by Oliver Queen
"What are you doing here?" she demanded, planting her hands on her hips and glaring at him to cover her mortification. Leaning there, she could not help but notice how out of place he looked in his immaculate outfit set against the farmyard.
He merely lifted an eyebrow at her tone. "I believe I asked a question first. Don't you know it is insufferably rude to reply a question with another?"
She felt her face heat up, but kept her glare. "What I do in the privacy of my own home is none of your business. And it matters nothing to you if I have taken leave of my senses or not. Now what are you doing here? I do not recall extending an invitation."
He pushed off from the wall and strolled towards her, hands clasped behind his back, regarding her with an unreadable gaze. "No, but I sent you an invitation. One which you have obviously chosen to ignore. Now, I am not in the habit of being ignored Miss Inglewood, so I am here to offer you the chance to explain yourself."
Penny stared at him for a moment in utter disbelief. Surely the man was joking? He had to be in jest. "Invitation?" she repeated with a derisive snort. "I beg your pardon, if you are referring to the message you sent over, that was not an invitation. It was a summons, more like an imperial order and if you know me quite well, which you don't of course, you would have come to realize I do not answer to summons from arrogant, supercilious men, whether they be dukes or no."
He threw back his head and laughed heartily, infuriating her even more. "My dear Miss Inglewood, I consider being called arrogant and supercilious quite the compliment. I have been called far worse, much worse. I could even teach you a few choice words to use if you find yourself at a loss of what to say."
Penny shook her head, and picked up her basket, turning to walk away from him. "Please leave, I don't want you here."
She heard the crunch of his boots as he came up beside her. "And why not?"
She simply cast a glance at him, taking in the immaculate black morning suit he was wearing, cursing her heart for speeding up the way it did at his proximity. "As you can see Your Grace, I am quite busy with chores. I have no time for idle chit chat."
He grabbed her arm and pulled her to a halt beside him. The touch of his fingers burned through the thin sleeves of her blouse, searing her with a strange pleasant feeling. Her emotion must have been visible on her face because he smirked in satisfaction and released the arm. She resisted the urge to run her fingers over where his touch had burned her, unwilling to let him see how much the contact had affected her. She simply carried on walking, willing him to go away and leave her alone. She could not deal with him, not today, certainly not in addition to Lucy being miserable because the Earl had failed to visit as promised, Eddie keeping a stony silence and thinking about Mr. Barstow's ill-timed proposal.
To her dismay, he simply carried on walking beside her, steadily unnerving her with his silence. She could feel his gaze on her adding to her discomfort even further.
Finally she could bear it no longer. "Well? Are you simply going to be silent?"
"I do not expect to carry on a conversation whilst you are supposedly working." he replied. "You just said you had no time to chat so I am content to wait till you are finished with your chores."
"Hah!" she scoffed, "The great duke of Newbridge waits patiently for a mere peasant. Why do I find that doubtful?"
His lips twisted in a something close to a smile. "I see you are prepared to think the worst of me. I assure you Miss Inglewood, I am not here to argue with you."
She stopped again, tilting her head back so she could look up at him, distrust written clearly on her face. He stared down at her in amusement, enjoying the conversation immensely. "Why are you here then. Why did you send for me in the first place?"
"After giving the matter some careful consideration, I eventually reached the conclusion that perhaps I was too hasty in assuming you were somehow in cahoots with my errant fiancee. I 'requested' your presence because I believe we can come to some sort of arrangement on how to deal with the current nuisance."
Penny's mouth fell open in astonishment as she doubted if she had heard his words correctly. Oh dear lord, could this be an answer to her prayers? If what he said was true, then perhaps he would not be so willing to bring harm to her brother after all, and they could sort out how to keep those two lovers apart. But despite all these thoughts, a part of her still doubted. He was obviously not aware of the tryst on Sunday, for she was certain that he would not be here offering to make peace if he knew his betrothed had spent the afternoon wrapped in another man's arms. She prayed he would never discover the truth.
