by LeFey, Liana
Will’s face lit with surprise, and he nodded. “I should greatly appreciate any assistance you may render.”
“If you will give me a fortnight, I shall speak on your behalf to the lords in my acquaintance and prepare them to hear your complaint.”
“I am your most humble servant,” said Will, his relief evident in the deep bow he swept. He straightened, wearing a broad smile. “But come, I was just leaving to temper my wrath with a pint or three.”
Percy grinned back. “The Jerusalem Tavern?”
“Just so.”
“It is my pleasure to accompany you.” He waved off the hired conveyance awaiting his friend. “Come, we’ll take mine.”
The two friends talked all the way to Britton Street. His friend’s woes went far deeper than a simple disagreement over his recent work. After several pints of London’s best, Percy made a decision. “Will, I would like to commission a portrait. Of a woman.” He waited as Will’s brows rose. “Miss Lowther. And it must be done in absolute secrecy.”
“I would be delighted. When may I arrange a sitting?”
Percy shook his head. “A sitting would be impossible. Neither she nor her family can know I’m doing this. As such, I’m afraid we shall have to devise a means for you to observe her covertly.”
Will drained his glass and licked his lips. “I’ll gladly don servants’ livery, if that is what is required, if only to see this female who has you so obsessed.”
A laugh borne of both frustration and joy burst from Percy’s throat. “By George, I believe you would! But that won’t be necessary—though I will hold the idea in reserve should my first strategy fail. First, let me see if I may influence Lady Sheffield to commission your services. I shall suggest a commemorative work. She’s to host a ball Thursday next, at which there is to be a happy announcement. If I can convince her to have you present, you should be able to observe the goings-on without suspicion, and at some point in the evening, I’ll bring Miss Lowther before you so you may see her.”
Will nodded, pulling at his beard thoughtfully. “Under such circumstances, you understand I shall only be able to render a hasty sketch. But provided the light is good and I’m able to make notes on her color, I should be able to do it.” He paused. “Would you like the portrait to include you at her side?”
He shook his head. “This painting is for me personally, and I have no wish to see myself in it. Perhaps when we are wed, I’ll have you paint us as a couple.”
The other man’s brows shot skyward. “You intend to marry this woman?”
“I do,” Percy replied, surety in his hasty decision growing with each passing moment. Instinct told him Eden would drive him mad as no other woman had. As ruination was not an option—she would never agree to become his mistress—he must have her by another means. Strangely, the idea of slipping the wedding shackle ’round his finger no longer inspired ambivalence.
His friend’s eyes bored into him, wise beyond their years. “Not to be indelicate, but I saw how you suffered the last time you thought you’d found love. How can you be certain she’s—”
“The right one?” he interrupted, impatient. “I just know.” At his friend’s askance look, he elaborated. “We complement each other exceedingly well. I’m comfortable with her in a way I haven’t been with any other woman. Not even her.”
He didn’t need to name any names with Will, who’d been among those friends to commiserate with him in his disappointment—most times in this very tavern. “I can speak my mind to Eden without fear, and she’s just as honest. Brutally so,” he added with a wry laugh. “Best of all, she accepts me as I am.”
Will shot him a dubious glance. “She accepts the parts of you she’s been allowed to see, you mean. Every man has his secrets.” He raised his glass. “As does every woman, I can assure you. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about people, it’s that they all have another face under the one they show the world. I often see it when I’m painting portraits.” His brow puckered. “Be sure you know what you’re getting yourself into, my friend. Haste makes almost as many fools of men as does love. Combine the two, and it can be disastrous.”
But it wasn’t love. He liked Eden, certainly. A lot. And he wanted her. Again, a lot. Sense told him they were a perfect match and love would grow with familiarity. “I know enough to be confident in my choice. There will be plenty of time to get to know each other more intimately after we’re married.”
