His Lady Peregrine (3 page)

He gave her a wink,
causing shivers to race up her arms. He wasn’t the most handsome
man, yet there was something about him… Rakish wasn’t exactly the
word, though he had a gleam in his eye that told of wild secrets
just begging to jump free. No it was more an expression of an
experienced man.

In matters of
love.

Had he been previously
married? Most men his age were either widowed or married. A part of
her longed to know. To ask about his past, delve into his depths
and discover what made him unique.

Of course, once she opened
that particular door, she’d feel as if she’d have to speak of
Albert. Terrible memories of his painful illness were best kept
hidden. Maybe someday, if she and Mr. Radcliff formed a friendship,
she’d speak of her husband.

But not today.

Today was for new
beginnings. At least, she hoped so.

“
Lovely day, isn’t it,
Lady Peregrine?”

“
What?” Georgiana’s heart
gave a lurch at his words. “Oh. Certainly.” What must he think?
He’d invited her for an outing to… wherever, and she sat across
from him woolgathering about her former husband.

Very improper, Georgiana.
Focus
. It was killing her not to know
their destination.
Don’t ask, don’t ask,
don’t — I can’t stand it!
“I don’t believe
you mentioned where it was we were going.”

“
I didn’t?”

“
No.”

“
Oh.”

She tapped her finger on
her knee and frowned. Was that all he was going to say on the
subject? Georgiana opened her mouth, intent on making a scathing
reply but closed it just as quickly.
You
must be on your best behavior today.

Gritting her teeth
together as a reminder to watch her tongue, she forced out the
words, “I’m sure wherever we’re headed will be a nice adventure
indeed.”

Mr. Radcliff raised one
eyebrow and leaned forward, studying her face as if she was a rare
albino goose. “Are you unwell, Lady Peregrine?”

“
No. Why?”

“
Your face has gone quite
red.” He pointed toward her. “And your mouth…”

“
Yes, what about it?” Her
jaws were beginning to ache from clenching.

“
Well it… it reminds me of
a pelican I once saw a portrait of.”

Unable to stand it
anymore, she relaxed her mouth. “A pelican?” Something told her
this was not going to be as complimentary as Mr. Radcliff’s
peregrine comment.

“
It had a downturned
mouth, lips, that is if pelican’s indeed do possess lips, were
pulled low at the sides, nearly to its chin. Do those birds even
have chins?”

“
I’m
sure I wouldn’t know.” Though it
was
an interesting
question…

His eyes widened. “Oh, I
just realized you might have misconstrued my pelican
comment.”

“
You mean about its lips,
or its chin? Or the question of whether it is in possession of
either.”

“
I hadn’t meant it in any
way negative, I assure you.”

“
Of
course not. How could a woman ever find even a hint of anything
untoward in your comment?”
Georgiana, you’re doing it again. Be pleasant.

Mr. Radcliff sat back
against his seat. He openly stared at her. Was he regretting his
invitation for today? Contemplating tossing her from the moving
carriage? Then, a slow — could she even call it seductive? — smile
appeared. “I say, you really are a saucy one, aren’t
you?”

Saucy? She blinked. He
wasn’t angry? “I can honestly say you’re the first to give me that
particular adjective, Mr. Radcliff.”

He leaned toward her again
and grabbed her hand. “Please. Call me Percy.”

Christian names? Already?
“Oh, well… I am Georgiana.”

He tilted his head to one
side and closed his eyes. Was he going to take a nap? “Georgiana.
I’ve never heard such a melodious name.” He tugged her hand closer
until it rested against his chest. This left Georgiana in a very
uncomfortable stance half-sitting, half-standing, trying not to
fall into his lap.

Again.

Much more of inspecting
the man’s private area and she really would earn the
saucy
nomenclature.

Her left leg, upon which
most of her weight rested, began to tingle.
Not now.
Please don’t fall asleep
here.
A quick check told her the man’s
eyes were still closed. How long was she expected to—

Abruptly, he opened his
eyes and let go of her hand at the same instant. Georgiana’s leg,
now completely gone numb, gave way. Her awkward position, still
bent over him forced her forward.

Not again!

She collapsed in a heap,
draped across his chest and yes, his lap. He’d think her a
trollop.

“
My dear Lady Peregrine!”
He grabbed her upper arms to steady her. “If you wish to spend time
on top of my person, you could have simply asked.”

“
Excuse me?”

“
Obviously, you like what
you see.” He wiggled his eyebrows and gave a slight toss of his
head. As if he was preening.

Like a bird.

Good heavens, could it be?
Had she actually found someone with whom she could share her love
of—

Percy’s lips crashed down
on hers. Georgiana gasped, though she couldn’t really get much air
into her lungs around his lips. What did he think he was about? She
placed her hands against his chest, intent on shoving him away. But
something came over her. A warmth that started in her lips,
traveled down and circled around her heart, then shot lower to her
pelvis.

It had been so long since
she’d felt
that
sensation she nearly hadn’t recognized it.

Well hello there. Nice to
have you back again
.

She grinned against
Percy’s lips, fully intent on spending the rest of the day right in
that very spot. Perhaps if she pressed closer they
could—

The carriage slowed and stopped.

Percy, looking reluctant,
ended the kiss and blinked. “Perhaps it’s a good thing we’re
already on a Christian name basis, hmmm?”

Percy tamped down
the nervous butterflies in his stomach. Although
as obnoxious as they were behaving, perhaps they were more like
courting bats. Why in the world was he so fidgety? He’d been with
countless women in his lifetime.
Countless
. What was so different
about this one?

