couldn’t tell anyone else. All he had to do was cultivate her desire for a confidante free of judgment.
He stepped a little closer. “I understand your hesitance. But I promise you that I only ask from mere curiosity in how you came to this place.”
Her expression relaxed a little, but triumph was not Jeremy’s reaction. He had manipulated her by saying what she needed to hear, but that fact felt…empty. Cold. For the first time, he wasn’t proud of his ability to turn any situation to his own benefit. Especially when he knew what the ultimate outcome would be for Penelope.
“I only said a few things,” she said softly. “I only spoke out of irate frustration. And then it all spiraled out of control.”
He tilted his head. “I don’t understand.”
She paced the room restlessly. “It was a few months ago. I was almost out of mourning, at a tea with a few friends. One of them was very upset because she had found out her ‘perfect’ happy marriage was a lie. Her husband had secretly kept his mistress, who was now expecting his illegitimate child. Seeing my friend so heartbroken, so wrenched by her husband’s thoughtless actions, made me angry .”
Jeremy remained silent, observing the way her face lit up when she spoke. Her cheeks darkened with heightened color, her body became animated, her eyes glowed. If this was anger, it was worth inspiring. Suddenly she was more than just pretty. She was magnificent.
“I don’t know why I said it, but I launched into a tirade aboutmen of the ton and their foolish, selfish actions. Once I started, the words flowed. I talked about their sexual freedom and how we women could curb their out of control habits, if only we banded together.” She shook her head. “It was only talk. But the women who were in attendance seemed utterly mesmerized. It was as if none of them had ever thought to tell their husbands how they felt about their philandering, let alone demand something more.”
“Probably none of them had.” Jeremy chuckled. Certainly, he had never met a woman so bold as to think she could control him. “So you became their champion.”
She nodded. “Somehow word of my ideas that day spread. Suddenly I was being approached, ladies were seeking me out to have me repeat my thoughts. And then a few women began to actually put my words into action. That’s when the men began to hiss at me, glare at me…even threaten me.”
Jeremy’s smile fell. Although he understood the anger and frustration of men like his friends who had had their lives turned upside down by Penelope’s crusade, the idea that any of them would threaten her gave him no pleasure. As frustrating as Penelope was, she did not deserve to be harmed. Or even frightened.
It had always been his belief that if a lady was angry at a gentleman, it was the gentleman’s duty to use his charm to appease her. If his friends were incapable of that, that was their failing. Not Penelope’s.
“Do you think any of the threats are serious?” he asked, suddenly quiet. If Wharton could become so impassioned by her, it was reasonable that other men felt even more strongly about stopping her. By any means necessary.
She shrugged, but the way she dipped her chin and refused to meet his eyes told him that she had been frightened by the threats. “I think most are not any more than blustering talk. But I cannot pretend I haven’t angered some very powerful men.”
“You do not have to continue to pursue this,” Jeremy said, carefully testing the waters. “If you feel it endangers you, you could easily end it. I think if you simply left off, soon everyone would forget.”
Penelope sucked in a breath and shook her head. “No. Now that I have begun, I cannot stop.”
“Why?” he asked and moved closer, yet again. She stiffened at the movement and her turquoise stare came up to his face, filled with anticipation and trepidation in equal measure. “Why are you so driven?”
She fisted her hands at her
He stepped a little closer. “I understand your hesitance. But I promise you that I only ask from mere curiosity in how you came to this place.”
Her expression relaxed a little, but triumph was not Jeremy’s reaction. He had manipulated her by saying what she needed to hear, but that fact felt…empty. Cold. For the first time, he wasn’t proud of his ability to turn any situation to his own benefit. Especially when he knew what the ultimate outcome would be for Penelope.
“I only said a few things,” she said softly. “I only spoke out of irate frustration. And then it all spiraled out of control.”
He tilted his head. “I don’t understand.”
She paced the room restlessly. “It was a few months ago. I was almost out of mourning, at a tea with a few friends. One of them was very upset because she had found out her ‘perfect’ happy marriage was a lie. Her husband had secretly kept his mistress, who was now expecting his illegitimate child. Seeing my friend so heartbroken, so wrenched by her husband’s thoughtless actions, made me angry .”
Jeremy remained silent, observing the way her face lit up when she spoke. Her cheeks darkened with heightened color, her body became animated, her eyes glowed. If this was anger, it was worth inspiring. Suddenly she was more than just pretty. She was magnificent.
“I don’t know why I said it, but I launched into a tirade aboutmen of the ton and their foolish, selfish actions. Once I started, the words flowed. I talked about their sexual freedom and how we women could curb their out of control habits, if only we banded together.” She shook her head. “It was only talk. But the women who were in attendance seemed utterly mesmerized. It was as if none of them had ever thought to tell their husbands how they felt about their philandering, let alone demand something more.”
“Probably none of them had.” Jeremy chuckled. Certainly, he had never met a woman so bold as to think she could control him. “So you became their champion.”
She nodded. “Somehow word of my ideas that day spread. Suddenly I was being approached, ladies were seeking me out to have me repeat my thoughts. And then a few women began to actually put my words into action. That’s when the men began to hiss at me, glare at me…even threaten me.”
Jeremy’s smile fell. Although he understood the anger and frustration of men like his friends who had had their lives turned upside down by Penelope’s crusade, the idea that any of them would threaten her gave him no pleasure. As frustrating as Penelope was, she did not deserve to be harmed. Or even frightened.
It had always been his belief that if a lady was angry at a gentleman, it was the gentleman’s duty to use his charm to appease her. If his friends were incapable of that, that was their failing. Not Penelope’s.
“Do you think any of the threats are serious?” he asked, suddenly quiet. If Wharton could become so impassioned by her, it was reasonable that other men felt even more strongly about stopping her. By any means necessary.
She shrugged, but the way she dipped her chin and refused to meet his eyes told him that she had been frightened by the threats. “I think most are not any more than blustering talk. But I cannot pretend I haven’t angered some very powerful men.”
“You do not have to continue to pursue this,” Jeremy said, carefully testing the waters. “If you feel it endangers you, you could easily end it. I think if you simply left off, soon everyone would forget.”
Penelope sucked in a breath and shook her head. “No. Now that I have begun, I cannot stop.”
“Why?” he asked and moved closer, yet again. She stiffened at the movement and her turquoise stare came up to his face, filled with anticipation and trepidation in equal measure. “Why are you so driven?”
She fisted her hands at her
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