Minnie made a choking noise next to him. He reached his arm behind her and thumped her on the back. Then he leaned down. “Don’t die now, it’s just getting interesting.”
“I hate you,” she whispered back.
An ear-to-ear grin must surely be splitting his face, but he couldn’t help it. He hadn’t had this much fun in ages. After having lost so soundly to her in the carriage, winning was exceptionally fun. And honestly, it was refreshing to be with a woman who wasn’t trying to catch him in the marriage noose. But that made his smile slip, just a bit. When had sparring with a woman become so entertaining? And what if this was her plan? Pretend to hate him to draw him in? Women had gone through some elaborate measures to trap him. None had come close since his former fiancée. “Really? I’m quite fond of you.”
“Liar,” she replied as they approached an older couple. “My aunt and uncle. Look lively.”
Forty-five minutes later, they’d completed the circuit. Tag might have admitted defeat, her family was a bit overwhelming. The only thing that kept him going was that she’d nearly melted into his side in her utter embarrassment. Her face was a bright shade of pink and she mumbled most of time.
Her mother had spent the entire time dropping not so subtle hints about a match between them. She spun back to them, having completed the final introduction to Minnie’s great-aunt Edna. “That was exceedingly pleasant,” her mother gushed.
“Says who?” Minnie muttered, her mother not hearing at all.
“I know I told you that you had this season to find a husband. I should have known that you’d deliver the best possible results.”
“Mother!” Minnie’s face turned as bright red as her hair. “Stop at once, I insist.” She Ladymade her charmingly pink cheeks stand out all the more. “I can assure you, Your Grace, that I do not expect you to offer to court me in any fashion.”
Her mother waved her fan again. “Don’t be silly, Minnie. Of course he’ll court you. He just met your entire family.”
The smile he’d been walking about with died on his lips. “Mrs. Chase.” He raised his free hand. “Please understand that I’ve only just met your daughter.”
Mrs. Chase leaned over and patted his arm. “Yes, yes. I know.” Then she gave him a not-so-subtle wink. “But a mother has intuition about these sorts of things.” Then as quickly as Mrs. Chase had arrived, she flounced off.
“What have you done?” Minnie croaked.
“What have I done?” he hissed back. “All I did was climb into a carriage with my friend.”
She shook her head wildly. “You encouraged her.” Then she pulled out her own fan and swatted his arm with it. “I’ll be hearing about this for the rest of my life. Do you hear me?”
He cocked his head to the side. “That might make it worth it then.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll never live it down that I allowed a duke to get away. Never mind that I didn’t have him to begin with.”
He raised a brow. “I see your point. And what’s this about you marrying?” These were the sorts of nuggets he’d come to discover. Little tools he could use in his campaign to keep her quiet.
She shook her head. “Ada needs to have a season so I must marry or take myself off the market, so to speak. Since my parents can’t stand the thought of that, they’ve threatened to choose a husband for me. When I lose you as a perspective suitor they’re going to be so crushed, they’ll surely choose someone dreadful.”
His brows drew together. “Just because one potential match didn’t work out?”
Minnie shook her head. “You don’t understand. You’re not the first man that…” She swallowed, her mouth pressing into a thin line. “I was very nearly engaged last year and—” Her face spasmed in pain. “My mother is very invested in me making a good match.”
His insides twisted. While he liked sparring with her, he realized he didn’t enjoy actually causing her real distress. Nor did he relish the idea of his charade forcing an unwanted match for Minnie. In fact, he found he didn’t like hurting her at all. He’d come here, not just to protect her but to find any means necessary to keep her quiet. But how was he going to utilize them if he was worried about her feelings? “I appreciate your dilemma but I’ve my own issue to unravel. Some lovely ladies have learned a very delicate secret about me and my friends. We’re attempting to make sure they do not decide to share that information.”
She quirked a brow at him. “If you want to keep me quiet, you’d best leave my mother out of it.”
