Lady Penelope's Christmas Charade, a Regency Romance Read Online Free Page B

widow.
    "Perhaps. There's a lot going on at the Gilded Lily. Matters that might come in handy further down the road, even if they don't directly link to Cicely's disappearance."
    "I see." Her brows drew together. "What is the Gilded Lily? Some sort of club, like a gaming hell?" Peter had joined a few clubs in his day. Some more notorious than, well, others.
    "It's a whorehouse. A brothel." He pronounce d the words with a flourish. "Do y ou comprehend why I wanted to hire a hack so desperately now, ma'am?"
    "Well, yes." Thank heavens the darkness covered her blush. She was supposed to be a worldly-wise widow, not a green girl who blushed at the menti on of the unmentionable.  "But you didn't explain the entire purpose of our visit when we were having our debate."
    "Oh, do forgive me." His tone was mocking. "Nex t time I shall be more explicit."
    She sighed. How could she recapture that spark of warmth, of comradeship she had felt toward him just moments ago? She wanted to be equal partners. She craved that kind of stimulation. Life was terribly lonely without it. She eyed him carefully, then crossed the carriage floor and sat beside him.
    "Please don't be angry," she pleaded, taking his hands in hers. Heavens, his hands were so large. She ignored the tingle that shot through her body at his touch, and turned to the solvable problem.  "I was trying to help when I insisted on taking the carriage. I didn't mean for it to be such an ordeal."
    He grinned suddenly, and gripped her hands in return. "I apologize too. I'm used to working alone. I don't usually have a companion to question or challenge me."
    "Forgiven?" she queried, a smile hovering at the corners of her mouth.
    He nodded. "Forgiven."
    She tried to release his hold, but he held her tightly. "Now, when we go to the Gilded Lily, you must promise me one thing. Do not leave your carriage. I shall have your coachman standing guard. It's far too dangerous a place for an unescorted woman, and I am concerned for your safety."
    "But—how can I help if I shan't be there to question the lads with you?" Frustration began to well in her chest.
    "They may not be willing to talk as frankly with a lady standing about," he replied in a measured tone of voice. "If they are speaking as one man to another, they may be more willing to share."
    Well, dash it all, that did make sense. "Very well. I promise."
    He released her hands and then traced the bridge of her nose with one forefinger.
    She drew backward at the touch of his rough, slightly calloused fingertip. "You are very pretty, you know," he murmured. "One could see how you got your nickname."
    "How do you know about that?" she replied faintly. It was as though he had used up all the air in the carriage. She was finding it hard to draw breath.
    "The Ice Goddess? Your reputation precedes you, I must admit." He chuckled ruefully.
    "Yes, but if you do not go out in society—how would you know what the ton thinks of me?" This was growing more puzzling by the moment. His behavior, his words—surely she was missing something. Surely there was an answer, somewhere.
    "It is how I earn my bread. I make a point of knowing my employers before I take on a case."
    She strained to study his expression in the gathering darkness of the carriage, but as always, he was inscrutable. There was a definite pattern to his behavior. Every time a window opened onto his soul, he shut it with a snap. Well, two could play at that game. She drew back with a deliberate movement and scrambled to the safety of her own side of the carriage. The swaying motion of the carriage began to slow, and the howl of drunken voices grew louder in the still night air.
    "I believe we've made our destination, Mr. Howe," she informed him airily. "The Gilded Lily."
    "Stay in the carriage," he barked, peering out the window. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
    "Don't worry about me, Mr. Howe. Feel free to take your time." she deliberately infused sweetness into her tone.
    He glanced