The Earl's Secret Bargain (21 page)

“We were infants.”

“It wasn’t so long after meeting me that you spoke your first word. To my dying day, I’ll swear it was ‘Orlando’.”

“I’m
not sure anyone’s first word can be ‘Orlando’,” Regina replied.

“It m
ight have been more like an ‘O’, but I know what he meant.” Orlando winked.

“Get on to your estate,” Toby said and shooed him out the open door. “Don’t keep your coachman waiting.”

Orlando glanced at his carriage then tipped his hat to them. “Until we meet again, my lady, keep Toby out of trouble.”

“I will,” she called out as he bounded down the steps.

“Trouble?” Toby asked, turning back to her as the footman shut the door.

“Well, you have been known to get into quite a bit of trouble in the past,” she replied as she headed for the drawing room.

She glanced over her shoulder, and her expression indicated that she wanted him to follow her. And as she wished, he obeyed. When he stepped into the room, she shut the doors and turned back to him, her hands behind her back.

His gaze went to the doors then back to her. “Why
do I have the nagging suspicion this isn’t going to be in my favor?”

“Oh, it could be in your favor,” she said as she stepped over to him, just stopping shy of her breasts touching his chest.

He arched an eyebrow. “It sounds promising, but I sense you’re up to something.”

“Well, it’s true. I do have something in mind.”

“And that would be…?”

A misch
ievous smile lit up her face and her green eyes twinkled. “A wager. With me.”

“I don’t know. I’ve had enough of wagers to last me a lifetime.”

“Aren’t you even interested in what it’s about?”

“Not really.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled up to him. “How about now?”

Bringing his hands to her waist, he said, “I could be convinced as long as the terms are favorable.”

She stroked the back of his neck. “They are. It’s something I know you’ll enjoy.”

“All right. What do
you want to wager?”

“I bet you that I can make
it to the stream before you do.”

Not sure he heard
her right since he had expected her to suggest something of a sexual nature, he asked, “What?”

“We don’t start for the stream until we’re both on the horses. You can run faster than me, and that’s an unfair advantage. I want this to be something I have an equal chance of winning.”

“You want to race horses to the stream?”

She nodded and released him. “Yes. I thought it’d be fun to
go there again. We’ll take off our boots and go for a walk.”

“Go for a w
alk?”

She went over to the drawing room doors.

“But I thought…” He glanced at the settee, the chair, the desk, the wall… All possible places they could make love. “I thought you had something more intimate in mind.”

She opened the doors and looked at him, her eyes wide. “My lord, just what kind of lady do you take me for?” When he didn’t respond, she added, “Oh, I forgot to add the last part.”

“What’s that?”

She gestured for him to come over to her, and though he wasn’t sure he’d be any more eager to hear it than he was to hear this wager was a simple race to the stream, he did as she bid.
Standing on her tiptoes, she whispered in his ear, “The loser has to pleasure the winner in whatever way the winner prefers.” She settled back on her feet, a wicked gleam in her eye. “Care to make a wager?”

A smile tugged at his lips. “All right. You got yourself a wager.”

Giggling, she hurried out the front door, and he followed.

June 1816

Regina watched as her mother fluttered about the drawing room
, sorting through an assortment of different colors. “Mother, keep in mind that the baby will either be a girl or a boy. You should pick colors that go with both.”

“I know, but pink is so pretty.” Her mother turned to the seamstress. “I can have a pink gown made, and if it turns out to be a boy, we’ll just save it for the next baby. Surely, Regina can manage one girl in the number of children she’ll have.”

Regina rolled her eyes but smiled as she rubbed her belly. How she looked forward to giving birth next month so this nonsense over colors would stop. “I can’t guarantee a girl or a boy. The baby will be whatever it will be.”

“I’m partial to girls. You can go shopping with a granddaughter. You can decorate her hair and put
her in the loveliest of gowns. You can even help her secure a titled gentleman when she comes of age. But a boy? What can a grandmother do with a boy?”

“You can take him horseback riding, take him to the circus, show him a hot
air balloon… You can even instruct him on what he can do to secure a lady who comes from a good background.”

“I suppose you’re right,” her mothe
r agreed. “But I do so love shopping and pretty dresses.”

Regina glanced at the seamstress. “We’ll have clothing made for a boy and a girl. That way, whichever one we have, we’re prepared.”

The baby in her womb kicked, and Regina took that as her little one’s agreement.

The seamstress nodded and wait
ed as her mother selected the shades of the various colors she wanted. As the seamstress gathered her materials and left, the butler came in to announce Lady Seyton’s arrival.

Regina’s eyebrows rose. “Lady Seyton isn’t here to give lessons to my child already, is she?” she asked her mother.

“Of course not,” her mother replied. “Just what kind of lady do you take me for? I wouldn’t begin my granddaughter’s lessons until she learns to walk.”

Despite Regina’s groan, she couldn’t help but chuckle. Fo
r her mother’s sake, she hoped she had a girl. The poor woman would be at her wit’s end waiting for the next baby to be born.

When Helena entered the room, Regina began to stand up from th
e settee, but Helena motioned for her to stay seated. “There’s no need for formalities,” Helena said. She turned to Regina’s mother. “You wished to speak with me?”

“Yes.” Her mother encouraged Helena to sit next to Regina then sat in the chair nearby. “I’d like to kno
w what names gentlemen find most attractive.”

