The Earl's Secret Bargain (9 page)

“Fine,” she finally said, her voice steady despite her fear that she’d regret this decision in the years to come. “I’ll marry you.” Before he could reply, she turned a sharp gaze in his direction. “But this isn’t a love match. It’s one borne out of necessity.”

Though he winced, he nodded. “That’s fair.”

“Then the bargain is struck. I marry you so I can be a countess, and you marry me so you can get the money.” His jaw dropped, so she added, “Yes, I know your estate’s in trouble. But I’d been willing to marry you anyway. Now, I’m just marrying you because it’s better than spending the rest of my life with an unhappy mother.”

Forcing aside her moment’s regret that things had to be this way, she strode to the door. How she managed to walk at all surprised her. She guessed with everything happening so fast, she was in a state of shock. Such a thing made sense, of course…all things considered.

Opening the door, she paused when she saw her parents standing in front of her, both looking as if they’d been caught doing something they weren’t supposed to. “Were you eavesdropping on me?” she asked.

Her mother let out an uneasy chuckle. “No. We were wai
ting here in case you called for assistance. You have been through a terrible ordeal, and we’re your parents. Your wellbeing is important to us.”

She eyed them both, suspecting they had been listening but unable to prove it. Well, what did it matter? Her reputation was already ruined. It wasn’t like they were going to make things worse. “All right,” she relented. “You might as well be the first to know that Lord Davenport ha
s asked for my hand in marriage and I’ve accepted.”

“That is a prudent decision,” her father replied in relief.

“I don’t know,” her mother whispered, her gaze flickering to the drawing room.

Regina glanced over her shoulder where Toby stood by the window, watching them but not interfering with their conversation. Turning her attention back to her mother
, she lowered her voice. “What choice do I have, Mother? My reputation is in ruins. No one else will propose unless he’s a reprobate.”

“Of all the options available to her, this is the smartest one,” her father told her mother.

Her mother sighed. “I suppose so.”

“Well,” her father said with a smile as he turned to Toby, “it’s only appropriate that I welcome you to the family.”

Toby glanced from Regina to her father then slowly walked over to them. “Thank you, sir.”

Her father patted him on the back and chuckled. “There’s no need to stand on formality now that we’ll be family. You can think of me as a friend.”

“Oh, well, that’s very nice of you.”

Regina averted
her gaze and chose to look at her mother who decided not to extend a welcome. She couldn’t blame her mother. This was hardly the happy occasion she imagined it would be a mere hour ago when she was in her bedchamber making plans for a wedding and her new life with Toby. Now that all seemed to be a distant memory.

“Let’s discuss
the details of the wedding while Regina and her mother look for a suitable dress,” her father said.

Regina
glanced at her father. Did he really think it was appropriate to go through the ceremony as if nothing horrible had happened?

To her surprise, her mother of
fered a curt nod. “Yes, that would be best.”

Before Regina
could utter one word of protest, her mother took her by the arm and led her out of the drawing room, choosing to shut the door so the gentlemen could have their privacy. Then her mother summoned the butler and instructed him to get the coachman.

“You can’t be serious, Mother,” Regina whispered while she followed her mother up the stairs. “You want to go shopping for a wedding dr
ess? Under these circumstances?”

Her mother didn’t answer her until they reached the top of the staircase. “No, I don’t want to shop for one, but what choice do we have? Even in the midst of tragedy, a lady is expected to look her best. You might have a tattered reputation, but you’ll still be one of the most beautiful brides London has ever seen. Now, get your gloves and hat then meet me at the carriage.”

With nothing else to do, she headed for her bedchamber. When she opened the door, she caught sight of the armoire where she’d been sorting through her riding clothes, trying to decide which one to wear for horseback riding. A tear slid down her cheek, and she quickly wiped it away. It was supposed to be a good afternoon, the kind she’d later tell her children about when they asked if a love match was possible when so few people seemed to believe in it.

