His Reluctant Lady Read online

  Christopher hid his grin and settled for nodding. If his cousin was so delusional that he wanted to believe ladies were prim and proper all the time, let him. He’d have a heart attack if he knew the things going on right under his nose. “I hope Agatha’s sister is boring enough for you,” he muttered under his breath before he ate another forkful of steak.

  Perry looked up from his plate, his eyebrows furrowed. “What was that?”

  “Nothing. I merely wondered how things were going with you and Sophie.”

  A smile spread across his face. “They’re going very well. I plan to see her at Lord Pennella’s ball.” Christopher tried to cover his chuckle with a cough, but Perry asked, “What’s so funny?”

  Christopher forced his laughter aside and made eye contact with his guardian who didn’t look the least bit amused. “You’re going to see the lady you’re courting. And I bet that’s all you’ll do.”

  “What would you have me do?”

  He shrugged. “Something more interesting than look at her. Touch her hand. Kiss her cheek. Better yet, find a quiet little place somewhere and—”

  “Christopher!” He slammed his hand on the table and glared at him. “I will not have you speaking this way. We are discussing the way we approach ladies, ladies with upstanding reputations.” After a moment, he added, “I hope you kept your hands to yourself in Agatha’s carriage.”

  Undaunted by the silent threat in his cousin’s voice, he rolled his eyes. “I was a gentleman. Well, at least I didn’t do anything Agatha protested.”

  He took a deep breath and glanced at the servants. “I feel sorry for her. Really, I do. She’s getting the short end of the bargain on this one.”

  “Oh, she’ll be fine. We’ll have lots of fun together.” Just to annoy his guardian further, his lips curled up into a knowing smile and he added, “Lots and lots of fun.”

  Perry threw his napkin on the table and rose to his feet, his chair moving back so fast that his cane fell to the floor. The butler hurried to retrieve the cane and handed it to him. Perry thanked him and straightened his shoulders. “We will have no more talk of this, Christopher. I demand it.” Then with a look at the servants, he continued, “There will be an additional sum of money in this week’s pay if you keep this conversation private.”

  Christopher watched in amusement as Perry made a show of lifting his chin as he limped out of the room. Maybe it was wrong for him to enjoy upsetting his guardian, but sometimes his guardian’s stuffiness grated on his nerves. He couldn’t wait to marry Agatha so he could finally be out of his guardian’s control. Really, all he wanted was to do more than what Perry did. Mostly, all Perry did was play chess, read dull books, and sit in front of a roaring fire with his eyes closed and hands folded on his lap. If he didn’t ride a horse or go to White’s, he’d have nothing interesting to do.

  With a slight shake of his head, Christopher continued eating his meal. He was glad Agatha wasn’t so stuffy. Sure, she seemed that way on the surface, but there was a seductively scandalous side to her that held great appeal to him. Who knew she wrote for the Tittletattle and, more impressively, took on the alias of a gentleman? It made him wonder what other things she was hiding? A lady like her probably had another secret or two to uncover. That was so unlike his guardian who was transparent. Of all things Agatha was, boring wasn’t one of them, thankfully. When he married her, he had a feeling that his life would finally get exciting.

  ***

  “I think Mister Landry is looking at me,” Sophie whispered.

  Agatha closed her reticule as they left the seamstress’ shop where she was being fitted for a gown for her wedding. She had been tempted to go with a solid black color to mark the occasion but decided on a nice golden one instead. There was no sense in being dramatic about the whole thing. She and Christopher both knew the marriage marked the death of her freedom. Her carefree days were quickly coming to an end, and next time they read the banns, it would be official.

  “Agatha?” Sophie whispered, giving her sister a light jab in the side.

  Forcing her mind off of Christopher, she turned her attention to her sister. “What?”

  “Look.”

  Sophie handed Agatha her closed fan, and Agatha accepted it. When her sister motioned for her to look at the mirror on the edge of it, she turned the fan so that she could lift it up and see the people behind them. “Why am I doing this?” she asked as they slowly stepped away from the shop.

  “Mister Landry. He’s reclining on the bench behind us.”

  Adjusting the fan so she could see the gentleman who was watching them, she shrugged. “So?”

  “So?” Leaning closer to her, she said, “He was there when we entered the shop, and he’s still there. I caught his eye earlier. He’s still looking at me. I think I caught his attention.”

  Lowering the fan, Agatha took a moment to inspect the back of her sister’s dress. Well, at least there was nothing out of place. So he wasn’t watching her sister because she was inadequately dressed. That was good. But even so, there was nothing to be done about this. “Pay him no mind.”

  Sophie picked up her pace as Agatha proceeded to stroll down the street. “Pay him no mind? But I think he’s interested in me.”

  With a shrug, she handed the fan back to her. “So?”

  “So? He’s attractive and nice.”

  “You don’t even know him.”

  “I danced with him a couple of times. Not at the same ball, of course, but I am acquainted with him.”

  Good heavens! Her sister was taking a fancy to Mister Landry? She had to set things straight before this got out of hand. “Sophie, be reasonable. You have attracted the attention of a titled gentleman. Lord Clement is wealthy, intelligent and kind, three things that are hard to find in an earl. You can’t do better than him.”

