Tempting Miss Allender (Regency Rakes 3) (9 page)

“As your girth is bigger than mine,” Simon said, patting his flat stomach, “I would suggest that in fact you had a troubled sleep and need to walk to clear your head.”

Of course Simon was right, as he had dreamt of her again: Patience, with her stunning blue eyes and soft, creamy skin. Only this time she’d been smiling at him, a suggestive
I want you, Mathew
smile, just before she took off her clothes and climbed on top of him.

He’d spent the few days since he’d last seen her pondering what else he had done to her seven years ago, as well as the strange reaction both she and Lucy had had when Brantley Winston, their cousin, had approached them. She’d seemed to stiffen up, and had looked almost scared. Mathew did not know the man intimately, but the few times they’d talked he had thought him polite and pleasant, and there was little doubting his popularity with his peers—so what was the problem between the cousins?

“Do you know Brantley Winston?”

Simon thought about that before speaking. “Just that he’s a pleasant sort of fellow, and usually has a ready smile and a kind word for anyone he encounters.”

Mathew grunted his agreement with that summation.

“Is all this brooding over Patience Allender, or is there another who is turning you inside out?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“According to your sister, it was hoped that you and she would one day make a match,” Simon said.

He knew their parents had once wanted that, but everything had changed after her family had stopped visiting his, and then Anthony had died and even more had changed.

Mathew had to admit marriage was not something he’d contemplated for any reason other than procuring an heir. After Anthony’s death he had realized he was not equipped to cope with the fierce emotion called love, especially were something to happen to the woman he had given his heart to. Shuddering at the thought, he believed he’d made the right decision in settling for companionship and respect.

If further proof were required that emotions were messy things, he simply needed to think of Patience Allender. Since stepping back into his life, she had burrowed under his skin, and whenever she was near he either wanted to ravish or shake her. Then there was the matter of his brother and the painful memories of him she evoked.

Anthony was a wound that Mathew had kept closed until now. “Let him back into your life,” Patience had said. “Not bloody likely,” Mathew muttered now. It was a morass of emotion that he did not think he was ready or capable of dealing with again, even if Miss Allender believed he should. Therein lay the problem: if they became close once more, he knew she would not stop pushing him about his unresolved grief for Anthony. However, Mathew wasn’t sure that keeping his distance from her was any longer an option.

“Pardon?”

Mathew waved his hand at Simon’s question but offered no answer.

Who was she to talk, anyway? The woman was hiding things inside that beautiful head of hers, and it was more than just her reasons for the anger she felt toward him. He hated not knowing where that stemmed from now that he knew with a certainty it existed, as it gave him no way of redeeming himself, if indeed he could or for that matter should.

Letting a carriage roll across in front of them, Mathew nodded to the driver, who had doffed his hat. He recognized the man as one of the two who had accompanied Patience and her brother to his talk the other day. When he looked inside, he saw there was no one seated in the carriage. Walking on after it had passed, he searched the people around him for her face.

His eyes fell on the cowkeeper’s shop, and he saw Charlie’s head through the window.

“How about a nice warm cup of milk before we attend our appointment, Kelkirk?”

“What?” Simon looked at the shop and shuddered. “Absolutely not. I hate warm milk unless it has whisky in it.”

“It’ll help you grow into a big strong man,” Mathew said as he entered the shop seconds later.

“Good day to you, Charlie.” The other footman was standing at his back. He was big too, like the other one Mathew had just seen driving the carriage, and was standing close to the young Lord Allender, almost as if protecting him. Mathew wondered from what.

“Oh, now it makes sense,” he heard Simon say from behind him. “Where is she?”

“Are you here for warm milk also, Mathew?” Charlie was cradling a cup in his hands.

“It wasn’t my intention, but now that you’ve mentioned it, it does sound like a good idea. What do you say, Simon?”

“Not if it was a gold-lined cup,” Simon muttered, coming forward. “Hello, Charlie,” he greeted the boy. “Are you here alone?”

“Patience is with the cowkeeper. He is showing her his cows.” Charlie accompanied his words with a roll of his eyes, which told Mathew that he did not share his sister’s love of animals. “That way,” the boy said, pointing to a stall.

“I shall keep you company, Charlie, as I too am not overly enamored with cows. We shall make Mathew go and find her.”

This time it was Mathew who rolled his eyes at the look his friend gave him.

Moving closer to the small stall, Mathew heard voices.

“And you say it will clear the infection up, Miss Allender?”

“That it will, Mr. Pody, and I shall have one of my staff get it to you today, so you can start Lisa’s treatment immediately.”

She was bent over, inspecting the hoof of a cow, who he guessed was Lisa, and presented him with a lovely view of her bottom. Round curves pressed against the lavender material of her dress. This vision would do nothing for his tormented dreams.

“I would be grateful, Miss Allender, if you could spare me some.”

Much to Mathew’s regret, Patience stood upright. “No problem at all, Mr. Pody.” She held out her hand, and the man shook it.

She was comfortable here with the cow and its owner. He remembered that she had always been able to talk with servants and noblemen alike. Obviously it was just him she had a problem with.

“Can I help you, sir?”

Mr. Pody looked at Mathew, and Patience turned so quickly she stumbled, righting herself by placing a hand on the cow.

“I am here to see Miss Allender,” Mathew said, looking at Patience, watching the color in her cheeks heighten.

“Then I shall see about cups of milk for you both,” Mr. Pody said, then slipped past Mathew and left him alone with Patience.