And now, what was she supposed to tell them? That marriages were done solely out of convenience? That she offered money and
Toby offered a title? That it was nothing more than a cold transaction, one in which she was forced into because of a bet?

Wiping away another tear, she gathered her gloves and hat. The day hadn’t gone as planned. And there was nothing she could do about it. All she could do was make the future as bearable as possible. She wasn’t sure what that meant yet, but she was determined that she would never be played for a fool again. No matter what, she wouldn’t let Toby close enough to hurt her a second time.

From the window in the drawing room, Toby watched Regina and her mother walk down the steps of the townhouse and go to the carriage waiting out front. He swallowed, wondering if he’d just doomed both him and Regina to a life of misery. He didn’t deserve her. She’d been skeptical of gentlemen before, but she’d opened her heart to him, showing him that there was a part of her that could trust someone who claimed to love her. And now in light of the wager, she’d closed herself back up.

This was a mess of his own doing. If only he’d kept his mouth shut when Pennella was bragging about his prowess with the ladies, she would’ve been spared the grief he was
now putting her through. His jaw clenched as he recalled how pale her face had been when he asked her to marry him today. It was so different from her response yesterday. Now, it seemed like a business transaction instead of a love match. Who knew if she’d ever allow him into her heart again?

“Don’t let my daughter trouble you.”

Turning his gaze to Mr. Giles, he said, “She has every right to detest me.”

Her father shrugged. “She’ll get over it.”

“I don’t see how.”

“You love her. I could tell that from the first time I met you. You’ve made
her happy. I can’t recall a time she smiled or laughed before she met you. Whatever circumstances brought you two together are of little consequence. The important thing is, you two will be happy.”

“I doubt it,” he mumbled.

“Ladies are fickle creatures. One day, they’re upset. The next, they can’t remember why. It’s how they are. Their moods swing from one extreme to the other, and most of the time, a gentleman can’t figure out why.” He chuckled and came up beside him. “I remember one day when Regina was a little girl. She wanted so much to go to the circus. She was excited the whole way there. But when we were there, she grew bored and wanted to leave. Ever since, she hasn’t had the slightest desire to go back. Why? Who can say? She said she just realized it wasn’t as entertaining as she’d heard. That’s ridiculous, of course. I’m amused every time I go there.”

It
suddenly dawned on Toby what the older gentleman was doing. He was trying to ease his doubts about proposing to Regina. With a smile, he said, “She has every right to be upset with me.”

“Oh, I’m not saying she doesn’t. A lady doesn’t like to be betted on. But you know, there are worse things that could happen to her. She
could have drunk some poison or got run over by a horse. The possibilities of what could happen are endless.”

Toby wasn’t sure what drinking poison
or being run over by a horse had to do with this mess, but her father was showing him kindness—a kindness he didn’t deserve—so he was willing to listen to anything he wanted to say.

“You don’t have any sisters, do you?” her father asked.

“No. I’m an only child.”

“A shame. The same thing is true with Regina. I wanted to have more children, but her mother came ill shortly after she was born and wasn’t able to conceive after that. I hope you two will have a house full of children. It’s good for children to grow up with brothers or sisters. They have someone they can play with.
” He paused then offered a shrug. “But anyway, what I wanted to say is that if you’d had a sister, you would be accustomed to the way ladies change their minds. You’d be prepared for it. Since you’ve had no such experience, this thing with my daughter looks worse than it is.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“Of course, I’m right. I’ve been with her mother for twenty-three years, and if there’s ever a lady who ends up seeing the best in things after swearing up and down she doesn’t like it, it’s her. She might be headstrong, but she’s reasonable when given enough time to come around. Regina will be the same way. Now,” he gestured to the chair, “sit down and tell me about yourself. Who are your parents? Where did you go to school? What are your plans for the future? What will you name your children? Tell me anything that’s on your mind.”

Toby
followed him to the chairs and answered all the questions her father had.

