Someone knocked at the front door as Phillipa sat down with her book. Reading Walking with Pharaohs again seemed silly, considering she’d already read it five times in the past five years, but now that she’d met Bennett, she could hear him speaking the words on the page. It made the adventure feel more immediate, and it let her feel close to him even though she hadn’t heard a word in three days.
She glanced up as Sonja Depris and Lucy Elroy swished into the morning room. They weren’t there to see her, and she had more significant considerations today—according to the newspaper, Captain David Langley would be back in London tomorrow. His family was even holding a soiree in his honor—one to which she’d been invited.
“Good morning, Flip,” Sonja said brightly, making her jump.
“Good morning,” she answered. “Livi will be down in a moment.”
“Yes, we’re here to take her shopping. Would you care to join us?”
The invitation was more than likely merely a kind gesture, but it surprised Phillipa, and it made her more than a bit suspicious. In the past two years Sonja had never once invited her to join them anywhere. Livi, yes, but not any of her friends. “Thank you, but no,” she replied.
“Oh, no, you must join us,” Lucy put in, plunking herself down on the sofa next to Phillipa. “Livi told us that Sir Bennett ruined your pretty peach gown. We’ll find you the material to make another.”
“It was only a bit of a spill.”
Sonja sat on her other side. “Yes, but we also want to hear all about Sir Bennett. Captain Langley’s family is saying that he’s parading about London with his monkey trying to earn sympathy, and that everyone should reread the captain’s book to remember the truth about him.”
“The truth about Bennett Wolfe is that he’s no one’s fool,” Phillipa retorted. “And the truth about Captain Langley’s book is that he needs to answer a few questions about it—to Bennett.”
“You see, Lucy?” Sonja giggled, leaning around in front of Phillipa. “I told you that she was infatuated with Sir Bennett. He is wooing you, isn’t he? Does the monkey sit on his shoulder while you hold hands?”
Phillipa scowled, actually rather relieved they’d begun the accusations by making her angry. “We don’t hold hands. The flowers were a jest, if you’ll recall.” She refrained from announcing that he was not wooing her, though, because it had very much begun to seem that he was.
“I thought it must be, really,” Lucy Elroy put in. “Because, well, you and Bennett Wolfe are as different in temperament and character as any two people can be, don’t you think? I mean, he’s an adventurer.”
“I—”
“I heard that the Duke of Parnessy’s youngest daughter, Lady Melanie, wants to meet him. Can you imagine? With her income he could travel anywhere.”
“As long as he doesn’t mind that one of her eyes travels independent of the other.” Sonja chuckled, covering her mouth. “He could send her red roses, and they’d be married before sunset the next day.”
Gritting her jaw, Phillipa pushed her book into the cushions and instead grabbed up her embroidery to jab her needle into the cloth, continuing her loops. “That’s not very nice to say about either of them.” Nearly as annoying was the way they so easily dismissed the idea that Bennett was actually pursuing her. She’d been attempting to dismiss it herself, of course, but her skepticism was being seriously undermined by those delicious kisses.
Olivia glided into the room. “You aren’t teasing my Flip, are you?” she asked her friends, putting a mock stern look on her face.
“We’re only attempting to find out where Sir Bennett’s interest truly lies,” Sonja said, standing again.
“I think his interest lies in returning to his adventures,” Livi commented. “Flip, do come shopping with us. I heard that Perrington’s has received a new shipment of Egyptian silks. A deep burgundy would look so very lovely on you.”
A new dress. Generally she allowed Livi to drag her shopping for gowns at the beginning of the Season on one or two occasions, after which she avoided the awkwardness of attempting to appear highly fashionable when so much of it simply looked—and felt—silly. But Bennett had certainly admired her gown at Milly’s recital. In fact, he’d kissed her senseless.
On the other hand, she did not want to spend the entire morning being teased and belittled by Livi’s friends. “I—”
The morning room door opened, and Barnes the butler stepped inside. “A delivery for you, Lady Flip.”
Her heart sped. “I’ll come get it,” she said quickly, setting her embroidery aside and rising.
