A Deceptive Wager

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  Roger’s eyebrows rose in surprise, but he didn’t say anything.

  Mr. Stonewall scanned the room, and, after a moment, said, “That won’t be necessary. I’ll be in the drawing room. When you’re done talking to your friend, we’ll leave.”

  Roger opened his mouth to speak, but Aaron asked Mr. Stonewall, “You do realize the ladies are probably visiting in there.”

  Mr. Stonewall nodded. “Yes, I do. I wouldn’t mind talking with them.”

  “Don’t you think that’s inappropriate unless the footman or butler watch you?” Aaron asked.

  “I’m not the one in need of a chaperone,” Mr. Stonewall said. “You are.” Then he headed down the hall.

  Aaron groaned as he entered the room and shut the door.

  Roger went over to the decanter and poured them both a drink. “Here. Take one. It looks like you need it.”

  Aaron thanked him but glanced at the door as if Mr. Stonewall would magically appear there. “Are you sure you want him talking with your wife and her friend all alone?”

  Roger took a sip of his brandy then sat down. “He’s not going to have a dalliance with them. He’s only going to talk to them.”

  “There’s nothing more deceitful than a lady,” Aaron muttered as he sipped his brandy.

  “I don’t want to hear this, Aaron. I’ve been understanding about your mother, but I’ve taken all I can bear. I’m willing to talk about anything except for ladies. If you want to discuss Parliament, books, business ventures, things going on in London, or a dream you had, I’ll be happy to do so. I’ll even play a game of chess or cards. But ladies are not something I’ll discuss.”

  Aaron didn’t know why his friend’s words should sting. He couldn’t blame Roger for not wanting to mention ladies, given that he reported to be happily married to one. Roger had never seen ladies the same way Aaron did. Since they met a few years back, Roger had looked forward to marriage. Aaron had, for the most part, kept his mouth shut, figuring if Roger wanted to ruin his life, that was up to him. But as he’d gotten to know Roger, his sentiments toward ladies had slipped into their conversations from time to time.

  The truth was that Aaron didn’t want to talk about ladies. He wished such creatures didn’t exist. It’d certainly make life much easier. His life, after all, had gotten remarkably complicated since he’d been trapped into marriage.

  “I wouldn’t mind a game of chess,” Aaron finally said. “I tried playing the game with some of the gentlemen at White’s, but none of them are a real challenge.”

  Roger smiled. “Well, if you want a good game of chess, all you have to do is say so. You didn’t need to flatter me.”

  Aaron felt his own smile tug at his lips. “I wouldn’t say you’re as good as me, but you’re not too bad.”

  Roger chuckled. “All right. Come to the window. We’ll play a game or two.”

  Relaxing, Aaron got up from the chair and joined him at the chessboard.

  Chapter Eleven

  Kitty was surprised when the carriage stopped at a lower-middle-class residence. She didn’t know why, but she had assumed Miss Britcher had been a spinster tucked away in a townhouse somewhere in the wealthy section of London. It wasn’t that Miss Britcher necessarily wore anything to make her think that, but the lady did remind her of Lady Cadwalader and her uptight friends.

  She had envisioned Miss Britcher and her friends comparing stories on who was able to best humiliate the ladies they chaperoned. Miss Britcher certainly hadn’t seemed to mind any of the tasks Aaron had given her. But as she took in the modest home, it occurred to her that her image of Miss Britcher might not be accurate.

  The footman opened the carriage door, and Kitty followed her out. Since this was Miss Britcher’s residence, Kitty continued to follow her. She nearly stumbled as the layers of petticoats wrapped around her legs, so she had to pause for a moment and adjust the lower half of her dress.

  Miss Britcher waited until they were both at the front door before she put her hand on the doorknob and said, “I am unable to let you out of my sight unless you are with your friends. Your husband gave me strict instructions on this matter.”

  “I know,” Kitty said. “That’s why I’m coming with you.”

  Miss Britcher nodded as if she had expected that reply. After a moment, she added, “I wouldn’t be doing my due diligence if I didn’t warn you about my nephew. He’s not like other gentlemen.”

