Free Lady Penelope's Christmas Charade, a Regency Romance by Lilia Birney Page B

from Miss A. "Any time you want more information—or anything else, for that matter—do inquire again."

Chapter Nine
    Bill was waiting for them by the carriage, his arms crossed over his chest. Penelope broke into a run when she spied him. Dash it all , how wonderful to get back home. How nice it would be to change out of this costume, have a bracing cup of tea—or something stronger—and then plan what to do next. The visit to the Lily had given them more information than she thought possible, at least once Pierce took over. She squashed the feeling of jealousy that rose in her chest as she recalled how quickly the light skirts were ready to talk to Pierce. How flirtatious they had gotten with him. Why, when Miss K had given him a wink, Penelope had a most unladylike desire to claw her eyes out.
    It was pure folly to get angry with anyone for flirting with Pierce. After all, she wanted nothing more from him than an affair. In essence, she was no different than those prostitutes.
    Bill handed her into the carriage, and Pierce scrambled in behind her. Bill shut the door, and the springs of the carriage gave a groan as he ascended to the box. Penelope stared at Pierce in the darkness of the carriage, barely able to make out his expression. "Well, what next?"
    "Now we need to find Emma. I suppose I must go back to the Barclay and charm an invitation to Adams' house party from Mrs. Ealy, the proprietress." He lounged against the seats with careless charm.
    Her lip curled despite her best efforts to seem calm. "You can't get an invitation. I am sure Adams wouldn't allow a commoner to his house party."
    "I have my ways," he replied with a nonchalant shrug. "Don't worry overmuch."
    "Oh, I am sure you have your ways," she spat. "Honestly, I shall be so glad to get home and rid myself of this absurd costume…and of you." She tried to hold it in, but her temper was getting the best of her. He was so self-assured, so suave. He used his charm on those whores just as he had on her. And how infuriating that she had succumbed. Well, almost.
    "Why so angry? We are much closer to tracking down Cicely than before. Once we find Emma, we stand a much better chance of finding Cicely's whereabouts. You should be pleased, not upset."
    He was using that same calm and rebuking tone of voice that Peter would use when he wanted her, as he said, "to see reason." The first time Peter had used it was when she had walked in on him with one of his lovers. And Peter was trying to keep her from leaving their home, trying to get her to see the good in living out a lie in front of all society. That tone of voice was infuriating then, and it was infuriating now.
    "Men," she muttered. "You are all the same. Every man jack of you."
    "Penelope." He crossed the carriage floor and settled beside her, taking one of her cold hands in his much larger, warmer ones. He chafed it until warmth and feeling began to flow again. "Why are you so angry with me? What have I done to displease you?"
    "Nothing. Everything." After anger always came tears, and she despised this weakness in herself. She bit the inside of her cheek, paying heed to the pain. It was a trick she learned years ago, and it never failed to work. The tears that had stung her eyes dried at once. She wrenched her hand free.
    "Are you angry that I carried you into the room? I know it was undignified but it was the only ruse I could think of to get us through that crowd of drunken louts." Pierce reached out and traced the curve of her jaw with his thumb, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin. Despite her best effort at repressing a shiver, her shoulders jerked.
    "Are you cold?" He tugged her cloak more firmly about her shoulders.
    "Are you an idiot?" she replied, inflicting her best Ice Goddess tone of voice. That should put him in his place.
    "I suppose I am. I cannot, for the life of me, think of what I have done to arouse such passionate anger." He drew back from her, and a feeling of cold dread began