A Deceptive Wager Read online

  “You won’t have to tie him up alone. I’ll help you.”

  “You would do that, wouldn’t you?”

  Roger shrugged. “What are friends for?”

  Aaron smiled. Coming here had been the right thing to do. While he hadn’t resolved anything with Kitty, he had a plan, and that was more than he had when he came here. Recalling the way he’d given Roger grief when he learned that Roger had forgiven Lilly, Aaron said, “I’m sorry I gave you a difficult time about Lilly.”

  “I knew you only did that because of how things went with your mother, so I didn’t take your words to heart. I do, however, appreciate the apology.” After a moment, he continued, “I believe everything will be all right. From what I know about Kitty, she’s not an unreasonable lady.”

  “I’ve given her a couple of days away from me so she’d have time to herself. It was the least I could do after forcing her to spend every moment of the day with a chaperone.”

  “That’s a good start, but I wouldn’t wait too long before talking to her.”

  “I won’t. I was thinking of going over to her within the next couple of days. I just haven’t decided when and where. Maybe I’ll do it some place public, like a ball. She can’t yell at me at a ball.”

  “Whatever you decide, I hope things go well for you.”

  Aaron nodded and took a sip of his brandy. Now that he had an idea of what to do, he just needed the courage to do it. He wasn’t sure what to expect. Soon enough, he was going to find out.

  ***

  Kitty sat on the couch across from Gretchen, Hattie, and Teddy as she read from a book of short stories she’d bought on her way to pay them a visit.

  “‘The children had gathered together around the injured cat,’” she read. “‘Jane removed the shawl from around her shoulders and tucked it under the animal. Her brother worried lifting the cat might do more harm, so she was careful as she gathered the animal into her arms.’”

  Kitty glanced at Teddy to see if the hurt cat had upset him at all, but he looked content to keep listening to the story. She hadn’t thought to check his expression the last time she’d read to him. She’d scanned all of the stories in this book to make sure she wasn’t going to read anything scary again, but it was just now occurring to her that an injured cat might make him uneasy. The last thing she wanted was to give poor Teddy more nightmares. She continued to read the tale, and from time to time, she would look at him for any signs she should stop. He gave her no reason to worry, however.

  When she made it to the end, he clapped his hands. “The cat is happy now that he’s Jane’s pet,” he told Gretchen and Hattie. “I want to save a cat.”

  Gretchen shook her head. “We don’t have room for a cat. Cats like to go out and run around. They need lots of grass. They’d get bored inside a house all day.”

  He didn’t hide his disappointment. “But cats would be fun.”

  “I’m sure they are fun to have around,” Hattie said. “Some people have them for a pet.”

  Gretchen gave her sister an exasperated look. “Those people have larger homes than ours.”

  “Yes, I suppose that’s true,” Hattie replied.

  Teddy surprised Kitty by telling her, “You can get a cat and bring it here to visit.”

  “Oh, she can’t do that,” Gretchen said. “Cats aren’t easy to take from one place to another like dogs are. I used to chaperone a lady who had a cat, and that thing was too quick. If it didn’t want to go somewhere, it’d dart right up the stairs and hid before anyone could find it. Besides, a pet is a big responsibility. You have to take care of the thing. We barely have enough to see to our own needs, let alone an animal’s.”

  Hattie sighed. “You’re right.”

  “Maybe you can get someone to make a toy that resembles a real cat,” Kitty suggested.

  “Is such a thing possible?” Hattie asked, glancing at Gretchen.

  “It wouldn’t be the same,” Gretchen replied. “What Teddy wants is a real cat, not a fake one.” She patted Teddy’s hand. “It’s best for the cats to be in a large home or in the country.”

  “That doesn’t sound fun,” he mumbled.

  “I know, but we need to think of what’s best for the cat. Even if we could afford one, a real cat would be miserable here.” Gretchen stood up and gathered the tray with the used cups and left-over biscuits. “The story was a good one. It was nice of Lady Northton to come out to read it to you.”

  Teddy turned his gaze to Kitty. “Thank you, Lady Northton.”

  Kitty smiled as Gretchen left the room and closed the book. She had been here long enough. She should go. She stood up and, after a short debate, decided to place the book on the table. “You can read the rest of these to him,” she told Hattie.

  “You don’t want to come back and read another story?” Hattie asked.

  “I’d love to come back out to read more, but I can buy more books,” she replied. “I thought this book would make a nice gift. Gretchen said you’ve been reading the same books to Teddy over and over. It must get boring to go over the same stories all the time.”

  “I don’t know if I can accept this,” Hattie said. “Books are expensive, aren’t they?”

  “I have enough money to buy more. I want Teddy to have this book.”

  Thankfully, Aaron had sent the money from her dowry to her yesterday. Kitty hadn’t been sure if he would comply with her wishes or not. She certainly hadn’t expected him to give her the entire dowry. Given how stubborn he was, it’d been hard to know what to expect.

