The Earl's Secret Bargain (7 page)

T
oby poured another drink in Orlando’s glass then put the decanter back on the desk. “Are you sure you want another one?”

“
Give it to me,” Orlando slurred.

T
oby crossed the den and handed the glass to his friend. “You didn’t even know Miss Boyle that well,” Toby said as he sat in the chair next to his friend. “How can you be that miserable?”

“I didn’t have to know everything about her to know
she’s perfect for me.” Orlando stared at his drink but didn’t take a sip. His shoulders slouched forward, and he shook his head.

“Tell her how you feel and run off
with her. Couples do it from time to time.”

“Don’t you think I would if I could?” Orlando moaned and ran his fingers through his hair. “She’s already married.”

“She is?”

He nodded. “A quiet affair.”
His jaw clenched. “Her father didn’t even tell me he had contracted her marriage last week. If I’d known, I would have done something to stop the travesty.”

“But how many times did you actually talk to her?”

“We shared four dances, not all on the same day, and we talked one time in the market. But it’s not the length of time you talk to someone. You can know right away whether there’s something there or not.”

“I hate to remind you of this, but she was dancing and flirting with every gentleman who
came near her. How do you know you meant something to her?”

“A feeling. I just know.” Orlando glanced at the drink and stood up. He set it on the desk. “If you truly care about Miss Giles, then don’t waste any
more time. Don’t wait for this bet to get settled. Just marry her.”

“You don’t think it’s
too soon?” Toby would love to do nothing more than propose to her tonight, but he worried that it wasn’t the right time.

“If I could go back in time, I would ha
ve proposed to Miss Boyle the night I met her.”

Toby bit his tongue on a
reply. Now, the same night would have been too soon. There was no denying that. But he had visited with Miss Giles twice now. She seemed to be willing to be with him. If he guessed right, she returned his feelings.

“If you really care about her, propose now before something messes things up.”

“He’s right,” a familiar voice called out.

Toby turned and saw Toplyn enter the room. He crossed the distance between them and lowered his
voice. “I just heard from Edon that Miss Giles’ mother has her heart set on her marrying Pennella.”

“She what?” T
oby asked, feeling betrayed. Granted, he didn’t really know her mother all that well, but he thought they got along well enough. What was it about Pennella that she enjoyed so much?

“Edon overheard her mother tell Pennella to introduce her father to a business acquaintance. And you know how well fathers like those kinds of connections.”

Orlando came over to them. “Her father will probably want him for a son-in-law if he thinks he can financially benefit from it.” He glanced at Toby. Though Orlando had been careful enough not to reveal how poor Toby was, he knew full well that Toby didn’t have the same connections Pennella did. “You need to make your move. Tonight.”

Toby pushed down the uneasy feeling in his gut. “Where is Miss Giles?” he asked Toplyn.

“Dancing with Pennella. They’re almost done.”

“Well, I’m allowed one more dance with her.” Maybe he’d blurt it out and see what happened. “You think I should ask her father if I can propose first?”

“No,” Orlando replied. “If the mother is all for it, her father will likely choose Pennella. What you need to do is create a scandal.”

“But then he loses his estate to Pennella by default,” Toplyn argued.

“Better to lose his estate than to lose Miss Giles,” Orlando replied.

Toby had so little to his name, the arg
ument was pointless. “I need to talk to Miss Giles.”

“Good
,” Toplyn said, a relieved smile on his face. “Be quick. If you can get her to agree to marry you, you officially win the bet, regardless of what her parents say.”

“I’m really going to marry her,” Toby replied. “This isn’t about the bet anymore. I honestly care for her.”

Toplyn shrugged. “Whatever the reason, I don’t care as long as you win.”

After Toplyn left, Orla
ndo went back to the desk and downed the brandy in his glass. “Love is such a fleeting thing. When you find it, you need to hold on and never let go. Forget what the others are saying. Forget the wager. Just do what is in your heart. If you need to create a scandal to secure her hand, then do it. The gentlemen at White’s will just have to deal with it.”

Toby took a deep breath. “I’ll ask her first. I
want to do right by her.” Even if this whole thing started as a wager, he wanted to give her an honorable wedding.

To his surprise, Orlando came up to him and hugged him. “Good luck.”

“Now I know you had too much to drink.” He couldn’t recall Orlando ever hugging him. “Go on home and sleep it off.”

Orlando
hiccupped and patted him on the shoulder. “Good idea. Let me know what happens tomorrow.” He wobbled a bit as he left the room, but he managed to make it through the doorway without running into anything.

Thank goodness Orlando’s
coachman was waiting for him to take him home. Toby couldn’t recall a time when his friend had gotten drunk. This was so unlike him. Despite the brief time he’d shared with Miss Boyle, he sure did take her marriage to another gentleman hard. Toby shouldn’t be too rough with his friend, though. If Miss Giles ended up with someone else, he’d probably feel like drowning his sorrows in liquor, too.

A sound from the doorway caught his attention, and he thought Orlando had returned, but Miss Giles slipped into the room and checked the hallw
ay before shutting the door behind her.

“What are you doing?” he whispered, glad Toplyn and Orlando lef
t before she showed up. Unless…she had been waiting outside and heard them talking. “Did you just get here?”

“Yes. I didn’t pass anyone in the hall. No one saw me.”

He relaxed. “If we’re caught together, it’ll mean a scandal.”

“I know, but I had to chance it.”

