Wicked Wager Read online

  He wasn’t in the best frame of mind, especially since he still hadn’t decided what course of action to take with Penny. But he had realized he couldn’t continue to ignore her. After what they shared, it would simply be too cold-hearted to act as if there were nothing between them. With that thought in mind, he braced himself to enter the breakfast room.

  It was empty, except for Bowes. Marcus was surprised, as he’d distinctly heard Penny leave her bedchamber and head downstairs. It had been some time ago, but he thought she’d still be at breakfast.

  Bowes approached him. “Good morning, sir. I was waiting for you to call me to help you dress.”

  “I’ll change clothes later,” Marcus responded. “For now, I thought I’d have breakfast with Penny. Has she already finished?”

  “Miss Montgomery never came to the breakfast room. I thought she must still be abed.”

  “I’m sure she’s not. I heard her come downstairs some time ago.” Marcus felt a stab of regret. He should have gotten up right away, instead of lying in bed trying to work up his nerve to face her.

  “Indeed,” said Bowes. “I wonder where she’s gone.”

  Marcus turned and left the breakfast room. Bowes followed. Although it seemed unlikely she would be there, Marcus checked the library, the dining room, and the drawing room. When he failed to find her in any of those places, he started up the stairs. “I suppose it’s possible she returned to her room,” he called down to Bowes.

  He knocked softly on her bedchamber door. When there was no answer, he slowly opened it, wondering if she’d gone back to sleep.

  But the room was empty. “Maggie. She must know where she is.”

  He took the stairs rapidly and swept past Bowes to make his way to the kitchen, where he found Maggie kneading bread. “Where’s Penny?”

  Maggie looked startled. “I don’t know, sir. I went up a while ago to see if she needed help with dressing, but she wasn’t there.” Seeing Marcus’s expression, she continued, “I know I should have checked on her sooner, sir, but it is a challenge to serve as both cook and lady’s maid.”

  “I know, Maggie. I promise to have Bowes hire a cook today.”

  Marcus frowned as he left the kitchen. Penny must have gone out. More distressing, she’d apparently done so by herself. The familiar anger suffused him. Hadn’t he told her repeatedly she must have an escort when she left the townhouse? Was she deliberately trying to upset him?

  The next moment, he regained control. He wouldn’t jump to conclusions with Penny, but deal with her in a civilized and rational fashion. But as hard as he tried to regain his composure, the more agitated he felt. Where could she have gone? Was it possible she’d arranged to meet Lambson?

  She wouldn’t, would she? Oh my God, it doesn’t even bear thinking about!

  He started for the servants’ area, panic and rage tearing through him.

  Chapter Twelve

  By the time he found Bert polishing tack in the carriage house, he’d managed to calm himself, at least enough to speak. “Have you seen Pen—Miss Montgomery?”

  “No, sir. Perhaps Jeremy has.”

  “Where might I find him?”

  “He’s in the house, sir. Maggie asked him to bring in more coal.”

  Marcus hurried, taking long strides. In the kitchen he found Jeremy and Maggie. The footman was standing on a stepstool, getting something from the tall cupboard.

  “Jeremy! Have you seen Miss Montgomery?”

  The footman climbed down and turned to face him. As soon as Marcus saw the young man’s expression, he knew. He glared at Jeremy, his fists clenched at his sides. “You have, haven’t you? Where has she gone? Where’s she meeting him?”

  The footman’s eyes, which had looked guilty and anxious before, went wide with astonishment. “Meeting who, sir?”

  Marcus took a deep breath and forced himself to relax. No point letting the servants know Penny had made a fool of him. “I…what I meant was, where has she gone?”

  The guilty look was back in Jeremy’s eyes. He seemed almost panicked. “I-I’m sorry, sir. But you did say that the staff should to try to please her. That she would be our mistress soon, and we should seek to accommodate her in any way possible.”

  “What is it? What has she done?” He felt almost faint. It was unthinkable his staff would help Penny arrange a liaison with another man. Surely they weren’t that dense!

