Wit & Intrigue (An Assignation to Remember Book 1)

by Angela Johnson

  Her eyes tried to adjust as she clung to whoever pulled her from the water, but they hurt and there were too many people speaking to make sense of what had happened. When her body hit the ground, she realized from the smell of peppermint in her nose, it was Alex. Somehow, he’d saved her.

  As she lay in bed, wrapped in blankets with two warming pans, and Kate pleading for forgiveness, Debra imagined the daring rescue. This time it wasn’t her characters she thought of, she imagined Alex holding her while fighting to exit the water. The smell of peppermint lingered in her nose as she replayed the scene and fell into a satisfied sleep.

  Chapter 14

  Both he and Debra missed the second reading of the banns, due to the need to recover from a dip in the spring runoff. When he hit the water, his mind went blank from the cold. The heroic tale of pulling both of them from the freezing depths was one he’d have to trust as the truth from those who witnessed it. The doctor claimed the body could do extraordinary acts when faced with the need to protect oneself from death but finding the ware-with-all to pull both of them out of the stream while not realizing he’d done it was a miracle.

  “It must have been a guardian angel,” Lady Bradford said while tears streamed down her face. She and the other women from the house party made every effort to comfort and care for both he and Debra, which made for an uncomfortable meeting with their fathers. When both he and Debra were allowed to leave their chambers, a meeting was called in Lord Norwood’s den.

  “What were you thinking?” Norwood asked Debra as she sat cradled in her mother’s arms. Lady Norwood refused to leave Debra’s side while the earl reprimanded his daughter. “If it had not been for Lord Trenton’s quick wits, you would have died.”

  This was the second time he’d seen Debra break down in tears. The first was during the entire ordeal. Both times were not a surprise. If his father were yelling at him in such a way, he might have a similar reaction. Pulling a handkerchief from his pocket, he handed it to his future wife.

  “I was distraught. I was not thinking.”

  Oh no! he inwardly groaned as he remembered the scene in the barn.

  “Why were you distraught?” It was obvious by the earl’s reaction he did not expect Debra to respond as she did.

  “I saw something that caused me great distress, and I did not handle it well.”

  Alex groaned again, this time it was an outward sound. She would try to hide the reason for the entire ordeal by lying to her parents. Not speaking of the situation was as much a lie as telling a different truth. His face colored as he noticed everyone looking in his direction.

  Taking the lead in the conversation, Alex began, “When I returned from my ride the other morning, I took Blaise into the stables and untacked him. Due to the lack of servants on hand, I groomed the horse myself.”

  “This is not so shocking,” his father said in response. Waverly was not one to wait for explanation before forming an opinion.

  Alex held up his hand to stop further comment. “While I worked, Lady Kate entered the area and the conversation was not appropriate. I do not know what was witnessed by Lady Debra in full, but Kate’s words were unkind and when the door to the outside slammed, I investigated and found Debra running away.” He did not want to make it sound like Debra was out of line, as she hadn’t been. But all of this could have been easily solved with a conversation and not an accident in the river.

  “What do you mean by inappropriate?” Lord Norwood asked staring him in the face.

  Alex cleared his throat, not caring to divulge the whole of the conversation to the parents of the very outspoken Kate Richardson. But if he did not speak, they would assume the worst. Gathering the courage, he did not have to share the story as Debra took over.

  “I saw and heard everything.”

  He turned to her expecting the statement to continue, but it didn’t. “I did not encourage her.”

  “I know, but Kate does not need encouragement where you are concerned. I remember telling you when we first met, she had designs on you.”

  “Which one of you will tell me what Kate has done?” Lord Norwood fisted his hands by his sides.

  It would be an uncomfortable conversation, but it had to be done. Alex took a deep breath and shared an edited version of the assignation with both their parents. When he finished, Norwood looked ready to strangle someone. Alex only hoped it would not be him.

  A tense silence fell over the occupants of the room, and Alex had a moment to appreciate the burden of the situation they were in. He was not expecting the response from his father. “I had hoped you and Lady Debra would end the charade of a marriage after the banns were read for a second time.”

  “What?” The words were so out of line for the conversation Alex did not know how to process the statement.

  “This was the reason for reading banns,” Lady Norwood said with a cry of distress.

  “Why did no one tell us?” Alex asked grasping to understand the situation their parents seemed to see so well.

  His mother took hold of his hand to calm him down. “We planned to speak with you and find a plausible reason for ending the engagement. Debra’s reputation would be secured by the banns, and neither one of you would be forced into the marriage.”

  Alex looked to Debra to see he was not the only one confused. This did not sound right, as wedding invitations had gone out to a great number of people.

  “With this new development, you will have to marry. There were too many witnesses at the river to put it off now. And,” his father said with a disappointed shake of his head, “Duke Apsley was there to witness the entire fiasco.”

  “Apsley?” Alex said with disgust. “I thought we agreed Apsley and his family would not be in attendance.”

  “You made your opinion known, and I disregarded it.” His mother’s words cut worse than the cold from the river. This he would remember where the river was a blur.

