said. They stepped inside, and for a moment Penelope worried that they would be overtaken by someone intent on evil. Instead a man laughed and said, “Horace MacGregor.” He held out his hand. “Good to see you again, Emmett, and it’s nice to meet you, Miss Martin. I understand there is something under your skirts that I would like to have.”

  “Excuse me?” Penelope said, backing up.

  “He’s talking about the books, darling,” Emmett said. “Because if he’s not I’m going to lay him out flat.”

  “Always a pleasure to do business with you, Emmett,” Horace said as he turned and walked into the house.

  “You know him?” Penelope asked.

  “Yes, we’ve met before,” Emmett said.

  “He’s angry with me because we fought over the same woman, and I won,” Horace said from the other room. “Can we finish this transaction, please? I have a garrison of soldiers waiting to accompany me back to London.”

  Emmett took her hand and kissed it gently. “You might have won the battle before, Horace, but I won the war by finding the lovely woman standing before me.”

  Her heart melted, and she couldn’t help but sigh.

  “Does that make me the spoils of war?” she asked.

  “To the victor go the spoils,” he said. “Let’s give him the books and when he’s gone we’ll get rid of that nasty maidenhead of yours.”

  “Books now, sex later,” Horace called out from the other room.

  “Give us a moment,” Emmett said. “Let’s go upstairs and I’ll get him the books.”

  He led her to a bedroom where he closed and locked the door behind them. “Let’s get the books. Lift your skirt.”

  She laughed as she did as he asked. It didn’t take long for him to retrieve the tomes.

  “You stay here, and I’ll be right back,” he said.

  “You don’t want me to get to know Horace?”

  He put the books on the bed, then grabbed her and pulled her into an embrace so tight she thought she might lose her breath.

  “I love you,” he said. “My parents told me they fell in love at first sight. It might have taken more than that for you to capture my heart, but you have it. And I’m not afraid of
losing you to Horace.”

  “You love me?” Did she really just hear that right?

  “With all my heart,” he said. “But I don’t want you to say it back to me.”

  Pain shot through her. “You don’t want me to love you?”

  “I don’t want you to say it until you feel it,” he said. “Long ago a woman told me she loved me, and it ended up she only said it because she thought I wanted to hear it.”

  “Would that be the woman you lost to Horace?” she asked.

  “I want you to promise me you won’t say it until you mean it,” he said.

  Penelope thought about it for a few moments, and then she smiled. “I promise.”

  “Good. Let’s get rid of these things and then get on with the night’s events.”

  “That sounds so romantic,” she said. She waited for him to kiss her, to show her some passion but he just smiled.

  “Let’s get this over with,” he said as he picked up the books. She followed him out of the room. Downstairs they found Horace sitting in a chair, drinking. It looked to Penelope as if it were brandy, and she thought she could use a good dose of it herself. She hated to admit that he was a handsome man, since Emmett thought so little of him.

  “Here you are,” Emmett said. “They are all here.”

  Horace put down his glass and took the books. He thumbed through them one by one. When he got to the last one he nodded. “All here and accounted for. The King will be very happy.”

  “Good to hear,” Emmett said. “Now, get the hell out.”

  “Always good to see you, too,” Horace said. He stood and placed the books in a satchel. “If there is blowback from this you have been ordered by the King to report it.”

  “Of course,” Emmett said. “You’re not leaving fast enough.”

  “So be it,” Horace said. “Miss Martin, it was a pleasure to meet you.”

  “Thanks,” Penelope said. She didn’t want to tell him that it was a pleasure to meet him, because it wasn’t. Instead she said, “Have a good trip back to London.”