Wicked Wager (30 page)

“Oh, I think you would…especially if there was anything in it for you!” She wondered if Adrian had made an arrangement with this man. Perhaps, unlike Revington, this man had agreed to let Adrian keep part of the profits from Horngate.

She regarded Adrian warily. “Why don’t you want me to meet him? What are you holding back?”

“Nothing. I’ve told you, this is actually a better arrangement than the one with Revington. As for why I’m reluctant for you to meet him, I can’t help worrying you’ll try to scare off the fellow like you did with Revington.”

Penny felt a surge of hope. Perhaps if she met this man and reasoned with him, explained that she didn’t want to marry him and that Adrian was trying to coerce her… Looking back now, she realized that’s what she should have done with Marcus. Instead of trying to manipulate him and “scare him off” as Adrian put it, she should have told him the truth. Marcus would never have forced her to marry him. He wasn’t that sort of man.

But
this
man might be. After all, Adrian had implied her new betrothed was so eager to get his hands on Horngate that he was willing to kill Revington. She stared at her cousin, wondering what was the truth and what was a lie. Somehow she had to find out…and just this moment she’d thought of a way to do it.

Adrian appeared to give in. “All right. It’s agreed. You can meet him tonight. As far as a public place goes, what about Vauxhall Gardens? Is that public enough for you? Say tonight at eight?”

“I’ll be there,” Penny said.

Adrian drew near to her, assuming a threatening posture once more. “You’d better. If you don’t show, I’ll make certain something happens to your precious Marcus.”

Penny watched Adrian saunter away. As soon as he was out of sight, she went to the hansom and told the driver. “If you could please wait here a while longer.”

****

Marcus stared at the breakfast food on his plate. The gnawing ache in his stomach made it impossible to eat.

When he awakened and found Penny gone, he’d been surprised and disappointed, but not concerned. Later, when he discovered she wasn’t in the house, he decided she must have gone riding in Hyde Park. He was disappointed she hadn’t asked him to accompany her, but perhaps she wanted some time alone. Or maybe she hadn’t wanted to wake him.

But if she’d gone riding, surely she would be back by now.
Where is she? Has something happened to her?

He got to his feet, leaving his food untouched, and went to the kitchen. The new cook gaped at him as he strode past and made his way downstairs to the servants’ quarters. Maggie and Jeremy were eating breakfast. They immediately jumped to their feet. “Yes, sir, can we help you?” the footman asked.

Marcus glanced from one servant to the other. “Do either of you know where Pen…where Miss Montgomery is?”

Maggie was the first to respond. “Why, no, sir. She never called me up to help her dress.”

“What of you?” Marcus demanded of Jeremy.

“Well, I…”

“Did you get her a horse from the stables this morning?”

“No, sir.”

Seeing the guilty expression on the footman’s face, Marcus almost lost control. “But you do know where she is, don’t you?”

“Not exactly,” Jeremy answered.

“What does that mean?” Marcus snapped.

“It means…I…she had me call her a hansom, sir. But I don’t know where she was going.”

Marcus whirled and left. As he made his way back to the main floor and through the house, he grew more and more agitated. Where was Penny taking a hansom cab so early in the morning?

He found Bowes in the foyer. “Did you see Miss Montgomery leave, Bowes?”

The manservant looked startled. “No, sir. I didn’t know she was gone.”

“Well, she is. Jeremy says she had him fetch a hansom.”

Bowes looked troubled. “I’ve been here the whole time and never saw any vehicles drive up.”

“Well, then she must have gone out the back way.” He didn’t understand. The night before they’d been so close, as if they were connected in some deep and powerful way. Then today, she left without telling anyone where she was going. Could she be planning some sort of surprise for him? That must be it. It wasn’t possible he’d completely misread her.

He told himself to relax. She’d be back soon and the reason for her odd disappearance would be clear.

****

Penny huddled in the shadows in the alley behind the club and watched the back entrance. Although she’d been waiting well over an hour, there was no sign of Adrian. Nor had he been seen by the hansom driver, whom she’d asked to watch the front entrance.

Maybe it was too early for Adrian to contact the viscount. Some of the nobility didn’t rise until noon. She’d have to wait a while longer. Eventually Adrian would leave to meet this man and explain the arrangements. Then she would follow him. She had to know who this man was so she could decide what to do.