  Kitty’s eyebrows furrowed as she tried to grasp the lady’s meaning. Just how was he different?

  “He’s twenty, but he acts like he’s much, much younger.” She opened the door and stepped into the house.

  Since she glanced back at Kitty expectantly, Kitty hurried to cross the threshold. From the other room a gentleman yelled, “No! I won’t do it!”

  Kitty jumped.

  “That’s him,” Miss Britcher whispered as she closed the door. “He likes to be called Teddy.”

  “Gretchen, is that you?” came a lady’s voice.

  “Yes, Hattie,” Miss Britcher—Gretchen—said. “I came as soon as I got the missive.”

  Kitty hesitated to follow Gretchen into the other room, but she couldn’t very well stay by the door. She pushed aside the unease in her stomach and stepped into the room with older furniture. Hattie had gray strands in her hair but didn’t seem much older than Gretchen. She was sitting on a couch, and she was holding the hand of the gentleman who was rocking back and forth. He had his eyes closed and was softly humming to himself. A bandage covered his forearm.

  “Where did he hurt himself?” Gretchen asked as she sat on the gentleman’s other side.

  “In the arm and side,” Hattie replied. “He found the hiding place for the cooking knife.”

  “Teddy,” Gretchen began, using a kind but firm tone, “you know you’re not supposed to go into Hattie’s room. That room is only for her.”

  He broke into tears. “I’m sorry, Aunt Gretchen. I’m not a good person.”

  “Don’t be silly,” Gretchen said. “You are a good person. You just did something you weren’t supposed to do. Knives are dangerous. They’re not toys.”

  “My toys are in my room,” he replied.

  “Yes, and you can always bring a toy out here if you’re bored. This room is safe to play in, just as your room is.” Gretchen rubbed his back. “I know it’s not easy to remember this, but you must try.”

  He stopped crying and wiped his eyes. “I’ll try.”

  “Good.”

  Hattie turned her gaze to Gretchen. “He won’t take the medicine. Dr. Westward said the wounds might get infected if he doesn’t take it. I thought you might be able to get him to take it since he listens more to you than he does to me.”

  “That’s because I’m stern with him,” Gretchen said. Her expression softening, she added, “I can’t blame you for that. It’s hard to be the one to always tell him no.”

  “I’m glad you do it. I have such a hard time of it,” Hattie replied.

  “You kept him calm until I got here. That isn’t an easy task.” Gretchen glanced around the room. “Where is the medicine?”

  “I put it on the fireplace mantle.”

  She glanced at it then directed her gaze to him. “Teddy, you’ve known Dr. Westward for years. Do you really think he’s going to poison you?”

  Teddy stopped rocking back and forth for a moment. “I don’t know.” Then he was rocking back and forth again.

  “He’s a very nice person,” Gretchen told him. “You have nothing to worry about.”

  He shook his head.

  Hattie sighed and gave her sister a look that indicated this was the reason she needed her help.

  “Do you trust me and Aunt Hattie?” Gretchen asked him.

  “Yes,” he replied.

  “If you don’t take the medicine, your wounds could get infected,” she said.

  “I’ve been bad,” he replied. “Knives are bad. They aren’t toys.”

  “Yes, that’s true. In
the future, you won’t play with them.” Gretchen patted his back. “You’ll do better. I believe in you. Right now, though, I need you to take the medicine. It’ll help you heal.”

  He stopped rocking again, and Kitty could see that he was working through the logic of her statement. After a moment, he said, “I’ll take it. I want to be good.”

  She smiled and rubbed his back again. “I know you do, and we want to do what’s best for you. You’re a good person, Teddy.”

  Gretchen got up from the couch and went to the fireplace to retrieve the bottle of medicine and the spoon that was resting next to it.

  Hattie glanced in Kitty’s direction, and since she didn’t know what to say or do, Kitty’s gaze went back to the floor. She hadn’t ever been in a situation like this. What was the proper etiquette? She didn’t know if she should offer a greeting when Hattie seemed so distressed, nor could she treat Teddy like she would any other gentleman whom she was just meeting.

