My Enchanting Hoyden (A Once Upon A Rogue Novel, #3) (30 page)

She nodded, not wanting to interrupt what he was going to say to her.

Philip leaned back and looked down at her. “I’d be quite the hypocrite if I considered you sullied, however, when I myself am not an innocent.”

She buried her head against his chest as her body trembled. His words both released her from her shame and turned any fear that remained to love. “You are a most unusual gentleman, my lord.”

“I like that,” he said, his voice suddenly hoarse, his words fanning warm air against the top of her head.

Jemma pulled back to look up at him. “You like what?”

He brushed his lips to hers before releasing her. “I like the way you call me
my lord
in that throaty voice of yours.” He paused. “Promise me something.”

“Anything.” And she meant it to the depths of her soul.

“Promise me I will be the only man you ever call
my lord
while looking as sultry as only you can do.”

“I look sultry?” she teased, batting her eyelashes at him.

“Minx.” He tweaked her chin with one hand and entwined the fingers of his other with hers. “I’ll have your promise.”

“I promise,” she vowed and then kissed him, unabashedly and most improperly, on the mouth.

They made their way back toward the party and hovered in the shadows for one last second. Philip squeezed Jemma’s hand before releasing it. “You go first. I’ll follow in a few minutes from the opposite direction so that no one thinks anything should someone see us both coming from this path.”

Jemma nodded, though she was loath to leave Philip. “Will you come find me?”

“Always,” he said with such emphatic assurance that her chest tightened at the emotion in his voice. She recognized it as the same one in her heart.

She locked gazes with him and smiled before turning and slipping into the crowd to begin her search for Anne and Grandfather. She wasn’t that concerned with finding them quickly. The night was a dream she never wanted to awaken from. It was perfect.

She hummed to herself as she walked. Near the fountains, she spotted Anne standing beside Grandfather, who was talking animatedly to someone. Anne stood silent, her lips pressed tightly together. Jemma followed Anne’s gaze to the edge of the rotunda, and Jemma’s perfect night abruptly ended.

Her first thought was to march up to Mr. Frazier, standing without a care in the world so cozy and close to Lady Beatrice, and warn the lady away from the scheming man. That wouldn’t do, though, because then Mr. Frazier would just be more careful. In addition, Lady Beatrice may question how Jemma knew Mr. Frazier was searching for a rich wife. Jemma quickly decided she’d write the lady an anonymous note in the morning and send it straight round. That way, Lady Beatrice would be warned, but there’d be no way to trace it to the incident of Anne running off with Mr. Frazier.

When Jemma reached Anne, her sister grabbed her arm and drew her near. “Where have you been?” she whispered under her breath.

Jemma smiled. “With Philip.”

Anne grinned even as her brow furrowed. “I do hope Lord Harthorne will be around tomorrow to call on Grandfather.”

“He says he will,” Jemma replied, unable to keep the hopeful excitement from her voice.

“Then he shall. He’s a gentleman and true to his word.”

“Yes,” she agreed.

“Jemma, would you mind terribly if I claimed a megrim? I don’t think I can bear watching Ian flirt with other women knowing how little I really meant to him and how he was but using me.”

Jemma immediately nodded, though Anne claiming not to feel well meant they would all have to leave and the night with Philip would end. Yet, there would hopefully be a thousand such perfect nights with Philip in her future. Being there for Anne was the most important thing in this moment.

The sisters moved toward their grandfather, who was just parting ways with his friend. Anne touched Grandfather’s arm. “I’m not feeling well, Grandfather. Do you mind if we leave?”

“Of course not,” he said, patting Anne’s hand.

Jemma gazed through the crowd, hoping Philip would appear so she could say good-bye, but she didn’t see him anywhere. Instead, she followed Anne and Grandfather toward the lane that gave access to the land entrance to the gardens, all the while glancing over her shoulder for Philip. As the entrance came into sight, she let out a sigh, but as she exhaled, his deep, velvet voice called out her name.

“Miss Adair!”

She swiveled on her heel toward him, not bothering to conceal her delight at being able to speak to him once more before she departed. Philip jogged toward them and didn’t slow until he stood before Jemma, Anne, and Grandfather.

“Duke, Miss Anne, Miss Adair,” Philip greeted properly, though his appearance had been wonderfully improper. “I hoped to catch you, Duke, before you departed to ask if I might have a moment of your time tomorrow?”

Grandfather looked at Jemma, and she nodded emphatically. He turned to Philip. “I do believe that would be acceptable.”

Philip’s grin made Jemma’s stomach tighten with happiness.

Grandfather motioned to Anne. “Come here, Granddaughter, and look at the stars with me for a moment.”

Jemma could have kissed her grandfather for his kindness in giving her a few treasured seconds for a semi-private good-bye, but she knew how uncomfortable such a show of affection would make him.

She and Philip faced each other, so near but not touching. “When do you think you might call?” she asked, not giving a whit that she sounded overeager.

Dipping his head slightly, he said, “Early. Probably before you are even out of bed,” he teased, his eyes twinkling. “I’d call tonight if I didn’t think your grandfather would throw me out.”

“Likely wise to wait until morning,” she agreed with a giggle.

He nodded. “I’ll be there as soon as—”

“Jemma,” Grandfather called, signaling her time was up.

“Sweet dreams, Philip,” she whispered.

“They’ll be of a certain red-headed minx with brilliant eyes of turquoise and a smile that lights my heart. What will you dream of?”

“A gentleman,” she said simply before turning and walking toward her grandfather and Anne. When she looked back, Philip was staring intently after her, and she mouthed the word
you
.

