Temptation: 3 (Timeless Series) (23 page)

“Stop,” he said. “You’re making it worse. If you continue rubbing me like that, I’m not going to be able to take your threats of leaving seriously.”

Immediately Penny froze, not moving a muscle. She stayed in her uncomfortable position for several minutes before Parker’s hand firmly pulled her toward him. “Relax. I promise to behave. Like I said, angel. You have nothing to fear from me.”

His grin turned more confident when she complied with his request. She wasn’t immune to him, that much was true, but she was denying their attraction and building a wall of resistance.

He stayed silent the rest of the trip, plotting ways he could tear down the wall and melt that resistance.

“You’ve a green thumb,” Penny commented to Elizabeth, who was vigorously weeding in the garden outside Parker’s library. She walked in between flowers of all types, roses in every color, lavender, pink azaleas, yellow day lilies, and maroon begonias. “I’ve always loved gardens,” she said, admiring the beauty of this one. Several days had passed since the ride with Parker back to the house. Mornings were the only time she could avoid him.

“It’s my obsession.” Elizabeth sank back on her heels, shading her eyes with a hand and smiled. “I love roses. These were my husband’s favorite when he was alive,” she said, indicating a bush with the most beautiful red roses Penny had ever seen. “I propagated this from a clipping that I brought from Pennsylvania.” She sighed.
“Makes me feel closer to him.” She went back to weeding. “I’m usually out here in the morning, to avoid the heat.”

“Would you mind some company?” Penny asked.

“Surely you don’t want to spend your time weeding with an old lady?” Elizabeth’s question held a hint of amusement that said she was teasing. “Where’s Catherine?”

“She’s off painting. I love to garden and spent many hours helping our gardeners at home in England.” Penny looked around and added wistfully, “I’d like to feel useful.”

“You’ve already made yourself useful helping me with the tenants, not to mention helping around the house. I could get spoiled with all your usefulness.”

The smile she offered warmed Penny’s heart. “I enjoy staying busy.”

Elizabeth chuckled. “If you’re determined to help, I’d love the company. You might want to go and change, though. I have another old bonnet to keep the sun off your face as well as an extra pair of work gloves in the shed.”

“I’ll be right back.” Penny couldn’t contain her grin as she hurried to change.

The two had spent several hours working side by side when Penny looked up.

Catherine stepped into view. “Would you like to go for a ride?”

Penny nodded. “I’d love to, if that’s all right with your mother.”

“Oh, go on with you. You don’t need my permission to enjoy yourself,” Elizabeth scolded good-naturedly.

“Thanks for letting me help you.” Penny rose, taking off her gloves and bonnet.

“I’m the one who’s thankful. I enjoyed the company.” Elizabeth smiled warmly. As Penny left, she added a little louder, “I’m out here most mornings, if you get the urge to get your hands dirty again.”

Penny only laughed and said, “I’ll be here tomorrow morning.”

After that, Penny spent most mornings helping Elizabeth in the garden.

~~

Over the next three weeks, her life on the Davis farm settled into routine. Parker played the perfect gentleman, not once giving her cause to mention her threat of leaving. He still required her to play chess with him in the evenings, even letting her drink more of his bourbon, but she was careful to avoid being alone with him. The minute the others retired, Penny would take her leave and Parker never said a word. No, but he always wore an indulgent smile when he’d say his good night—a mocking grin shouting louder than words that he knew she was running from him and he found the fact amusing.

Today she sat with Catherine and Elizabeth in the library as they did each afternoon.

“Take a look.”

Glancing at Catherine, who’d been engrossed in sketching something with a piece of charcoal, Penny nodded and her eyes focused lower. “What are you working on now?”

“One of the tenants’ boys.”
She presented the picture. “What do you think?”

“That’s Tommy. You’re quite good. This has definitely captured his spirit,” Penny said, impressed with the likeness of the sweet child she’d met while helping Elizabeth.

The picture brought forth a ready memory of the first time Parker’s mother asked Penny to go with her to check on the sick child. Penny smiled. Parker’s tenants not only farmed on his land, but they paid rent with part of their yield each year. This similarity to estates in England made her feel even more comfortable with her temporary home. And more comfortable with Parker, despite the great lengths she took to avoid him. All to no avail.

