Authors: Nichole Matthews
Parker leaned over and removed the sleeping infant from her arms, carrying her to her cot and laid her down. He stood still, dragging in angry breaths disturbed by the fear that had flashed in
Miss Smith’s
eyes. Disturbed that anyone could harm any woman and child, let alone this speci
fic woman
and baby
. He thought of his own sisters and what he feared he w
ould do if they came to harm and was surprised that the protective instincts he felt for Miss Smith and her daughter
were already running as deep.
He turned back towards the bed and Miss Smith. She felt his gaze but refused to meet it. “Do what you must to ease your fears, Miss Smith. Cry, scream, curse.”
He ground out angrily.
At his words she forced her watery gaze to his blue eyes that were flashing sparks of anger.
How did he know? How did he know she wanted to shout and scream?
“But know this.
” He sighed heavily.
“
No one will harm either you or your daughter while you are under my protection.” Parker looked at her solemnly
and said with dangerous quiet,
“No one.”
Persephone
was so tired. She
drew in a deep breath. “Thank you, my lord,” she replied, her voice quivering a little.
They were both silent for a moment.
His smile was indulgent. “We are
unconventional in this house, informal if you will
, Miss Smith. You may call me Parker as any one o
f my intimate acquaintances would
.”
“Impossible, my lord.”
Persephone cast down her eyes.
He lowered his hand and lifted her chin
. H
er eyes were closed and he could sense her internal struggle. “You will call me Parker and I will call you Persephone as if we have been lifelong friends.”
She opened her eyes and Parker grinned
,
his white teeth gleamed, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “I have not received the slighte
st
hesitation from Tillie. She is perfectly content with treating me as an intimate acquaintance. Why can you not
do the same
?”
She twined her fingers together in
her lap. “It is unseemly, my…”
He cut off her protest holding up one manicured hand. “Besides, you would be doing me a great favor if you acknowledged our burgeoning friendship.”
“How so, my lord?” s
he asked cautiously, doubt spread
ing
across her face.
He watched as she worried her
lower lip
,
weighing the request. “I swear it is not solely a selfish request, but if we were intimate acquaintances, the
n I mustn’t dress for dinner.”
Persephone paused for a moment
at first doubt was still evident on
her face, then her lips twitched and he watched as her fight to hold back her
laughter failed miserably.
Parker’s brow quirked at the soft tinkling sound
she made
. “Please say you will accept my request, Persephone.” A small smile played around his lips as he se
arched her eyes with his gaze.
His
persuasive
. It was clear the he expected her to acquiesce. Persephone allowed herself a de
ep sigh before replying, “Yes, my l
o
—
Parker.” His name fell from her lips in the softest of whispers.
And he smiled. It was quite a dazzling smile that lit up his entire face and brightened his already incredible b
lue eyes to the clearest blue.
“Splendid. Then it
i
s settled.”
His deep voice was rich with satisfaction.
His mouth quirked up in a lopsided grin that revealed a devastating dimple that
until that moment
had been hid
den in his right cheek.
Persephone sucked in a breath
,
her cheeks flushed. He was too beautiful to be an ordinary man. She would call him an angel, but he was much too dark to be an angel.
How else could she describe him? He had saved her. He had sa
ved her daughter.
“You are feeli
ng more the thing, Persephone?”
“Yes, m
y—Parker.” Her pulse fluttered when he said her name.
“Good. Then we have much to celebrate this evening.
” He couldn’t contain his grin.
“
My sister
,
Poppy
,
has delivered a son and all are doing well. My aunt and I are asking you to join us for dinner this evening to celebrate this happy event.”
“I have nothing to wear.”
Parker looked at her with a hint of amusement in his eyes, even after her ordeal she responded as any typical woman would. Vanity.
“I will take care of the details, Persephone.” He smiled. “You only need to say yes.”
“In that case, P-P-Parker,
it would be rude of me to refuse your hospitality.”
He watched her lashes
lower
,
hiding her eyes for a moment.
Dark brows shot up when she stumbled over his name, his bright blue eyes lighting up with humor. Then he
rose in one fluid movement to m
ake his depar
ture, making a polite bow,
clasping Persephone’s hand briefly but firmly before he left.
She flushed a little and shifted her gaze, an odd fluttering in her stomach at
the subtle scraping of his call
used hands against her soft skin, not at all what she would h
ave expected from a gentleman.
“We
dine at six.”
Her eyes followed him as he walked to the door, surprised by her body’s reaction to his touch. She never thought that she would feel anything but disgust for men, but he was making her feel much more.
He was making her feel safe.
***
Granville
tossed his drink back
,
then reached for the decanter and poured another. Fury surged through him as he thought of her li
ving in squalor, filth, hunger.
The
ungrateful
bitch actually preferred
living as a pauper to being with him?
