Wicked Wager

by Mary Gillgannon

  She smiled at him through her tears, and something inside Marcus twisted. Despite the horrible dress and untidy hair, she was one of the loveliest creatures he’d ever seen. Those huge blue eyes, elegant arched brows and temptingly full lips. She made him want to kiss all her tears away. “I-I’m certain something can be worked out. If you really desire to come to London for the wedding… And you should have some new clothing.” He motioned to the green garment. “I’m hardly an expert in that sort of thing, but really, that gown doesn’t do a thing for you.”

  She looked down at herself. “I’m afraid it’s all I have. I’m always been so busy with the horses I never have an opportunity to dress up. I would love a chance to purchase a new wardrobe. I’ve heard that in London, a woman must wear something new nearly every day. Day dresses, riding costumes, pelisses, shoes and hats.”

  Marcus felt a stirring of unease. How much would all this cost him? Miss Montgomery was a substantial heiress, but her assets were likely tied up in the horse operation and the estate. When it came to purchases in London, it would be his money she spent.

  “I’m certain something can be arranged.” Despite the sinking feeling in his gut, he told himself it would be all right. He might have to spend some money to properly dress Miss Montgomery, but it would be worth it to possess Horngate. For someone who’d lived in rented houses for the past ten years, the idea of owning property was thrilling. And he wasn’t about to give up what he’d fairly won. Miss Montgomery was simply a complication in his plan. A most startling and unpredictable complication.

  Once again, he searched for a hint of Miss Montgomery’s true character beneath her artlessly pretty countenance.

  Was she simply a naïve country girl who’d been taken advantage of by her scheming cousin? Or was there more to her? It bothered him he was so affected by her appearance. He couldn’t seem to think clearly around her. She distracted him, a dangerous situation for a gamester.

  But then, she wouldn’t be around long. She’d stay at his townhouse a few days while she was appropriately outfitted and saw some of the amusements of London. Then they’d be married and he would insist she return to Horngate. If she did take a fancy to the London social whirl—which he could hardly imagine, given her obvious passion for horses and farm life—he would explain he was seldom invited to parties. In fact, as a gamester who’d won considerable sums of money off members of the ton, he was generally avoided by the upper echelons of society.

  “A London wedding it is,” he said. “You can ride back with us today, then stay at my townhouse until all the arrangements can be made.”

  “You want me to leave today? But what about my responsibilities here?”

  “Now, see here, Miss Montgomery, I’m a busy man. I’m not going all the way back to the city, then return in a few days to fetch you. If you want the marriage to take place in London, you’ll have to find a way to come with me now.” Harsh, but necessary. He wouldn’t let this chit, appealing though she might be, dictate his life.

  She pursed her lips, an extremely provocative gesture, then nodded. “I suppose I could get Mr. Hareton to take over with the horses. But it’s already late in the day. By the time I get a few things together, it will be nearly dark.”

  “We’ll travel as far as we can, then stay in an inn for the night.”

  “But is that proper, sir, given that we’re not wed?”

  “Bring a maid with you, if you’re concerned about the proprieties.” He was getting irritated. The woman seemed to be wracking her brain for reasons to delay.

  “I’ll go pack,” she finally said, then moved toward the door with aggravating slowness.

  As soon as she was gone, James addressed Marcus in a smug voice. “So, it’s going to be a one-day affair, is it? A quick visit to the country to get married, then back to London and your normal routine?”

  “Perhaps it’s more complicated than I thought,” Marcus responded. “But I can handle this, have no doubt of it. It’s just like cosseting a child. Distract them with a few treats and they’ll willingly go along with your plans. I’ll purchase a few gowns for Miss Montgomery, take her around to see the city. After that, she’ll go to the altar quite eagerly.”

  “A child, is she? I think you underestimate Miss Montgomery.”

