Her Wanton Wager

by Grace Callaway

  "Grimes didn't touch me," he snapped. He could scarcely think as the vortex whipped inside him. He found rage, letting it anchor him. He had yet to bare all of Morgan's sins; surely then Percy would side with him. "I'd been there a week. But it changed the course of my life nonetheless—because of what he did." He pointed a finger at Morgan. "Because after he murdered that bastard, he beat me senseless and left me to burn."

  Color drained from Percy's face. "Nick wouldn't do that," she whispered. "Nick, say you didn't."

  Morgan did not flinch at the accusation. Instead, he stood very straight and said, "I have done you an insurmountable wrong, Mr. Hunt. I turned my back on you, beat you, when instead I should have offered my hand." His voice broke as he said, "I have no excuse for my actions save that I ... panicked. I thought only to get away from what I had done. In truth, I cannot recalling thinking at all." He swallowed audibly. "I know words mean little, but know that every day since I have thought of my cowardly actions and despised myself. And I have hoped against hope that you might have survived, that I might find some way to make amends."

  "Make amends? For the ten years I spent rotting in the hulks because of the crime you committed?" Gavin yelled.

  Morgan turned ashen. "But Grimes' murder ... I heard it was ruled an accident, because of a fire ..."

  "The fire that later got blamed on me. A decade I spent in prison for arson—because of the fire you started."

  So consumed was he that he hadn't noticed Percy coming to stand beside him. She touched him on the arm. "Gavin, darling, please calm yourself—"

  "I will not calm."

  His last vestige of control snapped. He did not even know that he had shaken her off until she staggered backward, losing her balance. Before he could grab her, Morgan caught her first. Set her behind him in a protective gesture that made Gavin want to howl with rage.

  "I set no fire that night," Morgan said.

  "Don't lie to me. I came to and the place was in flames. Who set it, if not you?" Gavin snarled. "Who else had evidence to burn?"

  Silence stretched. Frowning, Morgan said, "Anyone might have come into that room. Anyone who hated Grimes might have seen him lying there and decided to destroy the place." The compassion that came into Morgan's eyes made Gavin recoil. "I am sorry, Mr. Hunt, for everything you have suffered. More sorry than I could possibly say for the part that I played in it. But the fire—that was not me."

  Chaos broke through the rage. Threatened to swallow Gavin alive.

  "You stinking liar. Of course it was you," he spat. "And I will have my revenge. You ruined my life—and now I will ruin yours. Thanks to Fines, I have the majority shares in your company, Morgan, and I will tear down every brick and mortar of the empire you spent your life building."

  Morgan's lips trembled, but he pressed them together. "And that will give you the satisfaction you seek?"

  "Aye, and that is not all." He made a beckoning movement at Percy, who was staring at him with wide eyes. "Come here, Percy, and tell him what you've told me. That you love me. That you are going to marry me."

  "Gavin." She whispered his name, but made no move to cross over to his side.

  "Tell him." Don't you dare betray me. Not now.

  "Was this all about ... revenge?" she said, her voice hitching. "Our wager, would you have honored it, had I won?"

  "You never would have won. I could have seduced you at any time. You love me." The words were coming out harshly, wrong, but he had no means of controlling them. Of controlling anything. Even fury began to abandon him, leaving fear and anarchy in its wake.

  "Come here," he said again.

  Morgan put a protective arm in front of Percy. "Go outside," he said to her quietly. "Let me finish this."

  Percy stood, unmoving.

  "If you step foot outside, do not ever come back." Gavin's heart palpitated with desperation, but he could not show weakness, not in front of the enemy. Not you, Percy. Don't you leave me, too.

  She looked at him with bright eyes. "Did you ever love me, Gavin? See me as a person—as more than a pawn?"

  From the corner of his eye, he saw Morgan's expression—the raised brow, the haughty disbelief. Show no weakness.

  "You're mine. You belong to me," he said between clenched teeth.

  In a voice that wobbled, she said, "Give up your revenge, then, and I will stay. I will marry you. We can be happy, I know we can."

  "Percy," Morgan said sharply.

  "Prove that you love me," she said with sudden fierceness, "as much as I love you."

