A Deceptive Wager

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  Emilia nodded. “He was for five years, but she got ill and died. They had no children, but they loved each other very much. Benjamin said that his uncle encouraged him to marry early so that he could get the most enjoyment out of life while he was still young.”

  “That’s sweet but also very sad,” Lilly replied.

  “I agree,” Emilia said. “Benjamin says Michael is a second father to him, and I suspect Michael feels like Benjamin is the son he never had.”

  “That’s good, especially since Benjamin’s parents are no longer here.”

  “It is. I’m sure when Benjamin and I have a child, Michael will take the role of a grandfather.”

  Lilly’s eyes grew wide in interest. “Are you expecting?”

  “No, not yet. But I’m sure one of these days, I will be.”

  The two glanced over at Kitty. Kitty hurried to shake her head. “I’m not, either.”

  Emilia chuckled. “Oh, we know that. You’re not the kind of lady Aaron assumes you to be.”

  “I don’t want a child with him,” Kitty said. “I hate that I’m expected to have one. It’s not fair that a lady doesn’t have a choice in the matter.”

  “I know Aaron isn’t an ideal husband,” Lilly began. “But the child will be yours, too.” She rubbed her large belly. “Feeling the little one moving around in your womb is one of the most pleasant things a lady can experience. Don’t think of it as Aaron’s child. Think of it as yours.”

  Kitty sipped her tea. Yes, she supposed there was that. “Just how long does the process for making,” she cleared her throat, “a child take?”

  “It depends,” Lilly replied. “Sometimes lovemaking is nice and slow, and at other times, you get so swept up in the passion of the moment that it’s over far too soon.”

  Kitty couldn’t imagine getting swept up in passion with Aaron. Not only did she hate the thought of being with him, but she was sure he’d be scowling the whole time he was with her. With a grimace, she shuddered.

  “Oh dear,” Emilia said. “It’s going to be interesting when Aaron decides he needs to try for that heir.” Her gaze went to Lilly. “And not in a good way.”

  “Claim that time of the month is upon you,” Lilly told Kitty. “No gentleman wants to be with his wife at a time like that.”

  Kitty shot her friend a pointed look. “What do you think Miss Britcher is for? She’s there to tell him when I’m done with that time of the month.”

  “Oh, that’s right.” Lilly winced.

  “Claim a headache!” Emilia exclaimed.

  “That might work for an evening or two,” Lilly said, “but I doubt someone like Aaron will leave her alone longer than that. Though he hates ladies, he does want an heir.”

  Emilia tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Maybe Michael can intervene.”

  Lilly gasped. “You don’t mean for Benjamin’s uncle to sire the child for Aaron!”

  Emilia rolled her eyes. “Of course not. What made you think of that?”

  Lilly paused for a moment then shrugged. “Well, if I was Kitty, I’d rather be with Benjamin’s uncle than Aaron.”

  “But she’s not married to Michael. She’s married to Aaron,” Emilia pointed out.

  Lilly gave Kitty a sympathetic gaze. “I know, and for that, I’m very sorry.”

  Kitty sighed. “You didn’t have anything to do with it.”

  “Well, if I had told Benjamin that you’d been the one who talked about him instead of saying it was Emilia, you wouldn’t be with Aaron.”

  “That’s not nice,” Emilia said. “I wouldn’t want to be with anyone but Benjamin.”

  “You only say that now,” Lilly replied. “If you hadn’t married him, you wouldn’t have realized how wonderful he was. And since you don’t have a brother who’s awful, you would have been spared the marriage with Aaron.”

  “What does any of it matter? I’m stuck with Aaron,” Kitty intervened. “No one can go back and change the past.”

  As she hoped, the two gave up on their ridiculous argument. “Do you two have any suggestions on how I might hurry things along when Aaron wants to,” she almost gagged, “try for an heir?”

  “Start out naked,” Lilly said.

  Emilia grimaced.

  “What?” Lilly asked. “Is there something wrong with the suggestion?”

  “It has a cold feel to it, like she’s offering herself up as a sacrifice instead of making love to her husband,” Emilia said.

  “That’s exactly what I will be doing,” Kitty replied. “I’m not going to enjoy any part of it.”

