The Lady Tamed by Boyd, Heather (urban books to read TXT) 📗

lip, liking what she saw very much. “Thank you for coming.”

“Of course,” he said and then offered a courtly bow. “Lady Rivers, you are as ever the most radiant woman in all of England.”

She extended her hands, blushing at his words. “Mr. Dawes, always such a flatterer.”

“Not a word I say is untrue,” he promised.

Fanny steadied her smile. She was as susceptible to flattery as the next woman. But she was his patroness first and they had business to discuss before her play began. “Won’t you sit and talk with me.”

“Until the end of time,” he promised with a teasing smile.

The first time they’d met had been at the theater. She’d not been there to meet him but another, more popular actor who had asked for an introduction. The actor had turned out to be arrogant and far less interesting than the understudy’s understudy, lurking in the shadows and mimicking the man she was speaking to. Jeremy, once she’d dismissed the leading man, had come up and started flattering her outrageously, making her blush and laugh while he juggled pork pies for her amusement and made them disappear.

To this day, she’d no idea what he’d done with them.

Fanny considered herself a good judge of character. Jeremy Dawes had interested her from the start and still did. She had watched for him in later performances, and she’d quickly decided to champion his ambitions for bigger roles. And when a more pressing need had arisen outside the theater, Jeremy had been easily won over to her cause.

She gestured to a pair of elegant chairs nearby and seated herself. “Did you have a comfortable journey, sir?”

Jeremy Dawes flicked out the tails of his coat before slowly lowering himself to the edge of his like any well-bred man might. “As well as one can on the mail coach, I expect.” He sounded so proper now, compared to the way he’d once spoken when he’d been acting the part of a sour, grumbling merchant. He reached down beside the chair and presented her with a leather satchel. “This is yours, I believe.”

“Oh, thank you. I cannot imagine why I left this behind.” Fanny quickly checked the contents were as she remembered—papers relating to a recent acquisition. All seemed in order, and she closed the clasp again. “Have you eaten today?”

Jeremy grinned. “Always thinking about my stomach, my lady. Yes, I have. A servant brought a tray to my room with the duke’s compliments. I was very disappointed there wasn’t a single pork pie to be seen, though.”

“My father doesn’t know about your passion for a pork pie, though I am glad he’s taken an interest in you. That will help solidify your reason for being here. He was quite surprised by our arrangement.”

Jeremy shrugged. “I’ll give him no reason to regret my coming.”

“Good. I will make sure you are introduced to everyone as soon as possible, and then we can go on as…”

“Sweethearts? Would-be lovers?” Jeremy’s grin spread slowly on his face as Fanny blushed anew. “I must admit I’m looking forward to expanding my part as far as it can go, my lady. But I do have a few questions.”

“I’ll answer if I can.”

“May I occasionally forget the formalities and refer to you by your given name? I think it will more easily convey our growing familiarity than any overt physical contact. Not immediately, of course. We shouldn’t beat our audience over the head with the suggestion.”

“I suppose you could, provided the situation calls for such intimacy between us.”

“Good.” He leaned close. “Where shall we begin?”

“With introductions, but unfortunately they will have to wait. I have a pressing need to make a call to a neighbor’s home this morning.”

“Might I have the honor of escorting you?”

“Why not? We can continue our conversation on the way there.” She stopped to look at him. “Oh, had you made any plans for the day yet?”

He shook his head. “I have no intention of making plans without speaking to you first for the next two weeks.”

He’d promised he was all hers to direct for the next few weeks. A boon no other man had ever given her so easily. “I had so wanted to see you last night, but I returned so late. You must have been very tired from your journey.”

“You could have woken me. I wouldn’t have objected.”

“That might have been too obvious, and I don’t want everyone thinking that I lack sense.”

“Nor do I.”

“It is one thing to seem involved without providing proof that we might be.”

“Well, I am available for any scene you deem necessary.”

Fanny let her eyes drift over him again. There was far too much to admire now in that handsome package. He was just here to flirt with her and seem like they might be involved. “Thank you. Are you ready to go with me now?”

“Indeed. I already have my new hat waiting over there for just such an excursion.” Jeremy stood, collected his hat, and carefully fitted it to his head. He extended his hand to Fanny when done. “My lady.”

She smiled and collected her bonnet and shawl, too. Jeremy helped her don the shawl, his fingers lightly brushing her shoulder.

She looked back at him. “I must say the time you’ve dedicated to your role has been time well spent. Your manner of speaking and poise are exactly right for the setting. Do you agree?”

“I am sure the gentlemen I’ve studied as inspiration for my role would have found at least three things wrong with my performance.”

“They’ll never know,” she promised. Fanny had invited several male friends to a dinner one night and had asked Jeremy to pose as a servant to observe them in action. He’d said the conversation at port had been rather coarse, but the rest had been worthwhile viewing.

They stepped outside into the bright sunshine and immediately heard screaming. Fanny sighed. “My nephews are at it again.”

“I am surprised they’re not shut up in the nursery,” Jeremy murmured quietly.

“T’would be impossible to keep them locked in