The butler let him into the foyer, and when he heard his friend moving about in the library, he boldly intruded rather than waiting to be introduced.
“What have you discovered, Ardleigh?” he queried.
Ardleigh’s eyebrows rose. “Ah, Brentwood, nice to see you. What brings you here so early?”
“Honestly, Ardleigh, let’s not bandy words. What did the investigator have to say yesterday?” He stuffed his hands in his pockets as his foot tapped a beat on the carpet. “I would prefer to hire another investigator, but I’ve been unsuccessful. Has Ridley discovered anything useful?”
“Nothing that pleases me. He believes one of the two most powerful crime lords is involved. It would seem Lord Downey borrowed quite a bit more money to try to keep your ex-wife happy. That is why he is bothering Sara. As long as he can get her to continue paying, he will. But we have another problem. Word has gotten out that she’s alone…” Ardleigh’s mouth formed a grim line. “My man tells me there’s a major boss who preys on young widows. He forces them into the business, if you get my meaning.”
“What? They just take women to whore for them? How can they get away with such aberrant behavior?”
“They choose carefully and have been lucky thus far. They seek out beautiful women who lack any connections. Ones who won’t be missed. Unfortunately, Sara fits the requirements. No known family, no strong connections. We need to keep her here with us to convince these people she will indeed be missed should anything happen.”
“She will go home with me! I have connections. I’ll protect her. Have your servant gather her things.” His hands flexed as he paced.
“No need to raise your voice, Brentwood. I don’t think Sara is ready for that yet.”
“I don’t care if she is ready. I can keep her safe!” Philip’s mind reeled at the possibility of Sara being kidnapped. As a prostitute? He could hardly restrain himself from punching a hole in the wall at the thought of such a thing. “Ridley knows it’s a major man from the underworld, but he doesn’t know which one? How does that help us?”
Ardleigh simply shrugged in response to his last question. “When he learns more, I suspect he’ll tell us more. In the meantime, I think Lady Downey would do best to stay here,” Ardleigh said calmly. “I will keep her safe, and she is comfortable with Phoebe. These men will stay away from her once they realize she has our protection. Besides, if you recall, the lady is not interested in moving into your townhouse, Brentwood.”
The words felt like a blow, but Philip shook them off and continued his pacing. “We have to do something. I need to know who’s behind all of this. I’ll break the man’s neck with my bare hands!” He knew he was losing it. His nails were close to drawing blood from the flesh of his palms.
Ardleigh calmly continued, “I have involved the authorities. Give them some time. They will solve this, and we will keep Sara safe in the meantime. Now, why are you here, Brentwood? You did not come here in your carriage to discuss the investigator, did you?” Ardleigh stared out the window at his carriage, the largest in all of London. His family’s golden crest was blinding in the sun.
He shook his head. “No, of course not. I came to ask Lady Downey if she would come with me for a ride in Hyde Park today.”
“Zounds, surely you do not mean that, Brentwood? Of course, you understand what people will think?” Ardleigh’s lips curved into a smile.
“Yes, I believe I possess the intelligence to understand the statement I’ll be making, Ardleigh. Now, may I speak to Sara or not?” He tugged on his neck cloth as he spoke. If he took Sara into Hyde Park with him, he would be declaring her off limits to all others. He would be announcing their courtship essentially. Which was well and good. He wanted others to know she was taken, and he really wasn’t concerned with the realm right now. His primary concern was Sara. He needed to talk to her privately. She was a widow. It was certainly acceptable for them to be alone together.
He must have made quite a bit of noise, for Lady Ardleigh entered the library just then. “The ducal carriage, Your Grace? What is the occasion?” But his attention was fixed on the woman following her. Sara. She lingered in the doorway.
He cleared his throat. “The occasion is that I have come to ask Lady Downey if she would do me the honor of accompanying me for a ride through Hyde Park this morning. It is a beautiful morning, is it not?”
Sara finally stepped inside, holding her arm next to her body. A sling had been fashioned to hold it in position for her.
She curtsied with a blush. “Good day to you, Your Grace.”
He almost lost the ability to speak. Sara wore a yellow day dress that made her more beautiful than he had thought possible. Why did she grow more stunning every day? Was that possible or was he a hopeless romantic? Damnation, he was acting like a besotted schoolboy.
Was she still medicated today? Would they be able to converse?
It struck him that he’d never before looked forward to speaking to a woman who interested him. In the past, he’d wanted one thing, but with Lady Downey, he wanted everything.
“I would be honored to accompany you,” she said.
***
Sara stared at Philip. Was he angry today? No, his eyes were a soft, warm blue, not even a touch of ice to them. Oh, how she loved it when he looked at her this way. It made her want to stay close to him, always.
Her mind was not cloudy today as it had been yesterday. When she’d awoken this morning, she had asked Phoebe to lighten the amount of medication she was given for pain. She wanted to be back in control of her faculties, of her life. Customers awaited their garments, and there was no one else to sew for her. Although it would be hard with her fingers in their condition, she would find a way. She always found a way.
