Bought: The Penniless Lady by Deborah Hale

an inn. Can this be Huntingdon…already?”
    He shook his head. “Not so soon, surely.”
    But it was. Hadrian marveled how swiftly the last hour of their journey had flown by. To his further amazement, he realized the pain in his head had disappeared completely. As he arranged their accommodations for the night, he fancied himself afloat on a warm cloud of relief.
    “Shall I hold this young fellow again tonight while you feed him supper?” he asked Artemis as they climbed the stairs to their rooms.
    “Why…yes.” She looked astonished by his spontaneous offer of assistance. “I would appreciate it. Thank you.”
    “Will you dine with me tonight?” he ventured, less certain of her answer. “I promise I will not fall asleep at the table, no matter how long you take putting this young gentleman to bed.”
    “I could.” A flicker of uncertainty crossed her face. “If you wish.”
    “I do.” He would drink coffee and not sit down until she arrived. That should prevent any repeat of last night’s unfortunateevents. “We need to talk, you and I, without a certain small but vocal audience. Clear the air and all.”
    Though Artemis gave a judicious nod of agreement, Hadrian pictured her donning invisible armor to protect herself against whatever he might try to inflict upon her.
    Was there any hope his indomitable adversary might agree to a truce?
    “Who would have thought your uncle could be so comical?” Artemis murmured as she lay beside Lee, stroking his hair to soothe him to sleep. “Or so knowledgeable about the classics. I was amazed that he knew the legend of Hero and Leander.”
    She’d been affronted when Hadrian had used his knowledge to scoff at Leander’s gallant deed of swimming the treacherous waters of the Hellespont repeatedly to tryst with his beloved. But on reflection she could not deny the young man had behaved foolishly, tempting Fate again and again until it turned against him.
    Something else she could not deny—there was a great deal more to Hadrian Northmore than she’d first thought. That did not mean she could let down her guard around him—quite the contrary.
    With a shudder, she stirred from her troubled thoughts to find Lee fast asleep. Now she had no excuse to delay her dinner with his uncle. Since Hadrian had vowed to stay awake until she arrived, she might as well get it over with as soon as possible.
    Pressing a soft kiss on her nephew’s brow, she reminded herself that she was doing all this for his sake—so they could remain together and so his future would be secure.It was what she wanted most in the world. Perhaps it was only fitting that such a precious boon should come at a high cost. Hadrian Northmore had not become a successful man of business by driving easy bargains.
    When Artemis slipped into the parlor a moment later, she found Hadrian standing at the window with his hands clasped behind his back, staring down at the stable yard below. He turned toward her with a startled look, as if she had roused him from some deep, private thoughts. Thoughts about the woman of his dreams, perhaps?
    He recovered his composure swiftly, arranging his features to look as if he was pleased to see her. Artemis knew better. He was only making faces, as he had at Lee this afternoon in the carriage.
    “That was quick.” He nodded toward the room next door where their nephew lay sleeping.
    Artemis nodded. “I thought it would take him much longer to settle after the state he was in this afternoon. Perhaps he tired himself out by crying and laughing so hard. I fear strong emotions have quite the opposite effect on me.”
    She had only meant to think that, not say it aloud—especially not to Hadrian Northmore. After the dangerously intense feelings he’d provoked in her last night, she had hardly slept a wink. That might be why she could not mind her tongue properly now. As she moved toward the table, Artemis vowed to say as little as possible this evening.
    “I, on the other