***

“You want to go for a walk?” Regina’s mother asked a couple days later. “Are you sure that’s wise?”

Regina slipped on her gloves as she stood by the front door. “I can’t
stay inside forever.” She’d spent the past couple days inside, hiding from the rest of the world, aware that all of London was laughing over the wager Toby and Lord Pennella made at her expense. But she was tired of hiding. She needed to get out and be a part of the world again, even if it was going to be difficult. “The sooner I go back out there, the easier it’ll be,” she added, more for herself than for her mother’s benefit.

“Then I’ll come with you.”

“No.” When she caught the hurt look in her mother’s eyes, she smiled to soften the blow. “I need to do this alone.”

Her mother returned her smile then rubbed her arm. “All right.”

Regina indicated to the footman that she was ready, and he opened the door. She slipped outside, squinting at the bright sunlight. After she adjusted her bonnet, she walked down the steps and headed down the sidewalk. She had no particular destination in mind. She just needed to get out of the townhouse and remind herself that life went on even in the middle of unpleasant circumstances.

But as she proceeded through the streets, she became aware that people were staring at her and whispering to each other. She alre
ady knew what they were whispering about. They were whispering about her, and more specifically, the wager between Toby and Lord Pennella. She turned her gaze from the people, pretending that nothing they said bothered her. Once she let them know they could upset her, it would only be worse. But if she acted like nothing was wrong, they would drop the matter sooner. Or at least that’s what she hoped.

She made it to a nice pathway in the park and wa
s glad for the reprieve. The trees provided a good place to hide. Finding a private bench without anyone nearby, she settled on it and closed her eyes. A cool breeze blew around her, and she felt herself relax. She didn’t realize she’d been so tense, but it didn’t surprise her. What lady would want to be snared into a scandal of this sort?

She opened
her eyes and took in the flowers and trees. One nice thing about trees and flowers was that they didn’t care what people thought. They simply grew and blossomed every spring regardless of the circumstances surrounding them. After several minutes, her mind finally settled on more pleasant things, and she found reasons to be grateful. She had her health. She had parents who loved her. Despite her mother’s faults, the lady did want the best for her. And truth be told, she had been deeply moved by her mother’s concern for her that morning. Sometimes it was easy to lose sight of how much her mother cared in the midst of her busy life, though her mother’s ploy to get Lord Pennella into her father’s good graces still bothered her.

If Toby had engag
ed her in gossip, she would have been hoping Regina would marry him instead. But he hadn’t engaged in such gossip, nor did he try to charm her with false flattery. Of the two, Toby was still the better choice.

A
s much as she tried to deny it, the memory of Toby’s kiss still made her toes tingle. Had it been anyone else, she wouldn’t have risked getting caught alone with a gentleman in such a compromising situation. But she had been willing to risk a scandal if it meant she could marry him. With a roll of her eyes, she chuckled at the irony. She’d gotten her scandal all right, though it wasn’t in the way she hoped.

She took a deep breath and released it. She really thought he was different. But
who knew what he was really like? For all she knew, he enjoyed gossip as much as Lord Pennella.

She rubbed her forehead. If she wa
sn’t careful, she was going to get a headache. She’d gotten plenty of those in the past couple days, and God knew she was tired of crying. It wasn’t going to change anything.

Maybe no
w that the lies had been exposed, Toby would start being who he truly was. She could only pray that he wasn’t the bad sort, but what kind of gentleman wagered a lady’s fate for the sake of money? Could such a gentleman be trusted?

Gritting
her teeth, she wiped her tears away. How she hated crying. It was a weakness, and she had often prided herself on being strong. She didn’t want to be a pitiful lady who fell at a gentleman’s feet and did whatever he wanted. She wanted to be her husband’s equal. She wanted to be respected, for her wishes to be important to him, to be loved. And now it felt as if she would have none of it.