“What is wrong with the hoof?” he said instead of,
Can I kiss you senseless?
which had been his first choice of words.

“There is an infection from a stone that was imbedded.” Her tone was emotionless as she pulled on her gloves.

“Lavender is a lovely color on you,” Mathew said, because it was, especially teamed with the darker velvet pelisse and matching bonnet. It made her eyes brighter.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

He stayed where he was as she approached, blocking her exit by remaining in the middle of the doorway.

“How is your day going so far, Miss Allender?”

She stopped an arm’s length away and frowned up at him. “Very well, thank you, Lord Belmont.”

“Excellent. And is the weather to your liking?”

“Yes, it is very pleasant, thank you.”

“I hope your family is well?” Mathew said.

“Is there a reason we are exchanging pleasantries, my lord?” She tilted her head to one side to study him.

“As every conversation I have had with you since your return to London usually results in you being cool and distant with me, I felt we should start again and become reacquainted. My hope is that given time you will see that I am a well-bred, polite man of moderate intelligence.”

She swallowed her smile but he saw it in her eyes. “Don’t be absurd.” She moved closer, motioning for him to let her pass. “The problem here is that you are used to everyone adoring you, and as I do not, you are put out.”

He’d tasted those lips, and wanted to do so again. “Tell me what Lord Stadler was referring to,” he said softly, moving closer. “Please.”

Her sigh was small. “It was silly, childish stuff that as adults we need bother with no longer.”

“If it is silly and childish, it should not bother you to tell me.”

“There really is no need for this.” She flicked her hand, trying to get him to move to one side so she could pass.

“Yes.” Instead, he moved closer and cupped her cheek. “There is.”

“Mathew, don’t do this to me again.”

“Do what again?” He liked the sound of his name on her lips.

She stepped backward, her eyes telling him she’d said too much, and his hand fell to his side.

“It is over. It happened long ago, and is now of no consequence, therefore I wish you to leave this subject alone.”

“I am not as easily ordered about as your siblings, Patience, and now that I know I did something that hurt you, you must understand that I feel entitled to know what.”

“Patience,” Charlie said, “Mr. Pody has two cups of warm milk for you and Mathew. Come and drink it before it gets cold.”

“Where are you going today?” Mathew said as she tried to move around him.

“We are returning to the town house. Why?”

“Excellent. Then I shall call upon you at home. We shall talk, you and I, Patience, and you will tell me the truth.”

She drew alongside him. “Why can you not leave this alone? Why can you not understand that I do not wish to have a closer acquaintance with you anymore, as there is too much that has gone between us? Surely that is your wish also, considering that being in my company causes you discomfort.”

“You are referring to Anthony?”

She nodded.

“Even though I know you are right, I cannot walk away. I care about you…very much, and knowing I have hurt you in some way does not sit well with me,” Mathew said as he backed from the room, knowing her eyes were following him.

“Here he is, Mr. Pody. This is Lord Belmont, and he will love the warm milk.” Charles was standing in the doorway, looking out to the street, watching the people and carriages bustling about.

“Good morning, Miss Allender.”

“Good morning, Lord Kelkirk,” she replied to Simon’s greeting.

Mathew took the cup from the man, trying not to shudder. He loathed warm milk too, but as the boy seemed excited about it, he would drink it.

“It’s wonderful, is it not, Mathew?”

“Wonderful, Charlie.” Mathew wondered where he could dump it, and one look at his brother in law told him Simon was thinking that very thought.

“Mathew loves warm milk,” Simon said. “In fact, I will give him the rest of mine, as I am still full from my morning meal.”

“No, really.” Mathew tried to evade Simon, but it was too late; he was topping up his cup.

A sudden loud noise interrupted them.

“Good Lord, did you hear that? Some fool just shot a gun in the middle of London!” Simon said, making for the door.

They all rushed outside to watch a carriage race up the street, the driver nearly hitting a cart carrying hay in the process.

“No!”

Mathew’s eyes went to Patience as she said the word. Her eyes were trained on the carriage. The cup slipped from her fingers and crashed to the floor, spilling the contents everywhere, and seconds later she grabbed her brother.

“Charlie, get out of the doorway!”

“I-I’m all r-right.”

Mathew moved to her side, but as he did so, Patience pushed her brother toward the footman who had accompanied them.

“Paul, keep Charlie in here!” She yelled the words as she picked up her skirts, and then, much to Mathew’s surprise, she began running down the street away from him.

“Patience!” She didn’t stop as Mathew roared her name. “What’s going on, Charlie?” he asked, but the color had leached from the boy’s face and the footman had stepped to his back, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Please go after her, Lord Belmont. I cannot leave Lord Allender alone, and fear that Miss Allender may fall into trouble without me.”

“Mathew, where the hell is she going?” Simon looked at him, then back up the street at the rapidly diminishing figure of Patience.

“Stay with the boy and I’ll go after her.”

After handing the footman his cup, Mathew followed Patience. She was running down the middle of the street following a carriage. She jumped over piles of manure, wove around carts, people and horses, but never slowed. Mathew followed, doing the same, and slowly closed the distance between them. He could see her ankles and the soles of her half boots as she ran, and then finally he drew alongside her.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“That gunshot…it has to have been from him!”

Her breathing was coming in pants, and the carriage was now some distance away. Mathew wrapped his fingers around her arm and stopped her. Her eyes were frantic as she craned her neck to see where the carriage had gone.

“Let me go!” She was trying to pull his fingers from her arm, but he didn’t release her.