His Wicked Lady (25 page)

“Yes, I suppose there is that,” Warren
muttered.

“Why don’t we play a game of cards?” Robert
asked. He glanced at Malcolm. “What do you say? We could even talk
about your favorite topic?”

“Well, money does have a way of making things
better,” Malcolm said.

“Yes, that’s true,” Warren agreed. “It might
help to remind ourselves that we’re doing something worthwhile with
our lives while the reprobates are wasting theirs.” Warren looked
at Malcolm. “At least you and Robert belong to this club. I don’t
think I could tolerate it otherwise.”

“So you’re not going to make your own club?”
Robert asked.

“What’s the point?” Warren replied, gesturing
to the other gentlemen. “If we left and created our own club, what
hope would there be for the gentlemen who wanted that book banned?
Someone needs to stay here and give them hope this club isn’t
totally given over to wickedness.”

“That’s the spirit!” Robert gave him a firm
pat on the back and waved to Malcolm. “Come, let’s play a friendly
game of cards.”

Malcolm followed the gentlemen to the other
room, grateful the matter with the book was finally over. Now, he
could go back to spending his time pursuing his investments.

***

Later that day, Regan returned to the
townhouse with Leonard, surprised to see the butler carrying a
large trunk up the stairs. Before she could ask what was going on,
Malcolm popped out of the den and hurried down the hall in their
direction.

“Father!” Leonard called out, running to
him.

It was on the tip of her tongue to remind her
son not to run, but Malcolm caught the boy and lifted him into his
arms, a wide smile on his face. “I see you enjoyed your visit with
your grandmother,” Malcolm told her son.

“I did,” Leonard said. “She said chess pieces
aren’t money.”

Regan held back her chuckle and went over to
them. “I told Leonard one day he’ll understand the importance of
what you’re teaching him.”

“Well, I suppose for a four-year-old, money
isn’t that interesting,” Malcolm replied with a grin. “Though, I
don’t think he’d find the actual game all that interesting,
either.”

“Why not?” Leonard asked.

“I’ll play a game with you and show you why,”
he promised.

The footman came into the townhouse, carrying
a large box, reminding Regan what she wanted to ask Malcolm.
“What’s with all the things you’re bringing in?”

“Oh, I’m moving all my things over here. I
hope you don’t mind some new furnishings,” he said as he guided her
and Leonard into the drawing room.

Pleased, Regan smiled and sat on the settee.
“No, I don’t mind. We can put some old ones upstairs.”

“I’m going to sell my townhouse.”

“But you’re selling your Queen,” Leonard
said.

Recalling the chess pieces, a giggle rose up
in Regan’s throat. She’d forgotten the Queen had represented the
home.

“No, I’m exchanging Queens,” Malcolm told the
boy. “Your mother already owns a townhouse, and since I’m married
to her, I moved here. That means I don’t need the other one
anymore. Remember, in chess, you’re only given one Queen.”

“Well,” Regan interrupted, “to be fair, we
have two Queens. One is this townhouse and the other is the manor
in the country.”

“Good point.” Malcolm sat at the desk and
turned to face Leonard. “If you are fortunate enough to have the
money, you can have two Queens. Some gentlemen even have more than
that.”

“How many more?” Leonard asked.

“As many as they want.” Malcolm picked up the
quill and took the top off the inkwell. “You’ll find that when
you’re older, you’ll have choices on what you can buy. My hope is
that you’ll make sure you always have what you need and enough to
provide a comfortable living for your wife and children. Any excess
money should be divided up into saving and proper spending.”

As Regan sat on the settee, Leonard asked
Malcolm, “What is esk-sus-ess?” which made Regan grin in amusement.
From the entire spiel Malcolm had given her son, she suspected the
boy didn’t get much more than that word.

“Excess is how it’s pronounced,” Malcolm
said. He dipped the quill in the inkwell. “It means money you have
left over after you’ve taken care of your needs, like having a
place to live, food on the table, and clothes to wear.”

Leonard looked at Regan and asked, “Do we
have that?”

“Yes,” she replied. “We’re very fortunate
that way. Some people don’t have those things.”

“What do they do?” her son asked.

“Some live with a family member. Some, if
they’re old enough, marry someone who has the necessities. And,
unfortunately,” she added, though she hesitated to since he was so
young, “some have to go without them.”

“But you don’t have to worry about that,”
Malcolm spoke up, directing her and Leonard’s attention back to
him. “I do invest quite a bit of money, but I never invest more
than I can afford to lose.”

“And,” Regan told Leonard, “your father is
wise with how he invests. I doubt he rarely loses anything.”

Leonard turned to her. “How is he wise?”

Surprised, since she expected him to ask
Malcolm that question, she took a moment to answer. “Well, he is
careful. He takes his time to meet the gentlemen he thinks he could
invest with. He talks to them, and…”

Her voice drifted off when she saw Malcolm
dip the quill into the inkwell, raise it slightly, then dipped it
back in. What was he doing? He had no parchment in front of him, so
he wasn’t planning to write anything.

“And what, Mother?” Leonard asked, bringing
her attention back to him.

It took her a minute to pick back up where
she’d left off. “Um, he finds out everything he can about those
gentlemen. Then he writes up initial plans.”

Noting the movement of the quill out of the
corner of her eye, she glanced back at Malcolm. This time he was
more deliberate in his actions. He dipped the quill in, almost all
the way out, and then back in again. Eyebrows furrowed, she made
eye contact with Malcolm and saw the mischievous spark in his
eye.

He grinned and proceeded to speed up the
movement with the quill, imitating the way he thrust into her
during lovemaking. An all-too-familiar ache settled between her
legs. She wanted nothing more than to make love to him.