  Jeremy grimaced. “I meant no harm, sir. She promised me she wouldn’t get hurt. I don’t think she will. She appeared quite experienced.”

  The stunned, numb sensation spread. He wasn’t certain his mouth would work if he tried to speak.

  Jeremy ducked his head. “She’s very hard to refuse, sir. Surely you must know that. But you’re right. I shouldn’t have done it. Or, at least I should have gotten her a tamer mount. Nero can be a handful.”

  “Nero?” Somehow he managed to get the name out. Who is Nero? Is there another man he didn’t know about?

  “Nero’s one of the carriage horses, sir. One of the team I usually get from the livery stable. Although as I told Penny, he’s wasted as a rig horse. Henry down at the stables says he can really fly. Not that he’s supposed to race the horses, of course. But he does need to try them out a bit. That’s part of his job.”

  “A horse? What did she want with a horse?”

  “To go riding, of course, sir. She was dressed all for it. Breeches and riding boots. None of that silly riding habit nonsense that most ladies wear.”

  “She went riding? Alone?” He knew he sounded like an idiot, but he simply had to know, to be certain.

  “Aye, sir. But there will be plenty of people there this time of day. All the grooms will be out exercising the horses. If anything should happen, there’ll be all sorts of experienced fellows to help her.”

  “Happen? What do you mean?”

  “If she should fall or something, sir. Although she assured me that wouldn’t happen. And she did seem to know what she was about. Nero settled down as soon as she was on him. Like he knew she was someone he could trust.”

  Marcus was suddenly aware of the desperate expression on the groom’s face. Jeremy was babbling on, behaving like a condemned man trying desperately to explain as he’s dragged to the gallows. Meanwhile, Marcus felt his own self-imposed sentence lifting. She isn’t meeting Lambson, or any other man. Of course not. She’s simply gone riding. It is exactly what Penny would do. Exactly.

  He hadn’t misjudged her. He did know her. She was still the lovely horse-mad hoyden he met that first day at Horngate. But for all her experience with horses, this was London, not the countryside. What if something startled her mount and she was thrown?

  “Where did she go? Rotten Row?”

  Jeremy nodded.

  “I’ll need a horse. Any sort will do. I just want to get there. To make certain she’s all right.”

  “Of course, sir. I’ll meet you in back by the livery stable.”

  ****

  This was hardly the sort of riding she was used to, Penny thought as she cantered to the end of the track. Rotten Row couldn’t be much over a mile in length, and riding on the surface of gravel and tan wasn’t nearly the same as racing over the countryside. She also had to watch out for other riders. She’d encountered a half dozen or so, all grooms exercising their master’s mounts. Still, it was better than nothing. At least she was out in the relatively fresh air and comfortably dressed for a change. And, as always, riding was such a pleasure. The feel of the powerful animal between her thighs, the exhilarating sense of freedom.

  The horse also seemed to be enjoying himself. Jeremy was right. Nero was wasted as a carriage horse. Pulling up, she leaned over to pat the gelding’s neck. “That was wonderful, Nero. Thank you. Unfortunately, we should be getting back.”

  Turning the animal, she started the other direction down the track. She could just imagine Revington discovering where she’d gone and shouting at Jeremy. She would have to make it clear that Jeremy was sim
ply accommodating his mistress. Her stomach lurched a little at the thought of confronting Revington. He always unsettled her so much. How could they be so close, so intimate in some ways and such strangers when it came to everything else?

  She sighed. Maybe she wouldn’t go back quite yet. She might not have another chance to ride for a long time.

  She decided to put the horse through some of the training drills she used at Horngate. Slow walking, then speeding into a trot. Slowing again. As she neared the end of the track, she turned the animal in a tight circle and then around in a figure eight.

  As she finished the maneuver, she heard several whistles and a shout of “Well done!”

  Flushed with satisfaction, she trotted to where several of the grooms were gathered, holding the reins of their mounts. As she reached them, a couple of the older fellows moved to help her dismount, but she waved them off. “No need. I’m used to being on my own.”