Now his friend laughed. “And some things never change. She’s got your cock in a knot but good!” Percy stiffened, but Will waved away his indignation. “If you think she’s a fair match in temperament and will provide you a happy marriage bed and heirs, that’s really all a man can ask.” His smile turned sly. “I take it she’s no shy miss?”
“Miss Lowther’s character is unimpeachable, her reputation pristine, and her morals are as strong as mine are questionable.”
But his cool tone was lost on his friend, whose grin merely broadened. “Thus are you considering the altar—because you can’t have her any other way.”
Percy’s insides squirmed. Sometimes the man was too damned perceptive! “Truth be known, I don’t want her any other way.” He blinked in surprise at himself. “She has earned my respect, and God knows I like her better than any other woman I’ve ever met.” It was true, he realized. His fondness for Sabrina paled in comparison to his liking for Eden.
“A woman who can handle all your secrets and sinful ways, yet still tolerate your company?” said Will, chuckling. “This Miss Lowther must be a formidable creature indeed.”
“Just so,” Percy grunted, downing the rest of his pint. Formidable was a good word to describe Eden. “I trust your discretion, Will. No one can know—about the painting or indeed any of what we’ve discussed.”
“On my honor.” Will again lifted his glass. “Your health and happiness, my friend.”
Percy raised his. “And yours.” He felt good about his plan. Not only would it help Will further build his reputation as an artist, but it wouldn’t hurt to have his wife’s portrait hanging on his wall when he brought her home. And if anyone happened to let slip the surprise before that time arrived, it certainly wouldn’t lose him any favor.
Chapter Seven
Friday
Perched on the edge of a blue-and-gold striped settee in Lady Montgomery’s salon, Eden sipped her tea, admiring the delicate, hand-painted periwinkles on the fine china. Happily, she was here on her own. Catherine had taken ill this morning with a terrific cold that had rendered her indisposed.
She ought to feel guilty for being glad of her stepmother’s illness, but she could only count it as supreme good fortune. It was only a cold, after all. If luck held, she would be laid up with it for at least several more days, providing a golden opportunity to make some forward progress unimpeded. “Make hay while the sun doth shine,” Percy had said. Well, here she was smack in the center of the biggest, ripest field in all of London.
The general pleasantries had already been exchanged, which meant they could now get down to business. What secrets would be disclosed? What useful tidbits of information would she glean from the woman who had once captured Percy’s heart?
Smiling sweetly, she slathered jam on her crumpet and waited.
“How did you and Percy come to be acquainted?” inquired Lady Montgomery as she stirred sugar into her cup.
“We were introduced by a mutual friend at the Wyndham ball,” Eden told her, although “friend” was not a term she would really use to describe Lord Wells. “He was most gallant—practically swept me off my feet the instant we were introduced.” She lifted the crumpet to her lips and took a small bite. Delicious.
“Excellent. And he has requested the honor of courting you?”
Coughing to dislodge an errant morsel from her air passage, Eden put the crumpet back down. How did she know? Percy. He must have told her. “Well, er…yes,” she answered at last. “But—”
“And?” prompted her
hostess eagerly.
Eden suppressed an urge to squirm. This seat wasn’t nearly as comfortable as she’d first imagined. She wondered just how much Percy had told her and how much she ought to reveal. “Indeed he has. But I am uncertain as to whether it’s prudent to enter into such an agreement so early in our acquaintance.”
“I’m not sure I understand.” Her hostess’s lashes fluttered in a show of mild confusion. “Henry told me this morning Percy has declared his affection for you and that you have not discouraged him. Surely courtship must follow?”
“Well…” Eden bit her lip, unable now to resist the impulse to wriggle. This was most awkward. She’d thought to be the one gathering information, not giving it. “The truth of the matter is, I’m afraid my family will oppose the idea rather vehemently. Particularly my stepmother, who has my father’s ear in all matters.”
Lady Montgomery sat back with a slight frown. “I see. His reputation has no doubt hampered her estimation of him. Well, one can certainly understand her position.”