As soon as she entered the foyer she saw it, bright as sunshine on the entryway table. Dozens of white and yellow daisies, wrapped together in paper. He’d sent her daisies. Nearly a hundred of them, by her count. Oh, my.
“Oh, Flip, they’re beautiful!” Livi, followed by her friends, crowded into the foyer behind her. “Are they from Captain Wolfe?”
“A note!”
Before Phillipa could reach it, Sonja plucked the card from beneath the daisies. Her heart jolted. If they made fun of it, of Bennett, or of her—it could spoil what she’d begun to imagine. “That’s mine, if you please,” she stated firmly, holding out her hand.
Sonja giggled, dancing backward and unfolding the note at the same time. “For Phillipa,” she read, evading Phillipa’s increasingly aggravated grabs. “I hope—”
Olivia snapped the note out of her friend’s fingers, folded it again, and placed it in Phillipa’s palm. “You know,” she said, rubbing her temple, “I’ve a bit of an aching head. I’m so sorry, but I don’t think I’m up to a shopping excursion today.”
“Oh, Livi, don’t be angry.”
“I’m not angry, Sonja.” She lowered her hand a little. “I did hear, in fact, that Captain Wolfe might be at Tattersall’s this morning. He also mentioned the Duke of Sommerset. If—”
Sonja grabbed Lucy’s arm. “Bennett Wolfe and Nicholas Ainsley,” she whispered, her cheeks darkening. “Can you imagine?”
“Excuse us, then,” Lucy put in, heading for the door. “Feel better, Livi. If we hear anything at Tattersall’s, we’ll let you know.”
“Thank you,” Livi called after them. As soon as the door closed, she faced Phillipa. “I like my friends,” she said, her smile dimming, “but on occasion I almost want to pull their hair.”
“You dealt with them better than I would have,” Phillipa returned. “But you didn’t have to send them away on my account.”
“I sent them away on my account. I’ll see them tonight, anyway.” She gestured at Phillipa’s hand. “Now read your note, and don’t even tell me what it says.”
Phillipa blew out her breath. Running a finger along the soft flower petals, she unfolded the note. For Phillipa, she read to herself, I hope adding yellow daisies isn’t too forward. I asked Lady Fennington for their meaning, and she said white means “purity,” while yellow means “slighted.” I’m taking them to mean “frustrated.” Because I am frustrated that you are still pure. Bennett.
She snorted, clasping the note to her chest. Thank heavens Sonja hadn’t read the rest of it. As Livi busied herself with collecting vases, Phillipa looked at her reflection in the hallway mirror. Unspectacular brown eyes. Brows more curved than her sister’s. Hair somewhere between red and brown and black, and more blond in the sunlight, but none of those. She did like her mouth, though her chin was a bit sharp. Not ugly, but not spectacular. Except, apparently, to Bennett Wolfe.
“Livi, does your head truly hurt?” she asked.
“No. Unless you’re going to make me read something, then yes, it does.”
Phillipa grinned, excitement flitting through her chest. “Let’s go shopping for a new dress, then.”
Olivia clapped her hands together. “Burgundy?”
“I shall be your mannequin. Whatever you think.”
“Oh, this is a marvelous day.”
“You don’t have to purchase a mount,” Jack Clancy sa
id, taking a step back as a groom led a striking bay gelding between them. “Borrow Jupiter for as long as you like.”
Bennett watched the animal as it and its handler entered the main pen at Tattersall’s. “I may be about for a while if I can’t settle this business with Lang ley. And if it gets nasty, I’d rather not be seen as so feckless I don’t even own my own horse.”
“And if you do settle it? Without killing Langley and getting hanged for murder, of course.”
“Then I’ll gift you with the animal,” Bennett answered absently, moving up to the chest-high wooden railing as bidding began.
“If you’re going to give him to me, then bid on that one. Sullivan Waring’s stable is the best in Britain.”
“Thank you for your selfless concern, Jack.” With a grin, Bennett lifted his hand.
“Seventy-five pounds to Captain Sir Bennett Wolfe,” the auctioneer acknowledged.