  Even as the words beat in Gavin's weakest organ, chaos ruled the rest of him. You can't trust a woman, lad, and that's a fact. Stewart's voice … but Stewart was gone—No, focus. Was Percy trying to manipulate him, make him weak? He needed to clear his head. Needed to think through the storms of past and present. Yet another voice rang in his ears. You worthless guttersnipe. Who could love you? Who would choose to be saddled with a filthy git?

  "I don't have to prove a bloody thing," he shouted.

  He heard her sharp intake of breath. Then she turned and walked in rapid steps away from him. The closing of the door punctuated the silence. He stared at the place where she'd been. Couldn't believe she was ... gone.

  Morgan remained, his eyes cold. "You and I have unfinished business, Mr. Hunt, and I will do what is in my power to atone for the suffering I have caused you." Then a thread of anger entered his voice. "But hear me well: you will leave Miss Fines out of this. She is a young, innocent girl, and when I think of what—" His fists curled at his side, and he said tightly, "If it is satisfaction you want, then come for it like a gentleman. Good night, sir."

  The door shut behind him, and Gavin was alone. Trapped in hell, with no escape.

  As he'd always been.

  THIRTY-THREE

  Back in her own snug breakfast parlor, Miss Priscilla Farnham ought to have felt safe at last. She'd escaped the villain; the pristine windows offered views of an unclouded sky. Around the table, her family members ate their toast and marmalade in contented silence.

  "Priscilla, dear, why aren't you eating?" her mother said.

  Miss Farnham bit her lip. "The truth is, Mama," she burst out, "I've always hated marmalade."

  —from The Perils of Priscilla, a nearly completed manuscript by P. R. Fines

  "I'm done crying," Percy announced from the doorway of her mother's sitting room.

  Mama looked up from her reading. Her brows lifted above her rounded spectacles.

  "Well, there's a relief," she said mildly. "I thought you meant to carry on for days yet. As you are recovered, have a seat."

  Percy sighed. She had been expecting this—in truth, had been putting it off for as long as possible. But a person could only shut herself in her chambers and sustain hysterics for so long.

  She dropped into the adjacent chair. Curled on Mama's lap, Fitzwell lifted his head. His snort seemed to say, You're in for it now.

  "Before you lecture me, I want to say ... I am sorry, Mama," Percy muttered. "I know how disappointed you are in me."

  "I haven't moved beyond shock yet. I still don't understand how you could do such a thing." Lace fluttered against Mama's graying curls as she shook her head and put down her book. "You've always been headstrong, but this ... Have you lost your mind completely?"

  "I wanted to help Paul," Percy said in a small voice.

  "I have dealt with Paul," her parent said in tones that made Percy wince in empathy for her sibling, "so you will leave him out of this. What I want to know is why you would willingly throw yourself at ruin."

  "But I am not ruined. Ga—I mean to say, Mr. Hunt, promised to keep our wager secret. And he's kept his word. There hasn't been a whiff of scandal about me. Well, other than the fact that I threw Lord Portland over." Hastily, she added, "Not that that was my fault."

  To her surprise, her mother said grimly, "That was the one thing you did right. Lady Helena filled me in on the latest on-dit surrounding his lordship. Ap
parently, it's all over Town that the man is buried in debt. Thank heavens you escaped the clutches of that fortune hunter."

  Percy lifted her brows. I actually did something right? Wanting to maintain the direction the ship was sailing, she said, "When did you see Lady Helena, Mama?"

  "She came by yesterday. You were taking a nap, and she did not wish to disturb you. Now do not try to change the topic," her parent said. "Though by some miracle you seemed to have slipped beneath society's notice, the fact remains that you know what you did. And do not think for a moment that I believe you have told me everything, young lady."

  Percy gulped. When Nicholas had brought her back to the townhouse two nights ago, she'd given a summary of events to Mama. A rather edited version. Even then, her mother had stared at her in mute astonishment; she'd counted herself lucky when, instead of being interrogated further, she'd been sent up to bed.

  Apparently, Mama had recovered from the shock.