  “There you are,” she heard Gretchen say.

  Kitty looked up and saw that her chaperone was pulling the spoon out of Teddy’s mouth.

  Gretchen offered him a tender smile. “I promise that you will be just fine.”

  Teddy returned her smile, and he visibly relaxed. Hattie relaxed, too.

  “Teddy, let me take you to bed so you can get some rest,” Gretchen said. “You’ve been through a terrible scare today.” She helped him to his feet. “I’ll be right back,” she told Kitty before she led him out of the room.

  Kitty tried not to panic as Gretchen left. What was she supposed to say to Hattie?

  Thankfully, Hattie saved her from having to make a decision since she stood up and walked over to her. “Forgive me for insisting my sister come here,” Hattie said. “I was at my wits’ end. I tried for an hour to calm Teddy, but I couldn’t do it. I realize it was inconvenient for you to have to come all the way here when you had more important things to do.”

  “No, I didn’t have anything more important to do.” Talking with her friends about how miserable she was because Aaron was making her wear something restrictive suddenly seemed ridiculous in light of what she’d just witnessed. She offered Hattie a smile. “I’m glad Miss Britcher was able to come and help you.”

  Hattie chuckled. “My sister’s always been so formal. Did you know her name was Gretchen until you came here?”

  Kitty shook her head.

  “I heard she was hired to chaperone you,” Hattie said in a low voice. “I thought it was silly that a married gentleman would make such a request. In the past, she’s only chaperoned ladies who are on the market.”

  She did? Kitty didn’t recall seeing her until the day of her wedding. But then, she didn’t pay attention to the chaperones.

  “She works while I stay here and watch Teddy,” Hattie continued. “Did she tell you about him?”

  Again, Kitty shook her head.

  “He wasn’t born like that,” Hattie confided. “Up to the time he was two, he was like any other lad. Our sister had him from an affair she had with a married gentleman. We didn’t know she was his mistress until she was expecting Teddy.” She took a deep breath as if she needed a moment to compose herself then continued, “The gentleman refused to have anything to do with her after he realized the child was his. She was heartbroken. We tried to console her, but she wouldn’t have it.”

  Again, Hattie paused, but this time she dug out a handkerchief from her pocket and dabbed her eyes. “She tried to kill Teddy to get rid of him. I don’t know what madness took over her to want to do such a terrible thing. Gretchen and I caught her trying to suffocate him with a pillow. Fortunately, we were able to stop her before he died. But he was never the same since. We were furious with her. The worst part is that our sister wasn’t even sorry for what she’d done. She was angry that we had stopped her. She accused us of standing in the way of her and the gentleman she loved. I’d like to say we were sad when she killed herself, but the truth is, we were relieved she wasn’t alive to hurt Teddy anymore.”

  Kitty was having trouble comprehending everything Hattie was telling her. It was impossible to imagine that a lady could be capable of doing such a thing. She’d heard of married gentlemen taking mistresses and not acknowledging the children as his, but she hadn’t once heard of a lady trying to get rid of her child in order to get such a gentleman back.

  “Teddy usually does what he’s told,” Hattie said as she tucked her handkerchief back into her pocket. “Usually, I can handle things on my own. He probably got restless without Gretchen here. She’s the rock in the family. If it wasn’t for her, I don’t know what we’d do.”

  Kitty cleared her throat and said the only thing she could think of. “I’m glad she was able to come by to help you. If you ever need her, I don’t mind.”

  “That’s nice of you, but I hope it won’t be necessary. Next time, I’ll find a better hiding place for anything dangerous.”

  Kitty heard footsteps and turned to the doorway.

  Gretchen came into the room, and Kitty was surprised that Gretchen no longer seemed like an imposing figure. Instead, she seemed like someone who had a lot of responsibilities placed upon her shoulders. Though there was that controlled expression on her face, Kitty detected a hint of relief and exhaustion as well.

  “Teddy fell asleep,” Gretchen told Hattie.