“Oh
, you can’t be serious, Mother,” Regina argued.

“She’s not here to give my granddaughter lessons,” her mother replied, looking shocked Regina would even object. “I merely want to pick a good name for her.”

“Toby and I already have names picked out.”

“Yes, but we need to make sure they’re good ones. A lady’s name is one of her most important assets. Why, I thought long and hard before I decided on Regina.”

Helena chuckled. “And a fine name it is, too. It sounds like a lady who’s intelligent and beautiful.”

“See?” her mother told Regina. “And that is exactly what you are, dear. I want my granddaughter to receive a similar blessing. Never underestimate the power of a good name.”

“But this might be a boy.” Regina glanced at Helena. “Can you believe what I have to go through?” She spent all winter looking forward to seeing her mother again, and now all she wanted to do was head right back to Greenwood.

“But if my granddaughter is a girl, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared, and who better than Helena to offer advice?”

Helena placed a comforting hand on Regina’s arm. “Actually,” she directed her gaze to her mother, “I have extended my services to helping gentlemen secure a worthy lady by the end of the Season, so if you have a grandson, I can help him as well.”

“I didn’t realize you were offering lessons to gentlemen,” Regina said, surprised.

“I only started this a couple days ago,” Helena said.

“What convinced you to do
it?”

“A duke came to me and said he needs a wife before
the end of the month. I wasn’t going to agree, but it’s apparent he doesn’t know the first thing about ladies.” She shrugged. “I figured, why not? Whether I’m helping ladies or gentlemen, the basic rules still apply, except gentlemen need to think more with their heads when trying to find a wife.”

“Well, this is wonderful. Then we can discuss names for girls and boys.” Her mother clapped her hands together. “I was thinking Angelica for a girl. Or perhaps Eloise. Of course, there’s always Clementina. If the child must be a boy, then I think Reginal will suit.”

Regina gagged. “Mother, I will not name a boy Reginal. I don’t care how much you wish it.”

Thankfully, the front door to her parents’ townhouse opened, and she heard her father and Toby talking. She would have jumped
up if she could have managed the feat, but the baby’s weight made it impossible, so she settled for standing up in a more ladylike fashion. That was just as well since her mother would have been appalled if she had, indeed, jumped.

“Good luck with teaching the duke what he needs to know to secure a wi
fe,” Regina told Helena. Turning to her mother, she added, “Toby and I have already decided on Judith if the baby’s a girl, but you may think over other possible boy names.” She headed for Toby and her father then stopped and looked back at her mother. “I mean it, Mother. No Reginal.”

Her mother sighed but consented to her wishes.

“How are you feeling, Regina?” Toby asked as she came into the entryway.

“Fine, though Mother is being her usual self,” she replied then smiled at her father.

“You can’t blame her,” her father replied. “She’s excited about the grandchild.”

“Excited isn’t the word. I’d say
she’s obsessed.”

He chuckled. “She means well.”

“I know, but she’s determined the child will be a girl. For her sake, I hope she’s right. I don’t want to go through another nine months of this,” she said.

“Hopefully, you won’
t have to.” Toby kissed her. “Are you ready to go to Hyde Park?”

She nodded and said good-bye to her father, glad to get a reprieve from her mother. As much as she loved her, she could only take so much.

She slipped her arm around Toby’s. “I’m glad to see you.”

“Be
cause I saved you from your mother?” he teased as he led her down the townhouse steps.

“No, though you m
ake a good point.” She chuckled. “But what I meant was, I missed you.”

“I missed you, too.
There’s no one else I’d rather share the day with than you.”

Her gaze met his, and
he smiled at her. Returning his smile, she squeezed his arm. Then, together, they headed for Hyde Park, content to enjoy the rest of their day.

Coming Soon…

Love Lessons With the Duke

Book 2 in the Marriage by
Deceit Series

The Duke of Ashbourne asks Lady Seyton to help him secure a bride in one month, but soon he realizes he’s in love with her and will do anything it takes to marry her, even if it involves a scandal.

Marriage by Scandal Series:

The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife:
Lord Roderick needs an heir, and the only way he’s going to get one is by finding a suitable young lady to marry. But one wrong move on his part has just betrothed him to a lady he believes has tricked him into a scandal.

A Most Unsuitable Earl:
Lord Edon has done everything he can to avoid marriage, including building a reputation as London’s most notorious rake. His scheming mother, however, is so determined that he’ll find a good lady to marry, she’ll stop at nothing to find him one. And the lady she finally picks happens to be London’s most notorious wallflower, the ever-so-boring Lady Catherine.

His Reluctant Lady:
From the moment Mister Robinson meets Lady Richfield, he knows they are destined to be together. But it may take the threat of a scandal to convince the reluctant widow that marriage can be the most sensually and emotionally satisfying experience she’ll ever have.

The Earl’s Scandalous Wife:
Lord Clement, who others refer to as “the earl who can’t find a wife,” is about to find that scandals aren’t so bad when a lady kisses him at a ball.

A Standalone Regency Novel that is also Currently Available:

Her Counterfeit Husband:
When her abusive husband dies, the Duchess of Watkins plots a way to hide his death so his brother doesn’t get the title. Fate steps in and she comes upon a gentleman who looks just like her husband, and more than that, he doesn’t remember who he is. Has she just come across the best solution to her problem, or has she just made things much, much worse?