Breaking the Rules

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  Ethan headed for another room, so she followed. With any luck, they wouldn’t have to see Lord Valentine for the rest of their visit. Then poor Emilia could enjoy the rest of the day without worrying about having to deal with him.

  Chapter Twelve

  Roger moved the pawn on the chessboard.

  Across from him, Aaron took a drink of his brandy. “I’m glad to see you’re more attentive to the game today. Getting more sleep was just what you needed.”

  It hadn’t been easy, but Roger had been so tired that he had, finally, been able to go to sleep last night. It’d been wonderful. When he was asleep, he didn’t have a care in the world, and those first few moments when he woke up and couldn’t remember why he’d been so miserable were the best moments of his entire day. It was too bad that reality quickly sank in to remind him that all was not well in his world.

  But he was determined to push that out of his mind. He couldn’t spend his entire life moping. Aaron was right. He needed to overcome his feelings. His emotions didn’t have to win out. He could be stronger than them. Logic must rule the day. And today, he felt more optimistic than he had since Lilly kissed him at the ball.

  Aaron studied the pieces on the chessboard then rubbed his chin. “Maybe I shouldn’t have encouraged you to get a good night’s rest. I think I just got myself in trouble. You might win this game.”

  Roger chuckled. “You need to be careful. Sometimes your advice can come back to haunt you.”

  “Indeed.” With an amused grin, he moved one of his pieces then took another sip of his brandy.

  “That wasn’t the best move you could have made.”

  “Can you think of one that would have been better?”

  Roger took a good look at the board, and after taking a minute to judge all of the possible moves his friend could have made, said, “No, I can’t. I suppose you’re doomed to lose the game.”

  “Yes, I figured as much.”

  Roger was ready to move one of his pieces when he noticed a gentleman coming their way.

  “I hope I’m not intruding on your game,” Lord Valentine said. “If I am, I can come back.”

  Aaron waved for him to stay. “I lost. It’s only a matter of time before my friend collects all of my pieces. There’s no sense in letting the pain of defeat linger. Pull up a chair.”

  As Lord Valentine hastened to do so, Roger picked up his own glass of brandy and took a drink. Yes, he felt much better. And that was nice. He almost felt like his old self.

  Lord Valentine sat down and clasped his hands in his lap.

  Roger waited for him to say something, but when he didn’t, Roger asked, “What do you want?”

  “Oh, right.” Lord Valentine’s face went red as he shifted in the chair. “I came to speak specifically to you.” He glanced at Aaron. “Not that I don’t wish to speak to you. I would never imply such a thing, Lord Northton. You’re just as important as Mr. Morris is. I never meant to imply otherwise. It’s just that—”

  “I understand,” Aaron said. “I don’t mind if you talk to Mr. Morris.”

  Lord Valentine didn’t hide his relief. “Thank you for understanding.”

  As Lord Valentine turned from Aaron, Roger caught the slight shake of his friend’s head and knew his friend was baffled. Roger resisted the urge to chuckle. He hadn’t had any dealings with Lord Valentine, but he’d heard that Lord Valentine could test a gentleman’s patience by rambling too much.

  “Mr. Morris,” Lord Valentine began, “I am betrothed to a lovely young lady who, as I understand it, happens to be good friends with your wife. I thought it would be nice if we had a dinner party sometime.”

  Roger felt the color drain from his face. “A dinner party?”

  “You have nothing to worry about. I’ll take care of all the arrangements. We can do this at my townhouse. I’ll arrange for the dinner menu and the evening’s entertainment.” He paused. “That is, unless there’s something you or your wife don’t like to eat. Or even if there’s something you or your wife don’t like for entertainment. Come to think of it, maybe you should help plan the dinner party.”

  Roger stared at the gentleman in disbelief. If he’d had any idea that Lord Valentine was going to ask him to go to his dinner party with Lilly, he never would have let him start speaking. He would have made up some excuse about having to leave White’s and bolted out of the room. But now that he’d given Lord Valentine the chance to speak, he was trapped.

  Thankfully, he was spared having to reply because Lord Edon and Mr. Robinson came up to them with an unfamiliar gentleman.