  “But I don’t love him.”

  “Love?” She let out a bewildered laugh and rolled her eyes. “What does love have to do with anything? No one marries for love. They marry for some kind of advantage. Whether that advantage be an heir, money, alliances, or something else is up for debate, but there’s always an advantage.”

  “Are you marrying Christopher for an advantage?”

  “Of course.” And that clever devil knew exactly how to work things to his benefit. “I wouldn’t marry him otherwise.”

  “What advantage do you seek?”

  Noting the spark of interest in her sister’s eyes, Agatha groaned. “Must you delight in gossip?”

  “I’m only curious. You’re a wealthy widow. You have everything you already want. What advantage can he possibly offer you?”

  “You worry too much about other people. What you ought to do is worry about your future. If you’re not careful, you’ll jeopardize everything we’ve worked so hard for. Do you think it’s easy to secure a marriage with an earl of Clement’s standing? Not a single bad mark against him. That’s an impressive feat.”

  “He’s boring.”

  “Oh, he is not!”

  “Yes, he is. I hardly know what to say to him. I can barely recall what we’ve already talked about. But I remember what Mister Landry has said, and I have found some of his jokes quite delightful.”

  “Sophie, listen to yourself! So Clement’s not an enthusiastic conversationalist? If that’s the worst of his sins, you’ll do well. When he talks, just smile and nod while your mind wanders. I doubt he’ll know you’re not listening. If he bores you, suggest he go to White’s or excuse yourself and go to a different room. There are ways around a boring gentleman.”

  “But I want to laugh and talk to the gentleman I marry.”

  Agatha forced aside the urge to rub her forehead. Why didn’t her sister see logic in anything? Why did she have to be guided by her emotions? “Your mild infatuation with Mister Landry will come to a pass, just as it did with Lord Dabney. You don’t even think about him anymore, do you?”

  “Well, no.”

  “See? These feelings you have for
Mister Landry are the same ones you had for Lord Dabney. They’re here today and gone tomorrow. Now,” she continued, patting her sister’s arm, “let’s figure out what jewelry you’ll wear to Lord Pennella’s upcoming ball. I’ll be buying them, so you needn’t worry about what our aunt will say.”

  Her sister glanced over her shoulder but stopped when Agatha cleared her throat. “All right.”

  Relieved, she led her sister to a shop which sold the best jewelry in London.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Agatha glanced at the clock in her drawing room before turning her attention back to the scene she was writing. She didn’t have much time. She promised her sister and aunt that she’d have dinner with them, and if she didn’t get to work, she’d never finish this chapter. Dipping the quill into the inkwell, she reread the last paragraph and bit her lower lip. What should she write next? After a minute passed, she finally figured out the next sentence and jotted it down.

  She managed to write a couple more sentences when a knock on the closed door interrupted her. Gasping, she tried to cover the papers lying on the desk before she remembered she had locked the door so no one could walk in on her. Releasing her breath, she called out that she would be there in a moment and quickly shoved the papers into the drawer. She closed it and rose to her feet.

  Taking a deep breath to calm her pounding heart, she smoothed out her dress and headed for the door. Goodness but she was on edge these days. She swore it was her impending marriage that did it. It was hard to think clearly when the wedding was a mere week away.

  Putting a polite smile on her face, she opened the door, her smile faltering when she saw Christopher standing next to her butler. “What are you doing here?” she asked, not waiting for the butler to introduce him.

  Christopher’s eyebrows rose. “I missed you and wished to see you.”

  Ignoring the strange flutter in her chest, she said, “I have important things to do today.”

  “I won’t be long. I merely wanted to sit for a few minutes and admire your beauty.”

  She stared at him, wondering if he was teasing her or being serious. He had a wicked grin on his face yet his voice seemed sincere. She shook her head but opened the door further and waved him in. He was such a strange gentleman. She didn’t know what to make of him.

  “Should I bring tea?” the butler asked.

  “No, that won’t be necessary. He won’t stay long.” Without waiting for Christopher to protest, she turned to him and added, “I have a dinner engagement with my sister and aunt this evening.”

  “Oh, may I come?”

  “Certainly not.”

  “But then I’ll have to spend another evening without you.”

  “Then it’s a shame your guardian isn’t giving another dinner party where we can sit in a room with other couples.” She shut the door and passed him on the way to the decanter. “Let me guess. You’d like some wine?”

  “You love it when I stop by to see you.”

  She snorted and poured him a glass. “Maybe I shouldn’t be pouring you a glass of wine. You’re already drunk.”

  “Would it take a gentleman getting drunk to admit he wants to be with you?” he softly asked, his breath caressing her ear.

  She jerked, almost spilling the wine. “Must you sneak up on people like that?” She pressed a hand to her heart. He delighted in startling her. She just knew it!

  He reached around her and took the glass with one hand while sliding his free arm around her waist and pulling her against him. “I’m counting down the hours to when we’ll be married.”

  Noting his arousal which pressed into her back, she said, “Yes, I can feel your urgency.” Despite her apprehension, a spark of excitement ran up her spine. Confusing. He was such a confusing gentleman to understand.

