A Deceptive Wager

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  Kitty looked away from her in apprehension. The lady struck her as a female version of the Grim Reaper. Aaron wasn’t planning to take her to the cemetery and bury her in an open grave, was he? Maybe Kitty shouldn’t have been so quick to enter this carriage.

  Aaron sat across from them and gestured for the footman to hurry up and shut the door. Once the door was shut, he didn’t hide his relief. “I never thought that travesty would be over.”

  His hard gaze fell on Kitty, and she had the urge to scowl back. The only thing holding her back was her upbringing…and the fact that Miss Britcher was there. She had the distinct feeling that she was surrounded by people who didn’t like her. If she said or did anything, they would both argue with her. She might have had the strength to go against one, but she didn’t want to deal with two irritable people. The morning had been awful for her. Aaron wasn’t the only one who felt as if his life was officially over.

  The carriage moved forward, and Aaron spoke up. “Kitty, Miss Britcher will be your chaperone. Miss Britcher, Lady Northton will be your charge.”

  “Chaperone?” Kitty asked. “I’m a married lady. I don’t require a chaperone anymore.”

  “You’re my wife, which means you most definitely need a chaperone,” Aaron said. “Miss Britcher’s been hired to make sure you don’t take a lover until you bear me an heir. If you bear me a son and that son is healthy, I might release her from her duties, but if I decide I need another son, then she’ll remain under my employment.”

  Kitty’s face flushed with anger. How dare he say such things to her? “This is nonsense.” Kitty gave another glance at the lady who narrowed her eyes at her. Looking back at Aaron, she added, “I don’t have a lover, nor do I care to take one. I don’t want to share a bed with anyone. Including you.” She dared a peek at Miss Britcher to see if the lady would condemn her for adding that last part, but the lady kept her mouth closed.

  “Do you take me for a fool?” Aaron asked.

  Since Miss Britcher hadn’t joined the conversation, Kitty ventured, “You obviously take me for a lady who’s not a virgin, so yes, you are a fool.” She crossed her arms. “It’s highly insulting you would presume such a thing.”

  “What’s to presume? You’re a lady and a pretty one at that. You think I’m too dull of understanding to know that you use your charms on anyone who’ll give you his attention?”

  She gasped. She’d thought she’d been insulted earlier, but this was even worse!

  “There’s no need to put on the pretense of innocence. Other gentlemen might be gullible, but I’m not.” The carriage came to a stop, and he edged toward the door. “Miss Britcher will explain what’s expected of you. She is to be with you at all times.”

  Miss Britcher was to be with her at all times? Exactly, what did that mean? Did it mean she would have to take Miss Britcher with her everywhere she went when she left the townhouse?

  Before she could ask, the footman opened the door, and Aaron left the carriage. She watched him, partly in shock and partly in anger as he marched up the steps of the townhouse. He didn’t look back. Not even once. He didn’t care if she was following him or not. As far as he was concerned, the matter was over.

  But she knew otherwise. The matter was far from over. They were married. That meant they were stuck together for life. And that meant her problems were just beginning.

  Chapter Four

  Kitty’s problems were worse than she’d originally expected. When the butler led her into her bedchamber, she saw that there were two beds in the room. One was a large canopied bed like the one she was used to sleeping in, and the other was a small one that would fit one person. She frowned as she glanced between them. The small bed was closer to the door.

  “This is your bed, my lady,” the butler told her, gesturing to the large bed. “This is for you, Miss Britcher,” he told the lady standing next to her and motioned to the small bed.

  Kitty waited for Miss Britcher to say this was preposterous, but she only nodded her approval and set her valise on the bed.

  Kitty’s gaze went to the butler, and she saw that he was instructing the coachman to put her two large trunks in front of the armoire.

  “I’ll put her things away,” Miss Britcher told the butler.

  “My lady’s maid is to do that,” Kitty spoke up. “She knows how I like everything.”

  Miss Britcher shook her head. “I’m in charge of you now, my lady. Lord Northton gave me specific details on what I am to do.”