The back of Eden’s neck prickled. “He has been kind and thoughtful, conducting himself in an entirely honorable manner.” For the most part. “I believe rumor has exaggerated his past proclivities. He cannot possibly be as bad as everyone says.”
“Oh, but I assure you he is.” Lady Montgomery’s green eyes twinkled merrily over the gold rim of her cup as she took a sip. “Or was, rather. It’s been noted he’s been somewhat less troublesome since his return from the continent. Some are crediting you with that change.”
Now they were getting to it. “As we’ve only known each other a short time, I’m afraid I cannot claim responsibility. My mother used to say age mellows even the wildest of men. Perhaps it is that which has tempered him.”
“If you think thus, then you’ve obviously not met Lord Abingdon,” laughed the other woman. “Age has done nothing to temper that gentleman.”
The spasm of distaste that curled Eden’s lip was involuntary.
“Ah, but I see you have met his lordship,” teased Lady Montgomery. “I assume he’s made a bit of a nuisance of himself?”
A derisive snort escaped Eden before she could quash it. Blushing furiously, she took a swallow of tea to compose herself before answering. “To say he’s been a ‘bit of a nuisance’ is a grand understatement. He has been like a shadow at every event mutually attended. My worst fear is he might actually offer for me. My father would disown me if I turned down a duke.”
“Lord Abingdon is not only a duke, but he possesses comparable wealth and is, arguably, as handsome as Percy, if a bit older,” said Lady Montgomery. “His age is looked upon as a benefit by many, for he’s far more likely to be settling into his ‘family years,’ as my husband put it, than Percy. You would be wise not to dismiss an offer from Abingdon so quickly. The female who bags that man will be the envy of all her peers, certainly.”
“I care nothing for his purse, his looks, or the envy of my peers,” Eden said, forgetting she was speaking to a much higher-ranking member of Society. “I would sooner marry an organ grinder’s monkey.”
Her hostess chuckled. “And if he comes to scratch?”
“He will be refused,” finished Eden with a stubborn thrust of her chin. “And I will be disowned.”
The woman’s eyes grew round. “Surely it would be better to marry the man and then simply live separate lives once your duty is fulfilled? Many women have made similar sacrifices for the sake of an advantageous match.”
“You did not. You chose an earl over a marquess, no doubt disappointing your family’s ambitions.”
Lady Montgomery smiled. “I did. Henry and I are a true love match. But as you said earlier, you and Percy have not known each other long enough for such tender sentiment to have developed. As such, why should you choose him over Lord Abingdon when the latter can offer you far more?”
“Because I have no liking for the way Lord Abingdon looks at me,” Eden answered defensively.
“Does not Percy also regard you with desire?” Lady Montgomery murmured, arching a brow.
Eden felt her face reddening. “That’s different.”
“How?”
Now Eden did squirm. “I’ve no need to marry either, or in fact, any man,” she countered, avoiding the question. It would be best to let the topic of desires—his or hers—lie unexplored. “I’ve money enough of my own. I need no additional support.”
A soft smile crossed Lady Montgomery’s face. “Not to be indelicate, and I do hope you will forgive me for bringing it up, but your many refusals last Season are practically legend. I, along with everyone else, cannot help but wonder why you refused so many decent young men only to gamble on a hellhound like Percy.”
“You once considered him, did you not?” Eden tossed back, again forgetting herself. She was being deliberately baited, and she didn’t care for it.
Her hostess’s expression remained calm. “Indeed, I did. And I should be married to him now, had not divine Providence intervened on my behalf.” She leaned forward, and all pretense of nonchalance disappeared. “It goes without saying there are plenty of other gentlemen on the market with better credentials and less blackened reputations than Percy. I simply wish to know why it is you’ve decided to jeopardize your good name for an association with my friend, in particular, when you have so many other viable options.”
This wasn’t “tea”—it was an interrogation! Heart sinking, Eden knew with certainty that every word of this conversation would be reiterated to Percy. If Lady Montgomery still had any influence on him, and Eden knew she did, she would be painted in a most unflattering light if she gave anything less than a satisfactory answer now.