He snuck a glance at
Georgiana, who had her hand atop his arm. Not a raving beauty. And
as clumsy as he was. There was just something about her. Something
that drew him in, beckoned for another look, an invitation to spend
time getting to know her better.

And she
did
like
birds.

Percy led her around to
the back garden where a picnic was to have been arranged. Too bad
it wouldn’t be just the two of them. His nephew Barrington and
niece Cecilia would be there too. Percy couldn’t very well decline
the invitation. He did live with them, after all.

Barrington’s valet,
Daniel, and Cecilia’s maid Leah, who was Daniel’s wife, would also
be in attendance. Perhaps some would think it strange that the
servants would be guests at the picnic, but they happened to be
close, treasured friends of Percy’s niece and nephew as well, more
like family. Percy took great delight in the fact that he’d been
instrumental in getting the two couples to find matrimonial
bliss.

His family often teased
him about that. About his success at finding love for others but
not for himself. It wasn’t that he was unlucky with the fairer sex
— he wasn’t. In truth, he’d had more than his share of conquests.
Still, that elusive state of happily ever after continued to escape
him.

With a glance at
Georgiana, he wondered,
Will this time be
different? Is it finally my turn?

As Georgiana and Percy
reached the garden, he spotted others seated beneath a shade tree.
He squinted, not quite able to identify the guests.
Darn these aging eyes!
Ah… It was Cecilia’s brother and wife, Lord and Lady Lofton —
Conrad and Amelia — and…

An older woman plump and
frowning, perhaps his age, was also seated there.
Oh.
It was Conrad’s
mother, the dowager. What was her name… Miriam? Percy had met her
once or twice over the years, but she’d never been terribly social.
Or friendly. What was she doing here today? He’d heard she rarely
made an attempt to leave her house.

A gasp came from Georgiana
as she stumbled. “Oh!”

Percy wrapped his arm
around her shoulders, steadying her, and gave a squeeze. “I’ve got
you, my lady.” What he wouldn’t give to be back in the carriage,
his lips locked with hers, his hands ready to explore
her—

“
Uncle Percy!” Barrington
waved them over.

Percy sighed and directed
Georgiana toward the others. Sadly, today was not meant for
continuing the mating ritual. Some days he really envied birds
their privacy of a nest high in a tree.

Cecilia stepped toward
them. Her blue eyes sparkled as she gave a beautiful smile. “Good
day. And who is your lovely guest?”

Percy nodded toward
Georgiana. “May I present Lady Peregrine.”

Georgiana cleared her
throat just loud enough for him to hear. What was she —
Oh. Right
. “I beg your
pardon. This is Lady
Ollerton
.”

Barrington came closer and
bowed to Georgiana. After greeting her, he stared straight at
Percy, one eyebrow raised, but made no other expression about
Percy’s faux pas. Percy was certain his slip of the tongue would
not go unnoticed.

As Cecilia took Georgiana
by the hand and led her to meet the other women and Conrad,
Barrington chuckled. “Lady Peregrine? For a bird lover like you,
what a coincidence that must be to have your new, uh, friend, be
named for a falcon.”

“
If you must know, dear
boy, the bird reference is just a pet name from me.”

Daniel, who’d been close
behind Barrington, unsuccessfully made his laugh into a cough. “And
just how long have you been in her acquaintance?”

Percy lowered his
eyebrows, pretending he had trouble recalling the date of their
first meeting.
Prepare yourself to be
teased, Percy
. “Well, that would have to
be… yesterday.”

“
Pardon?” Barrington
leaned closer. “You’ve given the woman a pet name and you’ve only
just met?”

“
Why does that strike you
as odd?” Somehow the name Peregrine just fit. It made perfect sense
to him to call her thus. If the younger men paid more attention to
birds, surely they would have seen the resemblance too. And
Georgiana hadn’t protested. She hadn’t kicked him anyplace
painful.

So far.

“
Because, Uncle Percy, in all the years I’ve known you and
have listened to you spout, yes
spout
about your conquests, never —
not once — have you given a woman a pet name.”

Percy gazed somewhere near
Barrington’s left ear. “Haven’t I?”

“
Never.”

“
Well… Hmm. Not sure what
to say to that.”

Daniel glanced over his
shoulder at the group of women a few yards away. “I have to say
this is the first time I’ve ever seen you
not
know what to say.”

Percy harrumphed. “This
from one of the men I personally helped to marry the love of his
life when he thought there was no hope.”

“
I’m just teasing you, you
know.” One side of Daniel’s mouth rose.

Barrington tilted his head
to the side. “What’s wrong, Uncle? Is there something about this
Lady Peregrine that troubles you?”

Troubles me? You have no
idea
. His thoughts flew back to the
carriage. His lips pressed to hers. His hands massaging the pliant
flesh beneath the back of her gown. The heat that coiled like an
impatient snake low in his belly ready to strike at the least
provocation. “Oh I like her indeed. So much it frightens
me.”

Barrington glanced toward
the others and then touched Percy’s arm. “Say… you really do, don’t
you?”

Percy shook his head in
bewilderment. “I’m not really sure how it happened. And so
quickly.”

“
Didn’t you always tell us
that it matters not how long you’ve known someone but it’s what’s
in your heart that counts?”

“
Did I? Must be smarter
than I realized.” Percy glanced across the yard. Conrad’s mother
was saying something to Georgiana, the latter standing ramrod
straight as if ready to go on the attack. Were they going to fight?
Good heavens! Better not let something like that happen. He pointed
toward the women, indicating his intention, and then hurried to
them.