The Scoundrel's Wager (Tricking the Scoundrels, #4)

by Laura A. Barnes

  The Scoundrel's Wager

  Tricking the Scoundrels, Volume 4

  Laura A. Barnes

  Published by Laura A. Barnes, 2020.

  Copyright © 2020 by Laura A. Barnes

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.

  First Printing: 2020

  Laura A. Barnes

  www.lauraabarnes.com

  Cover Art by Cheeky Covers

  Editor: Polgarus Studios

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Epilogue

  Author Laura A. Barnes

  Desire other books to read by Laura A. Barnes

  To William: My very own Scoundrel.

  Happy 30th Wedding Anniversary!

  Chapter One

  “Kathleen, please attend Lady Holdenburg in the parlor. I must gather my notes,” Lady Beckwith asked Kathleen, breezing past her daughter's bedroom.

  “Yes, Mama.”

  Kathleen brushed out her skirts after she rose from her chair. She slid the deck of cards into a desk drawer before she left and hurried to the parlor, excited to visit with the Duchess of Norbrooke. Her mother’s friend shared a love of the theater, and Kathleen wanted to discuss the newest play to hit London. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to have another woman’s opinion on which color of dress she should wear to the Camville Ball tomorrow evening. Kathleen found the duchess to be a likable character—unlike her son. How such an enlightened woman had an annoying son such as Devon Holdenburg was beyond her. There wasn’t a gentleman more frustrating.

  “Your Grace, what a delight.” Kathleen entered the parlor. Her steps came to a halt once she encountered the lady’s son instead. Kathleen glanced around to discover she was alone with the earl.

  “And is it a delight to welcome me too?” Holdenburg asked.

  “My mother informed me that the duchess would be in the parlor.”

  “She was. However, Dallis tempted her away with a view of the nursery.”

  “I will join them.”

  “And leave me all alone?”

  “It would not be proper to be alone with you,” Kathleen replied, turning to leave.

  “There is nobody present to take notice. In addition, our families are longtime friends. Nothing would be untoward.”

  “You are forgetting one thing, my lord.”

  “What might that be, my lady?”

  “That I do not wish to be alone with you. I endure your company when I have to in the presence of others. Other than that, I find you barely tolerable.”

  “What have I done to bring about this warm regard?” Lord Holdenburg asked with humor lighting his eyes.

  “You have shown me nothing but indifference in the past. Why, now, the sudden change? Have you ruined the latest round of debutantes?”

  “You are aware, my dear, that I do not ruin any debutante that does not wish to be ruined. I have heard no complaints thus far. Have you? If so, please tell, so I may alter my seductions.”

  “Why, you insufferable brute.”

  Holdenburg shouldn’t try to raise her ire. But he found Kathleen so entertaining when her temper rose. He'd meant to accompany his mother to the Beckwiths’ with the intention of courting Kathleen. He decided now was the time, since Lady Beckwith had Rory settled with Dallis, and Devon was no longer needed. He wanted Kathleen as his. Holdenburg observed the love shared between Rory and Dallis and wanted the same thing for himself. And the only lady for him was Kathleen. He had patiently waited for her to bloom into the lady she had become. When Kathleen started to slander Devon, it set him to prod her temper. Since Devon began this behavior, he might as well continue and start the courting another day. Unless he could turn the situation around somehow.

  Kathleen fumed at Holdenburg. She tried to call him out on his ungentlemanly behavior and he turned it around into his pleasure. The nerve of the man to think she would give him pointers to ruin her friends. Even though every single one of them wished for a private moment in Holdenburg’s company. She'd watched many of them try, and a few succeeded. He would dance and steal away with them into dark gardens. Then after a short time had passed, the lady would sneak back into the ballroom, a blush gracing her cheeks and a satisfied smile. Shortly thereafter, Holdenburg always swaggered back in with his usual conceited expression. Each of their smiles confirmed of a secret rendezvous that appeased both parties. Kathleen would sit and listen to the tittering of the lady gushing over the seductive skills of Devon Holdenburg. Kathleen silently fumed when other ladies applauded his attributes. There could be no other reason than a lack of respect that explained why she found his actions scandalous. None at all. Now he sat here proud of himself. The insufferable boor.