  Calming himself, as anger would not serve a purpose, Alex tried to end the conversation. “I take complete responsibility for the situation Lady Debra and I find ourselves in. We will marry, and this will be the end of any possible gossip.”

  His father and Lord Norwood harrumphed out a doubt filled laugh. Waverly sighed, “You will be marrying a woman who has never been introduced at court and to society. Talk of confinement will follow you both for years to come, especially if a child comes within the first year of marriage.”

  “We have done nothing wrong.” Alex spoke in a low angry defensive tone as he knew the words would fall on deaf ears. In truth he did not believe his own words. He had done something very wrong when he helped her with the dress and stays. The whole purpose of his agreement to the marriage rested on that one incident, yet he never planned to tell anyone the details. In all truthfulness, he was a liar. Seeing the distrust on his father’s face, he said, “I apologize for the scandal I brought on both our families.”

  “The wedding will proceed as planned.” Norwood spoke as he walked to the chair behind his desk. “Will you both promise to stay out of trouble?”

  Alex could make this promise, if his fiancé wasn’t such a firecracker. The woman was incapable of staying out of mischief for even a day.

  “I will try to stay out of trouble, Papa. I do not know how I so often find myself in such predicaments.” Debra’s innocent blue eyes and dimpled cheeks would have been convincing on someone other than the trouble laden vixen sitting in front of him.

  When she made the promise, Alex turned to her and raised an eyebrow in surprise, which caused not only his parents but hers to burst into laughter. “With such assurances,” Alex said trying to hide the humor, “I find I will make the same pledge as the lady.”

  Clearing his throat from the laughter, Lord Norwood nodded the acceptance bringing seriousness back to the conversation. “Debra, your introduction to society will take place on Thursday. We will pray your injuries recover enough to allow you at least one dance with your intended.”

  T
hankful Debra was able to join the evening get together, Alex hoped to speak with her regarding the accident and what she’d overheard. He hadn’t had a moment of time alone with her since they fell in the water, but when he entered the drawing room after supper, Margaret sat next to his fiancé in what looked like a deep discussion.

  In his opinion, Lady Margaret and her family were unexpected and unwanted. Although he tried to forget about her slight, and the laughter when he proposed, it stung. Moving away from the scene of the woman who’d found a way to successfully destroy his life, he sat at the nearest table and joined in with the card game.

  Sitting next to Samuel, the others in the game were Leigh, Nathaniel, and Mr. Baker. Alex did not pay much attention to his cards as he continued to look back to the intense conversation between Margaret and Debra. Wishing he could read lips, he tried to deduce the topic of conversation resulting in the loss of the majority of his pocket money, which made Baker happy.

  “If you do not stop now, Trenton, you will have nothing left.” Baker goaded while mixing the cards. “What was that rule of limits you said the other night?”

  “Pay attention, now Trenton,” Samuel said patting him on the back. “Baker needs to be taught a lesson on humility.”

  Alex smiled. He did not care about the money. It was only his pocket change. But Baker seemed to think it was a sign of more to come. Putting Debra and Margaret out of his mind, Alex picked his cards up and took notice of Baker’s actions. He was far too confident in his skills to notice Alex’s demeanor had changed.

  Alex laid his cards down to show he had a royal flush with spades. It truly was the luck of the draw, as he hadn’t ever played a game so well. Baker threw his cards on the pile without showing his hand. It was obvious Baker was ill prepared to lose when bluffing. The man did not have the ability to hide his emotions. The money was swept to Alex’s side of the table as Baker grumbled.

  Choosing to ignore the rude comment, he feigned deafness to Baker’s jibes and picked the cards up for a new round. It wasn’t long before Baker lost the winnings he’d gained from Alex. The man’s tell was simple to see. Each time he had a poor hand he’d rub the back of the cards, make ridiculous bets, and get impatient with the other players. His fingers never stopped moving.

  “Place your bet, Trenton.”

  Alex raised his eyebrows and smiled. Baker has another poor hand. Looking down at his cards, he was well on his way to a four of a kind with three kings. He had only to get the King of Hearts. Even if he didn’t get the particular card, he still had a full house with those three cards and two tens. Alex threw a sixpence on the table. He traded two cards hoping for the last king. The first card handed to him was a two of diamonds. Alex took a deep breath. He wasn’t worried about losing. He hadn’t bet too much. If he’d ruined his chances by trading in the tens, he'd fold. Picking up the second card, Alex kept the smile inward as he saw the King of Hearts. Pure luck!

  “You must have a bad hand this time,” Baker said with a laugh.

  He is overly confident. Alex thought as he watched Samuel and Leigh throw their cards down. It was down to three now. Nathaniel played a few more rounds, then threw his cards showing he was done. Alex looked at Baker for a full minute before placing another sixpence on the table. “I call.”

  Baker burst into laughter. “Is the amount starting to worry you?”

  “Not at all. But you seem to be running low. I do not think you can go another round.”

  “Do not worry about my finances!” Baker adjusted in his seat and rubbed the cards. “You must have a poor hand. Otherwise you’d want to continue.”

  “Let us finish the game, Baker. I tire of your bragging.”