  “But you should,” Emilia said. “This should be something that brings both of you pleasure and brings you two closer together.”

  “They don’t have that kind of marriage,” Lilly argued. “The most she can hope for is that it doesn’t last beyond a few minutes.”

  Emilia glanced between them for a moment then relented. “Yes, I suppose in her situation, that is the best she can hope for. What a shame. It’s much better if you want to take your time and enjoy it.”

  “I don’t know,” Lilly said. “It’s fun to get so excited that it’s fast.” Her gaze went to Kitty. “Though, I understand it won’t be exciting in any way with Aaron. The exciting part for you will be when he leaves.”

  Kitty couldn’t even imagine what Aaron would do with her, but she agreed that the sooner he finished, the better. So, when the dreaded moment came, she would be smart to already have her clothes off. Then Aaron could do whatever he needed to, and then she could kick him out of the bedchamber. And have Miss Britcher come back in. She resisted the urge to sigh in frustration. Whether it be Aaron or Miss Britcher, she would have no peace. She wasn’t going to have any peace until she gave birth to a boy. Only then would she be allowed to go to her own townhouse.

  “If you give Aaron that scowl, he won’t want to try for an heir,” Emilia said, interrupting her thoughts. “You’ll scare him off. That might work to your advantage. If you do that every time he comes near you, he’ll eventually give up and let you move to your own townhouse.”

  “You really think giving Aaron a sour look will be enough to get him to leave me alone?” Kitty asked, wondering if it could be that easy.

  “It would be one thing you could do,” Emilia replied.

  “What other ways can I dissuade him?” Kitty asked.

  “I don’t know,” Lilly replied. “From what Roger says, Aaron is determined to have an heir. He doesn’t want his cousin to get his title.”

  “The cousin can’t be worse than he is, can he?” Emilia asked.

  “I don’t know anything about his cousin,” Lilly said. “All I know is that Aaron doesn’t want to be around him.”

  Kitty wasn’t surprised. Aaron was the most unpleasant person she’d ever been around. It was to be expected that he didn’t like anyone. She was surprised he’d managed to have any friends.

  Kitty finished her tea then set the cup down. “I want to go out and do something. I’m tired of being inside, especially on a day as nice as this.”

  Ever since Miss Britcher became her chaperone, she hadn’t gone out for a walk, and that was one activity she loved most. She didn’t suppose she could talk the lady into staying here while she went to the park with her friends. Probably not. The lady stayed in the room while she dressed and tended to more private matters.

  “I don’t suppose you two would be willing to go to Hyde Park with a grouchy chaperone walking behind us?” Kitty asked, shooting them a pleading look. She really didn’t want to walk alone with Miss Britcher.

  “I’d be willing to,” Emilia said.

  “I don’t think I can in my situation.” Lilly gestured to her belly.

  “Slip a cloak on,” Emilia said. “People who don’t know you’re with child will assume you’re plump.”

  Lilly sighed. “I don’t know. It’s warm out there, and I’m hot enough as it is.”

  Emilia shrugged. “What’s a little heat? You faced a ballroom of angry people
after you kissed Roger. I doubt it’d be worse than that.”

  “Well, that’s true. Nothing could be as awful as having Lady Cadwalader and her friends physically pick me up and throw me out of a townhouse,” Lilly replied.

  Emilia waved for her to stand up. “Come on then. If we’re fortunate, Aaron will find out and assume Kitty’s asking you about carrying a child. Put on a light cloak and come along. We’ll have a good time even though the harpy will be with us.”

  Feeling better about going for a walk, Kitty joined the others and got ready to head out.

  ***

  Aaron made it to the entrance of White’s and spun around so that he could face Mr. Stonewall. “Here we are. Now you know I’m not going to a lady’s townhouse. You can stay out here while I go inside.”

  In his excitement to get away from him, Aaron ran up the steps to the entrance. To his dismay, he heard footsteps right behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that Mr. Stonewall was right behind him.

  “I have to go with you,” Mr. Stonewall said.

  “Why?” Aaron asked.

  “I have to make sure there are no ladies here.”

  “This is a gentleman’s club. Only gentlemen go in here.”