He was appalled that anyone associated with him would be walking around a beggar, dressed in ra
gs. She was an embarrassment.
He gulped the rest of his brandy, then hurled the empty glass. It flew across his study into one of the tall windows, shattering the glass and crashing onto the terrace. It did nothing to alleviate the rage coursing throughout his body. Not as satisfying as breaking bones and hearing screams of pain, but it would have to do for now.
His stud
y door burst open. “My lord?”
Granville’s hard gaze moved to the intruder. “Did I call for assistance?”
His glare made Peterson swallow hard. He took a few steps back. “No, my lord.”
He leaned back in his ch
air, his hands crossed over his still
flat stomach. The mess must be dealt with at some point. Desire flashed in his eyes as the elegant, slim man skidded to a halt in front of his desk and his mouth slowly twisted in a semblance of a smile. “Kneel and
clean up this mess.” His mouth watered and he wiped his damp palms against the legs of his trousers,
arousal shooting through him.
“My lord?” Peterson questioned not looking Granville in the eyes, then swallowed because he knew what the punishment was for his disobedience and a part of him needed it.
“Kneel.” A command.
And Peterson dropped to the
floor;
chest heaving he kept his eyes down with his hands palms up on his thighs a thick erection obvious at the fall of his trousers.
“Good boy.”
Granville patted his head. “If you do a good job, perhaps I will reward you.”
Oh, hush the, my baby,
Thy sire was a knight,
They mother a lady,
Both lovely and bright
N
ot long after Persephone left her bed,
there
was a scratch at the door. She
sat up straight in the chair
she was occupying by the fire and lowered
her feet to the floor before placi
ng one of the books Lord Ashford had delivered
for her enjoyment on
the
table to the right of her.
“Miss Smith,” Lady Peregrine called. “May I come in?”
Adele stuck her head around the door her smile bright when she spotted Miss Smith.
“Of course, my lady.
” Persephone stood in greeting nervously pleating the skirt of the robe she was wearing.
Lady Peregrine entered along with two maids, Lucy from the previous day and another
young lady.
Each carried
a dress
over their arm.
“Did Parker invite you to dine with us this evening, Miss Smith?”
“Yes, my lady.” Persephone inclined her head
,
her eyes traveling over the pretty gowns. It had been so long since she had worn anything that nice
.
She felt a shiver of excitement at the thought.
She lifted her hand to her hair in an attempt to smooth it further and lifted her eyes to meet that of Lord Ashford’s aunt. Parker. He had asked her to call him Parker. It was such a foreig
n concept, but he had insisted.
She would need to remember that when they met up for dinner. Parker.
“Good.” Lady Peregrine waved the maids in. “We found some dresses that might be of a size and I wanted to have you try them on so that we can h
ave one altered for you to wear
to dinner this evening.”
She watched as the maids carried in two exquisitely crafted dresses. She recognized their design from
La Belle Assembl
é
e
a few Seasons past.
In fact, she was sure that she had one of two of that design in her armoire
at home. She sighed at the thought of home. It was no longer her home. She had no home to speak of anymore. No famil
y in which to seek shelter.
“Is there nothing else?” She stared at Lady Peregrine. “I cannot allow you to destroy these dresses for one dinner.”
“Oh,” Adele said
tilting her head
. “Are you planning on leaving us on the morrow?”
“No, my lady,” Persephone replied. “I had hoped to
impose
on your hospitality a bit longer.”
She lowered her eyes. Embarrassed
at what she took as weakness.
Adele looked amused. “Well then, my girl.” She
gestured to the maids
stand
ing
before the cheval glass and
lifted a dress with tiny lilac fl
owers and held it in front of Persephone
. “You will be eating more than one dinner with us, I daresay.” Her brow raised in question.
“Yes, my lady,” Persephone managed to reply.
“We’ve managed to get into the habit of eating dinner on a nightly basis.” Adele’s lips
twitched.
She watched the girl’s reaction to her teasing as if she needed to insure the jest before reacting.
Persephone
hesitated.
“You’re teasing me, my lady.”
“Then I won’t hear another argument.” Adele glanced to
ward
Lucy
, motioning to set the first gown aside
. “Bring me the second
gown, Charlotte. I believe it is better suited to Miss Smith’s coloring.”
So Persephone stood in front of the mirror as Lucy removed her borrowed night rail and laced her into a borrowed corset and lowered the borrowed gown over her head.
Adele stood with her finger tapping her
chin; her eyes narrowed
and motioned with her o
ther hand for Persephone to spin
around. “I wouldn’t take too much in, Charlot
te.” Adele flashed a grin in Persephone’s
direction. “After a few meals prepared by Mrs. Hastings, we may very well have to let
out
the
seams a
gain.”
She motioned for Charlotte to continue pinning. “You will look splendid in this gown.”