“No, I’m not going there,” he firmly stated.
“Where does she live? How would I find her lodging?”
He scowled. “I can’t tell you any of that.”
“When you talk to her, will you inform her you spoke to Caroline Grey? I’ve been searching for her.”
The name sounded familiar, but he couldn’t place it. “Yes, I’ll be sure to apprise her for you.”
It was a lie. In light of his current foul mood, he didn’t think he’d ever converse with Libby Carstairs again.
He wasn’t normally cruel though, so he could have mentioned that Libby was always working at various theaters, that Miss Grey could probably track her down at one of them. But in her bedraggled condition, she didn’t seem like a person Libby would want showing up to pester her.
He circled by her and kept on, and she said, “It’s Caroline Grey! Little Caro! Don’t forget! I’ve missed her desperately!”
She offered another comment, but there was too much noise, and he couldn’t hear what it was.
He marched past the teeming crowd, and no one was leaving. Their darling Libby had been freed, but they looked bewildered. How would they rid themselves of their pent-up energy? He hoped they didn’t start a riot merely because they didn’t have anything better to do.
His horse was right where he’d left it. The boy tending it was anxiously watching for him. Luke tossed him more coins than he should have, then he jumped into the saddle and turned the animal so he could travel in the opposite direction from the one Libby had taken.
Heaven forbid that he catch up with her. Heaven forbid that they cross paths again.
He rode away from her, from the prison, from London, and headed home to Barrett.
Millicent stormed into Charles’s library. She was boiling with fury, and she blamed him for every mistake they’d committed so far.
It was bad enough that she’d been forced to wrestle with that wretched Libby Carstairs by herself, but while Charles had been away, Simon Falcon had been toying with Penny’s affections and convincing her that Luke wasn’t a viable option to be her husband. Luke—who was a titled earl! Luke—who was head of one of the oldest, most prestigious families in the land!
The immature girl likely deemed herself in love with the despicable creature. Had it occurred to her that he was simply after her dowry? Was she expecting Charles to blithely offer it to the petty criminal?
Charles had just returned from town, and he was sitting behind his desk and drinking a whiskey. She hadn’t realized he was back, and she’d been rudely summoned to speak with him immediately. Apparently, he planned an urgent conversation, so she’d had to instantly march down the stairs to oblige him.
She had so many complaints to voice that she felt as if she was choking on them, and if he didn’t side with her for once, she didn’t know how she’d react.
“We’ve had the most shocking situation develop,” she said, seizing the offensive as she marched over to sit in the chair across from him. It didn’t matter what he was eager to discuss. She had too many issues of her own, and she had to get them out on the table before they reviewed any of his paltry problems.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Penny has been misbehaving with that scoundrel, Simon Falcon.”
“Oh, no.”
“I bribed him to go away and leave her alone.”
He sighed with aggravation. “Millicent! I wish you wouldn’t have. You should have let me handle it.”
“I would have been glad to, but you weren’t here. He took my money, and he insisted he’d heed me, but he hasn’t. What should we do?”
“I’ll deal with it.”
“Really? As you dealt with Miss Carstairs? I’m sorry, but I don’t trust you to manage it appropriately. If we’re not careful, I’m afraid the irresponsible pair might elope.”
He scoffed with derision. “Penny is not about to elope with Simon Falcon. She would never be that reckless.”
“Are you sure about that? She’s your daughter, so she has your same blood running in her veins. You were just a few years older than she is now when you dashed off with Amanda.”
“Penny isn’t me, and she wouldn’t hurt me that way. She understands how distressed I’d be.”
“If that’s what you assume—that Penny would never engage in mischief—then you’re a fool.”
He shrugged. “Probably.”
“Mr. Falcon is a confidence artist! I believe he intends to abscond with her so he can glom onto her dowry.”
“I would never sign it over to him, and Penny would recognize that. She would never traipse off to live in poverty with him. She’s been too spoiled by life.”
Millicent clucked her tongue in disgust. “Is that your answer? She’s spoiled so she won’t be negligent? Mr. Falcon is a handsome, flamboyant cad, and she’s clearly besotted.”
He shrugged again. “I’ll talk to her.”
“Then I’m certain it will all work out brilliantly,” she snidely said.
“I’m certain it will too,” he agreed.
It was pointless to criticize Penny. She’d been growing more recalcitrant and stubborn by the day, but he refused to accept what she was truly like. Well, Millicent had warned him. If he wasn’t concerned, why should she be? She shifted to the other topic that had left her consumed with rage.
“Have you seen the London newspapers?” she asked.
“Yes, I’ve seen them.”
“Miss Carstairs has successfully spread her lies. There will be no tamping them down.”
“No, I don’t suppose there will be.”
“People will demand you claim her—even though she’s a fraud!”
“It’s already started.” He was studying her over the rim of his glass, his expression curious and probing, as if he couldn’t quite remember who she was, then suddenly, he said, “You had her arrested. Would you like to explain that to me?”
She hadn’t expected the accusation, so she hadn’t been prepared for it, and she blurted out, “Of course I had her arrested.”
“You had Miss Fishburn arrested too.”
Millicent’s cheeks flushed. “She’s a thief. I caught her in your bedchamber, riffling through
