Wicked Wager

by Mary Gillgannon

  His face changed. All at once he looked defeated. “But Penny, you don’t understand. If you don’t do this, I’m utterly done up.”

  “What do you mean? What sort of trouble are you in now?”

  “I-I lost Horngate in a wager.”

  She gritted her teeth, then said, “No, you didn’t, Adrian. You didn’t lose Horngate. It doesn’t belong to you, so you can’t lose it.”

  “Unfortunately, the man I lost it to doesn’t see things that way. In fact, he’s suggested that if I don’t cede the property to him, he’ll kill me.”

  “What? Why, that’s extortion! The law will deal with him.”

  “No, it’s the gentlemen’s code. If I renege on the wager, he has every right to call me out. And you know I’m a terrible shot. He’ll kill me for certain.”

  “I can’t believe this. I simply cannot believe this.” She made her way to the fence and sagged against it. She’d always known her cousin was a wastrel. He’d already drained the estate of a good bit of blunt. But she’d never dreamed he’d do anything this foolish. Horngate was all she had. It was home. And it provided the means of doing what she wished with her life, which was training horses. If she lost Horngate, she would lose everything.

  If Adrian had to fight a duel and this Revington fellow killed him, it was hardly her fault. But she couldn’t do something so heartless. Adrian might be a worthless fool, but he was the only family she had left. She didn’t want to live the rest of her life with his death on her conscience.

  She straightened and faced him. “Very well. Give me the facts. What does Revington expect? Does he think we’ll simply hand the place over to him? Because if I leave Horngate, I have no place to go. If he’s any sort of gentlemen, he can’t possibly mean to leave me utterly destitute.”

  “Oh, he doesn’t intend that. Nor would I ever allow such a thing to happen. I told him, if he wanted the estate, he would have to marry you.”

  “Oh, dear heavens, we’re back to that!” The sick feeling inside her deepened. Bad enough to have to marry and lose her freedom, but to wed some ruthless blackguard—it was unendurable.

  “Don’t look so glum, Penny. He doesn’t intend for it to be a real marriage. And I promise you, I’ll win back the property somehow. Or, we could sell all the horses. Then I’d have the funds to challenge him and win back Horngate…and more besides!”

  “Don’t be ridiculous, Adrian.” She wanted to grab her cousin by his immaculate waistcoat and shake some sense into him. But that would never work. He was a hopeless bacon-brain and selfish besides. Sell the horses? She’d rather go to London and sell her body in a brothel. Somehow she was going to have to fix this. Find some way of making Revington forget Adrian’s ridiculous wager. But to do that, she needed to know more about her adversary. “See, here, Adrian, what’s this Mr. Revington like?”

  He shrugged. “Usual gamester. Hard. Cunning. Arrogant.”

  Oh, wonderful. “Does he have any weaknesses you can think of?”

  “Don’t know him well enough to say.”

  “And his family background—where does his gambling money come from?”

  “He’s the younger son of a viscount. Suppose he gets his blunt from them.”

  “He’s a gentleman, then?”

  “Of a fashion. Fairly well known among the ton. But I think many people avoid him because he’s so dashed lucky at cards. Always winning, from what I’ve heard.”

  “So, of course, you challenged him,” she said, coldly.

  “I think he cheats.” Adrian’s face had flushed an unpleasant shade of red. “He’s too clever to get caught, that’s all.”

  Penny closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The more she learned about her prospective bridegroom, the more disheartened she felt.

  She opened her eyes again. “If he’s so ‘dashed lucky’ as you put it, then he can’t be in desperate need of funds. Which raises the question, why is he willing to marry a woman he’s never met in order to acquire a modest property like Horngate?”

  “I’ve no idea,” Adrian answered. “Maybe he’s just so stubborn and proud that he refuses to ever forgive a wager.”

  Stubborn. Proud. Those qualities could end up being weaknesses. After all, it was Adrian’s pride that was his downfall. She tried to consider what was the worst thing Adrian could ever experience. Probably it would be to endure some sort of public humiliation. If that was Adrian’s bane, then it might be Revington’s also.