  “If you will excuse me, my lord. I wish to seek your mother’s opinion on which dress I should wear tomorrow evening.” Kathleen started for the door.

  “Of course, Lady Kathleen, time spent in your company has been charming as always.” Holdenburg bowed. “If you want my opinion, I prefer you in blue, a dark sapphire.”

  “I wasn’t aware I asked your opinion, my lord.”

  “Nonetheless, I offered it.”

  Before Kathleen replied, her mother returned to the parlor. She was carrying an envelope.

  “Here you are, my lord. You will find I applied great detail on your requests. I hope you find them advantageous enough to meet your needs.”

  Holdenburg slid the envelope inside the pocket of his suit coat. Lady Beckwith had agreed to help him with his plan of attack against her daughter. The very daughter who held no clue of Holdenburg's feelings for her. Whenever they were in the same company, Kathleen brought out the devil in him. Her hatred kept him fueled to antagonize her. The very opposite of true desire. But the circumstances of their relationship always caused this war of words.

  “What requests?” Kathleen asked.

  “Nothing, my dear. A private matter between the earl and myself. Where has your mother gotten to?” she asked Devon.

  “Dallis is giving her a tour of the nursery.”

  Kathleen said, “I wanted the duchess’s opinion on which color of dress to wear for tomorrow evening.”

  Devon said, “I told her she would look lovely in a deep sapphire gown.”

  “Lord Holdenburg, you know Kathleen must wear pastels.”

  “A pity.”

  “Which dresses do you wish her to choose from?” Lady Beckwith asked.

  “Either the pale pink or the soft blue we bought last week,” replied Kathleen.

  “Since Lord Holdenburg would like to see you in blue, why don’t you wear the blue tomorrow evening?” said Lady Beckwith.

  “The pink it is,” Kathleen countered, leaving the parlor.

  Kathleen refused to stay
in the same room with his smug lordship one moment longer. Why her mother always tried to please Holdenburg confused her. It was if her mother knew something she didn’t. Blue. Humph. While the pink wasn’t her favorite choice, she would wear it. Anything to go against him.

  Lady Beckwith watched Kathleen, in a snit, leave the parlor. She waited patiently for her daughter to acknowledge Lord Holdenburg as the catch he was, and Kathleen stubbornly refused. When she viewed the amused expression on his face, Lady Beckwith realized Holdenburg took great pleasure in Kathleen’s aggravation.

  “I don’t even know if my suggestions will help you.”

  “Any insight will be of great assistance,” he said.

  “Will we see you tomorrow evening?”

  “I wouldn’t miss seeing Lady Kathleen in her pink confection twirling across the ballroom floor.”

  “And will you offer for a dance?”

  “She will only refuse.”

  “How do you know, unless you ask?”

  “Perhaps tomorrow I will.”

  Devon went in search for his mother, with Lady Beckwith following. If they didn’t leave soon, the ladies would be late for their charitable meeting. They found her in the foyer and in a lively discussion with Kathleen about a new play he had invited the Beckwiths’ to attend with his family next week. Thankfully, Kathleen's aggravation towards him did not extend towards his mother. While he would love to have her warm regards directed towards him, Devon quite enjoyed their sparing matches.

  Lady Beckwith said, “Kathleen, we are running behind for our meeting. Do you wish to accompany us? Dallis is coming along.”

  “No, Mama. I have some correspondence I must attend to.”

  Devon said, “That is too bad. I had hoped to convince you to take a walk in the park while I wait for the lovely ladies to attend their meeting.”

  “What an excellent idea, Devon,” said the duchess.