  As if to prove his point, the door opened and two members left the establishment.

  Aaron moved aside to let them pass then gestured to them. “See?” he whispered to Mr. Stonewall.

  “For all I know they are done satisfying their primal urges with ladies that you have hidden here for such purposes,” Mr. Stonewall replied.

  Aaron’s jaw dropped, and it took him a moment before he could speak. “Don’t be ridiculous. No such thing is happening here. This is a fine establishment. It’s for gentlemen only. Not a single lady is in there.”

  “I can’t verify that until I go in and check the place out for myself.”

  “But you can’t. You’re not a member.”

  “I’m sure you can get me in since I’m your chaperone.”

  “A prison guard is more like it,” Aaron muttered under his breath.

  “What was that, my lord?”

  “Nothing.” Gritting his teeth, he entered the establishment, keenly aware that Mr. Stonewall came in with him.

  “Lord Northton,” Lord Steinbeck called out, “is that gentleman with you?”

  Inwardly groaning, Aaron turned to Lord Steinbeck. “Unfortunately, yes.”

  “I don’t recall you asking to bring a guest,” Lord Steinbeck replied, scanning Mr. Stonewall up and down with a critical eye. “He doesn’t look like nobility.”

  Mr. Stonewall scanned Lord Steinbeck up and down with the same critical eye. “I’m not impressed with what I see, either.”

  Lord Edon and Mr. Robinson burst out laughing from where they were standing by the brandy, but Aaron ignored them. Sometimes White’s was worse than a ballroom full of gossiping ladies.

  “He’s a friend.” Then, thinking better of it, Aaron added, “Of my wife’s. She wanted me to bring him here to show him this place.” Knowing it would prompt Lord Steinbeck to go along with it, he continued, “Mr. Stonewall is very wealthy. He has so much money that he doesn’t need anything from me.”

  Lord Steinbeck’s eyes widened in interest. “Oh? Do you do investing, Mr. Stonewall?”

  Mr. Stonewall nodded. “I’ve been known to engage in business pursuits.”

  “Any of them currently promising?” Lord Steinbeck asked.

  Mr. Stonewall glanced at Aaron. “I don’t know about promising, but it’s been most interesting.”

  Aaron hid his scowl. It was no secret that Mr. Stonewall favored Kitty.

  “Really?” Lord Steinbeck rubbed his chin. “I’d like to hear what you’re doing. I’d be willing to discuss my business ventures. We might learn something from each other.”

  “I’d be happy to as soon as I make sure there are no ladies secretly hiding in this establishment,” Mr. Stonewall said.

  Aaron felt heat rise from the bottom of his neck to the top of his head. He hadn’t just said that aloud, had he?

  Lord Steinbeck didn’t hide his shock. “I would never allow any ladies into this establishment. It would sully the good name of White’s, and I take the reputation here seriously.”

  “While that is assuring, I still need to make sure Lord Northton isn’t going to engage in any activities that are to be reserved for his wife.”

  Lord Edon and Mr. Robinson laughed again, and this time, others joined in, including Lord Steinbeck.

  “You’re joking,” Lord Steinbeck said.

  “I’m afraid not,” Mr. Stonewall replied, his expression still as grim as it’d been when he entered the establishment. “I’ve been hired by Lady Northton to make sure her husband’s virtue stays intact.”

  This earned him even more laughs, and Aaron was sure someone let out a hoot. He closed his eyes and willed the world to stop spinning around him. He was going to get even with Kitty for this if it was the last thing he did. He bet she’d instructed Mr. Stonewall to say that in front of as many people as possible.

  He opened his eyes and saw that Lord Steinbeck didn’t seem nearly as shocked by this as he’d expected. Not that he cared what Lord Steinbeck thought, but Lord Steinbeck wasn’t a cad like Lord Edon, Mr. Robinson, and their friends were.

  “It’s unusual that a wife would insist her husband be chaperoned,” Lord Steinbeck began, “but considering all the rakes in London, I can’t blame her for being careful. However, I can personally attest to the fact that Lord Northton has never once said or done anything to make me think he’s like him.” He gestured to Lord Edon.