Phoebe wrapped a shawl about her shoulders, and before she knew it, Philip was escorting her to the carriage and helping her inside. Was she doing the right thing? How quickly she forgot about his insult to her. About Miranda Montrose and the reason for her unseemly attack.
Philip closed the door behind him and sat down next to her.
“Here, Sara, I brought this pillow for you to prop your arm. I was afraid it would still be sore today.” He fussed over her, tucking the velvet pillow beneath her elbow, then rapped on the roof to get the carriage moving and settled himself across from her.
“Philip, do you care to tell me what this is about?” she asked softly. “I didn’t expect to see you again.” He’d come to see her yesterday, of course, but she hardly remembered what he’d said. In all likelihood he’d only come because of her injury. The situation between them hadn’t changed. He wanted something she could not give him. She brought her gaze up to lock with his blue eyes. They remained warm, fortunately.
“I’m here because I enjoy your company. It’s that simple. I am also worried about you. You’ve been through a most traumatic event. How are your fingers? Is your pain any better?”
She turned her head to stare out the window. “I’m much better, thank you.” She knew it was rude to look away, but she couldn’t handle being so close to him. It made her want to touch him. It made her feel lost again. How could she not love this man? When the two of them were alone, he was so attentive, so thoughtful. A quick glance at him was enough to send a swarm of butterflies through her stomach.
However, every time she thought of what he’d asked her to do, she became angry again. She’d told him she wouldn’t be his mistress, and yet he’d continued to press her. She hated him a little for that.
How could you love someone and hate him at the same time? Was that possible? She needed to get her emotions under control because despite the complicated situation between the two of them, she knew the duke could likely help her out of her predicament.
Get control and think, Sara.
“Sara, why did you return the necklace?”
Her head snapped back to glance at him. Was he dense?
“I thought I explained that in my note, Your Grace. And before. I’m
not interested in your offer.” She dropped her gaze to her hands as she blushed.
“I understand your feelings. I must apologize for insulting you by repeating my offer. It was not my intention.”
Sara glanced at him but then turned her head to stare out the window again. What did he want from her?
Philip reached over and took her chin in his hand. He gently turned her face back to him. “Why didn’t you give the necklace to your attacker? You could have paid him off.”
She pushed him away with her good hand. “Because it would have been wrong, Philip. I was not willing to accept your terms of the agreement. If I couldn’t uphold my end of the bargain, I certainly couldn’t keep the necklace.”
“You could have paid him off, and we could have worked out the terms at a later time. If you had kept it and given it to him, it may have been enough for him to leave you alone for good. Why would you risk what happened when you had a way out? Help me to understand.”
They were almost to Hyde Park. Silence descended in the carriage. He just didn’t understand her. He would never understand her. How could she explain how much she valued her dignity? Her self-respect? It was the one unshakable thing she had left.
“You would have preferred it had I kept the gift without intending to do as you wished?” She pinched the ends of her good fingers with her gloved hand. If she pinched really hard, it took her mind off the pain in her broken bones. It had become intolerable again, although she wasn’t about to tell the duke.
Philip crossed his legs as he continued, “No, but you’re certainly intelligent enough to have seen it as a potential solution to your problem.”
“Intelligent enough? Are you implying that I am stupid because I did not accept your gift?” She bit back all the insulting words she wanted to throw at Philip.
“No, of course not. But surely you can see my position.”
“What position? Your position to insult me?” Sara made no effort to disguise the anger in her tone.
“No!” The level of his voice rose as he continued, “But you knew he would come back. Why wouldn’t you do the reasonable thing and move out of the shop? I would have helped you find somewhere safe to stay even if you didn’t wish to be in my townhouse. Lady Ardleigh would have happily given you a home. What are you trying to prove?”
“Trying to prove?” she asked, anger spreading through her like fire rising in a hearth. “Perhaps I am trying to prove that I have a shred of decency left. Perhaps I’m trying to prove that I can support myself with my own business sense and hard work. Surely you can see that being dependent on a man has not worked out for me in the past. Duncan almost ruined me.” Her voice rose with every word as they entered the park. “My husband kept me hidden away, and you want me to hide in your townhouse, away from your mother and sister, away from the ton. Perhaps I would like to be able to talk to someone in my shop without being embarrassed about what I do when I walk out the door. You’re not the only one who has pride, Philip! Someday, when I move on from this world, I hope to meet my mother again. And when that happens, I will not allow myself to be in a position to regret any of the decisions I made while I was here. Take me back to the Ardleighs, please!” The pain in her heart bothered her now more than the pain in her arm and hand. How could he think she was so shallow?
“No, Sara, I will not take you back yet. Not until you can see the danger you are putting yourself in. Do you think I want to spend every minute of my life worrying about whether that man is coming back to hurt or kidnap you? You won’t let anyone help you. What else should we do? Tell me, because I have no idea how you’ll let me help you. You push away everyone who loves and cares about you!” Philip’s bellow was loud enough to attract attention from others outside, but he seemed oblivious.
Sara had never seen him so carried away before, and her own heart hammered in her chest.
“Goodness,” someone said from outside the carriage. “Your Grace, who’s in the carriage with you that you love and care about so much that the whole park can hear you yelling?”