  “What if I don’t want to follow along with this?” Kitty asked, her shock finally starting to wear off.

  “You have no choice. Lord Northton is your husband. He has full control over what happens to you.”

  “He has full control over…?”

  Kitty couldn’t even finish the sentence. It was just too absurd. This had to be a terrible nightmare. Surely, she was asleep. She was probably afraid of what a marriage might be like for a lady. A loss of freedom. No possibility of using her dowry to gain a sense of independence. The wedding must not have happened yet. It was still night. She would wake in the morning and realize this was all a nightmare. Then when she did marry Aaron, she’d realize her fears weren’t anything like this.

  Miss Britcher instructed the butler and coachman to leave then shut the door. Kitty pinched herself several times, but the dream didn’t dissolve.

  I can’t be awake. This is too terrible for me to be awake.

  But no matter how much she willed it, she wasn’t waking up.

  Miss Britcher opened one of her trunks. She picked out a gown, scanned it up and down, gave a curt nod, and put it in the armoire. She picked out another gown, gave the same inspection as she had with the other one, offered the nod of approval, and then hung it next to the other one. The third gown, however, did not meet up to her approval, for she shook her head and tossed it to the ground.

  “What’s wrong with that one?” Kitty asked.

  “The neckline is too low,” Miss Britcher said. Without waiting for Kitty to respond, she pulled out a red gown. “This color is inappropriate.” She tossed it to the floor.

  “Why?” Kitty liked the color red. It was a vibrant and fun color to wear, and it brought out the color in her cheeks.

  “A harlot wears red. You will not play the harlot while you are in this residence.”

  “I’ve never played the harlot, nor do I have any intention of ever doing so.”

  Miss Britcher ignored her and picked out a peach gown. She hung it in the armoire.

  “I can’t believe this is happening,” Kitty muttered and glanced at the door. “I suppose your bed is there to make sure I don’t leave the room without you knowing.”

  “I am to stay with you at all times. It’s the only way to preserve your virtue.”

  “Surely, I must be afforded some privacy.”

  “Absolutely not. I take my job seriously.”

  “Are you telling me you’re going to follow me everywhere I go?”

  “That is what your husband hired me for.” She put another gown in the armoire.

  “Can I go anywhere by myself in this townhouse?”

  “Not without me.”

  “Are you telling me my overbearing husband thinks I’ll have a dalliance with a lover in his townhouse?”

  “One can’t tell where a lady might entertain a lover.” She pulled out a purple gown, held it up to the sunlight coming through the window, and after a long moment, she tossed it to the ground. “The shade is a little too dark. Choose something lighter next time, and I’ll allow it.”

  Kitty couldn’t believe this was happening.

  “Lord Northton gave me instructions to monitor your monthly flow,” Miss Britcher continued.

  Kitty grimaced. She hadn’t thought this whole thing could get more invasive, but it just had. “I’m not with child. I’ve never been with a gentleman in that way.”

  “When do you expect me to see proof of this statement?”

  Was the lady
really serious? She was really going to check her rags?

  Miss Britcher stopped sorting through the trunk and made eye contact with her. “Well?”

  “I don’t keep that careful track of it,” Kitty finally said when it occurred to her that the lady was going to keep staring at her until she gave her an answer. “I go by the light cramping I experience a couple days before I’m due to have it. I use my cloths at that time.” She forced out the last part. All of this was much too personal, much too invasive. And she didn’t know how to avoid it.

  “In less than a month’s time, we’ll know the truth either way,” Miss Britcher said then picked out another gown.

  Kitty closed her eyes and fell backward onto the bed. She didn’t want to have this conversation anymore. She didn’t want to be here. She never thought she’d want to be back under her brother’s roof, but she wanted that more than anything right now. She’d had moments where she’d felt helpless, but she’d always had hope. Now she had no hope at all. Turning onto her side so that Miss Britcher couldn’t see her face, she gave in to the urge to silently cry.