He took a step closer, the move startling her out of her reverie. She stared at him in alarm as she watched him lift a hand towards her face. What was he doing? Had he gone mad?
"What do you think you are doing?" she shrieked, attempting to take a step back only to find herself up against the walls of the house. She had not realized they had come so close. He leaned closer, much to her mortification, then rather than kiss her as she had feared merely brushed his hand over her cheek.
"You have got mud on your face." he took a step back, holding out his stained hand for her to see. She gasped and her hands flew to her face. He chuckled and shook his head. "Now you have simply rubbed more of it. Hold still."
He reached into the pocket of his coat for a pristine white handkerchief and applied himself to the task of cleaning her face. Penny forced herself to stand still, even though shivers raced up and down her spine with every brush of his fingers on her skin. Her nostrils were inundated by the scent of him, so familiar from the other night in his arms. For several moments, the torture continued until she could stand it no longer. With a small cry, she took a step back, her entire being shaking at the overload of desire that ran through her.
He appeared unperturbed by the contact, a discovery that caused her to flush in shame. He simply stared down at her, an impassive look on his dark features as he dropped his hand back to his sides.
"Are you all right?" he asked brusquely.
Penny simply nodded, not trusting herself to speak for fear of stuttering her words. She cursed her traitorous body for its reaction to his mere touch. The man was engaged to be married for heaven's sake. What was wrong with her?
"You will need to wash your face if you hope to get the rest of the slime off" he continued, casting a disgusted look at his soiled handkerchief. "There is much more dirt than can be cleaned off with this."
Penny found her voice finally. "Well, I certainly did not ask you to offer up your handkerchief." she snapped, still angry over her silly reaction and at the way he was looking at the piece of material as though he regretted using it to clean her face. "I have been working all morning, something I know must seem strange to you, never having worked a day in your life. The grime is something that comes with the task."
He frowned down at her. "Must you always let go of the very first thought that comes to your little head?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"I was referring to your shrewish tongue. Did you fail to learn some decorum whilst growing up? Perhaps this is a reason why you have not found yourself a husband yet."
"I BEG YOUR PARDON?" Penny gaped at him. Had he just...had he actually just insulted her?
He merely studied the sleeves of his jacket, brushing idly at a piece of lint that had settled there. "Ah! I see I have hit a nerve. Perhaps I spoke the truth?"
"You are the meanest, most uncouth man I have ever encountered. How dare you speak to me in such a manner. You...you..."
"Cad? Devil? Bastard?" He cut in coldly, "Spare your breath Miss Inglewood, I have already heard every single insult you can think of."
Penny forced herself to take a calming breath, closing her eyes to block out the sight of him. A part of her felt guilty for her rudeness, after all, he had been trying to help, had even offered a truce rather than unleashing his fury as was expected and all she had done was behave in a most abominable manner. She sighed, worrying her lower lip between her teeth as
she pondered how to tender an apology. She opened her eyes once more and found him watching her intently, all traces of coldness gone to be replaced by a fiery heat in his eyes that seared right through the fabric of her dress to pierce her skin. Her breath caught in awe. No man had ever looked at her quite in that way before, as though she were an object of desire.
He continued to stare at her, the fire in those blue eyes drawing her close as though it were a magnet and she found herself taking a step towards him, then another until she stood so close to him her bosom brushed against his shirt. His head began to descend towards her upturned mouth, their eyes locked, smoldering blue with fiery green and everything else ceased to exist.
"PENNY!" Lucy's voice called out from somewhere within the house and the moment was shattered. His eyes became shuttered and cold once more and he took a step back before whirling around and striding away without a word leaving Penny standing there immobile with shock.
The back door opened and Lucy came barreling through the opening, looking excited. "He's here! Henry. He finally came, oh you must come quickly...why on earth are you standing there staring at the empty air for?"
Penny shook her head to clear it and turned to face Lucy, though her mind was in turmoil over what had just happened. Would he have truly kissed her if they had not been interrupted? What on earth was going on?
