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June 20, 1815
Bertam House
Mayfair, London
Penelope battled the anxiety that built in her chest. It was something she’d always struggled with ever since she was a child, and sometimes when it grew bad, she would either faint or succumb to moments of hysteria when nothing would soothe her until she found a place to hide that made her feel safe.
It was hell, and truth to tell, she envied her siblings, for neither of them suffered from the illness. Neither did her mother, so where she’d come by it, she had no idea.
From her vantage point on a chair in a grouping that contained other wallflowers—generally women who weren’t popular within society or unwanted as dance partners for whatever reason—she had an unobstructed view of the dance floor. Apparently, the hostess for tonight’s ball was an earl’s daughter, and since he spoiled her beyond reason, when she’d said she wanted a townhouse big enough to have a ballroom in London, he’d indulged her.
Though she’d arrived thirty minutes earlier with her brother, Charles had immediately sought out wagering in one of the card rooms while she’d taken up a spot with the wallflowers at one side of the room. As of yet, no one had looked her way while she whispered behind a fan or hand. It was a small relief, for she’d been unsure of her reception in London.
None of that stilled the feeling that her heart would beat right out of her chest or that she wasn’t getting enough air in her lungs.
Would he show?
As a country reel assembled, Penny stood up from her chair and smoothed a gloved hand down the front of her pale pink gown. It was a simple enough style that might be considered timeless since she and Sarah had removed yards of lace and a few flounces from the hem. There were two other gowns in the clothing she’d brought to London, but this gown was designed not to attract attention. That could come later.
The satin skirting slid against her legs as she moved parallel to the wall, keeping well away from the dance floor and the spirited country reel. Gowns of every color caught the eye, as did a glittering array of jewels decorating necks, wrists, and ears made even more lovely by the backdrop of the black evening suits of the gentlemen. Candlelight winked from sconces on the wall and an impressive crystal chandelier hanging from the middle of the ceiling. Two sets of French-paned doors at the rear of the room had been thrown open to encourage relatively cool air into the overheated space.
Penny searched through knots of people that dotted the sidelines, scanned the couples cavorting on the dance floor, glanced at even more guests coming into the ballroom, and she frowned. None of them was the man she sought.
Where is he?
Eventually, her patience was rewarded, for a group of four men entered the room and took up residence at the wall opposite hers, and one of those men was Viscount Maplecrest. Oh, dear heavens. As stealthily as she could, Penny kept to the wall and moved toward his location from the other direction. She hadn’t seen him for nearly three years, and in that time, she’d trained herself to forget what he looked like.
Except, gazing upon him now, everything came flooding back into her mind, and it had the power to steal her breath. In the time he’d been away from England, he’d matured in form. No longer was he a lanky man of eight and twenty. Three years and a stint in America had given him a more robust body. Perhaps he had spent copious amounts of time doing physical labor that had enhanced him more than being in the navy.
And it suited him. The black tailcoat he wore clung to his back and shoulders with the possessiveness of a lover’s caress. His black hair gleamed almost blue in the candlelight, and even from this distance, his sapphire eyes were evident as he joked and laughed with the three other men around him. Heat from annoyance filled her chest and smacked her cheeks to see him in such a humor. Had none of it affected him? Did none of it mean anything to him? Did he not care that his actions had destroyed her family?
Of course he doesn’t think that. He’s a man, and they don’t care.
The closer she came to where he stood, the sound of his voice sent tiny ripples of awareness over her skin, and she hated herself for that reaction. They had met each other at a handful of society events three years ago and had shared a very fleeting kiss at the end of one of those evenings that had meant absolutely nothing.
None of it excused what he’d done to her family.
Strengthening her resolve, Penny crept closer and when she stood with three feet of space between her and the group, she turned about and used her fan to help shield her face while pretending to scan the dance floor and listening to their conversation with all her might.
The biggest of the three men laughed, and it was a hearty, robust sound that hinted at a jolliness which had been missing from her life for far too long. “If you’d like, I can find my cousin. He has the choicer spirits in his cellar. A fat lot better than the watered-down punch at the refreshment table, I’ll wager.”
“Not necessary,” the third man said with a chuckle of his own. “I need a clear head if I’m to find a bride tonight.”
Then Adam spoke, and the muscles in her belly went taut. “I was thinking the same thing. Though I am not looking forward to going through the motions of the rules of society, I need to do my duty toward the title.” His chuckle sent her right back to the Season she’d had three years ago, and she bit her bottom lip to stifle a reaction. “And if I’m not successful in finding a woman to court, I might just leave for America permanently.”
