Damara glanced up from her book as Lady Eloise led the group over to her. As much as Loretta didn’t feel like being around the lady who’d succeeded in stealing Anthony away from her, she couldn’t very well leave. That would only upset Lady Eloise and possibly Celia. While Celia understood her heartache, Damara was Celia’s sister-in-law. Celia had a responsibility to be nice to her.
Once they reached Damara, Lady Eloise asked, “How are you doing this afternoon?”
“I’m doing fine,” Damara replied. She closed the book and rose to her feet. “Is there something I can do for you?”
“It would be nice if you’d reconsider joining our group,” Lady Eloise said. “We enjoy talking to you.”
Damara’s cheeks grew pink with pleasure, and who could blame her? Loretta knew plenty of ladies who would give up everything to be in the group. And to think Lady Eloise was extending a second invite for Damara to join!
I will not be bitter. I will not be bitter. Though Loretta repeated this to herself, she couldn’t help but feel the all-too-familiar emotion of jealousy creeping up her spine. How was it possible that Damara won over everyone without even trying?
“As honored as I am to be asked, I’m afraid I can’t,” Damara told Lady Eloise. “I’m friends with Lady Steinbeck.”
“We’re willing to overlook that so long as she doesn’t come to any of my social engagements as your guest,” Lady Eloise said.
Loretta resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Was Lady Eloise actually begging her to become a member? Lady Eloise had never done that for anyone before.
Celia glanced at Loretta, and Loretta could tell her friend felt conflicted between her friendship to Loretta and her obligation to Damara. Loretta put her hand on her arm to assure her that she understood. If Damara came into the group, Loretta might as well leave. Then Celia would be spared the difficulty of choosing between them.
But, as it turned out, Damara held firm in her decision. “No, I can’t. Lady Steinbeck is a good friend, and I couldn’t do that to her.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Lady Eloise replied. “You would have been an asset to our group, but I admire your loyalty to your friends. Such a thing is rare, you know.”
Loretta couldn’t be sure, but she thought Lady Eloise glanced over at her and Celia. Loretta’s gaze went to Celia. Had Celia noticed it?
No. Celia hadn’t. Loretta wished she’d missed the subtle message. Lady Eloise wasn’t all that impressed with her or Celia, and Loretta didn’t know what to do about it. All Loretta had was her social standing in London, and it seemed that wasn’t as secure as she’d thought. She didn’t know what she could do to earn Lady Eloise’s favor, but if she didn’t come up with something, she might not be in the group for long. Getting into the group was only half the battle. The harder part was staying in it.
“You and your husband are invited to my father’s ball,” Lady Eloise told Damara. “He’s the Duke of Silverton. He’s well respected in London.” When Damara hesitated to respond, she added, “You don’t have to be a member of the group in order to attend.” She gestured to Celia. “You might want to come since Celia is your sister-in-law.”
“My husband and I will consider going,” Damara replied.
“I hope you’ll be there,” Lady Eloise said. “A lot of people from the Ton will be in attendance.”
Loretta bit her tongue—hard—in her frustration. She didn’t want to hate Damara. Really, she didn’t. There was no doubt that Damara truly was a sweet person. But why did she have to be here while Lady Eloise practically groveled at her feet? The whole thing was getting to be too much to bear.
Thankfully, Lady Eloise ended the conversation as soon as Lady Steinbeck approached them. After a polite greeting to Iris, Lady Eloise turned to the group and asked, “Today is lovelier than yesterday, don’t you agree?”
Loretta glanced at Damara. Did she remember that was Lady Eloise’s secret message to let the group know she wanted to leave now that Iris had shown up? Damara didn’t give any indication that she did. And that was just as well. Iris didn’t need to know about it.
While Iris sat next to Damara, Lady Eloise led them away from the bench. Lady Eloise started talking about the first time her father brought her to London, which was one of her more boring tales, so Loretta closed the distance between her and Celia.
“I don’t think Lady Eloise cares much for us,” Loretta whispered.