  Remembering the flash of keen intelligence he’d glimpsed in her eyes, Marcus wondered if his friend wasn’t on to something. “Do you think this is all pretense? Her hoydenish behavior when we arrived? The disgraceful manners? The wretched gown? Maybe Withersby put her up to this. He might think I’ll be so appalled at the prospect of marrying her that I’d hightail it back to London and forget about the wager.”

  “Perhaps,” James said thoughtfully. “If that’s the case, do you really want to be wed to a woman who’d do something so conniving?”

  “Dammit! I don’t want to be married at all! I’m only going through with this to collect the debt owed me.” Marcus raked his fingers through his hair. What if Miss Montgomery was playing him for a fool? His resolve hardened. He’d faced clever opponents many times before and always managed to outsmart them. “Maybe she is a shrewd little minx. It really doesn’t matter. I still intend to have my way in this.”

  ****

  “What happened?” Tad demanded as soon as Penny met him behind the house.

  “Nothing. He seems as determined as ever to marry me.”

  “The gown? Stuffing your face with food? None of it scared him off?”

  Penny shook her head. “He’s so consumed with greed, I think he could have discovered I was bald and toothless and he’d still marry me.”

  “Well, that’s part of the problem. It’s not easy to make someone like you look ugly.”

  Penny gazed at him in surprise. “Really? You think so?”

  “Of course. All the fellows do. But we can hardly make a fuss over you under the circumstances. You’re our mistress and far above us.”

  “Bosh. That’s nonsense.” Penny felt herself blushing. The stable hands were her friends. She worked side-by-side with them. She didn’t want them to think of her as some snobby, nose-in-the-air miss.

  “Anyway, I suspect that’s part of the trouble. Revington can see you’re worth having, and he’s not about to let go of his prize.”

  “Well, I’ve put him off for a while. Although I had to change tactics. I told him I’ve always dreamed of a big, fancy London wedding. He fell for it, but something like that’s bound to take time to arrange. Now I’ll have a week or two to convince him just how much trouble I would be as a wife. Problem is, I’ll have to pursue my plan on my own. He insists I go to London with him today.”

  “Can’t you talk him out of it? Tell him to go and make the arrangements, and you’ll meet him there in a week?”

  “I doubt it. He was very firm about my coming today. Besides, while such an agreement might buy some time, it wouldn’t accomplish our objective. I need to be around him, a constant source of difficulty and irritation. It’s going to take a lot to drive him to the point where he’s willing to give up Horngate.”

  “Well, dash it, I wish I could go with you.”

  She smiled at Tad. “I wish you could, too. Maybe I’ll ask him. That might unsettle him a bit, to think that while I don’t have a maid, I’m quite cozy with my groom.”

  ****

  Marcus and James waited in the drawing room. And waited. When the clock on the mantel struck five, Marcus stood. “I’m going up and see how her packing is progressing.”

  “You can’t do that,” James protested.

  “Watch me.”

  He rounded the corner to the stairs, just as Penny was coming down. She’d added a straw hat covered with garish purple flowers to her unflattering costume and carried a small valise. “I’m ready,” she said as she reached the bottom. “Although I would like to ask another favor of you. I was hoping Tad could come with us. We’ve always been inseparable. It’s going to be hard to get along without him.”

  “Tad?”r />
  “He’s one of the grooms from the stables.” She flashed him a charming, little-girl smile. “We’re ever so close. And I’m afraid I’ll be lonely in London all by myself.”

  Good heavens! This chit really had no notion of the proprieties! Exactly how “close” a relationship did she have with this fellow? A spark of jealousy flashed through Marcus. “I’m sorry, Miss Montgomery.” He sought to make his voice gentle and concerned-sounding. “But such a thing simply isn’t done. Now, if you have a female servant or relative you would like to accompany you, that’s another matter altogether.”

  “I really have no one.” Tears glittered in her expressive eyes. “No family at all, and Cook and Mrs. Foxworthy are the only female servants at Horngate. I could hardly ask one of them to accompany me. They’re needed here.”

  “Well, I’m certain we can employ a maid for you from one of the agencies, so you won’t be altogether alone. Besides, you won’t be in London that long. Only a week or so, enough time to have the wedding and to settle business matters.”