“And then what?” the third man wanted to know.
“Settle down there, marry an American, have a family overseas. Who can say?”
The first man laughed again. “It’s still putting yourself into parson’s mousetrap, my friend.” There was a sound like a slap, so she could only assume he’d clapped a hand to Adam’s shoulder. “Perhaps love is exactly what you need, Maplecrest. It might give you a different outlook, and if it keeps you in London, then we all win, and I’ll get to keep my best friend close.”
“Then we’d best start, hmm boys?” Adam chuckled. “Since I’m woefully out of my depth regarding ancestry of some of the ladies present tonight, I shall need a guide.”
With a racing pulse, Penny snapped her fan closed and then quickly went back to her side of the room as the country reel dispersed. By the time she gained the chairs with the gilded legs, a plan was forming in her mind.
And it was perfect.
A slow smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. If the viscount wanted a wife so badly, then that was exactly what he would have. She would flirt with him. Lead him down the garden path. Make him fall in love with her. Somehow encourage him to declare those feelings. Perhaps they would even go as far as to plan a ceremony. After that? Well, she would take his heart and smash it beneath her heel, being sure to invent a horrible rumor that would surely destroy him as he’d destroyed her family. She would make him feel every bit as miserable and alone and betrayed after that incident.
And then she would walk away without a second thought, just as he had. What was more, she intended to begin the plan tonight at this very ball.
“Oh, look there, Beatrice! It’s Viscount Maplecrest,” one of the young ladies near Penny’s position hissed as she clutched at her friend’s arm. Both of them cast their gazes across the ballroom where Adam’s group had just broken up. “He is so handsome.”
“He is! In a darkly beautiful way as if he has delicious secrets,” the second girl said with a giggle. “Shall we go talk to him?”
The first young lady appeared quite crestfallen. “We haven’t been properly introduced yet, but perhaps Mama can find someone to make them for us.”
While the two left to presumably find the parent, Penny went back around the perimeter of the room, determined to engage the viscount’s attention before they did. On the dance floor, a waltz was nearly underway, and as the first notes of the musical piece burst into the air, she wove her way through the onlookers until she’d gained Adam’s position.
After all, he and she had been properly introduced years ago, and besides, there was no need to worry over scandal after what she’d already been through.
“Good evening, Adam... er Lord Maplecrest.”
The moment he turned around and peered into her face, all the color drained from his. He darted a glance about the immediate area, but not finding help in the form of his friends, he tugged at the knot of his starched cravat. “Uh, Miss Watterson. How interesting to see you here as well as in London.”
“Right. I’m certain you assumed I would remain buried in the Derbyshire countryside for the rest of my life.” Oh, this was going to be such fun! “Conversely, I hadn’t expected you to come back to Town.”
A muscle ticced in his cheek. Annoyance flashed in his eyes. “Yes, well, everything changed for me after my father died.”
At the last second, she remembered that he had been close to his father, but she tucked her emotions away. He didn’t deserve her compassion. “I know the feeling. My father’s death left a rather large hole.”
He nodded, and if possible, lost a bit more color. “You have my condolences.”
Why did he have to say that? They were supposed to be enemies, hating each other on sight. Knowing he didn’t ask after his bastard child made her more angry than she’d been before, so she tried to hold onto that emotion. “We have much to say to each other, my lord. Perhaps we should move to a more private space.” As she spoke, Penny gestured to a grouping of potted plants and tall ferns near one of the open doors.
“I rather think that’s the very definition of insanity, Miss Watterson, so I’m afraid I must decline.” The hint of ice in his voice only enhanced her own annoyance.
The heat of indignation rose in her chest. Glad for the cover of the music and the buzz of chatter and laughter within the room, she tried to keep her voice low. “You were the one who sent us to the country. You were the one who tossed my whole family into scandal and shame. A conversation with you is a small price to pay now, don’t you think?” If he refused again, she would have no recourse except to let her plan of revenge go and try to attract a suitor as she’d told her mother she would.
For long moments, the viscount stood there, his muscles taut as if he debated with himself whether to run or stay. Finally, he nodded, but his aggravation showed on his face. “I suppose I at least owe you a conversation.”
“Good.” Excitement buzzed through Penny’s veins as she led him toward the grouping of plants. As soon as she was safely behind the makeshift screen, the waft of a relatively cool breeze blew over her skin from the outside, and she lifted her face to the welcome relief. “Thank you for the kindness.”
He grunted, and even though he maintained a decent space between them, the scent of his shaving soap or cologne wafted to her nose. Odd awareness danced over her at the familiar hints of citrus and sage. Apparently, he hadn’t changed his habits over the years.