Faces turned in his direction, though thanks to Kero he hadn’t precisely gone unnoticed. He listened to the chattering and muttering even as he kept his attention on the auction. A bunch of parrots yapping and mimicking one another with nothing to say in the first place. And he still needed to make a good impression with them. He offered a slight smile and nodded, hearing the acknowledging increase of sound. At least it was simple—thus far.
A minute later his purse was eighty-seven pounds lighter, and he owned a big bay gelding with the promising name of Ares. He turned to follow Jack and collect his horse—and found his way blocked by two young ladies. Olivia Eddison’s cronies, he recalled quite clearly from that useless evening of questions and answers. One of them, Sonja, he thought, had seemed obsessed with discovering his favorite color. And judging from the bright yellow muslin gown she wore, he’d finally given in and told her.
“Sir Bennett,” she said, curtsying. The second chit mimicked the motion. “How splendid to find you here!”
“Miss Depris,” he returned, madly trying to remember the name of the other girl. “And Miss Elroy, isn’t it?”
“Oh, yes.” Miss Elroy giggled in a manner he found rather alarming. “You’ve bought a horse.”
“Yes. I needed my own mount.”
“We heard that the Duke of Sommerset might be in attendance today,” Sonja put in, barely sparing Jack a glance.
“No, just us villagers,” Jack contributed with a short grin. “Is Livi with you?”
“She said she didn’t feel well, so instead of going shopping, we’ve come here.” Miss Elroy sent him a sly smile. “I think her feelings were hurt because a certain someone sent flowers to her sister, and not to her.”
“I’m a bit jealous, too,” Sonja added, smiling sweetly and batting her eyelashes at him. “I’m a far better dancer than Flip Eddison, you know.”
Jack cleared his throat, stepping between them. “Come along, Bennett. I’m curious to try out your Ares.”
Bennett, though, abruptly began to find this little chat interesting. “You’re jealous of Phillipa?” he asked, ignoring the nonsense about the dancing.
“I…Which young lady wouldn’t want to receive a hundred daisies from an admirer?” she returned, blushing a little.
“Tell her that.” Bennett inclined his head. “I think she’ll find it amusing. Good day, ladies.”
He led the way around the back of the stables to where Ares stood with a groom. While Jack admired the animal, Bennett paid for him, signed for him, and took the beast’s papers. Ares was a fine animal, and it made him consider that this was the first horse he’d ever actually owned. In the army he’d ridden several, but they’d belonged to the Crown, and in school he’d either rented animals or borrowed them. Of course he’d never owned a house, either, until Prinny had granted him Tesling. Before that he hadn’t even lived in a family home since he’d been nine, and he’d never felt the need to do so.
It was…comforting, though, to know that his specimens and artifacts were safe, in a place that no one else could take from him. And that was mainly what he’d used Tesling for—as storage. The longest he’d ever stayed there had been two months, after he’d received it and before he’d finalized the details of the Congo expedition. And now he had an estate and a horse. And a monkey who thought he was her mother. Very domestic of him.
“You shouldn’t have said that, you know,” Jack commented from the far side of Ares.
“Said what?”
“That bit about Flip finding Sonja’s jealousy amusing. Sonja’s fairly obvious, but she excels at being the most admired chit in the room. She may very well attempt to embarrass Flip, now.”
Bennett looked across the gelding’s back at his friend. “You should have said something.”
“I just did.”
“Before.”
“I tried to get you to leave, if you’ll recall.”
Slowly Bennett gathered the line at Ares’s halter. “I’ll go have a word with her, then.”
“For God’s sake, Bennett, you can’t go roaring at her. You’ll make her cry or something, and then both you and Flip will end looking ill. Just leave it be.” Jack sighed. “I’ll have a word with Livi. If anyone can smooth out your mess, she can.”
Together they walked back to where they’d left their horses. “I won’t tolerate anyone speaking against Phillipa,” Bennett said matter-of-factly. “Particularly not on account of my stupidity.”