  Lord Edon straightened up and adjusted his cravat. “I take my torrid love affairs very seriously, my lord.”

  “He does,” Mr. Robinson agreed. “Why, he even wrote a book on how to pleasure a lady.”

  Lord Edon shook his head. “No, I didn’t write that book. Someone else did.”

  “Who?” a nearby gentleman asked.

  Lord Edon shrugged. “How would I know? The books are from an anonymous author. They show up every year at the beginning of the Season at my townhouse.”

  Mr. Robinson rolled his eyes. “A likely story.”

  “It’s true,” Lord Edon insisted.

  While the two continued to argue, Mr. Stonewall told Aaron, “You are forbidden from associating with those gentlemen. Your wife specifically said you should not associate with rakes.”

  She had? Aaron didn’t make it a habit of hanging around rakes, but this was the most offensive thing he’d ever heard. Who was Kitty to say whom he could or couldn’t talk to?

  Lord Steinbeck smiled. “I like your wife, Lord Northton. What was her last name before she married you?”

  “Miss Farrow,” Aaron replied since he didn’t think he could get out of answering the question.

  Lord Steinbeck’s eyebrows furrowed. “That isn’t Lord Halloway’s sister, is it?”

  “It is.” Might as well come out and admit that his wife’s brother had successfully managed to make his life extremely unpleasant.

  “I’m impressed. She saw the results of her brother’s lustful appetites and decided her husband would not be like him. She’s an intelligent lady to come up with the chaperone idea.”

  It hadn’t been her idea. All she’d done was copy what he’d done, but Aaron chose to keep quiet. His decision to come to White’s was quickly turning into a disaster. Apparently, he was not to have a normal life until he got that blasted heir.

  “Oh, forget it,” Aaron muttered. “I’m going back home.”

  As he turned to go toward the door, Lord Steinbeck called out, “Your friend is welcome to stay. I approve having him as a guest. He has my permission to check the establishment for ladies any time he wishes, though,” he hurried to add, “he won’t find any.”

  “I’m not in the mood to be here anymore,” Aaron said over his shoulder.

  “Ah, you should stay,” Lord Edon shouted. “And who knows? There might be a lady i
n disguise around here.”

  “It’d make the place more interesting if there was,” Mr. Robinson added.

  Another round of laughter erupted behind him, but Aaron ignored them all as he marched out of the establishment. He was going to be the laughingstock of London. There was no avoiding it. Coming here had been a mistake. He should have known Lord Edon and Mr. Robinson would ruin things for him. They would be talking about this for days. Weeks. Maybe even months. Perhaps even years. He might even have to move to another country. His life just might, possibly, be over.

  Chapter Eight

  Kitty was in the drawing room, reading a book she’d purchased at the market during the walk she’d taken with her friends. Miss Britcher sat a couple of chairs away from her. She wasn’t reading. She was just sipping tea and staring at nothing in particular. Quite frankly, it spooked Kitty, but she’d rather be in the large room with plenty of sunlight than in her dim bedchamber. Given a lack of proper lighting, Miss Britcher made her think of a witch.

  With a slight shiver, Kitty returned her gaze to the book in her lap. She had just gotten back into the story when someone barked that he wanted to be alone with his wife.

  Kitty jerked. She looked up and saw a very angry Aaron enter the room. “Get out,” he told Miss Britcher.

  Surprised he would use that tone of voice with her chaperone, Kitty glanced at Miss Britcher, but Miss Britcher didn’t seem to mind the way he talked to her. She just set down her cup and strode out of the room.

  Aaron slammed the door and stormed over to her.

  Despite the wave of apprehension that swept over her, Kitty was determined to hold her ground. She set the book on the table then stood up and faced him. To show him he couldn’t intimidate her, she lifted her chin in the air. She’d once heard her brother say that a lady who confronted a gentleman directly like that wasn’t one to argue with. He’d said docile ladies were far easier to control. And quite frankly, she was tired of being controlled.

  Aaron reached her and set his hands on his hips. “Does it give you pleasure to humiliate me in front of everyone?”

  “I’ve done nothing of the sort. I have kept myself in the same virginal state I was born with. There will be no bastard coming from me.”