“Well? Why did you wish to speak with me?” Then he crossed his arms at his chest and stared in expectation.
Ignoring the urge to lash out and give him a dressing down, Penny blew out a soft breath. If she wanted him to fall in love with her, she had to do the pretty and be sweet to him. “When did you return to London? I assumed you had made a life for yourself in America.”
“In the past few weeks. There has been much to attend to having to do with the title. I am only just now having time for myself.”
“It must have been a shock for you needing to uproot life as you knew it to come back here and completely go a different direction.” When she’d known him, had thought their paths might align, he’d never once spoken of how he would one day take his father’s title. If someone didn’t know of him, they wouldn’t have an inkling he came from a titled family.
“Quite frankly, it’s been exhausting.” His expression was a testament to that fact. “I hadn’t anticipated how much work it is to possess a title. Suddenly there are so many things I’m responsible for, so many people.” He shook his head. Little by little, his body relaxed, and he clasped his hands behind his back.
How interesting. Her father never spoke to that regarding his own position. Had he been a negligent landowner? It required further pondering. “Knowing you, you will take the challenge and completely excel at it.”
Surprise reflected in his eyes then slowly turned to suspicion. “Why are you being so nice to me?”
She snorted. “Oh, don’t misunderstand. I am still quite angry at you, but just now, in this venue, I am unable to tell you exactly what I think of what you have done. Instead, we can chat as people who were once friends.” Until her temper exploded. Already, that anger simmered beneath the surface, ready to burst forward.
“Ah.” For the space of a few heartbeats, he rested his gaze on hers, and there were a few seconds she wanted nothing more than to tumble into those cool blue pools.
“How did you spend your time while away?” The more she discovered about him, the more she could use for ammunition against him later.
“This and that, I suppose.” He shrugged, which only recalled her attention to the breadth of his chest and the broadness of his shoulders. Truly, he’d transformed himself. “It seemed that I couldn’t stay away from the sea after fulfilling my commission in the navy, so when I was in America, I saw a need.”
“For?”
When he grinned, queer little flutters went through her lower belly, for it was that same slightly lopsided grin he’d always had, and she’d forgotten that about him. “Smuggling brandy and rum through the English blockade in the harbors of Boston and New York.”
“Why would you smuggle in spirits?”
“Because everyone needs them.” His grin widened, and she couldn’t stop staring at his mouth. What would a proper kiss from him feel like? “I did that for about a year, and when I was aware of far too many warrants out for my arrest and imprisonment, I left New England and headed for Virginia. Of course, this was after I’d also smuggled in much needed supplies such as ingredients for food as well as tea and a few medicines for friends.” He shook his head. “Those damned blockades didn’t just harm the navy; they disrupted the lives of innocent people. And that I cannot stand for.”
How... interesting. Unexpected pride welled in her chest. “That is quite admirable of you, Adam.” Penny forgot in the moment that she was supposed to be angry with him, and finding out he hadn’t been chasing skirts or gambling his fortune away had come as a bit of a shock. In her imaginings, she’d painted him with a different brush. And she’d been wrong. Yet how could he live the life of a hero there after being such a villain here? “I had no idea you had a mind for the downtrodden.”
“It is not their fault they were thrust in peril or extenuating circumstances that brought them low.” His expression sobered. “For a while, now, I have championed such people. Perhaps as a way of doing penance.”
When he didn’t continue, she frowned. Penance for what? Destroying her family? What else had happened in his life that he felt the need to make amends? Then another thought occurred to her. Had he always been that sort of man? The heroic sort?
And worse yet. Had she been wrong about him?
No! Absolutely, she hadn’t. The evidence was as clear as water against him. Tamping her softer feelings regarding him deep down inside, Penny shook her head. “Well, if that is the case, your sentence should prove long indeed.”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you pretend you don’t know?” She propped her hands on her hips and glared at him. When next she spoke, she dropped her voice, and even to her own ears anger threaded through her hissed words. “There should be no relief for what you have done! The death of my father can clearly be laid at your feet, as well as my sister’s ruination.” With too much nervous energy, she darted out a hand and slapped his cheek before she could gain control over herself. The sound of her kid glove hitting his skin seemed overly loud even above the melody of the waltz music. “Do you even care that your daughter is two years old, and she’s never seen her father let alone met him? Do you care that my sister’s life is essentially over, that she can never live in respectability again, at least not where that’s connected to proper circles?”
Hot tears filled her eyes, and not wanting him to see the depth of her upset, she swiftly turned her back to him and stared outside into the darkened night beyond.