“Is that all?” Leonard asked.

Blinking, she forced her gaze off the quill
and back to her son. “Is what all?” she replied. Dear heavens, what
had they been talking about?

Not missing a beat, Malcolm set the quill
back into its proper place and set the lid back on the inkwell.
“No, it’s not all. I speak with the gentlemen again, modify my
plans, and go over it a final time before deciding whether or not
to proceed.”

“What does ‘modify’ mean?” Leonard asked.

“Change things so they’re better,” Malcolm
replied.

The butler came into the room. “Mr. Jasper,
everything has been delivered.”

“Thank you.” Malcolm rose to his feet. “We’ll
wait on arranging the furniture until Lady Cantrell and I have a
chance to discuss how we want the rooms to look.”

“Very well, sir,” the butler replied. “Shall
I bring tea and something to eat?”

“Not now,” Malcolm said, giving Regan a
heated look that made her core clench in anticipation. “Maybe in an
hour.”

The butler nodded and left.

“I want to eat,” Leonard told Malcolm.

Malcolm offered him a smile. “I believe it’s
time for you to sleep for a short time. After you rest, we’ll have
something small to eat.”

“Yes,” Regan agreed, standing up. “Your
father’s right. First, you must rest.” That would leave her time
with Malcolm to do all sorts of wonderful things.

Her husband was turning out to be far more
exciting than she’d hoped. More than a little eager, she followed
Malcolm as he carried her son up the stairs.

***

An hour later, while Malcolm was checking on
Leonard, a fully satisfied Regan opened her dresser drawer to
retrieve her book. She opened the pages until she came to Malcolm’s
note with his instructions on the game they were to play.

Over the next month, I’ll pick things from
this book, and you let me know which chapter I got the idea from.
Just leave me a note in this book, and I’ll leave a note letting
you know if you’re right or not.

She went to the small room
adjacent to her bedchamber, picked up a piece of paper, and wrote
her response.
You gave me a necklace. This
came from chapter three, which encouraged gentlemen to give their
wives tokens of their affection. You also engaged in sensual
teasing with the quill and inkwell today. That came from chapter
five. Did I guess right?

She slipped the new note into the book and
returned the book to the drawer.

***

Later that evening, she checked to see if
he’d read her note. As it turned out, he had, for he’d replied with
a note of his own.

One out of two, you guessed correctly. The
necklace was a gift I came up with on my own. I enjoy offering
jewelry to my mother and sister on occasion, and I will do the same
for you. But you are right about the second thing. The quill and
inkwell did come from chapter five. For getting one right, I will
rub your back. For getting one wrong, you will have to be on top
while making love to me, so I can get a generous view of your
breasts. After you’ve had time to undress, meet me in my
bedchamber. I’ll be waiting for you.

More than eager to face the consequences of
losing, and winning, the first two guesses, she undressed and
hurried to the other room.

Chapter Twenty-Two

A
month later, as their carriage pulled up to Melissa and
Logan’s ball, Regan asked, “Are you sure you want to do
this?”

Malcolm rolled his eyes. “It’s not a matter
of whether I want to do it. I have to do it. My sister is insistent
on making a point.”

“What point is that?”

“One that is completely unnecessary.” The
footman opened the door, and he added, “Keep in mind she has a
tendency to think there’s more going on than there really is.
Fortunately for you, I have enough sense to see things as they
really are.”

Now Regan was really curious about what he
was referring to, but she supposed she could wait to find out. She
got out of the carriage and joined him in walking up the steps to
the ball.

“Will we have a dance this evening?” Regan
asked.

“Of course,” Malcolm replied. “At least with
you here to talk to, it won’t be boring.”

“Don’t any of your friends come to these?
Some married gentlemen come to talk rather than dance.”

“I’m not sure if Warren or Robert will be
here. They tend to stay at White’s. They don’t like to talk
investments at balls because the music and conversations are
disruptive.”

“Why not find a room or go onto the veranda
to talk?”

“Honestly, I hadn’t considered it. I don’t
think they have either.” They reached the ballroom, and he gave her
elbow a playful squeeze. “Perhaps you and I can find a moment alone
in a room.”

She wasn’t sure what to make of that
statement. Was he telling her he wanted to sneak away to engage in
a little mischief, or did he simply mean it would be nice to take a
reprieve from the activity of the ball to talk in a quiet room?

“I’m glad you made it,” a familiar voice
called out.

Regan’s attention went to Logan, who came
right over to her and bowed. “It’s good to see my brother-in-law
hasn’t made you a recluse.”

“I’d do no such thing, and you know it,”
Malcolm dryly replied. “Unlike other gentlemen, I don’t force a
lady into doing something that makes her cry.”

Logan gasped in indignation. “I’ll have you
know your sister’s very happy with me.”

“I can’t help it if her association with you
has made her lose her wits,” he retorted.

Maybe it was wrong for Regan to enjoy the
rivalry the two gentlemen shared, but they did say the most amusing
things when they were in the same room.

“Malcolm, Regan,” Melissa greeted once she
reached them. “It’s nice of you to accept our invitation.”

“Well,” Malcolm began, “it’s in everyone’s
best interest we all be here tonight. Then we can put certain
matters to rest.”

Regan glanced at Malcolm, wondering what
matters he was referring to. It must have something to do with what
he’d told her in the carriage.

“Since I was denied the opportunity to get to
know Regan better at dinner,” Logan turned to her, “I’d like the
next dance with you.”

Regan couldn’t be sure, but she thought she
saw Melissa’s expression darken. Sensing it was best to decline,
Regan offered a smile and said, “Malcolm has requested the first
dance with me. Perhaps we can dance later in the evening?”