“Don’t be silly,” Celia whispered in return. “She wouldn’t have let us in the group if she didn’t like us.”
“Maybe she let us in the group because of your brother. She has such a high opinion of him.”
“I suppose my brother could have been part of it, but he couldn’t be the only reason. We took lessons on how to behave in order to meet her standards, and we’ve been careful to follow all of her instructions to the tiniest detail. I think she keeps us in the group because we’ve proved our worth.”
Loretta would like to believe that, but a part of her wondered if Lady Eloise was waiting for a reason to get rid of them. Or maybe not them, specifically. Celia would always be Anthony’s sister. Loretta, however, had no such ties that would compel Lady Eloise to keep her in the group indefinitely.
As they left the park, Lady Eloise rambled on about the people they passed and what she thought of them, but Loretta wasn’t really paying attention. If she was going to stay in the group, she needed to find a way to secure Lady Eloise’s esteem. Short of taking another etiquette lesson, she didn’t know what she could do.
Everyone stopped walking, so she turned her attention to Lady Eloise. “I don’t believe it,” Lady Eloise told them, her eyes twinkling. “After all this time, the infamous duke is back in London.”
Loretta followed the lady’s gaze and saw a very handsome gentleman approaching White’s.
“Who is he?” Miss Webb asked, her voice hushed even though he was too far to overhear them.
“That is the Duke of Lambeth,” Lady Eloise replied then gave them all a pointed look. “You remember what I said about him.”
Loretta studied each lady’s face, and everyone but Celia was looking at him appreciatively. Loretta returned her gaze to him. He had a confident stride. She definitely liked that. He had dark hair and broad shoulders. Also something that pleased her. Unlike most gentlemen, he wasn’t clean-shaven. He didn’t have a full beard, either. The couple days’ growth of stubble gave her the impression of someone who was thoughtful of his appearance without being obsessed about it. She had to admit that, without a doubt, he was one of the most attractive gentlemen she’d ever seen.
She glanced at Lady Eloise, who was definitely fascinated by him. Loretta bit her lower lip. If she could secure a marriage to him, it would secure her standing in the group. Excited, she decided to do just that. One way or another, she was going to convince him to marry her.
***
As soon as Tad entered White’s, he felt as if he had stepped back in time. He paused as he scanned the room. It hadn’t changed one bit since he’d been gone, though there were a few new faces.
The last time he’d walked into this place, he’d been engaged in making wages, gossiping, and enjoying the fine brandy. This time, he wasn’t interested in any of those things. This time, he wanted to find which gentlemen would be suitable business partners for future investments.
“I can’t believe it,” someone called out.
Tad turned his gaze to the gentleman who had spoken, and though something was familiar about him, Tad couldn’t recall the gentleman’s title. Several other gentlemen in the room—a couple that he did recognize—turned to look at him.
“Is it really the Duke of Lambeth?” one of the gentlemen asked the one sitting next to him.
Though stunned, the other nodded.
He should have expected his appearance to create a stir. Not only did he used to frequent the place, but he had slept with some of the gentlemen’s wives.
“I am your most ardent follower,
” the gentleman approaching him said then bowed. “Lord Edon. But you can call me Ethan.”
Another gentleman hurried over to them. “And I’m Mr. Robinson. You can call me Christopher.”
“Very well.” If Tad knew these two better, he might offer to let them call him by his Christian name, but he figured the less said at this point, the better. Besides, if they liked the person he used to be, then they probably weren’t the types he wanted to associate with now.
“I can’t believe it’s really you,” Ethan said. “Do you realize how difficult it was for me to live up to your example?”
“He’s right,” Christopher added. “He worked long and hard to scandalize the Ton more than you did.”
“To be honest, I don’t know if I succeeded in being as infamous as you,” Ethan told Tad.
“Don’t be modest,” Christopher said. “You frightened many fathers and their virgin daughters before you married.”
With a smile, Ethan shrugged. “Well, I don’t want to brag.”
