Penn caught her breath at the spark of desire shooting through her veins.
Oh, the moth could burn too quickly in such fires.
She should go.
But Delphine, the youngest of the three Craymore sisters, entered the card room and glanced around. Was she searching for Neville Vaughn? That young man was so besotted with Del. Had been from their first meeting years ago. And he had promised to marry her too. Then in an incident very much like Theo’s father’s insistence, Neville’s had demanded his son marry a young woman of his choosing. For many reasons, Neville could not refuse. After he’d married, Del had sworn off love and marriage to anyone. Meanwhile, Neville had gone to war on the Continent. Soon after, his wife had taken ill and died. His arrival here the first night of this house party had shocked everyone, especially Del. And he, smart man, had pressed his suit every minute since.
Penn raised a smiling face to Del who came to join her. They spoke of the charades for tonight’s entertainment.
“I doubt I’ll play,” Del said, looking unhappy about it.
“Why not ask Neville to share a scene with you?”
“I shouldn’t. But I am concerned about him. His wounds make movement difficult for him.”
Neville, Lord Bromley, was Penn’s cousin. She’d known him since they were children and shared a dancing instructor as well as seen each other often at family gatherings. Days ago he’d come home to England. Having served in Wellington’s army against the French, he was hobbled with a bad leg. He used a cane, but made light of his affliction. “He speaks of it with rueful acceptance. He calls it a poor tune.”
“He calls it dot-and-go-one and tries to be valiant about it,” Del said. “But I worry about him, Penn.”
"Part of his suffering is due to the weather. As soon as it stops snowing, he'll feel much better. One of my husbands had old wounds. The war in the Americas, you see. Bouts of aches and pains whenever it rained or snowed. Odd, yes? But Bromley is younger than my husband and he does not appear to be totally incapacitated."
“I say,” Theo appeared like magic at Penn’s side. Today, he had donned a bottle green coat with brilliant red waistcoat. The man looked as scrumptious as a Christmas feast. “Are you two wishing for a third?”
“I should not.” Del rose. “Forgive my haste, please. I must consult with Aunt Gertrude. There’s always some detail to attend to. You two can attract a third and fourth, I’m sure.”
As Del went off, Theo took the chair nearest Penn. “I’ve never been so furious about snow.”
She had to laugh with him. But as disappointment fled at the sight of his handsome turquoise eyes and those appealing lips, she gave him the honesty he’d always valued. “As am I.”
That had him catching his breath. Speechless, he opened his mouth but snapped it shut.
Gratified her words could move him so, she licked her lips and changed to a subject that had bothered her. “Where are your children this Christmas season?”
“As soon as I decided to attend this party, I wrote to my sister Annabelle to ask her if I might send the girls and the governess to her. Unaccompanied by me, of course. When she agreed, I packed them off. I promised to make it up to them when I return. Two new dolls and a dollhouse should help.”
A lump in her throat at his sweetness, she inched her hand toward him along the table top.
He stroked her little finger just once with his own.
She swallowed. “Why did you decide to come here?”
“Darling,” he called her in that sonorous bass that must rival the depths of many a mythic god. “You know why.”
She sucked in a shaking breath. “Who told you I was to be here?”
“Can I keep no secrets?” he teased her.
“None.”
“In one of the London papers, I read that you might travel here. That you come here often. The Countess is a distant relative, I do believe.”
“She is. And Lord Bromley is my cousin.”
“As I heard.” He stroked her finger once more. “I took the chance that you would attend this party and that, for once, we might revive a relationship that I cut too short. And to my everlasting regret.”
“And mine.”
“Thank heavens that is so,” he murmured, triumph suffusing his face. “This time I will not allow you to escape me without a proper courting.”