  “We can see that,” said one of the younger grooms as she slid to the ground. The black-haired youth grinned at her. “I’ve never seen a mort ride like that. Where’d you learn all those fancy moves?”

  Penny shrugged. “I’ve been training horses for a half-dozen years. I’m not sure where I picked some of it up.”

  The youth gestured to Nero. “Who does the horse belong to? Did some gentleman actually hire you?”

  Penny grinned, amused by his assumption that she was a groom. “The horse is from a livery near here. He’s the one for hire, not me.”

  “Don’t be a bacon-brain, Frankie,” said one of the older men, his brown eyes watching her warily. “She’s a lady. Can’t you tell?”

  Frankie stared at her, blushing furiously. “My pardon, miss, I thought…”

  She smiled to put him at ease. “No need to apologize. I’m actually quite flattered. I’m pleased to think I appear skilled enough that you thought someone would actually hire me as a groom.”

  “But how…I don’t understand. How did a lady like you ever learn to ride like that?”

  The next moment Penny found herself telling them all about Horngate and her horses.

  ****

  The whole way to the park, Marcus fought to control his emotions. He reminded himself Penny had been riding a spirited stallion when he first met her. If she could control that beast, she should easily deal with a carriage horse. And this time of day, there was little traffic in this part of this city. There was nothing to worry about.

  As for the idea she was using the horse to meet another man—that was even more preposterous. If she intended to meet Lambson, she’d hire a hack. And it was unlikely she would arrange a liaison first thing in the morning anyway.

  No, this incident was nothing more than Penny being homesick for her life at Horngate. She’d wanted to go riding, and with typical ingenuity, she’d arranged to do so.

  By the time he reached the park, he was feeling much better. He no longer imagined Penny lying injured on the trackway or tucked away in Lambson’s carriage engaged in a bout of passionate lovemaking. But when he reached Rotten Row, he was once again thrown into turmoil. Penny stood on the trackway surrounded by a group of men!

  Even as his body reacted with instinctive and primal jealousy, his brain recognized that the males were hired horsemen, and not a threat in any way. They would never dream of touching Penny, except to help her dismount.

  Even so, his jealousy didn’t entirely ease. He couldn’t help but be struck by how happy and relaxed she appeared. She never smiled and laughed like that when she was with him.

  But then, when had he ever given her anything to smile or laugh about? Their encounters had been marked by either cold formality or desperate passion. There was nothing light or relaxed about any of it.

  As he watched her, he felt something else. Pride. The stances and expressions of the men around her reflected respect and admiration. They were taking keen note of her every word and treating her as an equal. It was quite remarkable. No matter what he did, he doubted he’d ever be able to earn even the grudging respect of these men. They would always dismiss him as a top-lofty nobleman.

  That was what was so special about Penny. She was real and genuine. Her warmth and passion for life shone through, giving her a beauty with which even the most exquisite courtesan couldn’t compete.

  Longing filled him. He’d possessed Penny’s body, made her sigh and moan with ecstasy, but they hadn’t ever come close to attaining the simple and honest connection she shared with these men. And he wanted that. Wanted her to be his friend, a companion rather than simply a bed-partner.

  As if she felt his yearning, she glanced his way. The abrupt change in her dismayed him. She tensed and her expression turned guarded, as if she expected him to chastise her…or worse.

  ****

  As soon as Penny saw Revington, she felt a kind of breathless panic. She couldn’t forget how angry he’d been when he’d found her talking to the stablemen at the inn in Petersfield. This time it would be worse. Not only would he be angry about finding her with a group of stablemen, he’d also be upset with the way she was dressed and the fact she’d gone riding by herself. She could easily imagine what he would say: “What were you thinking? Going riding in a public place…and dressed like that!”

  As he approached, she braced herself. She didn’t think he’d strike her, not in front of all these men. But she dreaded a tongue-lashing almost as much. These men were treating her as their equal. They respected her skill and her knowledge of horses. It would be humiliating to have Revington deal with her like a recalcitrant child.