  How could she take advantage of Revington’s arrogance and make him back down? Exposing him as a cheat would do the trick, but her cousin had obviously tried that and failed. What other means of embarrassing him might there be?

  She glanced down at her scuffed hessions, and then at the worn, dirty buckskins and much-mended linen shirt she’d borrowed from Tad when the groom outgrew them a few seasons ago. Adrian was always telling her how disgraceful she looked. How she dressed like a street urchin and acted more like a stable boy than a lady. She assumed he said such spiteful things in part because he was jealous of her skill with horses, but there was probably some truth to his words. Which meant a London gentleman like Revington might consider her less than desirable as a wife.

  A plan slowly unfolded in her mind. What if Revington met her and was so appalled at the thought of marrying her that he decided Horngate wasn’t worth it? Adrian was right. Revington couldn’t simply turn her out. He had to marry her if he wanted the estate. All she had to do was make that course of action so unappealing he would agree to settle for some other form of compensation. If she could get him to wait until fall and sell off the latest bunch of hunters, she might have enough to satisfy at least part of the debt. She’d certainly rather owe him the estate’s profits for the next few years than marry him!

  “I have an idea,” she told her cousin. “It’s a simple plan, but it might work.”

  ****

  As the coach drove down the long gravel drive to Horngate House, Marcus gave a low whistle. “Even if my wife-to-be is as homely as sin, marrying her will be worth it to acquire this place.”

  “It looks rather rundown,” James said. “And there’s no telling how much of this pastureland and woods belong to the estate. I didn’t have a chance to look at the deed before we left London. It might include no more than the house and the grounds immediately surrounding it.”

  Marcus gestured to a pasture in the distance where a several chestnut mares and their foals grazed. “Someone is raising horses on the property. I can’t imagine a wastrel like Withersby would be involved in such an endeavor.”

  “All the more reason to think the land we’re passing through belongs to some neighboring landowner.”

  As they progressed down the drive and neared the house, Marcus knew an intense satisfaction. The house itself was a fine old dwelling, built of grayish stone with a slate roof and high mullioned windows. “If I ever have a fancy to retire to the country, this would be the perfect place,” he mused.

  “I can’t exactly see you as a country gentlemen.”

  “Quite true. But it might be entertaining to come up in the fall and do some running to the hounds. That is, if the estate still retains hunting rights.”

  The phaeton rolled to a stop in front of the house; the two men climbed out and stretched. “I wonder if there are any grooms or footmen about. The place looks deserted,” Marcus said.

  “Perhaps Miss Montgomery heard you were coming and ran away. I can’t say I would blame her under the circumstances.”

  “She’d better not have disappeared. If she has, I swear I’ll find Withersby and call him out. He promised her consent would not be a difficulty.”

  James sighed. “I have to say one more time that I don’t like this above half. The whole arrangement seems quite uncivilized.”

  Marcus regarded his friend with a lazy smile. “I know, James, I know. That’s why you’re the solicitor and I’m the gamester. With your fine moral sense, you wouldn’t last a week in the circles I frequent.”r />
  They both turned at the sound of hoof beats. A huge stallion barreled down the drive, its rider bent low over the withers. Halfway to the house, the rider reined in the magnificent animal. Blowing and snorting, the beast slowed to a trot and, finally, a walk. As horse and rider approached, Marcus couldn’t help gaping at the young woman controlling the stallion. He’d never seen a female ride like that before!

  She halted the stallion and, before either of them could assist her, leapt down and faced them. The woman was dressed in soiled men’s clothing, and her brown hair hung down in messy wisps around her face. “So, which one of you is the London bloke I’m supposed to wed?”

  James gestured to Marcus. “This is Mr. Revington. I’m James Ludingham, his solicitor.”

  The woman extended a grimy hand to Marcus. “Pleased to meet you.”

  Marcus stared at her in astonishment “You’re Miss Montgomery?”