****

“I’m going to James’s house,” Marcus told Bowes. “If Miss Montgomery comes back, send Jeremy to get me immediately.”

“Of course, sir,” Bowes replied.

Marcus hurried to the phaeton he’d had Jeremy fetch. Glancing at the footman, he said, “You’ll be certain to come and get me if Penny returns?”

“Of course, sir.”

Marcus climbed into the phaeton and headed to James’s townhouse.

Vincent met him at the door. The butler barely had time to greet him before Marcus demanded, “Has Miss Montgomery been here?”

“Why no, sir.”

“She hasn’t been here at all?”

“Not today, sir.”

Marcus let out his breath in a sigh. He’d truly thought…

“Would you like to come in, sir?” Vincent asked.

“Yes. And get James for me. Tell him it’s urgent. And Miss Wilson as well.”

“Very good, sir. Let me take you into the drawing room, and then I’ll announce you.”

As he waited, Marcus considered having some brandy. But he realized that after scarcely eating breakfast, he’d end up half-foxed if he started drinking this early. He needed to keep his wits about him, in case something had happened to Penny.

Although he told himself it was too soon to worry yet, a part of him was already panicking. After such tender, intimate lovemaking, it seemed extremely odd that Penny would simply disappear.

But according to Jeremy, she’d left the house of her own free will, even sneaking out the back entrance. What could have caused her to do such a thing? Could her wretched cousin be to blame?

“What’s this all about?” James entered the drawing room, looking unaccustomedly disheveled. “Frankly, it wasn’t a good night with Charles, and we’d hoped to sleep in a bit.”

“Its half past ten,” Marcus pointed out. “I’ve never known you to stay abed this late, even in our old days of carousing.”

“Maybe I’m getting older and more sensible,” James groused.

“The reason I’m here is that I’m looking for Penny. She had one of the footmen fetch a hansom cab this morning, then left by the back way. When she didn’t return, I thought she must have come here.”

“Haven’t seen her.” James yawned.

“I’m getting alarmed, James. I worry something’s happened to her.”

“Why? She obviously left of her own free will.”

“It’s merely a feeling I have.”

“Well, give it a few hours. If she isn’t back by this afternoon, we can look into it then.”

Lily entered the room and immediately approached Marcus. “You’re looking for Penny, aren’t you?”

Marcus felt his insides grow tight. “Yes. Yes I am.” When Lily regarded him with a look of pity, he grew more distressed. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“She didn’t leave you a note?”

“A note? What sort of note?” Marcus took hold of Lily’s arm. “What is it? What’s happened to Penny?”

“For heavens sake, Marcus!” James approached, glowering. “Let go of her! She doesn’t have anything to do with Penny leaving!”

Marcus released Lily. “I’m sorry. But please tell me what’s happened. Where has Penny gone? Is she in danger?”

Lily looked away. “I can’t…” She heaved a sigh and then met his gaze. “Penny’s not in danger. At least not that I know of. That’s all I can tell you.”

Marcus stared at the young woman. He wanted to find a way to force her to tell him the truth. But James wouldn’t allow him to press her. He’d have to find another way.

He gave Lily and James a curt nod and left.

As he drove home, the sick feeling inside him grew more intense. Although Lily said Penny wasn’t in danger, something was terribly wrong.

Chapter Twenty

After waiting for what seemed like hours more, Penny finally decided Adrian wasn’t going to seek out her prospective husband until later in the day. Perhaps he wouldn’t do so until it was time to go to the Gardens. In the meantime, she desperately needed to find a necessary and to get something to eat. She felt almost faint with hunger.

Returning to the hansom, she had the driver take her back to Mrs. Bly’s.

She paid the man and asked him to return for her later that evening. She purchased a meat pie from a nearby shop and headed to her rented room. At the top of the stairs, she was startled to find Lily waiting there. “What are you doing here? What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Marcus came asking after you. But he has no idea you mean to break things off with him. He thinks something’s happened to you, that you’re in danger.”

“Why would he think that?” Penny asked.

“Because he cares about you! At any rate, you need to write him a note and tell him what’s going on.”