  “But what about the banns? Isn’t there a waiting period before we can be wed?”

  Marcus tried not to let his smile become too smug. “I’ve purchased a special license. We can have the ceremony as soon as we purchase your dress and I can arrange things with a clergyman.”

  “Oh.” This set her back a bit, he could tell.

  “We can discuss things further in the carriage,” he said firmly, then took her valise. “Is someone bringing down your other luggage?”

  “This is all I have. Nothing else is fit for London. And you did say you would buy me a new wardrobe.”

  First it was a wedding dress and a few things. Now it was a whole wardrobe. Marcus gritted his teeth as they left the house.

  She paused before the carriage. “Wait! I must say goodbye to Tad.” She ran off, skirts raised to her ankles, looking as fleet and graceful as a deer.

  “So, who is this Tad fellow?” James asked as Marcus secured the valise on the back of the vehicle.

  “A groom from the stables. It appears Miss Montgomery is quite taken with him.”

  “Are you jealous?” James teased.

  “Don’t be absurd. Even if she’s shared a few kisses with the fellow, why should it matter to me?”

  “Because she’ll soon be your wife. I suspect that once she becomes Mrs. Revington, you’ll discover you’re not as detached as you thought.”

  “That’s preposterous. I’m not about to get emotionally entangled with a woman, any woman.”

  “Who’s to say you’ll have any control over the matter?”

  Marcus shook his head. “James, you’ve been out in the sun too long. One minute you’re complaining I’m a cold-hearted, mercenary devil. The next you’re warning me not to fall in love.”

  “I’m merely trying to point out that there may be other pitfalls to this arrangement. Pitfalls you may not have thought about.”

  “Ah. I see your plan. If you can’t convince me of the impropriety of this marriage, you mean to try to frighten me out of it. Well, it won’t work. I’m not some lovesick fool. I’ve said this is a business arrangement, and that’s all it’s going to be.”

  “What about taking her to bed? That’s hardly a business endeavor. It isn’t going to be a matter of simply servicing her, as if you were a stallion and she a mare. At least I hope you approach the matter with a bit more finesse than that.”

  James’s words aroused enticing images in Marcus’s mind. Miss Montgomery was a spirited little filly—long-limbed, sleek, and wild. What would it be like to tame her? To feel her lithe, yet undeniably female, body beneath his, shuddering and bucking with excitement… Bloody hell! He had to stop thinking like that!

  “I’m sure I’ll manage, when the time comes.” He fixed James with a look meant to suggest that further discussion of the subject would take place at the peril of his physical wellbeing.

  At last Miss Montgomery reappeared. Marcus helped her into the carriage, then took his place in the driver’s box. Let James match wits with her for a while. He needed a rest from trying to figure out the puzzling Miss Montgomery.

  ****

  “Miss Montgomery.” Mr. Revington’s companion nodded to Penny, then sat back against the squabs. “Since Marcus has been remiss in making formal introductions, let me tell you about myself. I’m Marcus’s solicitor, but also his friend. We went to school together. My family has known his family for generations. Since you’re apparently going to marry Marcus, I think it would be perfectly proper for you to call me James.”

  “Thank you, James.” Penny flashed him her most charming smile. If she’d read things right, this man was her ally. “And you must call me Penny.”

  “Delightful. Tell me about yourself, Miss…that is, Penny.”

  “I’m afraid there’s not much to tell. I’ve lived at Horngate all my life. My parents died of a fever when I was sixteen. Since then I’ve managed on my own, with the help of the farmhands and servants, of course.”

  “How sad to be orphaned at such a young age. And your guardian, I take it that would be Mr. Withersby?”

  “Indeed.” She found she couldn’t quite control her bitter smile.

  “Ah,” James said. “How much do you know about the…er, the arrangement between your cousin and Marcus?”