  Baker matched the bet and raised by a sovereign. If Alex hadn’t been so upset with the presence of Margaret in the room and the conversation she held with Debra, he would have given in and thrown his cards on the table. But Baker’s attitude bothered him. Matching the bet, then raising by another sovereign, Baker’s face turned tomato red in anger.

  In an expected move, Baker matched the bet but did not raise. Throwing his cards on the table, he asked, “Can you beat a full house?”

  “I do believe a four of a kind beats your very admirable full house.” Alex put as much derision in his voice as possible. He did not like George Baker. The man treated everyone as though they were inferior. Knowing Baker would be in his future as a brother, he vowed to stay away from the man if possible.

  Baker shoved the money on the table toward Alex. “I have never seen someone recover so completely from loss without cheating.”

  “Baker, I have ignored your allegations but will take them no longer. If you cannot handle losing the game, do not play.”

  “I will prove you are a cheat, Trenton!” Baker stood and left the room.

  Alex stacked the money. He took what he’d originally brought to the table back then handed the rest to Samuel. “Will you please give this back to him? He needs it more than I do.”

  “Not a chance! He needs to learn there are consequences to betting.”

  Reluctantly he took the money. “I have a feeling he has already learned the lesson but has a destructive habit and does not know when to stop.”

  Alex noticed Rilla glaring at him as he crossed the room and joined Debra on the couch. Margaret finally moved away, which allowed him to spend a few moments with his fiancé before the night was to end. As Baker’s wife Rilla would be protective of her husband. She’d also made it clear they were struggling when she announced they were living off the interest of her dowry. Is there any money left from the dowry? Somehow, he doubted they were getting much interest.

  Turning to Debra, he noticed she looked troubled. “Are you in pain or unwell?”

  “I have a headache.”

  Concerned, he nodded in understanding. “Will you take time to speak with me tomorrow?”

  “If I am well.”

  He stood and helped her rise, watching as her maid followed her from the room. More than anything, he wanted to know what she and Margaret had spent so much time speaking of during the evening.

  Chapter 15

  When she reached her bedchamber, Debra walked to the mirror and looked for the attributes Lady Margaret saw in her. Although she originally thought Margaret was being condescending, when the words you are so beautiful left her mouth, Debra found she believed her.

  “Miss, do you want my help to change for the night?”

  “Annie,” she said brushing the stray locks behind her ears, “tell me the truth, am I beautiful?”

  “Yes, my lady, I cannot believe you constantly question this.”

  “Lady Margaret said I am the most beautiful red head she has ever met.”

  Annie moved around the room as though the conversation was not important. But it was rare to find someone who thought she was pretty. As Debra fell asleep, she smiled at the thought of being beautiful.

  Debra sat by a tree. Attention focused on the novella in Peterson’s Magazine she brushed aside the sound of a twig snapping. Her mind allowed it to fill in the background of the story as the characters ran toward each other. She blushed as she read about Lila Bets and Lieutenant Fredricks and their assignation after two years of separation.

  “Why do you blush?” Trenton asked.

  Debra’s head shot up as she snapped the magazine shut. “Pardon me?”

  “I inquired as to what has your attention so focused?”

  Her voice took on an unnatural squeak. “Nothing, my lord.”

  Trenton quirked an eyebrow in her direction, the smoldering crooked smile he gave made her want to hide in shame. “If your fiancé cannot be your confidant, who do you have?”

  She sighed. “Lady Margaret seems to be a person I can confide in.”

  His lips turned down in a frown. “I am curious as to know what you and she spoke about for so long last night.”

  Debra tried to add intrigue into her comment to make him wonder. “Margaret, I should say Maggie as
she asked me to call her, gave me insight into my future husband.”

  “What type of information did she share with you?”

  “It was told to me in the strictest of confidence, and as my fiancé you should not ask me to divulge such information.”

  “Take care with Margaret. I have come to realize she is very much like your sister Lady Kate.”

  “They are nothing alike. Margaret was kind and genuine. Kate hasn’t been kind for many years. She is too busy searching for prestige and a wealthy husband to care about family anymore.”

  “What are you reading?” Alex asked pointing to the magazine.

  She didn’t want to speak with him about Margaret. This would be a way to divert his attention. “If you must know, I was enjoying a novella.”

  “In Peterson’s Magazine?” He did not try to hide his skepticism.

  “Yes, in Peterson’s Magazine!” she quipped mocking his tone.

  He sat next to her and held his hand out. “I would like to see what had you so distracted. I not only called out your name, as I approached, but I did ask a question or two and received not so much as a head nod of acknowledgment.”

  Debra glared at him. She had no desire to share the magazine but relented as he met her eyes and did not look away from her scowl. She liked the intense way he looked at her as though he could see through the façade masking her true self.

  “Is there a back story to this? Or is this the start of the novella?”

  “The beginning was in last week’s edition. Lila Betts is the protagonist. She made a match with an officer in the Royal Navy, Lieutenant Fredricks. But her father would not allow the match as Fredricks is a poor man. Fredricks’s ship arrived back in England after a year in the East Indies. This one picks up when Lila sees Lieutenant Fredricks for the first time in a year.” She tried not to sound excited but was unsuccessful as she watched for his reactions.