Temptation: 3 (Timeless Series) (21 page)

“You can’t love him,” he ground out. “Not when you respond to me like you do.” He released her to right his trousers, buttoning them up.

“I don’t want to respond to you,” she stated vehemently, letting him help straighten her dress.

Once done, he stood, grabbed her hand, and pulled her up with him. An intent blue-gray stare sought hers, and his eyes mirrored disbelief. “Why would you marry him if you don’t love him?”

“But I do love him,” she cried, pounding a fist in an effort to convince him. “I do!”

“No, you don’t,” Parker said, waving her avowal of love away. “I know it in my very soul.”

“Well, your soul is wrong then.” She threw up her hands, completely annoyed with his single-minded tenacity. It seemed he wouldn’t give up with his insistence that she marry him, and marrying him would not do. Penny paced the room.

“What’s wrong with marriage to me? Surely we have something between us, even if it’s not love?”

“You don’t understand,” Penny whispered, wishing she hadn’t heard a bit of hurt in his voice.

“No, I don’t,” Parker snapped angrily. He moved to pick up his unfinished drink and took a deep swallow, watching her the entire time.

“Why would you marry me when you say you don’t love me?” she asked, searching his eyes for something, but feeling let down when his expression became closed and unreadable.

“That’s easy. There’s our heated attraction. Surely you feel it.”

“But what of love?”

“Men don’t marry for love,” he insisted, shaking his head in denial. “Marry me. I promise to take care of you. We can tell Lucas before he leaves, saving Geoff the trip here.”

“I can’t,” she said softly, turning her head away from him to hide her disappointment.

“Hell, we can’t keep our hands off each other. Which is a lot more than most marriages have.”

“Well, you’ll have to start keeping your hands off me, because I’m marrying Geoff and that’s final,” she stated firmly, crossing her arms in front of her with her chin jutting out.

“You could be carrying my babe right now. Would you foist another man’s child on him?” he shot back heatedly.

She hadn’t thought of that. Her expression revealed the horror she felt, and she started pacing the room again, rubbing her forehead. “Hopefully that hasn’t occurred. Until we know for sure, no more kisses.” She stopped and gave him a steely look. “No more kisses or I’ll leave.”

Parker’s annoyance showed on his face. Warily, she took an involuntary step backward as he stalked up to her. He placed his hands on her shoulders, effectively stilling her retreat and closing their distance until his mouth hovered an inch above hers.

“I still say you’re making a mistake. This means something. You know it does,” he said softly just before their lips met.

His tongue plummeted, sliding inside her mouth to begin a seduction she had little will to fight.

Still, she knew if she succumbed to the knee-weakening pleasure, she’d regret it to her dying day.

“It’s not enough,” she whispered, pulling away and wishing more than anything that he was different, that he could fall in love with her and not just want to make love with her. She shook her head, and walked toward the door. Once there, she turned around and said in a determined voice, “Kiss me again and I swear I’ll leave.”

~~

Parker stood, rooted to his spot, watching her leave the room. Once she was gone, he picked up his drink, finishing it in one swig. Then in a fit of rage, he threw the glass at the fireplace, where it shattered into tiny pieces before he stalked out of the room, his face taut with anger.

A knock woke Penny. As she sat up, a maid breezed into the room with a bowl of fresh water and towels.

“Come, Miss Layton, you don’t want to be late for breakfast.” She tugged the draperies open, bound them with a sash, and attached the sash to the wall as sunshine burst through the windows.

Shame and regret washed over Penny as memories of the night before resurfaced. Would Geoff want her now that she’d lain with Parker? Somehow, she’d make it up to her beloved. She just had to.

The maid opened the armoire door and Penny glanced at her timepiece. It was odd to see the woman in her room at a quarter to seven. Must be an American custom, she thought,
slowly climbing out of bed.

Usually an early riser, she wanted to take the coward’s way out today and remain under the covers for as long as possible. Still, it was always better to face unpleasantness sooner rather than later. Penny began washing while the maid readied her clothes to wear.

“Ah, good, you made it to breakfast,” Parker said when she entered the dining room a little later.

Determined to act as if last night hadn’t happened, Penny nodded,
then frowned. “I didn’t realize your household is on such a tight schedule.”

Elizabeth patted the seat beside her. “Come sit next to me. Parker’s a stickler for the family eating together whenever he’s in residence.”

Without glancing his way, Penny sat and another maid poured her a cup of tea. Penny added a dollop of milk and brought the cup to her mouth.

A noise at the door drew everyone’s gaze.

Catherine rushed in, adjusting her skirt and tucking loose auburn curls behind her ear. She slowed and, smoothing her gown, walked sedately into the room when she realized all eyes focused on her.

“You’re late,” Parker said, glancing at his pocket watch.
“As usual.”

“I overslept.” She took her time pulling out a chair. Once seated, she offered a beautiful smile. “I didn’t dare miss breakfast on your first day home.”