Penny felt a wave of anguish. “I don’t know if I can. How can I bear to write such lies? How can I tell him I don’t care about him when it’s not true?”

“Well, you need to tell him something so he stops worrying and doesn’t go searching for you. He suspects I know what’s going on, and he won’t rest until I tell him the truth. I know you don’t want to break his heart, but if you don’t make your intentions clear, he’ll suffer in another way.”

“And if he seeks me out and confronts me, I’ll never be able to convince him I don’t love him. I suppose there’s no hope for it. I’ll have to write him and make him believe this is my choice and I truly don’t want to marry him. Otherwise if Adrian finds out, Marcus will be in danger.” Penny nodded wearily. “Very well. I’ll do it. Come in while I write a note.”

She unlocked the door and led Lily inside. After removing a small portable writing desk from her valise, she sat on the bed with the desk on her lap. Every part of her rebelled at what she was about to do. Dipping the pen in the ink, she wrote:

Dear Marcus:

I’ve made up my mind that I can’t marry you. I’m sorry to have inconvenienced you. Despite your agreement with my cousin, I hope you’ll respect my wishes. Please don’t try to contact me.

Sincerely,

Penelope Montgomery

When she finished, she waved the note in the air to dry the ink, then handed it to Lily.

Lily read it, frowning. “I’m not sure it’s harsh enough. You say you
can’t
marry him, rather than you don’t want to. I think if you intend to make it clear there’s no hope for the two of you, you should be emphatic that this is truly what you wish.”

“It will have to do,” Penny said stubbornly. “Now, how will I get it to him?”

“I’ll leave it with Bowes.”

Penny nodded. Although she must do this, it still felt like her heart had been torn out.

After Lily left, she struggled to eat the meat pie, but found she had no appetite. She decided to return to the gambling hell, hoping Adrian hadn’t already left to meet the unknown viscount. The hansom cab driver was waiting for her when she went out. “Please take me back to Pall Mall,” she said.

****

“Sir, Miss Wilson just brought this over.”

Marcus looked up as Bowes held out a note.
The little minx!
He’d known Lily knew more than she was letting on. He tore open the note. It was short, taking only seconds to read. Then he read it again…and again.

The anguished doubt he’d carried around with him for weeks had suddenly come true. Or had it? She said she
couldn’t
marry him, not that she didn’t want to. It was a subtle distinction, but it gave him hope. If only if he could see her…talk to her…hold her in his arms. He felt certain that if he made love to her, he could change her mind.

Unless this wasn’t a matter of her choosing, but that she was being coerced by someone. Like her wretched cousin.

He had to talk to Penny.
He had to
. Lily clearly knew where Penny was. Somehow he must
make
her tell him the truth. James would try to protect Lily and keep him from pressing her, so he’d have to speak to her when James wasn’t around.

****

Penny waited outside the gambling hell. This time of day, there were numerous men leaving and entering. Penny observed them carefully. That one looked too old, while the next man appeared in a hurry. At last two well-dressed, young gentlemen climbed out of a coach and approach the establishment. Penny took a deep breath, climbed out of the hansom and hurried to the men. After begging their pardon for intruding, she asked if they knew Adrian Withersby.

“Indeed, we do,” one of the men answered. He gave his companion a pained look, then returned his gaze to Penny. “What do you want with him?”

Penny sought to smile ingratiatingly. “He’s my cousin. I wonder if one of you would be willing to look around inside and tell me if he’s there. I don’t want to speak to him, just find out his whereabouts.”

“Family looking for him, are they?” The man gazed at Penny searchingly. “Don’t you have a male relative who could look into this?”

“There’s only Adrian, I’m afraid.”

The man nodded. “Of course, we’ll help you, won’t we, Fletcher?”

“Why not?” his companion answered lazily. “We’ve nothing better to do than aid a damsel in distress.”

“Oh, thank you. I’d be so grateful.”

The man called Fletcher leaned near, and his gaze moved over Penny assessingly. “Exactly how grateful will you be, miss?”

Before Penny could think of an appropriate response, the man’s companion intervened. “Here, now, Fletcher, the young lady needs our help. It would be churlish of us to put conditions on it.”