  “Another game of chess?” Lord Edon asked. “Don’t you ever get bored of playing the same thing over and over?”

  “We get as bored of chess as you get bored of talking about how boring it is,” Aaron replied.

  Ignoring the satisfied smirk on Aaron’s face, Lord Edon said, “I came here with two friends who’ve been allowed to visit White’s as guests. I’m introducing them to everyone.” He gestured to one of them. “This is Mr. Squire. And this…” He glanced around Mr. Squire and Mr. Robinson. “Where did the Duke of Marrow go?”

  Mr. Squire cleared his throat. “He went to get some brandy.” He pointed to the gentleman standing near a decanter in the corner of the room who had his back turned to them. “He said he was thirsty.”

  “I hope he doesn’t drink too much brandy,” Mr. Robinson replied.

  “Afraid he’ll get drunk?” Aaron asked.

  Though Aaron had meant it as a joke, Roger noticed that neither Lord Edon nor Mr. Robinson seemed amused, which was odd considering how they had been laughing the last time a gentleman got in trouble at White’s for getting drunk. Roger still recalled how upset Lord Steinbeck and Lord Roderick had been about that incident.

  “I think I’ll show him where the water is,” Mr. Robinson told Lord Edon and hurried to the corner of the room.

  Roger glanced at Aaron who shrugged. It seemed like they were worried that the Duke of Marrow was going to get drunk.

  “If His Grace alternates between drinking the water and brandy, he should be all right,” Lord Valentine said. “The brandy will help him relax, and the water will prevent him from drinking too much brandy. Maybe I should suggest it to him.”

  Lord Valentine stood up, but Lord Edon and Mr. Squire hurried to stop him before he went to the corner of the room. “His Grace will be fine,” Lord Edon said. “Mr. Robinson’s been drunk before. He knows what to tell him.” Lord Edon gestured for him to sit, and he did. “As I was saying, Mr. Squire and His Grace have been in Italy for the past few years, and they’ve just returned to London.”

  “Italy is rich in history,” Lord Valentine said, directing his attention to Mr. Squire. “Have you been to the Roman Colosseum?”

  Mr. Squire glanced around as if he hoped Lord Valentine had asked someone else the question but finally replied with a quiet, “Yes.”

  “Then you are acquainted with Mr. Benedetto,” Lord Valentine stood back up, smiling in excitement. “He’s a wonderful gentleman. And knowledgeable, too. He kept me enraptured for over an hour with all the stories he told about the gladiator games. They were so gruesome. It was just terrible to think of real people having to fight to the death. I’m relieved we live in a more civilized time. I don’t think I could have tolerated such games.” Then he added, “I hope I didn’t just upset you. Perhaps you, like a few gentlemen, enjoy that kind of sport. It was a popular pastime for many. The place was so large, which means a lot of people went to those games. Obviously, not everyone agrees with me. I’m just one person giving one person’s opinion.”

  During Lord Valentine’s entire spiel, Mr. Squire made a couple of attempts to let him know that he agreed with him, but after those kept getting drowned out by Lord Valentine’s continued speech, he finally shouted, “Those games sound awful!”

  Everyone in the room, even Mr. Robinson and the Duke of Marrow glanced over at them.

  Face red, Mr. Squire lowered his voice a
nd said, “I’m glad I wasn’t there to witness people killing other people for sport.”

  Lord Valentine relaxed.

  “Considering how some people died for other people’s entertainment, chess doesn’t seem so terrible, wouldn’t you agree, Lord Edon?” Aaron asked.

  Roger shot his friend a pointed look. Why did Aaron have to keep goading Lord Edon?

  “I like chess,” Mr. Squire blurted out.

  Roger didn’t know if he did that to prevent an argument from developing between Aaron and Lord Edon, but he was glad he’d thought of it. “I don’t mind playing another game of chess,” Roger offered.

  Aaron stood up. “You can take my place, Mr. Squire. I already lost once. There’s no need to lose again. I hope you have experience with the game.”

  “I do,” Mr. Squire said. “I’ve been playing since I was a young lad.”