Parker only grunted, but looked none too pleased.

Out of the corner of her eye, Penny watched the two. “If Catherine’s always late, why does breakfast have to be so early?” she finally said.

He turned her way, capturing her gaze with an icy stare. “Because I deem it so.”

Without flinching, Penny held his stare. The autocratic tilt of his head reminded her of Markham, Geoff’s older brother.

“Parker!” Elizabeth chided. “You sound like a despot.”

“Can’t have that.”
He inhaled a deep breath and forced a smile before adding, “I leave early and sometimes miss dinner. I like connecting with my family, which is why breakfast is at seven sharp.”

Penny looked down at her cup and prayed the others at the table didn’t see her burning cheeks. He was obviously still mad at her for refusing his offer of marriage after what went on in the library.

After that she remained silent. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice as Elizabeth kept the conversation going with more news of what had gone on during Parker’s absence.

From her perch in the front parlor window seat an hour later, Penny watched Parker mount his horse. As he rode off, her shoulders slumped in relief.

What was she going to do?
God forbid, what if she carried his child? How foolish of her to not consider the consequences of her actions.

As it was, women had few options in this world and she had fewer still, especially with no living relatives, and her rightful inheritance in the hands of a madman.

“Would you like to do something fun today?” Catherine asked from behind her, interrupting her musings.

Penny nodded, but her thoughts weren’t so easily dismissed. She needed a husband.
Someone with power behind him, like Geoff, to take on Gerald Knightsbridge.

“Excuse me,” she said once it registered that Catherine had spoken again.

“I said, now that he’s off, we can enjoy ourselves to the fullest.”

“You mean you he doesn’t allow you to enjoy yourself?” Penny shook off her melancholy and turned her full attention on the animated woman.

Catherine scrunched her nose. “He’s a tad overprotective. Of course, his wishes have never stopped me and I always make use of the time he’s away.” She tugged Penny off the seat. Still holding her hand, she started up the stairs. “He’s worse than Mother. Now that he’s back for a lengthy stay, I’m sure he’ll be a nightmare to handle.”

If his actions at breakfast hadn’t already confirmed her worst suspicions, Catherine’s statement certainly did. Parker Davis wasn’t like Geoff. He was a controlling man who expected everyone to follow his commands, just like the duke. Marrying him would be another huge mistake. After enduring hell under the earl’s thumb, Penny wasn’t about to kowtow to anyone.

“He thinks he’s responsible for me,” Catherine said. “Both he and Lucas do. If I were truthful, I’d have to say he means well, which is why I pretend to do his bidding. He pretends I obey him and we both go on pretending to keep the illusion alive.”

Intrigued, Penny asked, “Are you saying he doesn’t have control over you?”

“Well, no,” she mumbled, then said more cheerfully, “What would you say to going hunting? My brothers have been too busy lately. They hate for me to go alone, and it’s really not as much fun, so I seldom do anymore. But now that you’re here, we can have a grand time.”

“I’ve never hunted before,” Penny said honestly. “It sounds like an adventure.” Her time in the Davis household had suddenly taken on a new dimension and provided her with the perfect distraction. She shoved her negative thoughts away. Nothing good would come of fearing the worst until it came time to face Geoff. Then she’d worry. In the meantime, she would avoid Parker like he was horse manure.

“Great,” Catherine said when she nodded. “We’ll make a day of it and have Pearl make us a lunch. First, we have to find just the thing for you to wear.” She headed for her bedroom.

Penny trailed behind, feeling as if an anvil of worry had been lifted from her shoulders.

“I have some trousers and old shirts from when I was younger that should fit.” Catherine moved to a bureau and rummaged through drawers. “Ah, here they are.” She pulled out a faded dark pair of boys’ homespun trousers as well as a worn muslin shirt the color of mud. “You can wear your riding boots. What do you think?”

“Trousers?
What fun.” Penny took the items, warming to the shocking idea of wearing boys’ clothing while hunting. In front of the cheval glass, she held them up to gauge what she’d look like in them.

“You can’t dress here,” Catherine warned when Penny started to unbutton her blouse. At her questioning look, she rolled her eyes. “Mother would never let us out of the house if she saw us in something that scandalous, so we need to act as if we’re going for a ride. Once we get to my hiding place, we’ll change. It’s near impossible to catch prey in a day dress and my riding habit is too uncomfortable.” Wearing a conspiratorial expression, she put her finger to her lips. “What Mother doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”

Penny grinned. How novel! “So Lucas and Parker don’t care that you gallivant around the country in boys’ clothing?” The thought amazed her.

“They’ve tried to dissuade me, but have learned to tolerate it. Both know they can’t stop me if I really want to do something. I never do anything too outrageous. And since I can hunt and shoot better than either of them, they keep their mouths shut about what I wear when we’re hunting.”