What exactly was she saying? Was she threatening him?
Chapter Four
Tag sat at his desk the next morning ignoring the view of the rain-soaked garden beyond the windows. Instead he focused on his four friends who sat across from him. “So, as you can see, I can no longer keep watch on Minnie. One of you will have to trade with me.”
Four sets of eyes stared back.
Exile was the first to speak and he shifted in his chair, clearing his large throat with a deep rumble. “I’m afraid I don’t understand. You’ve gotten an invitation to another party. You’ve collected valuable information to state your case and make sure she keeps our secret. We should all be so lucky.”
He let out a short breath of irritation. “Except that her family has expectations. I don’t want to further those—”
“Who cares,” Malice said and then gave a short laugh, his craggy features crinkling with the gesture. “We’re concerned about maintaining our club’s reputation and revenue stream. What happens to one girl isn’t our concern.”
Tag frowned. In theory Malice was right. But somehow, he did care. “But one of you could finish what I started and she need not suffer at all. More importantly, she vaguely threatened that she would tell if I didn’t leave her family be.”
Vice gave him the sweet smile of a man who always got his way. Why wouldn’t he? With blond hair and blue eyes, people always thought him pure, when in reality, he was anything but. “She’s one woman. Handle her, Daring. Besides, I’ve already secured an invitation to the sort of party I loathe going to so that I might accidentally run into Miss Ada. I’m not switching now.”
Malice shrugged. “I’ve already told everyone my agenda. And I’ve also secured an invitation to meet my chosen lady. I’m looking for a certain type of wife and Minnie Chase does not fit the bill. Cordelia, however, just might.”
Tag grimaced. He couldn’t argue there. Malice wanted a quiet, unassuming woman he could marry and tuck away in his country estate. That was not Minnie. “I understand that.”
Exile rubbed his neck. “Sorry, my friend, but I’ve got my own reasons for choosing Diana over the other girls.”
“Yes,” Bad rumbled, his dark features perpetually hidden in shadow. “You’ve already fallen in love.”
Without a word, Exile used a meaty fist to knock Bad in the shoulder, nearly sending the man’s chair over. It had to hurt like hell, but Bad barely made a sound.
Tag turned to him. “And you? Will you switch with me?”
Bad shook his head slowly. “The one I’m paired with, Lady Grace, is a far easier mark than Minnie. I’ve no appetite to make my job harder.”
Well, that was a friend for you. “Your dedication to me is touching.”
Bad raised a single brow. “You picked her, now she’s your problem.”
He pushed back from his chair and crossed to the window but he didn’t really look outside. Instead, he pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. “Perhaps we need not do this at all. They said they’d keep our secret. And they’re ladies of society. Lords sniffing about is bound to cause trouble. It might be better to just leave them be.”
Bad cleared his throat. “Don’t you go getting soft-hearted. Remember three years ago when your farmlands flooded? You used the club’s money to keep your people fed.”
Tag dropped his hands. “I don’t need the club anymore. My lands support themselves these days.”
But Vice rose and crossed to him. “And wh
en you finally marry and have more than one son, what will you buy with the club’s proceeds? I’ll tell you what. You’ll have an inheritance for each of your children.”
Well that was a bloody good point. “Minnie said that our club nicknames made us sound like eight-year-old boys not grown men who were supposed to lead the country.”
“Viper.” Malice kicked back in his chair and propped his feet on Darlington’s desk. “I can hear in your voice that you’re softening toward her. Worried about her future and her family. Stop. This is a job for the club’s sake. What’s gotten into you? It’s not like you to be so mushy.”
He didn’t reply. He understood Malice’s point, but somehow, he was beginning to see Minnie’s too. “Have you ever witnessed a marriage where the two parties don’t like each other?” Or in the case of his parents, hated one another.
The room was silent as the other men looked anywhere but at him.
