His Wicked Lady (20 page)

“The estate being one of them,” she replied
then looked at her son. “He’s right. You don’t want to ever do
anything as foolish as bet your estate. Some day you will have an
heir, and you’ll want to leave that to him.”

“You also don’t want to be irresponsible with
the money in your possession,” Malcolm added. “I’ve seen too many
titled gentlemen end up destitute due to such carelessness.”

“I’ll be good with money,” Leonard said.

“With your father’s guidance, I have no doubt
about it,” Regan replied. Malcolm smiled at her compliment, and she
was glad she was able to say something to make him happy. “I don’t
know how much longer this will take,” she said, gesturing to the
chess pieces, “but I promised Leonard he could sleep at his
grandmother’s tonight.”

“I suppose that’s all we need to do today.”
Malcolm rose to his feet. “We can talk about what to do with your
Bishops or Knights next time.”

“When?” Leonard asked.

“Well,” Malcolm shrugged, “I suppose
tomorrow.”

“Good,” he replied. “I can’t wait to find how
this game turns out!”

Malcolm opened his mouth to speak as Leonard
hurried for the hallway, but he closed it and glanced at Regan, who
chuckled.

“In time, he’ll understand it’s not a game,”
she assured him.

“There’s no harm in it at his age. Besides,
if he thinks of it as a game, he’ll probably remember what I tell
him.”

“I think so. Children remember things they
enjoy.”

By the time they reached the door, Leonard
was practically jumping up and down. “Grandmother said she has a
gift for me.”

“She likes to spoil him,” Regan told Malcolm
with a smile. She tapped her son on the shoulder. “Settle
down.”

Leonard stopped jumping, and Regan nodded to
let the footman know he could open the door so they could go to the
carriage.

It was nice her son had such a good
relationship with his grandmother. However, between the two of
them, Regan suspected Frederick’s mother benefited most from their
times together. His poor mother had lost two children to
childbirth. Frederick had been a sickly child, and she’d doted on
him to the point where he’d felt confined all his life. So was it
really any wonder that he’d found Regan’s mischievous nature
refreshing?

As Regan followed her son into the carriage,
she glanced at Malcolm. No two gentlemen could be more different.
While Frederick wanted to push against the rules of the Ton,
Malcolm needed to stay safe inside them. It was surprising both
gentlemen should appeal to her so much, but the truth was, she
wanted to be with Malcolm as much as she’d wanted to be with
Frederick. Both were wonderful gentlemen, despite their
differences.

After she sat down, Leonard scrambled over
her so he could sit between her and Malcolm. “Sorry, Mother,” he
said, standing up so he was no longer sitting on her dress.

“It’s all right,” she replied as she tucked
the bottom of her dress safely around her legs.

The carriage moved forward, and Leonard
settled back down and smiled at them. “This is great fun, isn’t
it?”

“Speak for yourself,” Malcolm said. “I have
to endure the ramblings of a madman. You get a nice, quiet evening
with your grandmother.”

Leonard’s eyebrows furrowed, and he looked
over at Regan. “What’s a madman?”

“Someone who lacks good sense,” Malcolm
replied. “It’s worse when they do it on purpose.”

“We don’t have to stay long,” Regan told
Malcolm. “We can make up an excuse and leave early. Maybe I could
get a headache or feel sick to my stomach. They shouldn’t suspect
anything if I claim the illness.”

“Oh, I don’t mind coming right out and
telling him I can’t stand to be around him anymore,” Malcolm said.
“One time I even walked out while he was still talking. I even did
that today at White’s.”

“Who don’t you like, Father?” Leonard
asked.

“Lord Toplyn.”

Regan couldn’t help but notice her husband’s
face puckered up as if he’d just tasted a lemon.

“Oh, Lord Top Pin,” her son said. “I remember
him.”

“It’s Toplyn,” she told him.

“That’s what I said,” Leonard replied.

Malcolm chuckled. “You have to admit, it
sounds like Top Pin.”

The carriage came to a stop, and she decided
to put aside the discussion in favor of taking her son to see his
grandmother.

To her surprise, Malcolm joined her. She had
expected him to wait in the carriage. But he hadn’t. In fact, he
even took her by the elbow, an action which warmed her from her
head to the tips of her toes. There was nothing sensual about the
touch. It was a sweet gesture. It was a sincere gesture. It was
something he did because he wanted to. And because of that, it was
the best touch she’d ever received.

Chapter Seventeen

“O
h good, you came!” Logan greeted Regan as the footman brought
her and Malcolm into the drawing room.

Logan gave her a bow, his gesture much more
elaborate than it needed to be, something not lost on Malcolm, who
rolled his eyes. Regan bit back a chuckle and decided to be polite
by offering a curtsey and extending a greeting to Logan and
Melissa.

After Melissa returned the greeting, Logan
turned to Malcolm and sighed loud enough for all to hear. “I see
you couldn’t get out of bringing your less-than-enthusiastic
companion with you.”

“That’s not fair, Logan,” Melissa said. “You
know I want to see my brother. The invitation was for both of
them.”

“I only came here to see my sister and
darling nephew. Speaking of which,” Malcolm glanced around the
room, “where is Mathias?”

“He’s upstairs,” Melissa said. “Would you
like to see him?”

“Yes.” Malcolm turned to Regan. “Want to join
us?”

Regan almost said yes, but Logan gave a
slight shake of his head, a silent indication he wished to speak to
her. Considering his assistance in helping her win Malcolm, she
opted to see what he had on his mind.

“Actually, I’m thirsty,” Regan said. “Could I
come up after I have a chance to drink some tea?” She gestured to
the teapot and cups resting on the table.

“Of course,” Melissa replied. “Logan, bring
her up when she’s done.”

“I’d be delighted to,” Logan promised.

