Chapter Nine
Manchester Square
Marylebone, London
Cornelius was rudely awakened later that morning by his best friend yanking off the bedclothes and roughly shaking his shoulder.
“What the hell?” he mumbled, his voice graveled with sleep and his body still weighted by pleasant lethargy brought on by the carnal activities with Penny around midnight.
“Wake, my friend. You’re sleeping the day away, and I’m hungry.” After tossing the bedclothes back at him, Birchfield strode to the door. “I’ll wait for you in the morning room.”
“I’m not hungry,” he mumbled and closed his eyes again. “Go ’way.”
“I won’t.” Again, the earl shook his shoulder. “We need to talk.”
Well, shit.
Like being hit with cold water to the face, the last vestiges of sleep fled, and Cornelius came wide awake while clutching the bedclothes to his chest. Did that mean the earl knew that he’d left the rout last night with his sister?
With a sigh for the lost sleep, he struggled into a sitting position and let his legs hang over the side of the bed.
This wouldn’t prove good. When the door to the adjoining dressing room opened, he met his valet’s gaze with a shrug.
Damn, damn, damn.
An hour later, Cornelius finally arrived in the morning room, which was a good thing. His staff wasn’t used to preparing breakfast for him since he very rarely indulged in that meal, but one wouldn’t know it, for it was seamless how they served the earl a decent spread.
As soon as he sat across the round table from his best friend, he nodded his thanks to the butler, who brought him a cup of rich, robust coffee. Then he narrowed his eyes at Birchfield. “Why the devil are you here? I didn’t get in until late, and I quite value my sleep.”
Apparently unruffled, the earl continued to slather marmalade onto a piece of dry toast. “So I assumed, but that doesn’t matter, for I need to ask you a few questions about the rout.”
“What about it? You were there.” Despite the heat of the liquid, he took a large gulp of the coffee. It irked him that Birchfield thought to barge into his home.
“I was, but when I went to search you out midway through, you had gone.”
He nodded. “So I did. What of it?” When the butler placed a plate loaded with his favorites—when he ate breakfast—he nodded his thanks and took up a fork, for his stomach gave out a loud growl. Apparently, he was hungry after all.
Birchfield took a large bite of his toast, chewed, and then swallowed. “Someone told me you left with a woman.”
A wave of panic slammed into his chest, but it helped to make him more alert. He’d need to guard his words. “I did. You know the type of man I am. It’s not untoward that I would leave an event with a woman.” He took refuge in another gulp of coffee.
“While this is true, that woman wasn’t your mistress.” It wasn’t a question.
“I no longer have a mistress. Cut her loose a couple of weeks ago. Which I did tell you about, but you must not have been listening.”
“Fair enough.” The earl nodded as he continued to eat through the contents on his plate. “Who was it, then? A courtesan or a new mistress?”
Heat rose up the back of Cornelius’s neck.
How to tackle this without revealing that he and Penny had spent the night together?
He was far too tired to invoke Birchfield’s wrath right now.
Finally, he shook his head as he scooped up a mound of golden scrambled eggs onto his fork.
“No one you need concern yourself with.”
That seemed to appease his best friend, for they ate in silence for a bit. Only when Cornelius was given a second cup of coffee did he feel like conversing.
“Did you at least enjoy yourself part of last night? I didn’t see you during the time I attended the rout, but I did dance a set with your sister.”
A slight frown tugged at the corners of the earl’s mouth. “I was in the card and billiards rooms.”
“Ah. So, avoiding responsibility.” He probably shouldn’t have mentioned the dance, but in the event someone told him later, he wanted to be a bit truthful.
“You could say that.” Birchfield nodded, but concern reflected in his eyes. “I was there primarily to monitor Penny. I don’t want her to attract bounders, you see.”
Did Birchfield consider him that? Cornelius chewed on another forkful of eggs. “Looked to me she was bored, which was why I offered to partner her in a reel.”
“She’s not much the things society holds dear. Because of that, I was informed that she left the rout early. Mama wasn’t best pleased about that.”
“Oh?” Cornelius worked to keep his expression neutral.
“Perhaps she was fatigued.” After all, they’d gotten up to more than a bit of scandal during the day that had nothing to do with what had happened after the rout.
Just thinking of what they’d done together sent another wave of heat up the back of his neck.