During the day, when he wasn’t working with his farm manager, he would seek out Catherine and her out to go riding. He caught on early on that riding was her passion and Penny couldn’t resist taking him up on the offer. Nor could she help but enjoy the daily rides, in fact begin to live for them. Racing both Catherine and Parker through the Maryland countryside in an effort to come out on top was something she relished. One thing marred her happiness. He was still too darned attractive, and keeping a level head around him became harder by the day.

“I wish Catherine was as adept at household duties as she is with hunting and drawing,” Elizabeth said with a sigh, attracting Penny’s attention. The elder woman shook out the shirt she’d mended and gently folded it, placing it in a basket and picking up another to work on. “You can’t know how nice it is to have someone to share them with, now that Sarah and Rebecca are gone. Until you came, Penny, I was starting to feel as if I was the only female in the house.”

“Mother!
How can you say that? I’m female,” Catherine declared in a shocked voice. “I simply have other interests.”

Penny’s smile stretched. Despite her unwanted attraction to Parker, Penny felt as if she really was part of their family, and her time spent with them was something she treasured. Besides her early morning gardening and going hunting with Catherine a couple more times, Elizabeth had taken her under her wing, showing her things within the household that needed tending and taking Penny along with her more and more when she went to visit Parker’s tenants.

“Yes, I know,” Elizabeth said. “But you can’t tell me you’d rather not be outdoors riding or hunting with Lucas or Parker than sitting with Sarah and Rebecca talking about fashions or decorating. How are you ever going to find a husband, when you outshoot and outride every man within a fifty-mile radius?”

“Why do I need to marry?” Catherine asked huffily, returning her attention to her charcoal.

Elizabeth’s eyes flew to Penny’s and her expression seemed to say, “See what I have to deal with?” Instead, she murmured, “Why indeed?”

“You never married again after father died.”

“We’re talking about two completely different subjects, and you know it. I guess I should be content with your offer to help me with our ball next month.”

“You’re having a ball?” It seemed ages ago that Penny had attended one.

Catherine nodded. “It’s our Harvest Ball,” she explained to Penny. “An annual celebration held at the end of the growing season, usually the last Saturday in October. Everyone within riding distance attends—tenants and landholders alike.”
Catherine chuckled. “See, Mother. I’m not totally without merit. I do love creating the perfect ambience.” She then went back to her drawing, while Penny picked up her book again and Elizabeth mended.

They all glanced up when Parker sauntered into the room a short time later. He bent to give Elizabeth a quick peck on the cheek. “You’re looking content today, Mother.” He straightened and looked at his sister. “Are you two ready for our ride?”

Catherine shook her head and replied in a disappointed voice, “You and Penny will have to go without me today. I promised Tommy I’d finish his picture by this afternoon.”

Parker looked to Penny with raised eyebrows. “Well, angel. How about it? Are you up for a ride?”

Penny frowned, wishing he’d quit with the nickname he’d started using soon after that first night they’d played chess and had made love. “I think I’ll stay and read.”

“But you love to ride,” Catherine said. “There’s no reason you have to lose out just because I made a promise.”

“Go on and have a nice ride, dear,” Elizabeth chimed in. “The fresh air will do you good.”

Feeling stuck, Penny nodded, even though Catherine wouldn’t be around to provide a buffer. “Just give me a chance to change.” She set her book aside and stood, hiding her dismay behind a stiff smile.

“Good.” Parker met her gaze. “I’ll meet you in the stables in ten minutes. Since Catherine can’t join us, we’ll ride someplace special.”

As Penny rushed out of the room and up the stairs, she wondered where somewhere special was.

She soon found out when she and Parker rode to a scenic spot overlooking the bay, a part of his property she’d never been to before.

The sun, high in the sky, warmed the air and created a perfect late-summer day, neither too hot nor too cold.

Parker dismounted and tied his horse to a nearby tree before heading for a big boulder. She watched as he sat, pensively looking out over the water.