“I don’t particularly like Minnie but she does have a spirit that can be infuriating and occasionally refreshing. Depending on whom she marries, she may very well be broken. Some men don’t appreciate such a strong will from a woman.” He gripped the edge of his desk. His father hadn’t.
Exile shifted in his chair, the legs scraping the hardwood floor. “I said this the last time we met and I’ll say it again. You could just marry her. She’ll keep your secret then for certain.”
He shook his head. “I can’t. Honestly, she reminds me too much of the first woman I nearly married.” In this case, he meant the first woman he’d ever loved and the first woman to tear that affection into a thousand tiny pieces.
Vice let out a long breath. “That makes far more sense as to why you wouldn’t want her. Because otherwise, I was thinking a woman like Minnie would be perfect for you.”
He turned away from the window, glaring at his friend. “What the bloody hell does that mean?”
Vice shrugged. “You like a challenge. Always have. From games to women, you prefer a spirited match over the safe bet.”
“It’s too bad that the Countess of Abernath got to you first,” Bad added scrubbing his jaw.
“She wasn’t the countess back then, she was just Lady Cristina Hathaway.” His hands clenched at his sides.
“Either way the countess is a she-devil.” Malice said behind him. “If you ask me, you shouldn’t let a woman like that ruin your future.”
Tag frowned as he stared out the window. He wasn’t entirely certain he had a choice.
Minnie and Ada walked along the atrium path with their arms linked. Rain pattered on the roof as leaves brushed at their skirts. “I’m sorry I didn’t come to Auntie’s with you last night. The Duke of Darlington really stayed by your side all evening?”
“It’s all right and yes he did,” Minnie sighed. “But I’m afraid I must find another suitor quickly. He doesn’t like me at all so I have no idea why he spent the whole night with me other than to torture me. Once mother realizes the duke isn’t actually pursuing me, I’m not going to escape her notice.” That was an understatement. Her mother was going to parade her in front of every eligible lord until one showed the slightest bit of interest.
Ada winced. “I’m sure I can wait another season to come out so that you can have more time.”
Minnie squeezed her sister’s arm. Ada was a bit timid, but a sweeter soul had never been born. “That’s so kind of you but you don’t need to give up your chance for me, Ada. I’ve had three seasons already. I should have found a match by now.” Her mouth twisted into a frown. “I just can’t seem to help myself. My opinions come flying out when I really should keep them in. Men don’t like it, or if they do, their mothers seem to resent me all the more.”
Ada looked over at her sister. “I don’t care what anyone else says, that’s one of the things I like best about you. And Lord Charleston doesn’t know what he’s missing. He should never have ended your courtship, you were perfect for him.”
Minnie inwardly winced. She’d thought them well-suited too. He’d been so easy to spend time with and that had bloomed into a great deal of affection. Perhaps not love, but Minnie had been certain the emotion would grow in time. “Thank you, Ada. I appreciate you comforting me.”
“I am not just trying to make you feel better.” Ada stopped walking. “You’re honest and forthright. I never have to wonder where I stand.”
“That’s one way to look at it.” But Minnie didn’t consider that an actual asset. In fact, this conversation was more a reflection on how Ada was able to find the good in anyone.
“I’m serious. Some people lie, cheat, or steal. Not you. You’re strong but you never use that strength to hurt anyone.” Ada started walking again.
Minnie parted her lips to speak, but hesitated. She wondered what Darlington would say to that. She had a feeling he did not think of her as a kind soul.
“I’ll tell you something else. The world would trample me if not for you.” Ada rested her head on her sister’s shoulder. “I need you, Minnie.”
“Thank you,” she said leaning her head on her sister’s.
“Perhaps you should find a husband who needs your strength as well.” Ada lifted her head suddenly. “I know that didn’t work out with Charleston but surely there’s another lord like him whose mother has perhaps already moved on to a less-earthly place.”