  "I must ask you this, Percy. And know that this is the last question any mother wishes to ask of her unwed daughter." A pause. "Have you done anything ..."—her parent's chin trembled—"... irrevocable?"

  Heat flooded Percy's cheeks. "No, Mama, I have not," she mumbled.

  Her parent's sigh rushed into the silence. "Well, thank goodness for that at least."

  Percy understood her mother's relief, of course. At the same time, misery flooded her. Because despite everything that had passed and her frustration at Gavin's intransigence, she still yearned to be in his arms. The tears she'd shed these past two days had mostly been for his suffering—his and Nicholas'. To think of what they had both endured ... and with the loss of Stewart, Gavin's pain must be double-fold.

  Having had time to reflect, she could understand why Gavin had felt that he needed his revenge; why, in the horrifying wake of losing his mentor, he might have chosen it over her. Yet his choice hurt. Why was she so easy to set aside? Why couldn't she for once be important enough to come first? Why couldn't the man she loved love her back?

  If she was wise, she would abandon any hope of a relationship with Gavin Hunt.

  Unfortunately, prudence was still not one of her virtues.

  "Well, the Season's not over yet," her mother continued. "Lady Helena mentioned an eligible young earl—"

  "No, Mama." No more skulking around and hiding who you are. Gavin might not return her love, but she knew the truth of her own feelings—and they remained steadfast. Something to fight for. Taking a breath for courage, she said, "I'm not interested in any other gentleman. I ... I'm already in love."

  "You cannot mean you with this Hunt character," Mama said sharply.

  She gave a small yet firm nod.

  "From what Nicholas has said, the man is a dangerous scoundrel. He'll do anything to get his revenge and hurt anyone standing in his way. How could you believe yourself in love with such a heartless blackguard?"

  "He's not a blackguard. If you only knew what he has gone through. His own mother abandoned him, he lived in a flash house with that terrible Grimes, and he spent a decade in the hulks for a crime he did not commit—"

  Mama's hand stilled atop Fitzwell's head. "He's a convict on top of it all?"

  Dash it. "Well, not a true convict. I mean, he was convicted of burning down the flash house, but he didn't do it. Anyway," Percy said hastily, "he has a good heart. If you met him, you'd see it's true. He takes in orphans—"

  "Persephone Fines, you listen to me." Mama pinned her with a steely gaze. "This man plans to destroy the company your dear Papa built with his own hands. He plans to hurt Nicholas. And you, my foolish girl, are merely a means to those ends."

  Percy straightened her shoulders. "I'm not a girl any longer. And I'm not as foolish as you think. If I could just speak to Mr. Hunt again, perhaps I could persuade him to—"

  Mama cursed. Percy's jaw dropped; she'd never heard her mother utter such words before. "I knew I would come to regret all that novel reading I permitted." Mama set Fitzwell aside, causing the pug to glare accusingly at Percy. Leaning forward, her parent said, "Listen to me: the reformation of rakes is the stuff of fiction. In real life, a pretty girl can no more change a man's heart than a leopard can its own spots."

  "Does that mean there is no hope for Paul?" Percy shot back.

  Mama frowned. "Your brother may act like a rake, but he isn't one by nature. After this disaster, I am sure he will find his way. He merely needs to grow up and take his responsibilities more seriously."

  "And what if Gavin isn't a villain by nature either? What if circumstances have prevented him from showing his true, noble character? What if he is at heart a kind and decent man?"

  Mama's brows shot up. "Who lied to you about his true intentions? Who threw you over in favor of his retribution?"

  A direct hit to her bruised heart. "I didn't say he was perfect," she muttered.

  "Lord above, I'm not going to argue with you about this. You stay away from that man, do you hear me? If necessary, I will keep you locked in your room for your own safety."

  Trembling, Percy rose. "I understand you will not hear me on this, Mama. And I'm sorry I've never been the proper, sensible daughter you wanted. I'm sorry I'm such a disappointment." She blinked back the tears that threatened to spill over. "But I will not yield on this: I love Mr. Hunt."

  "Blasted novels." Shaking her head, Mama sighed and went on, "You're misguided, but I never said you were a disappointment."