“It’s not bragging if it’s the truth.”
Noting that the other gentlemen were watching them, Tad cleared his throat. The last thing he wanted to do was return to his old life. That wasn’t why he was here. He came to save his estate, and if he could do that without having people laud him over his past, it would be all the better.
“Excuse me, gentlemen,” he told Ethan and Christopher as they continued to argue over Ethan’s ability to scandalize the Ton. “Where are the gentlemen who engage in business endeavors?”
“Oh, over in that room.” Ethan motioned to the room on the right. “I hear Mr. Jasper is the best one to talk to if you’re looking to maximize your profits.”
“Thank you,” Tad replied.
He went to the other room, doing his best to ignore a couple of the gentlemen he remembered making bets with in the past—bets he’d rather not think about. He’d known it was going to be tough coming back here. This was exactly why he’d dreaded it.
He paused for a moment as he entered the room, and to his surprise, someone bumped into him. Spinning around, he saw that Ethan and Christopher had been right behind him the entire time.
“Mr. Jasper is over there,” Ethan said, pointing to the gentleman who was with his friends.
Not sure what to make of Ethan’s and Christopher’s excited grins, he offered a nod of thanks and made a beeline for the table where they were hovered over a map. He stopped at the table and waited for Mr. Jasper and the two gentlemen to look up at him before he spoke.
“These gentlemen,” Tad gestured to Ethan and Christopher, “said you have a stellar reputation when it comes to successful business transactions.”
One of the gentlemen standing with Mr. Jasper grimaced at Ethan and Christopher. “Why is it that you two insist on bothering us every time we come to White’s?”
Ethan gasped and put his hand to his chest. “Lord Steinbeck, I assure you that we don’t care when you and your friends are here. This notable gentleman,” he pointed to Tad, “wished to make your friend’s acquaintance, that’s all.”
“Really,” Christopher added, crossing his arms, “we were only being nice.”
“Exactly,” Ethan agreed. “It’s horrible that you can’t help someone without being criticized.”
Lord Steinbeck glowered at the two, but Mr. Jasper spoke up before he could say anything. “I’m Mr. Jasper,” he told Tad, “but you can call me Malcolm. This,” he motioned to Lord Steinbeck, “is my friend Warren, and this is my other friend,” he motioned to the second gentleman, “is Lord Durrant. You can call him Corin.”
“A pleasure to meet you,” Corin said.
Tad nodded his thanks. “I’m Tad.”
“He’s the Duke of Lambeth,” Ethan inserted with great enthusiasm. “The legend is back and walking among us.”
Warren scowled at Ethan. “Every time I start to think I can like it here, you make me reconsider being a member.”
“Don’t mind him,” Ethan told Tad. “He’s a prude. His wife is a prude, too. I don’t think the two have even consummated their marriage.”
Tad didn’t think it possible, but Warren’s scowl deepened. “I came to discuss business,” Tad said. Then, with a glance at Ethan, he added, “And only business.”
Ethan shrugged, glanced at Christopher, and on one accord, the two left.
Relieved, Tad turned to face the three gentlemen. “My apologies for those two. I didn’t ask them to come over here with me.”
“That’s all right,” Malcolm said. “We know how they are. You say you’re interested in business?”
Noting that Ethan and Christopher were huddled with a couple of other gentlemen and glancing his way, Tad cleared his throat. “Yes.” He turned back to Malcolm. “I need to make a large sum of money in a very short amount of time.”
“Just how much do you need, and when do you need it by?” Malcolm asked.
“I need enough to save an estate, and I need it as soon as possible.”
“I hate to say this, but that’s not how business works. Investments take time. You have to be willing to wait if you want to bring in that much.”
“Captain Egan has been prosperous in the past two years he’s commanded his ship,” Warren said. “A return on your investment with him could bring you enough to get your estate stabilized so you can do more investments. But he won’t return with his cargo until September or October.”
That long? Tad didn’t want to give into despair, but that wasn’t what he was hoping to hear. “Is there some other business transaction I can take part in to get money?”