She walked over to him, the candlelight bringing out the highlights in her golden hair and making her skin look especially lovely. If he hadn’t had a drink to share in his friend’s sorrows, he might not feel so aroused at the sight of her. But there was something about being alone with her that gave him thoughts he shouldn’t have until they exchanged their vows.

When she stood in
front of him, she turned those lovely green eyes to him. “You told me to call you Toby.”

Since she seemed
to be waiting for a response, he nodded. “I did.”

“Then am I to assume a proposal is
imminent?”

He blink
ed, not sure he’d heard her right. Was she really asking him if he planned to marry her? He studied her expression and saw she was serious.

Well, he had planned to ask her, and
this was as good a time as any. It seemed unfair to rush her through a courtship. She deserved to be lavished with his time and tokens of his affection, even if those tokens weren’t going to be anything extravagant.

“You’d be right to assume that,” he softly admitted.

She smiled then wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Actually kissed him! Unable to believe his good fortune, he didn’t respond to her right away, and she pulled away from him.

“Did I do something wrong?” she asked.

“No, I just didn’t expect it, that’s all.”

Then, before she could back away from him, he lowered his head and kissed her in return. Tightening her arms around his neck, she deepened the kiss, making no mistake that she wanted to marry him.

Bringing her into his arms, he kissed her again, realizing even as he did so that he was risking them getting caught. At the moment, nothing else mattered but the fact that she was with him. His tongue brushed her lower lip, and she opened her mouth to receive him. He let out a low, grateful groan and interlaced his tongue with hers.

She wiggled closer to him, her breasts pressing more intimately against him, an action which only excited him further. There was no way she could know t
he effect she was having on him. And the male part of him was insisting he throw caution right out the window and explore more of her.

His tongue sparring with hers, he brought his hands to her waist then up until they were right below her breasts. Sinc
e she didn’t make a move to push him away, he ventured a little higher, aroused even more when she let out a slight gasp of pleasure. His thumbs caressed the fabric of her gown.

He took note of the soft round flesh that yielded to his touch. The ridges of her nipples hardened for him, inviting him to do more. And he was more than happy to oblige her. He cupped her breasts in his hands, lightly squeezing them, trying to memorize how they felt, wishing she didn’t have her clothes on so he could lower his head and kiss her, maybe even run his tongue along her nipples and see if she’d enjoy it.

She moaned into his mouth and ran her hands down his back then cupped his behind in her hands. He figured she’d be passionate, but he had no idea she’d be so wonderfully intense. She’d be a most delightful companion in bed. His fingers traced the neckline of her gown and dipped when he came upon her cleavage. She was so soft and wonderfully feminine.

He had the sudden urge to pull the
gown up to her waist, loosen the buttons on his trousers and make her his. Without a doubt, her flesh would be a most welcoming place for him to enter. And judging by the strength of his erection, it wouldn’t take long for the deed to be done.

But he wouldn’t take full liberties. He couldn’t. She was a lady and deserved to be treated as such. Reluctant to stop, he pulled away from her, his blood racing through his body. She opened her eyes and looked at him. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips swollen from their kisses, her breathing fast. He couldn’t resist the urge to look at her breasts which strained against her neckline.

Clearing his throat, he returned his gaze to hers. He clasped her hands in his and said the first thing that came to mind. “Will you marry me?”

“Yes, Toby. I’ll marry you.” She squeezed his hands, her smile growing wider. “And you should call me Regina.”

“Regina. That’s a wonderful name.” Unable to stop the grin that crossed his face, he brought her back into his arms and kissed her. “I’m the happiest gentleman in all of London.”

“Will you talk to my father tomorrow about marrying me?”

“Yes.” He paused. “Do you think he’ll let me marry you?”

“A
s long as you let him know your intentions tomorrow, he will.”

“Then I’ll do that.” He gave her another kiss
then released her. “We should get out of here before someone catches us. I don’t want to ruin your reputation. You go first and I’ll wait a few minutes and leave. Then we can have our second dance.”

“All right.”

She gave him a quick kiss before she hurried out. He couldn’t believe his good fortune. Nothing could spoil this for him. Not Pennella. Not the gentlemen at White’s who lost the bet and would be upset. Not anyone. Everything was perfect.

***

The next morning, Toby’s world came crashing down around him. As soon as he got to White’s, the gentlemen were either snickering, shaking their heads in sympathy, or bemoaning the fact that the bet was now annulled.

“What’s going on?” he asked the Duke of Ashbourne who was reading something in
the
Tittletattle
.

The duke’s gaze met his, and he patted his shoulder. “I’m sorry, Davenport.”

Before Toby could ask him what he was talking about, he handed him his copy of the scandal sheet.

“If it’s any consolation, at least you don’t have to risk your entire estate to someone like Pennella,” he added then headed for another room.

In dread, Toby’s attention went to the front page of the
Tittletattle
. This couldn’t be good. There was no way it could be good. He braced himself and read the first item on the sheet.

Lord Davenport has made a bet with Lord Pennella. The wager? The hand of Miss Giles. Whoever marries her gains the loser’s estate.

His gaze went lower. Someone named Gerard Addison had reported it.

For a moment, Toby cou
ldn’t breathe. This was the worst thing that could possibly happen. Last evening had gone so well. He had proposed to Regina, and she had said yes. This afternoon, he was supposed to go over to her townhouse and make his intentions known to her father. Then he was supposed to forget the wager, marry her, and live happily ever after. But as he reread the lines on the paper, he realized nothing was going to play out like he hoped because once Regina saw this…