  Penny felt a twinge of warning. She dare not appear too shrewd. Even though James seemed to be on her side, it was possible he was testing her. “Of course Adrian told me that Mr. Revington and I were to marry. It would have been very awkward if you arrived at Horngate with me having no foreknowledge of your purpose there.”

  “Quite. And what did your cousin tell you regarding Marcus?”

  “Only that he’d found a gentleman he thought would be a good match for me, and that he would be arriving within a day or two.”

  She felt James’s eyes on her, weighing and assessing. “What do you think of Marcus, Miss Montgomery? Your honest opinion, not what Adrian may have told you to say.”

  Careful, careful. Penny made her eyes wide, and slipping back into her role as ill-mannered hoyden said, “Why, I hardly know the bloke, do I? How could I possibly have an opinion about him?”

  “But you’re willing to marry him anyway? Even though you profess to know little of his character?”

  “Adrian says he’s a fine gentleman and well-regarded in London.”

  “You trust your cousin’s judgment, do you?”

  She’d been caught out. Her contempt for Adrian showed too clearly. Somehow she had to soften it. “Well, not about finances or horses, no. But he is my closest relative, and I don’t think he’d marry me off to some blackguard or scoundrel.” She jerked around to face her coach companion, feigning anxiety. “What are you trying to tell me, James?” She cast a nervous glance at the man in the driver’s seat and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Is there some reason I shouldn’t wed Mr. Revington?”

  “Why, no.” James cleared his throat, a mannerism that suggested he was very uncomfortable. He also glanced toward the driver’s box, then back at her. “He’s a fine gentleman. I value his friendship a great deal. And as I’ve told you, his family and mine have been acquainted for years.”

  “Oh, thank goodness.” Penny collapsed against the squabs. “For a moment, I thought you were trying to warn about Mr. Revington’s motives. As an heiress, I must be careful. It’s possible some fortune hunter would seek my hand in marriage solely for the purpose of acquiring Horngate and my other assets.”

  “Yes,” James said gravely. “That’s entirely possible.”

  Silence reigned for a time, as Penny struggled to control her expression. Poor James. He was obviously an honorable man who’d been dragged into this awkward situation through no fault of his own. She sensed his turmoil. He didn’t want her to marry Revington, but his loyalty to his friend prevented him from saying so. His attitude was something of a relief. A man like that wouldn’t associate with anyone who was a complete fiend. Revington mu
st at least have some redeeming features.

  Like a blindingly handsome face…and an impressive, athletic build… No! She couldn’t allow herself to be distracted by such superficial attributes. Revington was a calculating, ruthless fortune hunter, the exact sort of man of which she must be wary. She had to continue with her plan. If she made his life utterly miserable, a spoiled, shallow London swell like Revington would eventually give up and move on to easier quarry.

  James cleared his throat again. “Tell me about your horses, Miss Montgomery, the breeding and training operation you manage at Horngate.”

  Penny took a deep breath. She must try not to be too enthusiastic. No need to hint at the sort of money the estate was making—and Adrian was losing in the gambling hells. “We’ve been breeding jumpers for ten years now. My father began the line with Hero’s sire. That’s the horse I was riding when you first arrived. The market for carriage horses is more dependable, but you don’t make as much as with hunters. And frankly, it’s more of a challenge to train horses for running game. They must be fast and know how to jump, but also have stamina…”

  She went on until James’s eyes glazed over. No doubt he would warn Revington not to ask her about horses. No matter. She’d find some opportunity to bore him with endless details just the same. A horse-mad hoyden with no manners and no sense of style—why would any wealthy London gentleman want to marry a woman like that?

  “The business sounds profitable,” James said when she finally ran out of mind-numbing equestrian detail. “It appears Horngate has done well these past few years.”

  Penny tensed with warning. She didn’t want him to guess how well. “Oh, Adrian handles all the business interests of the estate,” she said off-handedly. “I don’t know much about the farm’s income.”

  “Don’t you at least know how much the horses you raise sell for?”

  “No. A man in the village handles all that and reports the income to Adrian.”

  “So, you never personally participated in the actual sale?”