Swallowing back more tears, she decided she mig
ht as well go back home. Going outside had been a mistake. Who wanted to watch a lady cry on a bench while she bemoaned her fate? No one. And quite frankly, she didn’t want to watch them shoot her their looks of pity either.

Just as she got ready to stand up, someone
called out a greeting to her. She bristled for a moment then realized it wasn’t a male’s voice. Good. She didn’t want to see Toby right now, not when she felt like she’d whack him on the head for what he did.

Her
gaze went to the left, and she saw Lady Seyton with Miss Boyle. Forcing a smile, she motioned to the spot next to her. “Good afternoon.”

They sat next to her, and Lady Seyton leaned toward her. “How are you doing?”

“As well as can be expected,” Regina replied. “At least I secured a marriage like my parents wanted.”

Shooting her a sympathetic smile, Lady Seyton touched her arm. Regina blinked, surprised at the kind gesture. She didn’t take Lady Seyton for a compassionate lady, but apparently, there was more to her than
met the eye. “A scandal isn’t the way I was hoping to get you engaged.”

“I know.” Regina shrugged and stared at her
hands. “I should have known something was wrong when I had two gentlemen pursuing me.”

“Nonsense. You had every right
to believe they were sincere. You followed my instructions, and you are beautiful with a wealthy father. All those things attract titled gentlemen. You couldn’t help the wager that was going on at White’s.” She shook her head. “Gentlemen just have too much time on their hands if they’re going to do such revolting things.”

“It is insulting,” Miss Boyle ag
reed. “I’m very sorry.”

Regina smiled. “Th
ank you, Miss Boyle. And you’re right. It is insulting. We’re ladies, not cards in a gambling hell.”

“Good analogy,” Lady Seyton
replied. “Please call me Helena. As for Miss Boyle, she has married Lord Hawkins.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize.” Regina glanced at her. “Forgive me, Lady Hawkins.”

“Call me Chloe,” she said.

“
I don’t know either of you very well,” Regina hesitantly responded. “Are you sure being so intimate is a good idea?”

“I get tired of being called Lady Seyton all the time,” Helena said. “Given, it’s a
memorial to my departed husband. But I prefer to be called by my Christian name. Besides, I feel like I know you well enough after giving you those lessons in how to attract gentlemen.”

“Yes, I suppose you’re right.” Though it was hard for Regina to think of
her as a friend. The lady wasn’t that much older than her, but she was a widow and had more experience than she did.

“She’s not as intimidating as she initially appears,” Chloe chimed in.

“Intimidating?” Helena glanced at Regina. “You don’t think I’m intimidating, do you?”

“Do you want the truth?” Regina asked, a slight teasing tone finding its way into her voice despite her circumstances.

Helena sighed. “I don’t see what’s so intimidating about me. I do what I can to help others.”

“But you know
so much, and we don’t,” Chloe said.

Regina relaxed. So she wasn’t the only one who had been overwhe
lmed by how much Helena understood gentlemen. “You do have a lot more knowledge than we do.”

“That’s only be
cause I was married,” Helena replied. “It has nothing to do with being born with some grand insight. I just had a husband who didn’t mind telling me what gentlemen liked and didn’t like. I take that information and pass it on to others.”

“Did you have a love match then?” Chloe wondered, her wide eyes directed at Helena.

“Well, not really. We were very comfortable with each other. We’d grown up together, and it made sense to marry when we were of age.” She shrugged. “Our parents were satisfied with the match. They were good friends. Their hope was that we’d have children, notably a boy, to pass on his title, but it wasn’t meant to be.”

“Why not?” Regina softly asked. “What happened to him?”

“He died in a duel,” Helena said, her voice lower than before.

“A duel? Isn’t that illegal?” Regina replied.

“That doesn’t mean some gentlemen don’t still practice it. The gentleman in question suggested I had been behaving inappropriately, and my husband defended me. One thing led to another, and he felt honor bound to protect my good name.”