  Holdenburg’s request placed Kathleen in a delicate spot. She couldn’t deny him while his mother approved of the outing. If she were to refuse, it would make her less favorable in the duchess’s eyes, and her mother would later lecture Kathleen on her manners. She felt her mother’s eyes on her, sending a silent message. Kathleen pasted a smile on her face before she replied.

  “That sounds like a delightful idea, my lord.”

  Holdenburg smiled smugly, knowing he'd succeeded. Well, he might have won this hand, but Kathleen would make their outing difficult. Their walk would not be a long one.

  “Excellent, shall we ladies?” Holdenburg held out his hands to usher them to his carriage.

  The two older ladies gathered on each side of Dallis, linking their arms together, discussing the meeting they were about to attend. Which left Kathleen to walk alongside Holdenburg. The earl took a liberty that shouldn’t be allowed by placing his hand on the small of her back, walking them toward the carriage. His touch sent warm shivers tickling throughout her body. The intimate act brought forth kinder thoughts towards him. She shouldn’t allow him, but couldn’t call him out in front of their mothers. She would wait until they were alone to address his inappropriate behavior. Kathleen must keep her temper around him or else Holdenburg would push past her wall of anger. She had an agenda for the remainder of the season and becoming soft around Lord Devon Holdenburg wasn’t part of her plan.

  Devon knew he pushed the boundaries by touching Kathleen so intimately, but he couldn’t resist. The temptation of her closeness and the company of others urged him toward his improper act. Devon knew that once he delivered the other ladies at the Hartridges’ then he would have to face her wrath at his improprieties. He waited with anticipation. Kathleen would fill his ears with a fiery tirade. The first on her list would be cornering her into an outing after she couldn’t say nay without disappointing their mothers.

  He felt Kathleen stiffen, but she didn’t pull away. To do so would draw attention toward them. His fingers stroked across where her back curved into her buttocks. How he wished he could caress lower. Much lower. Where there were no garments restricting him from the silkiness of her skin. Would the rest of her body blush as her cheeks did so now? Soon. He would learn the answers to his questions. Soon. Lady Kathleen Beckwith was unaware of the game he played. However, by the end of the season, she would be in his arms, moaning his name.

  Chapter Two

  After arriving at the Hartridge townhome, Devon and Kathleen started off for the private park. Devon’s footman followed at a discreet distance, acting as a chaperone. Their walk took them inside the park and a bench near the water. Behind his back, Devon gave his footman a signal to leave them alone once he noticed the park was empty. If Kathleen meant to give him a set down, then he didn’t need a servant observing to gossip about it later. When Kathleen stayed silent after quite a while, Devon decided to prompt her.

  “Unleash your fury, my lady. ‘Tis only you and I to hear the passionate lecture you wish to give.”

  Kathleen turned to pierce Holdenburg with a glare that would shake terror in any other man. However, Holdenburg sat amused. Damn him.

  “You are not worth the anger you attempt to provoke me into. I am only enduring this outing to pacify our mothers. Why you have asked for my company is beyond me. And I, for one, do not care. Now, if you do not mind, I wish to enjoy the beauty of the day. After what I deem to be a measurable amount of time, I will return to the Hartridges’ where I shall pretend to take an interest in their charitable meeting. When I am questioned, I will be the lady my mother has raised me to be and praise your gentlemanly attentions.”

  There were only two ways Devon could react. One would be to act the gentleman his mother raised him to be and sit there silently. Or the other alternative would be to antagonize Kathleen into the kind of reaction which fired his blood. The first option would work better for his plans to court her properly. The other held more of a temptation. There was nothing he enjoyed more than provoking Kathleen Beckwith. It would appear that the devilish side of himself would win today. Devon might as well finish strong, since he started this role earlier at the Beckwith’s residence. Tomorrow he would start anew. Today, he needed this for whatever reason there may be.