“Perhaps. Or she merely wished to vex me by having one of her friends drive her home.”
Slowly, he nodded. “Well, there are other events this week. Surely, she’ll have better luck at those.”
“One can only hope. I should probably keep a better eye on her and not let her slip away because she wishes to enjoy her time alone.” Birchfield’s frown deepened.
“There are a few candidates I’d like to introduce her to as possible suitors, but the damned girl takes flight whenever I broach the subject. ”
As well she should. “Give her time. Just now, she is finishing the transition of waiting on Weymouth’s brother.
Once he arrives in London, she might be in the mindset of all things societal again.
” But he rather doubted that. Penny was very much her own person and quite opinionated.
Besides, if she wanted the freedom to go about life without being beholden to a man, who was he to tell her nay?
“That is the hope, but my sister is stubborn.”
“She is, that.”
The earl narrowed his gaze. “I wouldn’t put it past her to gad about with a man merely for the scandal of it because she knows it will annoy me.”
Cornelius shrugged. “Let her enjoy her life just now, Birchfield. She was miserable in her marriage. Surely, she deserves to have a bit of fun.”
“Penny talked to you about her union?”
Well, damn. “Bits and pieces, here and there. I mean, it’s not as if we’ve spent copious amounts of time together for a proper conversation.” He was treading near dangerous territory, and it would be far too easy to give away what, exactly, he’d done with his time in her company.
“Of course.” The earl nodded. “She wasn’t all that forthcoming with me regarding Weymouth, so I don’t know much, but then, I now realize that match was doomed to failure from the start. She needs someone nearer her own age when next she marries.”
“If she does.”
“Yes, well, I’ll try to free my schedule and spend more time with her, take her about and perform various introductions.”
“Good luck in convincing her of such.” Cornelius couldn’t help his chuckle, and when Birchfield eyed him sharply, he merely ate in silence.
Damn it all to hell. With such scrutiny, how was he to meet with her at all?
*
Chandler’s Books and Periodicals
Mayfair, London
As Penny flipped through one of the books she needed to shelve, she hummed a song she’d heard at the rout last night, before she’d left with the major.
She’d gone to bed after their coupling in the best of moods, and when she’d awoke this morning, that feeling persisted.
Yes, her muscles held the pleasant ache of use, but that only made her remember the man himself as their bodies had heaved against each other.
How could she be expected to act as if nothing had happened yesterday, when her whole world had been turned upside down and reset?
The cheerful tinkle of the tin bell over the door announced yet another customer.
Already, it had been a busy afternoon, but she didn’t mind, for it made the time pass quickly.
Since Mr. Chandler talked to a different customer at the counter in low tones, she glanced toward the door, and when her gaze landed on Cornelius, her heart gave a queer little leap.
Oh, heavens, he is so handsome!
“Good afternoon, Major.” It was unexpected, see him just now, but she didn’t mind.
As surreptitiously as she could, she roved her gaze over him, taking in his gray breeches, the sky-blue satin waistcoat, and the jacket of sapphire superfine.
“I’m surprised to see you back. Did you need another book?
” she asked, as she left the book on her cart and approached him.
Not that he’d needed the first one. The way his blond hair fell over his brow made her fingers itch to comb it back, but it was the way he grinned, as if he held a delicious secret, that made her pulse quicken.
“Hullo, Lady Penelope.” There was a certain twinkle in his eyes that sent flutters through her lower belly. “You were so helpful the other day, I’m hoping you can lend your unique assistance again.” And since he was faced away from Mr. Chandler, he winked.
Heat went through her cheeks. “Of course. What are you in the mood for?”
“Besides you?” he asked in a barely audible voice that further provoked the warmth in her face. Then he cleared his throat. “I’m thinking a book of poetry or perhaps one of Shakespeare’s sonnets.”
“Both lovely choices. Come with me.” A bit weak at the knees, Penny led him toward the first shelf to the section farthest away from Mr. Chandler.
Since the owner was working with her today, there was no chance of scandal with the major.
“We have a small section devoted to Shakespeare, so hopefully you can find something that suits your mood.” At the shelf, she kept her focus on the book spines and whispered, “Why are you really here? I can’t get away, because I’m closing the store tonight. ”
“I wanted to see you,” he whispered back as he, too, pretended to peruse the stacks.