  Roger waited for Lord Edon to make some comment or facial expression to show his distaste for chess, but surprisingly, he didn’t.

  “Do you want to play a game of cards?” Aaron asked Lord Valentine.

  “I wouldn’t mind a game, but I’d like an answer about the dinner party first.” Lord Valentine turned to Roger. “It turns out my betrothed is shy. Every time her parents have arranged it for us to be in the same room, she’s so overcome with excitement to be with me that she ends up fainting or hiding in the corner of a room. Because of that, I haven’t been able to spend any real time with her. I think it would help her if you and your wife would join us at a dinner party. With your wife there, she would feel more relaxed, and she might be open to talking with me. I think ladies are more comfortable in the company of friends rather than their parents.”

  Lord Edon snorted. “It seems to me that she doesn’t want to marry you.”

  “Oh, she does,” Lord Valentine said. “She’s been in love with me for a long time. Her friend told me so.”

  Roger thought he heard Mr. Squire groan but then figured he’d imagined it.

  Lord Valentine gave Roger a pleading look. “Miss Stewart is a wonderful lady. The evening would be a pleasant one.”

  As much as Roger hated to disappoint a gentleman who was obviously trying to do what he thought best for his betrothed, he couldn’t go through with it. “I’m sorry, but I can’t do it. My wife and I don’t have the kind of marriage where we can have dinner parties together.”

  “Yes,” Aaron spoke up, “they have the perfect union. They have nothing to do with each other at all. Someday I hope to have something like that.”

  “Well, I don’t want that kind of marriage,” Lord Valentine said. “I want a love match. That’s why I was thrilled to find out Miss Stewart secretly fancied me. I’m not as good at telling if a lady is interested in me like the rest of you are. I’m forever grateful to Mrs. Morris for letting me know about her friend’s feelings for me.”

  “For your sake, I hope my wife told you the truth,” Roger replied. “My wife’s been known to lead gentlemen astray. She might have just told you Miss Stewart fancied you so that you wouldn’t spend time with her.”

  “Your wife isn’t the deceptive type,” Lord Valentine insisted. “I’ve danced with her a few times, and she’s always been sweet.”

  “Sure, she seems sweet,” Roger said. “Even I was fooled by her at one time, but I learned the hard way that she’ll do whatever she wants, regardless of how others are affected.”

  “I think God put ladies on Earth to torment gentlemen,” Aaron replied. “Eve, after all, handed Adam the apple in the Garden of Eden.”

  “Adam was stupid enough to take it even though God told him not to eat from the tree it was taken from,” Lord Edon commented. “He could have said no, but he didn’t.”

  “Maybe he took it because he loved her,” Lord Valentine said. “If he didn’t eat from the apple, he would have been able to stay in the Garden of Eden, but she would have been forced to leave. Perhaps he decided he’d rather have her than paradise.”

  Aaron rolled his eyes. “What a fool. I’ll never do anything like that for a lady.”

  “Regardless of all that, I can’t go to your dinner party,” Roger told Lord Valentine. “Maybe you can ask Miss Farrow and her suitor to go.”

  Lord Valentine’s face fell. “Miss Farrow doesn’t have a suitor.”

  “Then ask another one of her friends to go,” Roger replied. “I’m sure she knows other ladies.” He turned to the pieces on the chessboard and put them at their starting positions. “I’m sorry, but I can’t help you. You’ll have to find some other way of dealing with her.”

  Despite his disappointment, he said, “Thank you for considering the possibility of going.”

  Roger breathed a sigh of relief as he and Aaron went to another table to play cards. Hopefully, that would be the last time Lord Valentine would ask him to do anything with Lilly and Miss Stewart.

  “Good luck with the game,” Lord Edon said.

  At first, Roger thought he was talking to both him and Mr. Squire, but when he saw that Lord Edon was looking directly at Mr. Squire, he realized Lord Edon had been talking to him. Mr. Squire, in turn, offered a nod.

  As Lord Edon went to Mr. Robinson and the Duke of Marrow, Roger turned his attention to Mr. Squire. “I’m sorry you had to listen to all of that. You came here for a pleasant afternoon.”