  Michael had told her if things weren’t resolved between her and Aaron within a couple of months, he would help her invest her dowry so she could live off of it while renting her own townhouse. She’d rather go to her own townhouse now, but since Michael, Emilia, and Benjamin were insistent she wait, she had no other option. She refused to go back to her brother’s. While her brother wasn’t as awful as Aaron, she didn’t want to see either one of them ever again.

  “That’s awfully kind of you to give me this book,” Hattie said.

  “It makes me happy to think of someone other than myself, so really, you’re offering the kindness to me by taking it,” Kitty replied.

  Gretchen returned to the room as Kitty put on her shawl. “Are you leaving already?” Gretchen asked.

  “I’m going to the ball with Emilia this evening,” Kitty said. “I need to have time to get ready for it.”

  “In that case, may I walk with you to the carriage?” Gretchen asked.

  Kitty nodded and left the house with Gretchen. She hadn’t wanted to mention the topic of Gretchen’s employment in front of Hattie and Teddy. In fact, she wasn’t sure it was her place to pry since Aaron had been the one who hired her, but she did worry about Gretchen and her family’s welfare.

  “Will it be difficult for you to find another job now that I’m no longer under my husband’s control?” Kitty asked Gretchen.

  “I’ll be fine,” Gretchen replied. “There are always daughters and sisters who need chaperones, and Lord Northton will be one of my many references. Even if he has a tendency to be unreasonable at times, some notable gentlemen respect his opinion. I expect to manage just fine.”

  “That’s good. I worried about what would happen to you and your family.” Kitty stopped halfway between the house and the carriage so no one could overhear them. “I couldn’t continue on in that marriage.”

  “That’s a shame. I had hoped by leaving that it would force you two to be together. According to Mr. Stonewall, your husband wasn’t all that difficult once he didn’t feel threatened. I came to realize you weren’t the kind of lady who needed a chaperone. I thought once he realized it, too, you two might get along.”

  Kitty’s eyebrows furrowed. “Are you telling me Teddy didn’t have nightmares?”

  Gretchen offered her an apologetic smile. “Teddy was fine. We’ve read worse stories to him in the past.”

  Kitty’s cheeks flushed with a spark of anger. “So you
lied?”

  “I lied because I didn’t think your husband would let me take a brief time off from my employment if I told him the truth.”

  “What truth was that?”

  “That he was making everything impossible for you and that he was wrong to treat you so poorly.”

  Oh. In that case, Kitty didn’t feel so betrayed. While she didn’t like the fact that Gretchen had lied in order to get Aaron to take on the job of chaperoning Kitty himself, at least Gretchen admitted that Kitty didn’t deserve what he had put her through.

  “He was wrong,” Kitty said.

  “Yes, I know, and I know it was deceptive of me not to tell you what I was doing and why. I just didn’t think you two would ever spend more than a few minutes alone until you were forced to do it. I had good intentions. I thought Lord Northton would see what a fool he’d been and start to make an honest attempt to get to know you.” She sighed. “I suppose I made the wrong decision, though. Perhaps you are better off living in separate townhouses. There are a few couples who do it. No one will ostracize you because of it.”

  Kitty hesitated to say anything, but in the short time she’d known the older lady, she felt she was safe in telling her the truth. “Lilly had her baby. As soon as I held him, the weight of what Aaron was asking me to do was too much. I can’t have his child and then hand that child over to him to raise without me. I want to be a part of my child’s life.”

  She smiled. “I’m glad to hear that. Yes, what your husband was asking you to do was a cruel thing, but I know a couple of ladies who wouldn’t care if they saw their children again or not. It’s good that you care. I wish all mothers cared.”

  Kitty’s mind went to Teddy’s mother. Gretchen hadn’t spoken a word about her. Hattie had been the one to do that. In light of that, Kitty refrained from mentioning her.

  “If your husband is deserving of you, he’ll make an attempt to make things right,” Gretchen continued. “Mr. Stonewall thinks he’s reasonable enough to do that.”

  Kitty didn’t care if Aaron was or not. The fact that he gave her the money from her dowry was all she really cared about at this point. Choosing to end the conversation on a happy note, Kitty wished her new friend a pleasant afternoon and headed back to Emilia’s townhouse.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “I hope the chain on this necklace is secure,” Emilia whispered to Kitty as the two friends stood to the side of the ballroom that evening.

  “I’ve already tested the clasp twice,” Kitty said in amusement. “It’s secure. You have nothing to worry about. The necklace isn’t going to fall off.”

  “I don’t know.” Emilia put her hand over the beautiful necklace that Benjamin had given her on their wedding day. “It’s expensive. I never realized that wearing something worth so much could produce so much anxiety.”