“You love it here, don’t you?” Penny had tied her horse to the same tree and now stood behind him. Her eyes swept over the panoramic view of the bay and shoreline. From this spot, she could see for miles. The view of the water filled her with peace.

He shrugged. “I do love it here. Catherine has her cave, Lucas has the sea, and I have this spot. This is why I bought the property all those years ago,” he said, meeting her inquisitive gaze. Then his attention returned to the bay. Two ships sailed on the horizon and he silently studied their progress. “The scenery is spectacular, don’t you think?”

She nodded. His mood seemed more brooding today—different. His gaze held nothing of his usual amusement. Instead she caught a glimpse of yearning, or hunger would be a better term, before he quickly shuttered the expression. Licking her lips nervously, she hesitated, not quite sure how to proceed. “It is beautiful. Makes me wonder if heaven is like this,” she said, finally moving to sit beside him.

“I would imagine if anyone knew what heaven was like, it would be an angel such as you,” he teased lightly.

“I’m hardly an angel.” Penny couldn’t stop the grin from touching the corners of her mouth. “In fact, my father used to say I had a bit of the devil in me because of some of my exploits when I was younger.”

“Maybe that’s why I find you so intriguing. You’re a devil disguised as an angel, come to earth to torment me. It’s my living hell, part of my penance for being the way I am.”

“Why do you say that?” she asked, wishing she could understand his strange mood.

“No reason,” he replied abruptly, his manner indicating he’d shared too much. “You’re right about this spot being heavenly, though. It’s so peaceful here. Maybe that’s why I love it.”

Penny accepted his answer and remained silent, lost in her thoughts. The serene spot elicited images of her past. “I’ve often wondered if my parents watch over me from heaven,” she said sheepishly, voicing her thoughts and keeping her eyes on the horizon. “Sitting here now, I believe it, and the idea of them up there somewhere looking down warms my heart.” After a moment of reflection, her focus returned to his face.
“As if such a thing were possible. That’s so silly, isn’t it?”

“No. It’s a very pleasant thought. I wonder if my father is watching over me.” Smiling, he held eye contact. Then his smile turned wistful and he sighed, shaking his head and releasing her gaze. “If so, I don’t think he’d like what I’ve become.”

“That’s not true. You’ve much to be proud of.”

“Not in my father’s eyes.”

He’d mentioned something about his father on the trip from Baltimore. At the time, she’d let it go, unwilling to pry. Now she was curious because she sensed he was revealing something about himself he didn’t usually share with others. Her curiosity got the better of her. “Would you like to talk about it?”

“About what?”
His reluctant gaze met hers again.

“About the accident that killed your father and brothers,” she said softly. “I know it still pains you.”

Parker refocused on the water as another passing ship sailed below. Penny wasn’t sure he would say more until his deep voice penetrated the quiet.

“It happened a long time ago. A mine caved in. We were coal miners—my brothers and I—following in our father’s footsteps. It was how we survived back then.”

Well aware of such accidents that killed people and too stunned to do much more than stare, Penny remained speechless. Her father had owned several coal mines, now hers, in Northumberland. Having had a strong social conscience before his death, he’d worked tirelessly with the miners to improve working conditions, especially for children. She remembered several long discussions between her mother and him over his concerns for safety. So much so, he’d proclaimed if he couldn’t be profitable without killing people, he would shut them down. Penny knew he worried over that scenario. Shutting them down would then deny hundreds the means of support, which was why Lytton Mines were still in operation today with her guardian overseeing them. Only Lord Knightsbridge didn’t possess her father’s social conscience.

“It must’ve been hard,” she said, shaking her disturbing thoughts of her guardian’s control of her property. Somehow she’d regain control of them.

“It was my father’s way of life for generations, even though he’d also made sure we’d taken the time to learn what my mother had to teach us. My grandfather on my mother’s side taught at the university, and my father used to say education was a way out. At the time, I didn’t know what he meant, but now I do.” He heaved a heavy sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. “’Tis funny. That accident shaped my life. Once they died, I was no longer content to break my back for the profit of others. It took my father’s death for me to figure out what he was trying to tell me all those years ago.”