  ***

  Aaron couldn’t bring himself to stay in the townhouse for longer than an hour, so he went to the one place where no lady would invade his life. He went to White’s. But despite the fact that there were no ladies nearby to make his life miserable, he couldn’t get rid of the sense of impending doom hovering over his head. This must be what marriage was like; a gentleman suddenly found himself bound to someone who, at any time, could ruin him in some way.

  As he sat in the large room with a glass of brandy in his hand, he realized he hadn’t put restrictions on what Kitty could purchase. Up to now, his only thought had been what she might do to ruin his reputation. He’d hired Miss Britcher to handle that. It wasn’t ideal to have to rely on a lady to ensure his wife’s fidelity, but it was for the best.

  He only hoped Miss Britcher’s words of disdain for impropriety wasn’t an act. She possessed no warmth, and she certainly had no charm. It was easy to be around a lady like her and find nothing of interest about her. So, while it was unfortunate he had to hire a chaperone for his wife, he was certain he couldn’t have selected a better one for this particular job. Kitty’s days of seducing gentlemen were at an end.

  At least until she produced him a healthy son. At that point, he’d let her go to do whatever wanton thing she wished so long as she did it in another country. There was no way she was going to engage in any kind of debauchery while the Ton could find out about it. Maybe he’d put her on a ship and send her to America. Then she’d be so removed from his life that he could pretend she’d died.

  “Are you sure Lord Roderick isn’t here?” someone asked from the other side of the room.

  Aaron looked up from his glass of brandy as Mr. Christopher Robinson entered the room, ten gentlemen following behind him.

  “Yes, we’re sure,” Lord Powell replied. “He’s not hiding in a room somewhere. And Lord Reddington is at the entrance. He’ll let us know if Lord Roderick comes here.”

  “Relax and sit,” Lord Davenport said. “You don’t have to worry about him finding out about the wager. We’re all bound to secrecy.”

  Lord Edon nodded as he sat down. “Right. None of us will reveal what you’re planning.” He glanced at Aaron. “Right?”

  “I have no need to tell Lord Roderick anything,” Aaron replied.

  Lord Edon gave a satisfied smile in his friend’s direction. “You’re safe here.”

  “I can’t let you stay here,” Mr. Robinson said.

  Lord Edon frowned. “Why not?”

  “Because you bet on Lord Roderick,” Mr. Robinson replied. “For all I know, you plan to tell him what I’m going to do.”

  Lord Edon gasped and put his hand over his chest.

  Aaron resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Leave it to Lord Edon to feign shock.

  “Why would I do that?” Lord Edon asked. “I bet on Lord Roderick because I want to lose.”

  “That seems doubtful,” Lord Powell spoke up as the others sat down.

  “It’s true,” Lord Edon insisted. “I’m tired of winning every single bet I enter. It’s time I lost for once.” He looked at Mr. Robinson. “You know how hard I’ve been trying to lose. I already told you that I believe you can win this thing.”

  Mr. Robinson gave his friend a thoughtful look before he settled back in his chair. “I suppose it won’t hurt if he stays.”

  “We bet on you,” Lord Powell told Mr. Robinson. “We have a right to be here. We put money on you. Lord Edon didn’t. For that reason alone, we should have a right to demand he leave, and,” he added when Lord Edon opened his mouth, “we demand no one tells him anything. Not even you, Mr. Robinson. I, for one, would like to make some money off of this wager.”

  The other gentlemen nodded their agreement.

  Aaron sipped his brandy, far more interested in whether Mr. Robinson would forbid his friend from being a part of this conversation than whether or not he could scare Lord Roderick.

  After a long moment, Mr. Robinson sighed. “All right.” He faced his friend. “You can’t stay.”

  Lord Edon’s jaw dropped. “But we’re friends.”

  “If you really feel that way, you should have put your money on him,” Lord Powell said.

  Lord Edon groaned. “I want to lose. I am supporting my friend.”

  “I believe you, but the others don’t,” Mr. Robinson replied. “I’m sorry, but I can’t betray the others, especially when money is at stake.”

