Wicked Wager (4 page)

“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?”

“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 must 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?”

“Adrian always told me that no man would buy a horse from a woman. He said we’d get much better prices if we had his man handle the transaction.”

“I suppose there’s something to that.” James fell silent again, as if he’d apparently run out of topics for small talk. Penny took this opportunity to yawn and stretch back against the squabs. “I’m a bit sleepy. Do you mind if I nap?”

“Of course not.”

She wasn’t tired at all, but it was a strain to live by her wits. Besides, she needed time to plan her strategy once they reached London. Her main scheme was to be so profligate in her spending that Revington would become convinced having her as his wife would cost him more than the income Horngate could provide. She’d seen the look on his face when she’d mentioned buying a new wardrobe. He obviously hadn’t considered that having a wife might be expensive. Well, the greedy gamester was about to learn otherwise.

Chapter Three

“Miss Montgomery, wake up. We’ve arrived at the inn.”

Penny feigned awakening. “What station is this?”

“It’s Petersfield, miss,” James said. “I hope they can accommodate us. It looks rather crowded.”

In the purplish twilight, she made out the dark shape of the inn, with lights winking from nearly every window. The barouche pulled into the yard full of carriages and rigs, and an osteler came up to hold the team. Revington jumped down from the driving box; James climbed out of the carriage and offered his hand to Penny.

Revington scarcely glanced at her before striding toward the inn. James took her arm. “Allow me to escort you, miss.”

****

“One room? That’s all you have?”

The innkeeper shook his head at Marcus. “’Fraid so, sir. You’re lucky I saved it back for someone of quality like yourself. Could have filled it several times over, but I guessed there might be someone coming along who’d be willin’ to pay extra for their accommodations.”

The balding man gave him a shrewd look and Marcus felt a muscle twitch in his jaw. The bastard was going to charge him double; he knew it. “But there’s three of us.” He gestured to Penny and James, who’d just come in. “I really don’t see how we’ll manage.”

“Oh, it’s quite a large room, sir. With an adjoining parlor. The gentleman and his wife…” He nodded to Penny and James. “They could take the bed, and you could sleep on the settle in the parlor.”

“The lady is with
me,
” Marcus corrected him.

The innkeeper shrugged. “Then you and she can have the bed and the other man takes the settle.”

“I suppose so,” Marcus snapped. He was rather dismayed with the idea of sharing a bed with Penny, but it was certainly preferable to sleeping with James.