  He halted a few paces away. After nodding curtly to the men, he spoke. “I was a bit worried when I found you’d gone riding. But I realize now I shouldn’t have been concerned. You obviously know what you’re about.”

  Penny felt her mouth drop open. Is it really possible he’s praising me?

  “But you should come home and have some breakfast now,” he continued. “I did promise to take you around the city. What would you think of a boat ride down the Thames this afternoon and then the theatre tonight?”

  “I…that would be lovely,” she mumbled.

  One of the horsemen helped her mount Nero, and she simply followed after Revington, still struggling with her sense of disbelief. Was it possible he’d expressed confidence in her ability with horses? That he’d treated her as his equal, someone whose opinion he cared about?

  She could tell his reaction had impressed the horsemen. Like her, they’d expected him to be angry, or at least condescending. When he’d seen fit to be polite and gracious, they could hardly believe it. She very much appreciated his courtesy. She valued the opinion of those men. They might be servants and by the standards of society, beneath her, but she’d rather have their regard than that of most gentlemen and ladies.

  Just thinking about what he’d done made her feel strange. She’d longed for some hint of warmth or kindness from Revington. For him to react to her with something other than cold politeness or unbridled passion. At last he was finally doing so, and Penny found herself unnerved by the way it made her feel. It was as if the ground beneath her feet had shifted. She didn’t know what to think or feel.

  When they reached the townhouse, he dismounted, then helped her down from Nero. “I’ll take care of the horses while you go inside and have some breakfast.”

  Penny nodded, wondering if she could eat. The events of the morning were unsettling enough; the thought of spending the day with Revington made her even more nervous and excited.

  She entered the townhouse, nodded to Bowes, then continued on to the kitchen.

  As soon as Maggie saw her, she asked, “Did the master find you, miss?” From the maidservant’s expression, it appeared she had also expected the worst of Revington.

  “Yes, he did. And you’ll never believe how civil and polite he was. Not to mention that he asked me to spend the day with him. We’re to go boating on the Thames and then to the theatre.” She gave a nervous laugh, grinning at the maids
ervant.

  “What did I tell you, miss?” Maggie grinned back.

  “Can you see fit to get away from your tasks here and come help me bathe and dress?”

  “Of course, miss. I’d be delighted.”

  “But first you should eat something.”

  Both Penny and Maggie turned to see Revington in the doorway. Penny felt herself flushing. How long had he been standing there? Had he heard her speak with disbelief about him being civil and polite?

  “I’ll fix something to bring up to you, miss,” Maggie said, quickly. “Give me a moment and I’ll be right there.”

  Penny started toward the door. Revington moved aside as she reached him, but she still had to pass near him. Being that close to him made her feel breathless.

  She hurried up the stairs, trying to decide what to wear.

  ****

  This was what he wanted, Marcus thought as Penny dashed up the stairs. He wanted her to be excited and happy, to return to being that charming, free-spirited miss he’d met at Horngate. Caught up as he was in his own plans back then, he hadn’t appreciated her at the time. But now he found her exuberance delightful.

  Careful, came the niggling thought. At this rate you’re likely to fall in love with her.

  ****

  “Not much to look at, is there?” Revington gestured as the waterman rowed the small sculler past the London docks. “As we get upstream a little farther, it will become much more scenic.”

  Penny actually thought the waterfront from the boat was quite interesting. She enjoyed seeing the tall ships and sailing vessels. Ahead was London Bridge. Although she’d crossed it in a carriage, it was much different to see it from this perspective. As the boat passed beneath it, she marveled at the amount of work it must have taken to build the huge stone structure.

  Then they were out into the sunlight again. Penny blinked at the sudden brightness. Revington sat facing her, with the waterman behind him in the prow, smoothly rowing as they traveled upstream. For a change, Revington looked relaxed and almost happy. The faint frown line between his eyebrows had disappeared, and his mouth wasn’t set in a grim line. Seeing him like this, she thought again how handsome he was, his features sensual and finely made.