“Well, you could wager someone a good sum of money,” Corin spoke up. “There are plenty of gentlemen who like to make bets. If you’re any good at it, you can get as much as you want.”
Tad inwardly cringed. “No, I’d rather not. I want to make money honestly. I’d rather not make anyone suffer because I get it.”
“The only way I can think of for that to happen,” Warren began, “is to find a wealthy lady to marry.”
Tad’s spirit sank. That was exactly the last thing he wanted to do. He couldn’t, under any circumstance, be a husband. For one, he wasn’t the right type of gentleman for the task, and two, it would only lead to heartache and sorrow on the poor lady’s part when she realized how wrong of a gentleman he was.
“That idea doesn’t sit well with you?” Malcolm asked.
“I’d rather pick another way, if possible,” Tad admitted.
“Being married doesn’t mean you have to give up the things you enjoy,” Warren said. “If you can find a lady who shares your interests, it’s not so bad.”
They didn’t understand. But how could they? They didn’t know what he’d done to ruin someone’s life because of the decisions he’d made in the past. Tad tapped the edge of the table, his gaze going to the map of the seas.
“And investing in something like this,” he gestured to the map, “won’t earn me enough to save my estate?”
“No,” Malcolm replied. “A single voyage isn’t enough. It might get you by for a short time, but you’ll need to invest in several things and be patient as the money comes in. Even if you choose a risky venture, I don’t see how you can make enough to save an entire estate in a short amount of time.” He paused. “I suppose you could take a loan, invest, and then pay off the loan at a later date. You and I could discuss the arrangement of such a loan if you wish.”
That might work. At the very least, it was a possibility he hadn’t thought of before. “If I took a loan from you, would I make enough from the voyage to be able to pay you back and have enough left over to get my estate on a firm foundation?”
“Most likely.”
“Most likely?”
“Well, there are no guarantees. Investing of all kinds, including the captain’s voyage, involves risk, no matter how safe one tries to be.”
So even if he took a loan, there was a chance he wouldn’t be able to pay it off. If that happened, he w
ouldn’t be any better off than he was now. Did he dare take such a risk?
“You can take some time to think about it,” Malcolm said. “I’ll be at the Duke of Silverton’s ball. We can discuss the conditions of the loan at that time if you want.”
Yes, that was probably best. He should think about it. Rushing into anything without giving careful consideration to it was the worst thing he could do. “All right,” he told Malcolm. “I’ll consider the offer. Thank you.”
Nodding to the three gentlemen, Tad turned and headed out of the gentlemen’s club. On his way to the door, he saw Ethan and Christopher watching him, still excited. If they knew—if only they knew, they wouldn’t hold him in such high esteem. With a sigh, he left White’s.
Chapter Three
Later that day, Loretta went straight to her brother’s den to tell him her plan. “It will solve both of our problems,” she concluded. “I get to save my reputation, and you can get rid of me.”
Brad Bachman, the Earl of Youngtown, leaned back in the chair and closed the book he’d been reading. “You’re my sister, Loretta. I don’t look at you getting married as a way to get rid of you.”
“We both know that’s not true,” she countered. “I’ve been nothing but a nuisance around here. You ought to be glad to see me go.”
“You’re not a nuisance.” He paused. “I just think it wouldn’t hurt for you to think of someone other than yourself for a change, that’s all.”
“I have to think of myself.” When he sighed, she added, “You have no idea how difficult it is to be a lady in London. There’s tremendous pressure. Everything is about how pretty you are, how charming you can be, or who you know. I don’t fool myself into believing I’m pretty or charming, but I do have connections with a very influential group.”
He grimaced. “Yes, I know. Ladies of Grace.”
“Think whatever you want of the group, but it’s the only thing I have. If I lose my standing in the group, I’ll have nothing. That’s why I need to marry the Duke of Lambeth. Lady Eloise is impressed with him. If I can secure him for a husband, she won’t be able to throw me out of the group.”
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