The Wallflower Wager - Tessa Dare Page 0,58

hackney shut and motioned to the driver.

“Gabriel, wai—”

The cab carried her and her objection into the London streets. When they’d gone, Gabe turned on his heel and walked the other way.

There. It was over. Forever.

If Gabriel thought this was over, he was fooling himself. Penny was not so easily deterred. However, she decided to allow him a day to recover his senses. When the hackney deposited her at home in Bloom Square, she wanted nothing more than to have a bath and perhaps a healthy cry.

However, when she entered the house, it became evident that both bath and tears would have to wait.

Aunt Caroline looked over her muddied, bedraggled frock. “Oh, Penelope.”

“What a delight to see you, Aunt Caroline.” With a dejected sigh, Penny dropped into a chair, unable to think of anything else to do. “Have you been waiting long?”

“Too long, I daresay. I’ve been having a disturbing conversation with your parrot.”

“I don’t suppose ‘I love you’ was part of the dialogue?”

Her aunt’s eyes were steely. “No.”

Drat. Penny couldn’t convince anyone to believe those words, it seemed—man or bird.

“I’ve also been reading.” Her aunt lifted a copy of the Prattler. “When I said I wanted to see you in the society column, this is not what I meant.”

“I’m not in it.”

“Don’t lie to me.” Her aunt held up the page and shook it at her. “It’s right here in black and white. ‘Unidentified woman’? That can only be you. Who else would attend a fete and leave before speaking to a soul in attendance?”

Penny covered her eyes with one hand and moaned. “I’m trying, Aunt Caroline. I truly am. The otter swam away, and the farm animals are headed to the country in a few days’ time. Just this morning, we delivered the kittens to . . .” She couldn’t bring herself to complete the sentence. “I’m trying.”

And yet, somehow, all her effort wasn’t enough. Not for her aunt; not for Gabriel. Not even for the parrot.

“Now about this ball your detestable neighbor is giving.”

“You needn’t worry. I don’t plan to attend.”

“Oh, yes, you will.” Her aunt harrumphed. “You are running out of time. If you wish to remain in London, there is only one way certain to succeed. An engagement. Or at least the prospect of one. If you have a suitor or two waiting in the wings, Bradford won’t drag you from Town.”

“If it was so easy to line up a suitor or two in the wings, I wouldn’t be in this situation.”

“We both know very well that you haven’t been trying. And this ball is your ideal opportunity. The Duke of Ruin has a great many lords and well-placed gentlemen dangling on the loose threads of his tailcoat. They won’t fail to answer his invitation.” She rose to her feet. “In short, you—and your handsome dowry—will be surrounded by financially desperate men. You’ll never have a better chance at snaring one.”

“As always, Aunt Caroline, you do wonders for my confidence.” Penny accompanied her aunt to the door.

“It’s given me no pleasure to watch you hide away all these years.” Aunt Caroline patted her shoulder fondly. “Believe it or not, I’m pulling for you. You deserve to be an identified woman.”

Penny was momentarily speechless. “Thank you.”

Of all the places to find reassurance, she never would have expected it to come from her demanding Aunt Caroline. Her aunt’s gesture wasn’t precisely effusive, but Penny wasn’t in a position to be choosy. She would take what she could get.

This rare display of affection concluded, her aunt opened the door to leave. “I’ll see you at the ball, then. Do try to look . . .”

“Presentable,” Penny finished. “I know.”

Her aunt clucked her tongue. “Presentable won’t do on this occasion, I’m afraid. If you want to win this little wager of ours, you had better look magnificent.”

Magnificent.

Penny had no interest in accumulating desperate suitors of the ton. She had a singular interest in winning the heart of one man, which meant she’d be betting everything she had on love. If attending his ball and looking magnificent could help in the least . . . ?

Well, then. She had little time to waste.

Chapter Twenty-One

“Hurry along.” Gabe kicked the blocks in place to keep the wagon wheels from moving, while Ash and Chase adjusted the wooden ramp to the wagon bed. “We need to have this done before the ladies return from the shops.”

“What’s the hurry?” Chase said.

Gabe hedged. “So they can arrive at Ashbury’s country estate before nightfall. Safer for men