Penny nodded, suddenly feeling right at home as memories of her younger years with the freedom to run around the wilds of northern England flitted through her mind. More laughter bubbled up. “This surely has to be the most scandalous thing I’ve ever attempted.” Or almost the most scandalous. She decided not to dwell on her misadventures with Parker, as those were mistakes never to be repeated.

“It’s not really as scandalous as it sounds,” Catherine said. “After all, I only hunt on Davis property, which is certainly not dangerous. And since you’ve never been before, we’ll go for something easy, like wild turkey or quail.”

She presented her back. “Here, help me into my riding habit, and I’ll help you. Then we’ll ride out to my hiding place.”

The next thing Penny knew, she was following Catherine down the back stairs to the kitchen. Pearl handed them a basket with their lunch. The two ran out the door, heading in the direction of the stable.

“We’ll leave the horses tethered once we make it to our starting point,” Catherine said, mounting.

Penny did the same.

Catherine took the lead, galloping toward the woods as if the devil were after her, and Penny stayed hot on her trail.

Eventually they slowed to a walk. The midsummer sun was still low enough that the lush green landscape shaded them from the burning rays. Leaves rustled in the gentle breeze as they continued on a trail that led through the dark, dense forest. At a huge rock, Catherine stopped, dismounted, and tied her horse to a branch where the gelding could graze.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” she said, glancing at Penny, who watched from atop her mare. Penny didn’t need any further encouragement before jumping off and leading the mare to the same tree.

She followed Catherine around the big boulder that led to what looked like a cave. The small amount of space in between the rock and the opening made it a tight squeeze.

“This is my special place,” Catherine said, hiking farther into the deep cavern high enough to stand upright. “Hold on a minute while I light a lantern.” She struck a matchstick, engulfing the spacious interior with light.

Though hot outside, the cooler temperature inside the cave felt good on Penny’s skin as she took a deep breath, inhaling a musky, earthy scent that pervaded the cavern.

Catherine headed purposefully toward several bundles packed away in a corner. Undoing them, she had everything out and began undressing. “We can leave our things here, and come back when we’re done.”

In moments, she’d changed into male attire and looking every inch a female because the clothes did little to hide her curvaceous figure and long legs. In fact, if nothing else, they accentuated them.

Penny quickly donned the pieces Catherine provided, loving the freedom to move about without heavy material hampering her. She certainly felt like a hunter.

“Put your clothes with mine so they stay dry. The earth is damp,” Catherine said, indicating the neat pile next to the big canvas bag she unpacked, pulling out two rifles, a six-gun, and a bow with several arrows.

She nodded, folded her split skirt and blouse, and then added her clothes to the pile.

“Have you ever fired a rifle before?” Catherine asked, loading one of the rifles.

“Yes. I’m also good with a bow, but I’ve never hunted before,” Penny stated honestly.

“We won’t go after a deer today. It’s better to have Lucas or Parker around for large game because they can deal with cleaning and dressing it better than I can.” Her scrunched-up nose indicated her thoughts on the subject.

Catherine buckled a holster around her waist and tucked a gun into it before tying the holster to her thigh. To Penny, she looked like one of those gunslingers she’d read about who embodied the Wild West. She handed Penny first a bow and then a loaded rifle, while she finished loading the other one.

“They have fox hunts in England, but I’ve never actually been on one,” Penny said, eyeing the items with interest.

“Fox hunts? I’ve heard of them.” She started for the mouth of the cave. “Seems like a waste of time to me. What do you do with the fox when you kill it?”

“I’ve no idea,” Penny said, following. “I only know there are those who love the thrill of the chase with the hounds running wild and everyone following on horseback.”

“Humph. It also seems as if the dogs do all the work. Where is the skill in that?”

“I’m sure you’re right.” Penny smiled at Catherine’s disapproving frown. “So, what do we do now?” she asked once the two were outside.

“Now we stalk our prey.” Catherine pointed out what tracks to look for. Then she taught her how to sneak up on a bird or another animal, staying downwind to avoid detection, also showing her how to camouflage herself.

They eventually took a break for lunch before going back to tracking and waiting, which seemed a big part of hunting, as the day was more than half over and that was all they had done so far.

While patiently covered with dried leaves and twigs, Penny froze and prayed that a family of skunks sniffing not two feet in front of her wouldn’t notice her hiding spot. She exhaled a relieved breath when they sauntered on one at a time, the mother in the lead and the three kits following. After that, several raccoons and a couple of groundhogs visited long enough to sniff around her. When a deer ventured nearby, Penny stared in awe. She loved watching creatures wander so close and never detect their presence. Suddenly the idea of killing them didn’t seem like sport and she said as much to Catherine.

They were just getting ready to leave their hiding spot when something caught Catherine’s attention. Silently signaling for Penny to stay quiet, Catherine emerged and stalked noiselessly away, disappearing into the brush.