Malcolm and Melissa left the room, but Regan
waited until she heard them going up the steps before she turned to
Logan. “You wish to speak to me about something?”

“Yes.” Logan hurried over to the desk and
opened a drawer. “I got this from Lord Edon the other day.”

Curious, Regan followed him, wondering what
it was he wanted to show her. To her surprise, he pulled out the
same book Regan had caught Melissa reading the last time she’d been
here.

“I tried to give this to your husband while I
was at White’s today,” Logan told her. “But he refused to take it.
I thought it would help you get him to come to your bed. You know,
give him some inspiration.”

She took the book and opened
it, just to make sure it really was the one she’d written. The
title was
How to Pleasure a
Lady
. Yes, it was hers, all right, even
though no author was specified. At the time, she’d thought it best
to keep her identity a secret, and right now, she was especially
glad for it. Who knew what Logan would think if he knew he was
giving her the very book she’d written?

“Now, he might not read the contents,” Logan
warned her. “He might even find the illustrations frightening, even
though they are more educational than erotic.” Lowering his voice,
he added, “I showed him one that labeled the important parts on the
lady’s body, and he ran off as if I’d shown him a newspaper article
reporting the demise of all the banks.”

She couldn’t help but chuckle at the joke.
“There’s no denying he’s timid when it comes to the
bedchamber.”

“Yes, but normal gentlemen still find the
female body fascinating enough to explore, despite their initial
shyness.”

She had trouble arguing that statement.

“I don’t know if you can get him to read it,”
Logan continued. “Maybe you can slip it into his bed when he’s
having one of his restless nights. I’m sure if he’s aroused enough,
he’ll be more inclined to read it.”

That was probably true. Even if Malcolm was
reluctant to come to her bed, she didn’t see how his curiosity
wouldn’t win the battle in seeing what was in the book.

But if he found it in his bedchamber, he’d
know she’d put it there. That wouldn’t work well considering how
much progress she’d made with him over the last few days. He seemed
to be softening quite a bit toward her. If he saw this, they might
end up where they were on their wedding day, and that was the last
thing she wanted.

However, she couldn’t refuse the gift.
Logan’s heart was in the right place. He was doing this to help
her. So she had to accept it.

“Thank you,” she told Logan.

“Of course, I don’t expect you to take it
home with you this evening,” he said, taking the book back. “I’ll
wrap it in brown paper, so no one will be the wiser when it
arrives.”

“When what arrives?” came Malcolm’s voice
from behind her.

Startled, she spun around, eyes wide as her
husband made his way across the room in long, even strides. She
glanced at Logan, who appeared as equally shocked.

“You’re quieter than a church mouse,” Logan
said as he slipped the book into the drawer and shut it.

“What were you showing my wife?” Malcolm
demanded.

Regan glanced at Logan. Oh dear. This wasn’t
going to be good. Not with the way Malcolm was so prudish. She
recalled how upset he’d been earlier that day when he came home
from White’s. It was the book that did it. Who knew something she’d
thought would be a good idea at the time she wrote it would come
back to haunt her in such a horrific way?

“It’s nothing to concern yourself with,”
Logan told Malcolm then gestured to the stairs. “Why aren’t you
doting on your nephew?”

“Because I realized leaving you alone with my
wife wasn’t in my favor. Who knows what you’ll say or do to annoy
her?” Malcolm made a move to the drawer, but Logan blocked him.

With a frustrated sigh, Malcolm turned to
her. “What was he showing you?”

“Um…” What a tricky situation she’d been put
into! If she told him the truth, he’d be upset, and if she didn’t
tell him, he’d be upset. Either way, she didn’t think she could
win. But even with all that, she’d be better off telling him the
truth, in as vague a way as possible. She cleared her throat. “It
was just a book.” Then with a casual laugh, she shrugged. “It’s not
even worth talking about. Come, let’s see Mathias.”

But before she could take him by the arm and
lead him up the stairs, he turned to Logan and shoved him aside so
he could get to the drawer. Regan blinked. The whole thing happened
so fast she didn’t have a chance to stop him. And neither did
Logan, who seemed at a loss on what to say about the whole
matter.

Malcolm opened the drawer and pulled out the
book, letting out a gasp that seemed to echo through the quiet
room. “What are you doing showing this to my wife?” Malcolm asked
Logan.

After a moment, Logan straightened up and, in
an indignant tone, said, “If you’d taken it earlier today, I
wouldn’t have had to give it to her.”

“You have no right to give her something of
this…this…” Malcolm stared at the book as if it’d poison him if he
opened it. “This is inappropriate. Did I give something like this
to your wife? No. I’d never dream of giving a lady something
this…this….”

“Entertaining?” Logan supplied.

Malcolm dropped the book back into the drawer
and slammed it shut. “I thought even you, someone with the moral
standing of a shameless rake, would have more sense than to give
this piece of filth to a lady.”

“I’ll have you know ladies can enjoy that
book just as much as gentlemen,” Logan said, hands on his hips.
“Why, Melissa often tells me what she’d like to try after reading
that book.”

Regan didn’t think Malcolm could be any more
disturbed than he already was, but she was wrong. The color
draining out of his face, Malcolm stumbled back, his hand over his
heart.

Regan hurried to get a chair for him so he
didn’t end up collapsing onto the floor. He plopped into the seat,
staring straight ahead. Regan waved her hand in front of him, but
he didn’t blink.

“What’s going on down here?” Melissa asked,
coming into the room.

“Malcolm found the book on how to pleasure a
lady, and the excitement was too much for him,” Logan dismissively
replied. “He fainted earlier today at White’s, so I can’t say I’m
surprised.”

“Logan,” Melissa said as she went over to her
brother, “I told you to be discreet when you gave Regan that
book.”