P
hilip awoke the next morning determined to immediately secure a future for him and Jemma. That meant he needed to speak with Scarsdale first thing and learn if the man could use him in his shipping company. Then he needed to pay a visit to Amelia to explain his decision to her and Eustice. He wasn’t worried about his sister, but his cousin was a different story altogether. She needed all the help she could get with the
ton
, and he knew his decision would only hinder her. Guilt clawed at him, but it was not enough anymore to keep him from Jemma.

After he spoke with Eustice, he’d go to see Jemma’s grandfather and ask for her hand. The duke may very well deny Philip’s suit if he believed Philip only wanted to marry Jemma for the dowry. Of course, Philip refusing to take it should solve that, but it was still possible the duke would not want his granddaughter to marry a man with so much debt and uncertainty in his life. Philip would simply have to go to Rowan with a solid plan to make his financial future more secure.

That left only his mother. Knots formed in his neck as he thought of how she had handled Father’s death and the poverty that had followed. She’d been so addicted to laudanum and could not seem to find the strength to pull herself out of her depression until Philip had borrowed the money from Aversley and assured her that they would not be ruined for the entire
ton
to scorn them. He didn’t want to cause her any pain or shame, but he could not marry another woman when he loved Jemma.

After Philip was dressed and had quickly eaten, he made his way to his study to write a note to his mother and tell her he’d be coming to see her in Bath. Once the letter was written, he sealed it and stood to leave. As he did, Amelia breezed through the doorway and smiled.

“Good morning, Philip.”

Amelia was not an early riser by nature. Something had to be amiss.

“What’s the matter?” he asked immediately.

“Not a thing,” she replied, plunking down into one of the two leather chairs that faced his desk. “As a matter of fact, something is very, very right.” Amelia waved a piece of foolscap in the air. “Mother wrote me, and it seems Bath agreed with her ever so much.”

A knot formed in Philip’s stomach. He was either going to have to ask Mother to leave Bath so he could save on that expense, or he had to swallow his pride and request Aversley fund Mother’s stay there. The notion was humiliating, but the reminder that he was hoping to acquire one more lady to care for was all he needed to gulp his pride down.

“Amelia, do you think Aversley would be averse to paying for the rest of Mother’s visit to Bath?”

“He certainly would,” Amelia chirped. “Colin hates to waste money, and I cannot think of a bigger waste than to pay for a visit when the person is no longer there.”

He cocked his head in confusion. “I beg your pardon?”

“Philip, honestly!” Amelia huffed. “Do keep up. Mother is not in Bath.”

“But you said—”

“I said Bath
agreed
with her. Mother is on her way home.”

“Oh, excellent!” He let out a relieved sigh. “She’s all better, then.”

Amelia giggled. “You could say that.”

His sister was acting very odd. He was pleased that Mother was better, too, but Amelia seemed almost giddy over it. “Am I missing something?”

“Heavens yes!” she exclaimed, “but Mother made me promise in her letter not to tell you.” Amelia leaned forward, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, and rested her elbows on the desk. “However, if you should guess...”

Philip scrubbed a hand over his face. He had not a clue what he was supposed to be guessing. He shrugged. “I’ve not even the slightest notion where to begin.”

Amelia frowned. “Did you know Mother was accompanied to Bath by Dr. Talbot?”

Philip almost choked on the news. “Good God! How much will that cost?”

Amelia burst out laughing. “Honestly, men can be so single-minded sometimes. Dr. Talbot didn’t charge Mother to accompany her.”

Philip frowned. “Does he do that for all his patients?”

Amelia snorted. “Brother dear, for a man with a poet’s heart, you are oblivious when it comes to matters
of
the heart.”

Philip started to snap at his sister that he didn’t have time for these games when a shocking, impossible thought struck him. “Are you trying to tell me that Dr. Talbot went to Bath because he
cares
for Mother?”

“I’m not
telling
you anything,” Amelia said emphatically. “You are guessing, remember?”

Philip nodded. “What does Dr. Talbot
caring
for Mother have to do with Mother coming home?”

Amelia slapped her palms on the desk and glared. “You really are making this difficult. Mother wants to tell you personally how much Dr. Talbot cares for her. She’s ever so worried you will care that Dr. Talbot
cares
.”

Philip bounded to his feet. He was wasting his time. He needed to go see the woman
he
cared for and tell her grandfather how much he wanted to marry her. He froze and looked at his sister, who was staring at him with a wry expression on her face, and it hit him. “Mother wants to marry Dr. Talbot.”

Amelia nodded. “Now, Philip, you honestly look distraught. I’m disappointed. Mother deserves happiness and— What are you doing?”

“Hugging you!” Philip laughed as he closed the distance between Amelia and himself.

“Then you’re not upset?”

“No! This solves one of my problems perfectly. Not that Mother was a problem.”

Amelia arched an eyebrow. “What other
problems
do you need solved? Hmm?” Between the way she wiggled her eyebrows and the suggestive tone of her voice, Philip knew Amelia was already aware of his financial woes.

“Let me guess,” he said, “Sophia told you about my plan.”

“But of course,” Amelia replied in a cheeky voice. “Though it boggles the mind why you would try to hide from me, your sister who loves you, the fact that you were having financial difficulties.”

“Because I knew you would try to simply give me the money, and I’m not going to take any more charity from you or your husband.”

Amelia blew a loose strand of hair out of her face. “Men and their pride,” she muttered. “So what is it you plan to do?”

He looked his sister in the eye. “I plan to secure employment, hopefully with Scarsdale’s company.”

“An excellent idea,” Amelia said, showing one of the qualities he loved most about her. She was as close to unflappable as a person could get, and she didn’t place any value, as most people in the
ton
did, on the lines of social distinctions with which one was not supposed to tamper. One such division being that actually working for one’s money was unheard of for the upper classes.

“Do you think my decision will harm Eustice too much? She’s the only one remaining I’m concerned about.”