  “It’s not just the bed I’m looking forward to,” he whispered before he kissed her neck. “I’m also looking forward to what clever retort you’ll come up with every time I say I love you.”

  “Love? What you feel is lust. It has nothing to do with love.”

  “Ah, see? Clever retorts like that.” He released her and sipped his wine. “I’ll never get bored of you.”

  “Hmm… I wish I could say the same.”

  He winked at her. “You’re only bored because you have to run off to cater to your sister so she’ll marry my cousin. Anyone would get bored doing that.”

  “Your cousin will be an excellent match for her. He comes with all the things ladies desire.”

  He shrugged and walked over to her desk. “I’d argue the point but then you think a gentleman is only worth marrying if he has a title and money.”

  “And you have neither.”

  “Exactly. But I’m not boring.”

  She opened her mouth to protest but knew it’d be a lie. He was right. For all his faults, being a dullard wasn’t one of them. She never knew what he was going to do next. She didn’t know whether to be impressed or annoyed.

  “What are you working on?” he asked then sipped more wine.

  “Pardon?”

  “I see your quill is lying on the desk and you recently dipped it into the inkwell. What were you writing before I interrupted you?”

  She gritted her teeth. How did he notice something as insignificant as a quill? He made a move to open the drawer and she rushed over to him. “Never mind that. This isn’t your home.”

  “It will be in one week.”

  “But it isn’t now.” She’d need a hiding place. While she trusted her servants to mind their business, she knew Christopher would sneak wherever he needed to in order to find her other secret. “You have no right to my drawers until you make me your wife.”

  His lips curled up into a knowing smile. “There’s something good in that drawer.”

  “Nothing you need to concern yourself with.”

  “Which makes it even better.” He finished the wine and set the glass on the table before he placed the quill back in its holder. “You weren’t just writing something for the Tittletattle either. This has to do with something else.”

  He was so infuriating! Did he really have to be so clever? She knew better than to lie to him. He’d never believe whatever she came up with. But… “Fine. What’s your price?”

  “My price?”

  “To not go into that drawer. I know I can’t physically stop you from doing it, but I can bargain with you.”

  He shrugged. “I’m already marrying you. I don’t know what else you can wager.”

  “You say you miss me. What if I spend the next week with you?” She hid her grimace because that meant she’d have no time to write between seeing him, making sure her dress was ready for the wedding, and helping her sister. But one week away from her writing was a small price to pay if he didn’t discover what she was doing. Forcing a smile on her face, she closed the gap between them and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Am I not worth it?”

  He placed his hands on her hips and pressed her firmly against him. “You’re worth everything, Agatha.” He lowered his head and kissed her. “We’ll spend every day together?”

  “That’s the bargain.”

  “I’m going to bet that the day will come when I won’t have to find a way to be with you. Instead, you’ll be the one seeking to be with me.”

  “Unless there’s a cliff nearby that I can shove you off, I doubt it.” Even as she tried to sound serious, her lips curled into a smile and she couldn’t hide the teasing gleam in her eyes.

  “If you do, I’ll take you with me.”

  He brought his hands up, brushing closely to her breasts but not touching them, an action that caused a thrill of excitement to sweep over her. It was silly, of course. She had no real desire for him to touch her so intimately but knowing he wouldn’t be hauling her off to bed made her feel safe enough where she could enjoy the way he teased her. He cupped her face in his hands and caressed her cheeks with the pads of his thumbs.

  “You’re beautiful, Agatha,” he whisper
ed. “I don’t care where we are or what we do as long as we do it together.”

  Then his lips touched hers so lightly she almost missed it.

  Letting go of her, he bowed and shot her one of his disarming smiles. “Where shall I meet you tomorrow?”

  She swallowed, unaware that she’d been holding her breath in hopes he’d kiss her again. Straightening her shoulders in what she hoped would indicate her reluctance to spend time with him, she said, “I suppose you can join me and my sister as we take a walk in Hyde Park.” As an afterthought, she added, “You can invite Perry to join us as well.”

  “I’m afraid my cousin is too embarrassed by his cane to take a walk in public. However, if you’d like to ride a horse, I’m sure he’ll give up his very pressing chess game with Lord Ironfist to join us.”

  Her eyebrows furrowed. “Lord Ironfist?”

  “You might know him as Lord Roderick.”

  She bit her tongue so she wouldn’t laugh. When she trusted herself not to chuckle, she gave him a pointed look. “It’s not proper to mock someone in such a way.”

  “Come now, Agatha. You write for the Tittletattle and keep other secrets, secrets that are probably far more interesting than even I can imagine. If anyone can appreciate my nickname for the persnickety earl, it’s you.”

  She lifted her chin in the air and crossed her arms. “I may be guilty of many things but childish name calling isn’t one of them. After all, a good title is hard to come by.”

  “Of course, my lady.” He gave her a playful kiss on the cheek and headed for the door. Before he opened it, he said, “I will send you a note when my cousin, Lord Lackluster, agrees to go to Hyde Park with us.”

  Despite her surprise he’d refer to his guardian that way, a chuckle escaped her lips. She slapped her hand over her mouth, eyes wide.