  "You don't have to. I know I am. I'm prone to disaster and free of accomplishments." The crack in Percy's heart widened. "And you went on vacation to get away from me."

  Mama's brow furrowed. "I wanted to have a break from my routine. Not from you."

  "You're ashamed of me."

  "That's not true, Persephone."

  "Don't deny it," Percy said, her throat swelling. "We've been locking horns for ages, and I don't blame you for it one bit. Nor Papa for being too busy for me."

  "What has your father to do with this?"

  The dam within Percy burst open, releasing a flood of words that seemed to come from nowhere. "I'm not the daughter the two of you wanted. If I was, Papa would have wanted to spend time with me. And you would not be upset with me all the time."

  Sudden, racking sobs took over. Arms enfolded her, holding her tight. She clung to her mother's embrace as the storm raged through her.

  "How could think such nonsense, Percy?" Mama's voice chided her gently. "You know I love you, you silly girl."

  "Because you have to," Percy wailed. "You haven't any choice in the matter. You're saddled with me."

  "You were the apple of your father's eye as well. Don't you remember the nights when he did come home early and the first thing he asked for was his little poppet?"

  Sniffling, Percy said, "Perhaps if I had been good at something, had something worthwhile to show him ..."

  "Oh, Percy. You're old enough to understand that while Papa loved you—loved us all—he had another love as well."

  "You can't mean Papa ... had a mistress?" Percy's moorings shook loose again. It couldn't be true. He'd adored Mama.

  "Heavens, no. Not a human one at any rate. I'm talking about his work, which indeed was more demanding than any lady of the night." Hearing the pain in Mama's voice, Percy snuggled closer, this time offering as well as taking comfort. "It took me many years to recognize that no matter what I did, I would always play second fiddle to the company. Your father could not tame his ambition." She took Percy firmly by the shoulders and looked her in the eye. "But that was not my failing—and most definitely not yours."

  Until that moment, Percy had not recognized how much she needed to hear these words. "I'm sorry you had to come second, Mama," she whispered, "and I wish I might have been more of a comfort. More like the proper daughter you deserved."

  "Goodness, to hear you talk. You haven't any idea do you?"

  "Any idea of what?" Percy said.

  Her mother snorted. "Do you know what your Grandmama said to me af
ter her visit with us last summer?"

  Percy shook her head.

  "'Well, Anna, you have finally gotten what you deserved. How I enjoy seeing that gel of yours give you a taste of your own medicine. She's just like you were at her age.'"

  "You mean ... you were like me?" Percy said, stunned.

  "I'd say it is the opposite way around," Mama replied dryly. "Either way, we are much alike you and I. Why do you think I've kept such a close eye on you all these years? It takes a hoyden to know one."

  Mama ... a hoyden!

  "But you're so perfect," Percy blurted. "You do everything right."

  "No one does everything right, my dear. I daresay I did grow up during my marriage," her mother said with a twinkle in her eye, "and you will, too, once you find the right husband."

  With the newfound intimacy between them, Percy said, "Oh, Mama, I think I already have."

  Mama gave her a stern look. "There's to be no more of that Mr. Hunt nonsense. Trust me, with time your feelings will fade. Until you come to your senses, however, you will not go anywhere without my permission. I shall have that window of yours bolted from the outside if necessary."

  "Yes, Mama." Deciding not to stir the pot further for now, Percy said, "May I at least call upon Nick and Helena? I should dearly like to see them and the twins."

  "As a matter of fact, the Hartefords are coming over this afternoon." Mama's expression softened. "Lisbett has been bustling about all morning preparing a special collation."

  Perfect. Percy would take the opportunity to talk privately with Nick. If she could figure out how to free Gavin from the past, perhaps there might be hope for the future. Because she wouldn't give up on him—on them—without a fight.

  THIRTY-FOUR

  The Hartefords arrived at half-past three. Mama ushered them into the parlor where Lisbett had laid out a scrumptious side board. Given his lack of table manners, Fitzwell had been banned from the occasion.

  "Helena and Nick, 'tis so good to see you," Percy exclaimed as soon as they were all seated. "Where are the twins?"