  “I asked you on this walk, my dear, to enjoy your company. I feel we have gotten off to the wrong start this season. It is my greatest hope to rectify our situation. However, since you hold only displeasure at my company, I must give you more of a reason for your distaste.” Devon brushed a tendril of hair loose from the knot behind her ear, his finger trailing down her neck. “I also have ulterior motives for my reason, for requesting time alone with you.”

  Kathleen stilled at his touch. Just as from before, a shiver tingled along her neck at his caress. She didn’t understand why this unsettled her.

  “And that would be?” Kathleen whispered.

  Devon saw her stillness and knew he rattled her. Good. He slid closer on the bench and lowered his head to brush his lips across where his fingers had trailed. Devon inhaled her sweetness and let it sink into his soul. The scent of lilies enflamed his senses. He couldn’t resist the temptation. Devon ached for Kathleen. Throughout the season he had wanted this. Even when he'd courted Lady Dallis MacPherson, he had only wanted this. Only ever this. He'd waited patiently for Kathleen to bloom, and now that she had, Devon would pluck the womanhood from her.

  Devon’s lips continued a path to her mouth. When Kathleen didn’t push him away and instead sighed, he didn’t stop. Devon only wanted a small sample to appease him until tomorrow. Then he would be the proper gentleman and not the scoundrel she believed him to be.

  Soft and slow, his tongue traced her lips. When she opened them, he took what he could no longer deny himself. He took possession of her lips, stroking his need. Devon pulled Kathleen in his arms and devoured her. The sensation of her on his tongue opened up to a treasure of forbidden treats. Each drag of his mouth across hers tempted him. When Kathleen opened under him, he was lost. Her tongue joined his, stroking their desires. Devon tigh
tened his hold, pushing her breasts against his chest. To treat himself to those sweet things would be his greatest pleasure. Devon forgot their whereabouts when he slid his hand inside her dress. His fingers stroked across her nipple and he captured her gasp when he pinched the bud into a tight ball of need.

  Kathleen was lost. Lost in the arms of the scoundrel, Lord Holdenburg. His touch and kiss tempted her into a wild scandal. Was this how every debutante felt when he ruined them in the gardens? At least he gave the other ladies privacy. With her, he seduced her in the open where anybody could walk upon them. Kathleen’s mind tried to resist and call a halt to Devon’s actions, but her body held a different opinion. Her body screamed for him to take her. When the cool breeze caressed her breasts, Kathleen’s mind returned from its fog and pushed Devon away. What more liberties had she allowed him?

  Devon dropped his arms when she pushed at him. Both of them breathed heavily while they tried to calm their emotions. Kathleen straightened her dress and looked everywhere but at him. The blush sweeping across her cheeks continued along her neck to her ... His gaze followed where the blush headed, the same place he wished to devour. Damn. What had he done? He glanced around the park to see if they were still alone. When the park proved empty except for them, he breathed a sigh of relief. Not that he wouldn’t have made their situation right. The end result would be what he planned, but Devon wanted their courtship to play out in a different way. If he meant to court Kathleen properly, then Devon must make sure they were never left alone.

  His gaze brushed across Kathleen again, and he realized he should apologize. But to apologize would mean he regretted what transpired between them. And he didn’t regret one single, delectable second. Heaven. Pure heaven. That was how Kathleen felt when he kissed her. Devon reacted the only way he could. He rose and offered Kathleen his arm. He didn’t want to provoke her anger any more or have either of them saying something they would regret.

  Kathleen looked at his offered arm and wanted to refuse it. Didn’t she? Yes, she did. Her emotions felt like they were scattered about the park. She wanted to reprimand him for the scoundrel he was, but couldn’t. Kathleen enjoyed his kiss too much for the call out. Her body wouldn’t let her betray her mind. She slid an arm into his and allowed Devon to guide her to the Hartridge’s. He never once attempted to apologize or strike up a conversation.