  Mr. Squire shrugged. “What were you supposed to do? Ignore Lord Valentine when he was asking you a question?”

  “I hated to tell him no. He’s a nice person. At times, he misunderstands what’s going on, but his motives are good.”

  “A person’s motives matter a lot to you.”

  Roger nodded. “I value sincerity.” He gestured to the board. “You can go first.”

  Mr. Squire moved his piece but waited until Roger made a countermove to say, “I take it you don’t find your wife to be sincere.”

  “It doesn’t matter how she is. She and I don’t have anything to do with each other. I just hope Miss Stewart really does fancy Lord Valentine. I can tell he has his heart set on the marriage going well.”

  They moved their pieces on the chessboard in silence for a few minutes before Mr. Squire spoke up. “I haven’t been in London for a long time. Is there anything of interest to do here?”

  “London has just about anything a person could want,” he replied, feeling himself relax now that the conversation had steered away from Lilly, Miss Stewart, and Lord Valentine. “I haven’t been to Italy, but I imagine they have similar things there. Theatre, symphony, balls, games of all kinds, sporting events, clubs such as this...”

  “Yes, it does. But what do you do for entertainment? I doubt you spend all day playing chess. As much as I enjoy the game, even I need a break from it.”

  He chuckled. “Despite what Lord Edon and Mr. Robinson think, I don’t play chess all the time. I like fox hunting, too. Have you ever done it?”

  “No, I can’t say I have.”

  “That’s something you and your friend can do while you’re here. You two can even join me and Lord Northton if you want.”

  Mr. Squire nodded but didn’t respond, and Roger wasn’t sure if Mr. Squire wanted to go fox hunting or if he was only acknowledging the offer. Roger supposed it didn’t matter. He could go fox hunting any time he wanted, whether someone came along or not.

  Mr. Squire moved his bishop then cleared his throat. “I’m at the age where I should probably consider marriage. On my way here, I was discussing what qualities the others preferred in a wife. I was wondering if you’d mind sharing your thoughts on the topic. Obviously, honesty is important to you.”

  “I think anyone would say honesty is important.” Roger studied the board and then moved a piece. “Who wants a lady they can’t trust?” Although…he supposed in Aaron’s situation, it didn’t matter. All his friend wanted was an attractive lady who would give him an heir. Other than that, he saw marriage as an inconvenience. Thinking of other gentlemen he knew, he added, “A lot of gentlemen like a lady whose famil
y has a good reputation and wealth.”

  He watched as Mr. Squire moved his piece and took a moment to think over his maneuver before he decided to move his pawn. The result was that he lost his first piece. Mr. Squire picked the piece up and put it next to him.

  “Lord Edon and Mr. Robinson said that there are plenty of ladies who have good reputations and money in London,” Mr. Squire commented. “Those shouldn’t be hard to find.”

  “They won’t be. I’m sure your friends can give you a long list of such ladies to choose from.”

  After a minute where they spent time silently playing, Mr. Squire asked, “Is there anything besides honesty, reputation, and wealth that you think a gentleman should seek out in a lady?”

  “It depends on your reason for getting married, but if you can find a lady you can enjoy spending time with, I think it would make for a more pleasant life.”

  God knew it wasn’t easy to avoid Lilly even though the townhouse had a lot of rooms. A couple of times, he had accidentally walked into the hall when she happened to be in it. Then, a few times, he had passed a room she was in and hurried on by it, hoping she hadn’t noticed him. Even though she’d been good about not following him, he couldn’t completely avoid her. Maybe he should look into getting another townhouse. He had enough money to do that.

  But even as he considered the option, the stupid part of him resisted it. What was wrong with him? His marriage was all a farce. It wasn’t like anyone in London believed they were a happy couple. No one would think ill of him if he didn’t live in the same townhouse that Lilly did. Given all she’d done, they were sympathetic toward him. And yet, deep down, it wasn’t what he wanted.

  He slammed his piece on the board, and Mr. Squire jerked back in surprise.

  “Forgive me,” Roger apologized. “I didn’t mean to set the pawn down that hard.”