In for a ha’ penny…
“He is a contradiction,” Eden stated boldly. “Unlike Lord Abingdon,”—she gritted her teeth at the foul taste of his name—“Percy’s actions often appear to be at odds with his reputation. I’ve met plenty of wolves in sheep’s wool, and he does not strike me as such. If anything, I think of him as more of a black sheep than a wolf. Trouble, certainly.” She gave the other woman a brittle smile. “But not of the same sort.”
It was the perfect answer. Eden knew it by the sudden light in her hostess’s eyes.
“Indeed, with the exception of my own husband, you will never find as generous a spirit in another man, nor as compassionate a heart,” agreed Lady Montgomery. “But allow me to warn you that Percy is no sheep, not even a black one. If anything, let us rather call him a reformed wolf. He earned his bad reputation quite honestly, my dear, and it will haunt him for the rest of his life. Should you marry him, it will haunt yours, as well. You will be called to constantly defend him, as well as yourself for having him. People will wonder about your character because of who he is—or was.”
“I’m aware of his many by-blows, if that’s what you’re implying,” Eden said flatly. “Many men sire children out of wedlock before they marry. The king himself is known to have sired several bastards.” She used the vulgar word deliberately, tired of walking on eggshells with the woman. “Why Percy should be so vilified over an indiscretion so common to his sex is incomprehensible to me.”
“True, but there are many other things about him you don’t know—”
“If they are as inconsequential as the aforementioned, I shall be as glad to ignore them,” Eden told her with aplomb. In for a pound… “Though you did not end as Percy’s wife, both you and Lord Montgomery still name him your friend. Therefore, I must assume he is possessed of more good qualities than bad. Like you, I simply feel he ought to be given a chance.”
“You’re falling in love with him.”
The accusation hung in the air between the two women for several seconds while Eden’s ears began to burn. “I am quite fond of him.” To her mortification, she found her voice unsteady. “However—”
“You should know Percy tends not to procrastinate when it comes to making decisions,” Lady Montgomery cut in softly. “If he has declared his intent to court you,
I should not wait too long to reciprocate his sentiments. He’s a fine catch, and there are many who would give much to be in your place.”
“Any attempt to displace me in his affections is a welcome test of my good faith in him,” Eden responded coolly. “Should some other female manage to lure him away, I shall count myself fortunate to have avoided a grave error in judgment concerning his character.”
“It was not my intention to offend you,” replied Lady Montgomery, holding up a slim, beringed hand in surrender. “Nor do I wish to imply Percy possesses a fickle nature. In truth, should you remain in his confidence you will find him capable of the most singular devotion. I only wish to convey to you the importance of decisive action on your part.”
“If by ‘decisive action’ you mean to say I should pretend a sentiment I don’t feel in order to secure him, then I must refuse. If his favor cannot be earned honestly, then I do not wish it.” Eden could hardly believe they were having this conversation. The woman was no confidante of hers to be speaking so plainly of such intimate matters!
“I understand you think it premature to claim any sort of tender feeling towards him,” said her hostess. “But know that if you leave him without a definitive answer for too long, he will not linger. If he should come to doubt your affections, he’ll cut his losses and be gone before you can blink. I know this about him.”
She hesitated, as though debating whether or not to speak further. When she lifted her head again, Eden saw determination in her eyes. “Because I feel it necessary in order to make you understand, I shall entrust you with a secret known to very few people. I did not throw Percy over for Henry as everyone believes. It was Percy who broke off our engagement.”
Eden felt the blood leave her face. He’d been telling the truth.
“He realized I was in love with Henry even if I did not want to admit it,” Lady Montgomery continued. “I was terrified of loving him, and Percy was the perfect escape. I liked him a great deal, and I would have done my best to make him happy, but fondness wasn’t enough, you see. Percy wanted more than I was willing, or indeed able, to give him.”