Philip and Sara turned their heads in unison to see Cora Applebey, the gossip of the ton, smiling at them from just outside the window.
“Why, who is it? Who is the lucky woman who has finally cracked the ice and caused you to feel emotion again?” Cora beamed at them as if she had just discovered the secret of the decade.
Sara froze, turning her head away from the window. This woman was bold as brass to speak to the Duke of Brentwood in such a manner.
“After the cruelty the duchess inflicted on you, I didn’t think you would ever be able to love again. Any woman capable of making you yell that much must be quite special.”
Philip answered Cora with an icy glare.
“Oh, begging your pardon. I am interrupting. I will move on and let you finish your argument. And please do let the young lady win. Why, is that Lady Downey with you? What a fortunate young lady. It’s so good to see you engage with life again.” Cora snickered and waved as she moved on.
Sara thought about what the busybody had said. Did she speak the truth? Had Philip shut himself away from life since his wife had left him? Was that why he was so cold all the time? Had she, indeed, broken through his shell? It struck her that perhaps they weren’t so different. Philip was right—she did push people away—and so did he. But he had admitted that he loved and cared for her, had he not?
It struck her that there was one topic they had not discussed. And she could not leave it unsaid.
“Are you sure you are not speaking of Miranda Montrose, Your Grace? She came to my shop to warn me away from you. She said that you belong to her.” There, it was out in the open. He had to acknowledge his mistress now.
“Miranda Montrose?’ he growled. “I am done with Miranda Montrose. You’re the only woman I want.”
She jumped as he reached across the seat, tugging her onto his lap. He pulled the curtain shut to give them privacy, and before she knew what was happening, his mouth descended on hers in a crushing, spine-tingling kiss that spoke of possession.
He broke the kiss and stared into her eyes as he slowly caressed her cheek. “I want you, Sara. I need you.” He kissed her again, softly tasting her, and when their tongues met, he groaned deep in his throat. Sara gave in and melted against him, kissing him back without reservation. His touch, his taste unleashed her passion and shook her to her soul. She wanted more.
He pulled away and kissed her forehead. “Do you know how frightened I was?” he whispered. “Do you know how I felt when I came upon your shop and saw the devastation inside? You bloody well scared the hell out of me, even though I know this was not your fault.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. “I can’t go through that horror again.”
She could feel his heart pounding through his coat. She knew her heart was lost to him, and it frightened her. She sighed as his hand massaged her neck, and she fought to control her breathing. There was no place that felt better than in Philip’s arms.
“Philip, I cannot move in with you,” she whispered against his shoulder.
Philip sighed as he ran his thumb along her jawline. “I know. I’m not asking you to. I respect your moral conviction. Can we take it one day at a time?”
She closed her eyes. “Yes, I would like that.”
“Will you promise me to stay with Phoebe until we can solve this?”
“Yes, Philip, I will.”
For the first time in a long, long while, she felt hope.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Phoebe fussed with Sara’s hair one last time, tucking her stray curls into the elaborate upswept hair style her maid had created for her. Smiling at her in the looking glass, Sara swatted her hand away. “My hair is fine. Why, you would think I was about to get married. Why do you persist so?”
“I cannot help myself. I am excited for you and for the evening we are about to share. You do look ravishing, Lady Downey.” Phoebe couldn’t stop herself from tucking another lock of hair be
hind her ear as she rambled. “I haven’t been to the opera for some time. Did Duncan ever take you?”
“I think we attended twice, but it was a disaster because he never approved of my wardrobe choices. I don’t think my husband was proud of me.”
“He was a fool. I still cannot believe the duke has invited us to sit in his box,” Phoebe said, making another minor adjustment. “I am happy for you, Sara, but please be careful.”
“You don’t care for the duke?” She turned away from the looking glass so she could look Phoebe in the eye. Philip had come to see her several times over the last few weeks, and she savored each and every visit. Even so, her friend’s judgment meant a great deal to her. In her last crisis, she’d turned away from Phoebe—in the future, she intended to turn toward her.
“Please do not misunderstand me. Philip is a wonderful man in his heart, but I am not sure he has healed yet. It will take time. What his wife did to him was unforgivable.”
“He really had no idea she was interested in another man? I certainly suspected it of Duncan. He was very cold toward me.”
“Caroline was a very good actress. She was beautiful and spoiled, and he always did her bidding. He was so in love with her, but I believe he was blind to the real Caroline. I think he saw her beauty and not her character.” Shaking off the subject as if it were a fur stole she did not care for, Phoebe reached down to fuss with Sara’s skirt. “You are a vision in this green dress, my dear. I knew when I saw it that it was meant for you. Fortunately, Miranda’s knife missed this one in her tirade. You did make this for yourself, did you not?”
“I admit that I had hoped to wear it someday, but I never had the occasion. That’s why I finally put it on display for my customers. You chose well for me when you returned to the shop.” She leaned over and kissed her friend’s cheek. “Thank you—for everything. I’m not sure what I would have done without you. I must say you look lovely in that deep purple gown. What a wonderful color on you.”
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