  “Good.” Hattie didn’t hide her relief. “He always feels better after a nap. I was thanking Lady Northton for allowing you to come and help me.”

  “Things like this don’t usually happen,” Gretchen told Kitty. “This won’t be a common occurrence.”

  “I didn’t mind coming here,” Kitty assured her. “If you would like to come by to see how things are going, I don’t mind.”

  “Teddy loves stories,” Hattie said, “and we only have two books. Gretchen wrote that there are a lot of books in your townhouse. Could you come out and read one of your books to him?”

  “That’s silly,” Gretchen told Hattie. “Lady Northton has better things to do than read him books. She’s a countess.”

  “Despite what my husband thinks,” Kitty began, “my life is dull. Beyond visiting my friends, reading, and sewing, I don’t do anything. I wouldn’t mind bringing some books here and reading them.”

  Hattie turned her hopeful eyes in Gretchen’s direction.

  Gretchen sighed. “All right. I suppose that will do, but,” she gave her sister a pointed look, “we must not intrude on Lady Northton’s time any more than we have to. I won’t have her coming every day.”

  “I understand,” Hattie replied. “And I’ll be respectful of her time.”

  Kitty bit back a reply. She should have expected that Gretchen didn’t believe her life was really as dull as it was. Though Gretchen had been at her side this whole time, she seemed to think Kitty was only being good because she was being chaperoned. But as Kitty thought on what Hattie had told her about Teddy’s mother, perhaps Gretchen’s skepticism had some merit.

  “We’ll take our leave now,” Gretchen told Hattie then hugged her.

  Hattie looked over at Kitty after the hug was over. “It was nice meeting you, my lady.”

  “It was nice meeting you, too,” Kitty replied, no longer feeling so awkward with her.

  Between the two sisters, Hattie was easier to relax around. She was probably more trusting of people than Gretchen was, too, which was odd since Hattie had witnessed the same things Gretchen had. Unlike Gretchen, Hattie didn’t hide her emotions. Had Kitty not watched Gretchen with Hattie and Teddy, she wouldn’t have known Gretchen had any softness in her.

  Kitty left the house with Gretchen. After the two settled into the carriage, Kitty heard the light sigh that escaped Gretchen’s lips.

  “Did you worry that I might say or do something wrong in there?” Kitty asked.

  “No,” Gretchen replied. “I worried I wasn’t going to be able to get Teddy to calm down or put my sister’s mind at ease.”

  Gretchen didn’t say
any more than that, but Kitty decided she didn’t have to. Gretchen had a lot to deal with. She was the one who worked to support her family, and a lady who had to work was at the whim of her employer, no matter how idiotic he was. If Aaron got rid of her because Kitty insisted on making things difficult for her, what would happen to Hattie and Teddy? The place they lived in wasn’t much as it was. Kitty didn’t think a person could live in something much smaller. Kitty decided from this point forward, she would stop protesting everything Gretchen told her to do.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Miss Britcher asked me to give this to you,” the butler told Aaron two days later.

  Aaron looked up from the book he was reading in the library and accepted the folded-up missive. He waited for the butler to leave then set the book aside. To his surprise, the missive had been folded several times. When he read the contents of the missive, he realized why Miss Britcher had been so discreet. Miss Britcher had written to let him know Kitty had started her monthly flow. She was not expecting a child.

  And that meant he had a duty to do something about it when she was done with her time of the month. Up to now, he hadn’t believed he would have to touch her because he’d been sure she was going to be with child. The fact that she wasn’t not only surprised him, but it also gave him a whole new thing to worry about. He was going to have to try for an heir.

  He should be relieved. At least when she had a child, he’d know it was his. Miss Britcher would continue to watch over her. Kitty’s reputation, for now at least, would be preserved. All was well. Or at least it seemed.

  Aaron glanced over at Mr. Stonewall who was staring out the window of the library. Mr. Stonewall was just like his name. For the most part, he didn’t move. He stayed off to the side in silence, as if he was waiting for something. Thanks to Kitty’s friends, he had taken the entire afternoon yesterday to teach Aaron how he could keep his gaze above a lady’s neck.