Minnie pressed her lips together as she considered those words and her usually sweet sister. “Ada Lynne,” she said as she gave her sister a sideways glance. It wasn’t that Ada’s plan was bad, and she’d considered herself fortunate to find such a good match in the easy-going Charleston. But something had shifted and a man that hid behind her skirts made her wrinkle her nose in distaste. “I’m not that difficult to get on with.”
She liked a man who was strong and capable. A man whom she could spar with and who was her equal.
A man like…she didn’t want to think it. Not him. A shiver of awareness rolled down her spine. Not Darlington.
“Of course you aren’t.” Ada quickly patted her arm. “But think on it. Men who want to be in charge often find your questions…”
“Irritating,” another woman called from around the lavish shelf of orchids.
“Oh please, Diana.” Minnie broke into a smile. “Like you’re any better.” They had both inherited the Chase personality. Strong and sharp, their fathers were brothers and apparently they had fought horribly as children. Diana and Minnie, as cousins, however, had been two peas in a pod, often understanding each other more so than any of their sisters.
Diana came around the corner, grinning. “You’ll find a husband. If you don’t, we’ll just pick one on the street and beat him into submission.”
Minnie laughed. “Not a terrible plan if all else fails.”
Ada shuddered. “You wouldn’t actually hit a man, would you?” Then she stopped. “Never mind. I don’t want to know the answer.”
Both Diana and Minnie giggled.
“Should we club a man for you too, Ada?” Diana closed the distance between them, her skirts swishing in a way that drew men to her like moths to a fire. It wasn’t an act, however, it was simply how she walked.
Ada rested a finger on her chin. “I might prefer that to participating in a season, actually. I’m not looking forward to it.”
Minnie gave her sister’s arm a squeeze. “So when you offered to sit out for another season, you weren’t just acting in my best interest?” She was teasing, of course but Ada turned a deep shade of red.
“I was speaking in both of our best interests.” Ada slid her arms from Minnie’s and plopped down on a nearby bench. “You can withstand mother’s matchmaking attempts.” Ada shuddered. “She’s going to bully me into marrying some wretch.”
Minnie took the seat next to her sister. “We’re both in danger of that.”
She thought again of her mother’s invitation to Lord Darlington and inwardly groaned. Now she was going to have to see the intriguing man again tomorrow. “Who’s with Emily?”
/>
“Grace,” Diana answered. “Why?”
“Do you think Emily would object if I didn’t come to the picnic tomorrow?” The last thing she needed was another run in with Darlington. It was worth missing other prospects to avoid him.
“Only if you want her to have a complete fit.” Diana squeezed next to them on the bench. “If I act like this right before my wedding, you have my permission to slap me.”
“Enough with the violent threats,” Ada chimed in. “If you don’t want to see Darlington tomorrow, just surround yourself with other men.”
“Excellent idea,” Diana added. “Also, hold your tongue and snag one of them before he realizes how loud you can be.”
“Your love is overwhelming,” Minnie said as she rolled her eyes. But the idea had merit. She could both find other suitors and get rid of Darlington all in one day.
Chapter Five
Minnie stood behind Diana, Grace, and Cordelia, attempting to hide herself from the crowd. It was an odd position for her but she’d seen Darlington enter and she’d prefer that he couldn’t find her. Ever.
She’d assumed her mother would invite a parcel of unattached males to this event but it was as though her mother had only invited Darlington, like she didn’t want him to have any competition for her daughter’s hand. Which might actually be true. Her mother was terribly shrewd that way.
“Do you see anyone besides him I could attach myself to?” Minnie whispered, hissing into Diana’s ear.
“I’m afraid not. Oh wait. There’s your third cousin, Alfred.” Diana said while letting out a little giggle.
“He has had a crush on you for ages,” Cordelia pointed out as she pushed up her glasses. “And he inherits the title, so mother would likely approve.”
“As smart as you are, Cordelia, I don’t understand why you would ever consider Alfred a viable candidate,” Minnie sniffed.
Duke of Daring: Regency Romance (Lords of Scandal Book 1) Page 3