  “Yes, but you can call me Penny, everyone does. The house is there, see.” She pointed. “Mrs. Foxworthy will offer you something if you knock. I really can’t be bothered with playing hostess. I’ve got to get back to the stables. We’re gelding the colts today, and they need me to do the cauterizing. Good meeting you though, Mr. Revington, Mr. Ludingham.” She turned and mounted the stallion, then cantered back down the lane.

  “Hmmm,” James said. “What were you saying about marrying the woman sight unseen?”

  Marcus swallowed, trying to get over his shock. “I’ll allow she is a bit eccentric, but that hardly matters. It’s really quite simple. She’ll go her way and I’ll go mine.” His words belied the uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. Gads! The chit was an utter hoyden. He’d encountered Covent Garden orange girls who had more polish than Miss Montgomery. But at least she wasn’t unattractive. Despite the dirt and her disheveled hair, she had huge blue eyes and pert, pretty features, and the masculine clothing only served to emphasize her leggy but clearly feminine form.

  “There is the small matter of the marriage ceremony,” James reminded him. “Unless you think to get a clergyman to perform the rites in the barn, you may have a problem.”

  “Well, she’s bound to come back to the house sometime. We’ll discuss the details then. Meanwhile, I’m starved. Let’s hope this Mrs. Foxworthy is a bit more hospitable than her mistress.”

  ****

  “Damn! He’s still here!” Penny grimaced as she and Tad walked up to the house and saw the phaeton in the driveway.

  “At least he had the decency to have someone unhitch the horses and take them to the barn,” Tad pointed out. The dark-haired youth went to examine the carriage. “Fine rig, too. Think he drove it here himself?”

  “Probably. He looked like he could handle a team easily enough.” That was an understatement. She’d been expecting some dandified tulip like Adrian. It had been a shock to discover Revington was a very different sort of man. The lines of his immaculately tailored coat emphasized his well-formed, muscular physique. And with his striking jet-black hair and dark eyes, he managed to seem both elegant and formidable. If he’d been a stallion, she’d have bought in on the spot.

  “What now?” Tad asked.

  She turned to the house, chewing her lower lip. “Let’s sneak in and see what we can find out about our adversary.”

  Tad nodded. The two of them went around and entered by the servants’ entrance. Mrs. Foxworthy had put their guests in the drawing room. As they approached and heard voices, Penny nodded in satisfaction to her companion. She and Tad crouched near the open door and listened.

  “Grand old place, isn’t it?” a man remarked in a rich, baritone voice. “I wonder what year it was built.”

  “That’s Revington,” Penny whispered to Tad.

  “It’s not bad, I suppose,” the other man responded. “But think of the work and the investment it would take to get it up to civilized standards. You hardly have time for such an endeavor.”

  “I suppose you’re right. The main thing is to get the chit in front of an altar and settle this business. I can worry about what to do with the property later.”

  “You’re incorrigible, Marcus. You still mean to go through with this? The woman obviously has no manners. To barely greet us, then rush off to the stables.” He tsked loudly.

  “I don’t care a fig for her manners. It’s not as if I intend to have her presented at court.”

  “But you will have to spend some time with her. There is the matter of the…er, uh…consummation of the marriage.”

  Penny felt her face flush. She moved farther back from the doorway.

  “You really think that will be necessary?” Revington asked.

  “Oh, absolutely. Withersby’s just the sort to cry foul if you don’t go through with all the proper legal details.”

  “I suppose you’re right. Well, it shouldn’t be much of a hardship. She’s obviously got all the proper female parts, despite her outlandish clothing. And I actually thought she was rather appealing, under all that dirt and scraggly hair. Quite lovely blue eyes, did you notice?”

  Penny stiffened. He’d called her hair scraggly, the bastard! But then, that had been her aim. Besides, he’d also said her eyes were lovely.

  “Yes, I suppose she’s got potential, just as the house does.” The other man sounded irritated. “But do you really have time for any of this? Shouldn’t you be getting back to London? If you’re gone too long, the deep-pocketed players will find someone else to lose their money to.”

  “Will they? In only a day?” Revington’s voice rang with sarcasm. “Why don’t you stop fighting me, James? It’s no use. You know how stubborn I am.”