  “Fine. I thought it was apparent to everyone that I don’t like Lord Roderick, but I suppose it’s not.” Lord Edon rose from his chair and left the room.

  Lord Powell jumped up and went to the doorway so he could see where Lord Edon was going. He waited for a few seconds then said, “He’s no longer in White’s.” He closed the door. “We can safely discuss the plan.”

  “Is this something that’s already been decided, or are you discussing ideas on how to frighten Lord Roderick?” Aaron spoke up.

  “I think I’ve come up with a good plan already,” Mr. Robinson replied. “I’m going to sneak into his townhouse and pretend to be a ghost.”

  “Are you certain something like that will work?” Lord Davenport asked. “He doesn’t seem like the type who believes in apparitions.”

  “I agree,” Lord Reddington said. “Besides, how can you prove you scared him unless one of us goes with you to verify this?”

  Aaron shook his head. “Your bigger concern is running into one of his servants. Someone’s bound to find you.”

  “He makes a good point,” Lord Powell said. “As much as I love the idea of you pretending to be a ghost, there are too many things that can go wrong. It’s best to pick something that doesn’t involve his residence.”

  Mr. Robinson sighed but nodded. “Yes, those are all valid considerations. I suppose I’ll have to do something else.”

  Aaron took another sip of his brandy. Since no one seemed to have an idea, he said, “Have a missive delivered to this establishment from a lady who claims she’ll tell everyone she’s having his child unless he pays her to keep quiet.”

  The gentlemen glanced over at Aaron in surprise.

  “Is that wise?” Lord Davenport asked. “His wife just had a baby.”

  “That’s why the missive will come here,” Aaron replied. “Everything that happens here is never mentioned outside of these walls. No one else will find out about the missive.”

  “So, the goal is for the missive to frighten him?” Lord Powell asked.

  “I would be frightened if such a missive was delivered to me,” Aaron said.

  “But he would know it’s not true,” Mr. Robinson replied.

  “It doesn’t matter if he knows it’s true or not,” Aaron said. “What matters is that the missive frightens him. As long as he shows that it scares him, you’ll win.”

  Mr. Robinson drummed his fingers on his chin for a few seconds. “It’s not as fun
as pretending to be a ghost, but it might work. A lady threatening to blackmail him would probably frighten him. He places such a high value on his reputation.”

  It would frighten Aaron if such a thing were to happen to him. In fact, he couldn’t think of anything that would scare him more.

  “All right,” Mr. Robinson decided. “I’ll do it, but I think I’ll go with something more personal. I’m going to have the lady threaten to go directly to Lady Roderick.”

  “I think it would be more effective to threaten that she’d tell everyone,” Aaron argued.

  “I don’t know if he’d believe something that outrageous,” Mr. Robinson said. “I’m going to have it just be his wife.”

  Aaron shrugged and sipped more brandy. This was Mr. Robinson’s plan. He might as well do it his way.

  “When will you have this missive sent here?” Lord Powell asked. “I want to be here when it arrives.”

  As the others debated on a good time for the missive to be delivered, Aaron’s mind wandered back to his marriage. He would have to give Kitty an allowance of some sort. The question was, just how much would he let her spend? She’d probably spend his entire fortune in a matter of days if she could.

  The door of the room opened. Aaron’s first hope was that Roger had come here, but it was Benjamin who was heading over to him. Aaron glanced around the room and realized no one was discussing the wager anymore.

  “I didn’t expect to see you here,” Benjamin told him.

  Aaron shrugged. “I have nowhere important to be.”

  Benjamin sat next to him. “What about home? You just got married.”

  “The fact that I got married is exactly why I shouldn’t be at my townhouse.”

  Benjamin’s eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t understand.”

  “I didn’t ask for the marriage. I was tricked into it.”

  “By your wife?”

  “No. By my wife’s brother. Don’t make any wagers with Lord Halloway. He doesn’t fulfill his end of the bargain.”