CHAPTER 7 AFFECTIONS
"Newbridge!" Phillip who was about to mount his steed by the side of the Inglewood's house paused and glanced behind him. Lord Henry was striding down the path leading to the front door, his legs eating up the distance in as few strides as possible. "What the devil are you doing here man?"
Phillip scowled at the man. What business what it of his what he was doing here? "I should be asking you the exact same thing Hensley."
Lord Henry simply laughed, already used to the duke's abrupt manner. "I have come to pay a visit to Miss Inglewood. I find her quite fascinating company and would like to know more about her."
Unbidden, Phillip felt a hot sear of fury rip through him at the thought of Penny in his friend's arms. "I did not think she was your type." he snapped, stepping up to Lord Henry and glaring at him, "Unless you have other...less amorous plans for the lady, in which case, I will strongly advice you to keep your bloody hands to yourself."
Henry's eyes widened in shock and he took a step back. "What has gotten into you? I assure you I have honorable intentions towards Miss Lucy, though I had no idea you were so interested in her...she has said nothing..."
"I was mistaken." Now he was angry at himself. Angry for losing his temper over Penelope Inglewood. He mounted his horse and nodded a curt farewell, setting off down the winding path at a brisk trot. He was furious for losing control of his emotions. god dammit, he had certainly lost his head for the sake of a pair of huge green eyes and enchanting soft lips. Seeing her worry her lower lip between her teeth in that damnably tempting way had been his undoing-all other thoughts had vanished save for the overwhelming urge to taste those supple lips, to run his tongue over it and bite it gently...
"Bloody hell!" He growled, feeling his body tighten once more in desire. He had to get a hold of his senses before he did something foolish and compromise the girl. Digging the heels of his boots into the horse's sides, he urged it into a gallop, needing to concentrate on something other than a certain woman.
Setting the basket on the kitchen table, Penny hurried to the large tub in the corner and washed hurriedly, resolutely setting aside all thoughts of what had just taken place with the duke. She could hear Lucy's excited voice coming from the living room giggling madly and the deeper, more subdued voice of Lord Henry. A quick glance at herself sent her scurrying up the stairs for a change of garments. Lucy would kill her if she dared put in an appearance looking like a scullery maid.
She changed quickly into a deep blue gown and brushed her hair into place. Glancing in the mirror, she stifled a groan when she gazed upon her flushed face. Damn the duke and his annoying flirting. She looked like a woman who had just been thoroughly made love to even though he had not so much as...
"Stop thinking about him" she admonished herself out loud and resolutely turned from the mirror. She made her way to the living room.
Lord Henry was sitting by the fire, Lucy beside him seemingly hanging on to his every word. He leaped to his feet when he notice Penny and executed an elegant bow.
"Miss Inglewood!" He murmured..stepping forward to take her hand, raising it to his lips for a brief kiss. "Such a delight to see you again. You look well."
She swept into as deep a curtsy as her leg would allow. "Thank you my lord, it is a pleasure to have you in our home. Please sit."
He waited till she had taken her seat before resuming his own. "I trust that you are well? I saw Lord Farnsworth leaving just as I arrived."
Oh stuff and blast! Penny thought feeling her cheeks heat up again in remembrance of what had taken place in the yard. "Oh?" she replied simply, wishing desperately for a fan to hide behind and avoid the curious looks Lucy and Lord Henry were currently throwing her way. "He simply wished to have a word about...my brother. Would you like some tea?"
The earl was no fool. He recognized her need to change the topic of conversation and nodded. "Yes of course, I would love a cup, if it's not any trouble."
"I will make it." Lucy announced, throwing him a flirtatious smile and hurried into the kitchen.
Lord Henry leaned forward. "I wish to ask for your permission to court your sister Miss Inglewood," he began, regarding her earnestly, "I hope you have no problems or objections?"
Penny smile at him reassuringly. "Oh that is simply delightful my lord. Of course I have no objections whatsoever. I am equally sure Lucy will be happy to have you pay court to her."