Jack stopped, taking a quick look at the thinly scattered crowd around them. “You know, I never thought of you as the marriage-minded sort, Bennett. What’s changed?”
“Do I have to know the answer to that? I like Phillipa. I don’t want to see her ruined.” From the displeased look on his friend’s face, Bennett could tell precisely where this conversation was going to lead. And if he was in for an argument, he preferred to be the one on the attacking side. “How long have you been in pursuit of her sister?”
“Don’t change the subject.”
As they reached the horses, Bennett tied Ares off to Jupiter’s saddle and swung aboard. He’d have to borrow a saddle until he could purchase one for himself, but that didn’t concern him overly much. “I’m not changing anything. You’ve been after Olivia for…what, three years? And have—”
“Four years.”
“Four years, then. And have you offered for her?”
“If I did that now, she’d refuse me. She’s already refused seven other gentlemen. And I did propose, a week after we met. At least we could laugh that nonsense off.”
“I’ve known Phillipa for nearly a fortnight, now. I don’t want to blunder and then have to chase my tail for the next four years while she possibly finds someone else.”
Jack snorted. “As if you’d stay in England for the next four years chasing anything.”
“I did just purchase a horse.”
“And decided in the same second how you mean to dispose of it when you go.”
Whether Jack’s intention was to point out that he had no business pursuing where he had no idea what to do when he finally caught his prize, or to demonstrate that he had no business engaging in that kind of a hunt in the first place, Bennett didn’t like it. They both led to the same conclusion; that he should leave Phillipa Eddison be. And he couldn’t do that. She meant something. Something important. And he could no more let her go without a word then he could have left Africa without knowing the source of the Congo River.
“Well?” Jack prompted.
“Mind your own affairs. Until you can do that, stay out of mine.”
For a long moment they rode in silence. Of course Jack’s argument made sense; Bennett didn’t stay anywhere for long. He never had. And if Phillipa was as book-bound as his friend seemed to think, one of them would be pulled in a direction they didn’t want to go. But he couldn’t decide any of that in twelve days. All he could know for certain at this moment was that he wanted her, and he apparently seemed willing to do whatever it took to achieve that goal.
“So you sent her flowers?” Jack finally ventured.
<
br /> Bennett nodded. “Daisies. She requested them.”
“What’s your next step, then?”
“Almack’s, I suppose.”
With a choking sound, Jack pulled ahead. “Sweet Lucifer, you are serious about this.”
“You have no idea.” He wanted to see her. Immediately. And he had some choice words for Society’s damned rules in the meantime—the rules that said there were hours for social calls and numbers of dances two people could share in an evening. But if Phillipa wanted him to follow the rules, he would. For as long as she did. And he meant to encourage her to pay as much attention to them as he always had.
“I simply don’t think we should attend,” Phillipa said, nudging the newspaper in her mother’s direction.
“When the London Times describes a party that hasn’t even taken place yet as the likely event of the Season,” Olivia said from the opposite side of the dining table, “you have to attend. Everyone else will.”
“And that doesn’t take into account the fact that we’ve already accepted the invitation.” Their mother gestured for a refill of her cup of afternoon tea as she glanced through the article.
“But you didn’t ask me about it first, and it’s being held by Lord and Lady Thrushell.” Phillipa stirred her tea as she had been for the past twenty minutes. She had yet to drink any; with her nerves as they were, putting even tea into her stomach would likely make her ill. “On behalf of Captain Langley.”
Olivia laughed. “If we asked you which event we should attend before we accepted, we would be spending the Season in musty old museums and book reading clubs.”
“David Langley is the Thrushells’ son, my dear. Of course they’re holding a soiree in his honor.”
“But Mama, we don’t attend every party ever thrown by someone’s parents for their offspring.”
“David Langley isn’t just an offspring,” Livi countered. “You know he returned from Africa a hero, and he’s been celebrated all over England for his book.”
The book he hadn’t even written. Phillipa sent her sister a glare. “And that’s why we shouldn’t attend. That book makes Bennett look foolish. I don’t want to be seen endorsing either it or Captain Langley.”
The Care and Taming of a Rogue Page 16