The Earl's Secret Bargain

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  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 offered 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 dress? 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.

  Chapter Twelve

  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 already 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 was 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 engaged 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.

  As 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 wasn’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 now 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 might 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 agreed. “I’m very sorry.”

  Regina smiled. “Thank 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 overwhelmed by how much Helena understood gentlemen. “You do have a lot more knowledge than we do.”

  “That’s only because 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.”

  “Did you behave inappropriately?” Chloe whispered.

  “Not in the way I’d been accused. The gentleman said I’d taken a lover, but what I’d been doing was giving a gentleman advice on how he might woo a lady he was interested in. This lady happened to be someone the first gentleman was also interested in. I suspect that had something to do with the allegation.”

  “Oh dear.” Chloe sighed. “How awful.”

  “It’s why I don’t give lessons to gentlemen. I only give them to ladies. No one will take that the wrong way, nor can they use it against me.”

  Regina nodded, thinking that was a smart move on her part. She’d do the same thing if she was her.

  “It was nice of your husband to defend you,” Chloe said.

  “Yes, it was,” Regina agreed.

  “While it was nice,” Helena began, “it was unnecessary. I had nothing to be ashamed of, and he knew it. But when gentlemen get their tempers flared up, they make irrational decisions. It certainly wasn’t worth dying for.” She offered Regina another smile. “The wager wasn’t your
fault. You couldn’t help what the pride of these gentlemen led them to do.”

  “I know,” Regina replied. After a moment of silence, she glanced at Chloe. “So you’re married?”

  “Yes,” Chloe said. “My father arranged it in a contract. I wish I had known of Helena’s reputation for securing proposals before I agreed to the thing.”

  “Why? Aren’t you happy with the gentleman your father selected?”

  “I don’t really know him. We married two days ago with a special license then he left for India after the wedding breakfast,” Chloe replied.

  “That soon? But wasn’t he interested in the,” Helena glanced around, “wedding night?”

  “Our marriage is in name only. I had hoped for something of a love match, but my family needed the money and I ran out of time.”

  “If your family gets the money and you get the title, what does your husband get out of it?”

  “An heir at some point.”

  “If the heir is so important, why didn’t he try for one right away? It’s not like it takes much time or effort.”

  Chloe’s cheeks grew pink. “The lady’s time of month is upon me.”

  “Oh.” Helena chuckled. “Well, there’s no getting around that one.”

  “He had to take care of a business venture, so it wasn’t like he was disappointed.”

  Regina didn’t know if she envied Chloe’s situation or not. While it might be nice to have Toby run off for another country right after their marriage so she wouldn’t have to be constantly reminded of the wager, she didn’t like to think that a business venture took precedence over her.

  “Regina?”

  Helena’s concern brought her attention back to the two ladies sitting with her. “I’m sorry. What is it?” Regina asked.

  “We were wondering if you’d like to join us at my townhouse for tea,” Helena replied.

  She nodded. “I would. Thank you.”

  It’d be nice to keep talking to them. It might even help to put her impending marriage to Toby aside for a while. When she didn’t think about him, she didn’t feel like crying. And even if that was a small reprieve, it was one she desperately wanted. Standing up, she joined them as they proceeded to Helena’s townhouse.