He leaned back and raked a hand through his hair. "You have no idea how relieved I am to hear those words Miss Inglewood, Lucy is the most delightful woman and it is a splendid honor to be able to ask for her hand."
Penny's heart blossomed on hearing those words. Lucy would be happy with Henry, of that she was certain even if she knew so little of the earl, his reputation had preceded him as an honorable man. Lucy returned with the tea tray, and Penny watched with a satisfied smile as the young man jumped to help with the laden tray, murmuring something that caused Lucy to blush and giggle shyly. Yes indeed, he would make her happy.
She rose and murmured an excuse, going into the kitchen to put away the eggs. Unbidden, a image of Phillip, complete with mocking supercilious smile rose in her mind's eye. She sighed and leaned against the wall. How would it have felt if he had kissed her? Would it be soft and sweet or hard and demanding? She shut her eyes, a wave of longing sweeping through her entire being. It had been so long since she had felt the touch of a man's lips, her responsibilities in looking after Edward and Lucy had so overshadowed everything else, she had hardly given thought to any form of romance whatsoever.
The door to the parlor opened and Lucy rushed in excitedly. "Oh goodness Penny, I believe I shall faint from so much happiness," she gushed, hurrying over to grab hold of her sister's arm. "Henry has invited us to a private party he intends to hold at his country home, according to him, there will be only twenty guests but he seeks your approval first. Oh please do say we can attend? Please?"
"What sort of private party Lucy? Will there be other ladies present?"
"Of course. He says his sister will be in attendance as well as a few ladies of the ton. Oh can you imagine how wonderful that is going to be? I shall mingle with society's finest. Oh I do believe I'm dreaming!"
"I assure you, you are not dreaming, otherwise we will be having the exact same dream which will be most unusual." Penny replied with an indulgent smile, "Now go tell Henry we are honored to accept his invitation."
Lucy squealed in delight, throwing her arms about her sister then hurried away to deliver the good news. Penny chuckled to herself and set about fixing lunch. Idly, she wondered where Eddie had gotten to. Perhaps she would
pay her good friend Fiona a visit and invite Kate Ingram to Sunday tea. That would be the first step of her plan.
"Are you leaving already my lord?"
Phillip paused in the act of pulling on his breeches and glanced back at the woman on the bed. She was propped up on the pillows, watching him with an arched look of surprise. "Yes. I have work to do." He replied shortly, resuming his dressing. He was suddenly seized with a desire to leave as soon as possible. Coming here was a mistake, he realized for even though he had fulfilled his desires, thoughts of the very woman he was trying to purge out of his system continued to plague him.
A rustling of the bedsheets told him she had risen from the bed. He paid no attention and focused on wearing his boots.
"Shall I see you again? Her voice was whisper soft and seductive, at another time he might have found himself tempted by her charms, but not today.
"I think not. I will be going up to London tomorrow." He replied. Finished with his attire, he rose and finally turned to face the pretty red haired widow. She dimpled up at him, then sashayed closer to wind her arms about him.
"Ah. What shall I do whilst you are away then? I shall be immeasurably bored." She murmured seductively, bringing her rouged lips to his, "Will you come visit when you return?"
He extricated himself from her embrace and turned to leave. "I think it would be best if you forget this ever happened. The house is yours if you want it, other than that I believe I owe you nothing else?" He did not wait for a reply and strode out briskly, his mind still unsatisfied.
Chapter 8 SOIREE
Phillip downed the brandy in one gulp and grimaced as it burned down unsatisfactorily. Bloody thing wasn't doing much to to lighten his mood as he had hoped. He summoned the waiter hovering at a respectful distance and settled deeply into the padded seats with a scowl. Nothing was working so far, not whoring, drowning himself in spirits or even a visit to several gaming hells could purge him of the thought of a certain pair of bewitching green eyes. He cursed under his breath, calling himself all kinds of a fool for allowing the tiny woman to invade his peace is such an annoying manner. He had even removed himself back to London and still...