  James sighed. “So, I do. But dash it, you’re also usually impatient. Are you really going to sit around here all day waiting for the chit to show herself?”

  “Of course not. We’ll give her a little while longer. If she’s not back before three, we’ll walk down to the stables and fetch her.”

  Penny motioned to Tad that she’d heard enough. They crept back down the hall and out the way they’d come.

  “I, say, what are you going to do now?” Tad’s freckled brow furrowed in concentration. “You could hide from him. Horngate is big enough that you might elude him for a few days.”

  “Hide from him?” Penny shook her head. “I’m mistress here. I won’t sneak around like an errant child avoiding punishment.”

  The groom shook his head. “He’s a greedy bastard. You can hear it in his voice. And stubborn, too. Said so himself. It’s not going to be easy to convince him to give up Horngate.”

  Penny was having the same thoughts, but she refused to give in to them. “It’s far too soon to admit defeat.” She squared her shoulders. “I’m going up to change. The second phase of my scheme is about to begin.”

  Chapter Two

  “Given up yet?” James put down his cup and jerked his head toward the clock on the mantel.

  Marcus grimaced and got to his feet. “I suppose I’ll have to fetch her.”

  The next moment, Miss Montgomery entered the room. She was dressed in a hideous green day dress at least ten years out of fashion. It hung on her slender form like a sack. She’d made some attempt to arrange her hair, but it was an inept effort at best. Wisps floated around her face in wild disarray.

  She smiled at them, then hurried to the refreshment table. “Cook makes the best cherry tarts, don’t you think?” She stuffed one into her mouth, juice dribbling down her chin. “And these cucumber sandwiches… Mmmm…divine.”

  As she gobbled down several, Marcus watched in amazement. The chit was more than eccentric. She was downright batty. Or maybe she’d never been taught the manners of a lady. Stuck away in the country, orphaned at a young age, she might have had no one to teach her.

  But Mrs. Foxworthy, the housekeeper, appeared gracious and polite. Odd that a servant would seem more well-bred than her mistress. Was he being gammoned here? Had Withersby convinced his cousin to present herself as an ill-mannered, awkward gapeseed so
he would back out of the marriage? But the woman appeared so innocent, those wide blue eyes incapable of deceit.

  She turned from the table, still chewing. “So, when do we leave for London? I can’t wait to see all the sights. The opera, the balls and parties, Almack’s.” She approached him, smiling ingenuously. “And if it’s possible, I would very much like to be presented to the Prince Regent. It’s my fondest wish.”

  For a moment, Marcus couldn’t speak. He cleared his throat. “Miss Montgomery…I—that is, there’s no reason for you to come to London at all. You see, under the circumstances, this marriage is really a business arrangement. While it is necessary that we exchange vows in order for me to…um, take ownership of the property, it really isn’t going to be a marriage in the true sense of the word.”

  Something flashed in her eyes, a hint of pure fury. Then it was gone, her expression as wide-eyed and guileless as ever. “Oh. Adrian didn’t tell me any of that. He made it seem that you…that we…” She looked as if she was going to cry.

  James cleared his throat, and although Marcus refused to look at him, he knew his solicitor was regarding him with profound disapproval.

  Guilt wrapped around Marcus’s neck like a noose. If this woman was even half as innocent as she appeared, he was using her badly. And then there was the matter of consummating the marriage. If, as James suggested, Adrian was going to insist on that legality, his explanation to Miss Montgomery was inaccurate. A business arrangement did not generally involve sexual intimacy.

  “Miss Montgomery, I’m sorry that your cousin…that he misled you regarding the terms of our…relationship. You see, having not even met you, I assumed that—”

  Dabbing at her eyes, she broke in, “I may be an unsophisticated country miss, but every woman dreams of her wedding day, of wearing a beautiful dress and being feted and admired. I know I have no right to ask it of you, but I really do desire a proper wedding.”

  Marcus took a deep breath. What could he say? “Of course, you have the right. I didn’t really think…about any of this. You should come out of this arrangement with something. It’s only fair…”