  “I’d probably fret over it, too, if I had something like that. But it was sweet of Benjamin to buy you a necklace as exquisite as that one.”

  “It was.”

  Noting that someone was heading toward them out of the corner of her eye, Kitty turned her gaze to the person. It was Aaron. Her spine stiffened. She didn’t think he liked going to balls. What was he doing here, and, more importantly, what did he want with her? She figured they were done.

  When he came up to them, he offered a greeting.

  Though Kitty would rather whack him on the head for all the grief he’d put her through than speak with him, she managed a polite greeting in return.

  “Good evening, my lord,” Emilia said. “How are you?”

  “I’m fine,” Aaron told her. “And how are you?”

  “I’m doing well,” Emilia replied.

  A moment of awkward silence passed between everyone before Aaron asked, “I was wondering if I might talk with my wife?”

  Kitty didn’t know if he was asking Emilia this or her since he glanced from one to the other.

  Emilia gave her an uncertain look.

  “No, I’d rather not,” Kitty finally told him.

  “Please,” he said. “I only want to apologize.”

  “While I agree there are many things you need to apologize for, I’m not interested in listening to them,” Kitty replied. “I just want to be left alone.”

  Aaron looked at Emilia again, and Kitty could tell by the expression on her friend’s face that she felt uncomfortable being in the middle of this whole sordid thing.

  So Aaron wasn’t going to leave. She should have known he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Not wishing to put her friend through any more discomfort, Kitty headed for the veranda. He would probably follow her. But even if he didn’t, being outside would give her a moment to compose herself.

  Up to now, she’d been having a pleasant evening. Seeing him had changed that. The most she could hope for was that he wouldn’t completely ruin it for her. As she suspected, he followed her out onto the veranda. She let out a frustrated sigh and decided to lean against one of the columns.

  Without looking at him, she said, “I don’t care if people assume I’m out here to engage in some dalliance with a lover. I’m going to stay out here. You, however, need to leave. I don’t have anything to say to you.”

  “I know you don’t, and I don’t blame you for being angry. I just…I mean…I know that…” After a long moment of silence, he continued, “I’m sorry. I was wrong to hire a chaperone to watch over you, and I was wrong to demand that you leave once you give me a son.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You’re sorry you won’t get that heir.” She turned so that she was facing away from him.

  He hurried to get back in front of her. “No, that’s not true. I’m sorry because I now understand how terrible I was being to you. I have a difficult time trusting ladies.”

  “Really? I never would have guessed.” She moved around the column so she was, once again, away from him.

  He, however, got back in front of her. “It was my mother. She had many lovers. I wasn’t the only child she had. I just happened to be the only one she had with my father. They didn’t marry because they loved each other. I don’t know the details about their relationship. All I know is that my father did his best to put up the appearance of a love match. My mother, on the other hand, didn’t care to keep up the pretense, and it was a source of embarrassment to him.”

  “I don’t appreciate being compared to your mother.” This time she moved away from the column and went to a bench.

  She wasn’t all that surprised when he followed her, but she was surprised when he got on his knees in front of her.

  “I know you don’t appreciate it,” he said. “I wouldn’t appreciate it, either, if you were to do it to me. I never once concerned myself with a love match. It didn’t matter to me if we liked each other or not.”

  “Yes, I noticed.” She would have left the bench if she thought it’d do any good, but it was apparent that he was determined to stay with her regardless of where she went. She crossed her arms and sat back.

  “Even if I didn’t find value in making an honest attempt to get along with you, I did find value in having a child. I just assumed that ladies didn’t care about their children, so I didn’t think it would matter to you if you were a mother to our child or not. If I had known having a child was important to you, I wouldn’t have suggested you get your own townhouse once you had a baby.”

  “You didn’t suggest it. You demanded it.”

  He winced. “I know. You’re right. And I apologize for that. I had wished for my mother to take an interest in me, but she never did. When she left, she didn’t even say anything to me. She just left. I think she only took the other children because my father refused to accept them since they weren’t his.”

  She wondered if he was telling her all of this because it was the truth or because he wanted an heir so desperately that he’d say anything to get her in the family way.

  But if he had wanted to get her with child so badly, he would have tried for one as soon as he found out she w
asn’t expecting one. She had made the mistake of offering to try for one when they were in the drawing room. If having a child was the only thing that mattered to him, he wouldn’t have refused the offer. That had to say something about his sincerity right now, didn’t it?

  “I don’t know what I can say or do to make things right,” he said. “I’ve never been in a position where I’ve had to admit I’ve been unreasonable.”

  She looked at him in disbelief.

  “I mean before we married,” he clarified. “Believe it or not, I’m not usually a difficult person to be around.”

  She arched an eyebrow. Lilly wouldn’t be inclined to agree with him on that, but she supposed he was referring specifically to how he associated with gentlemen. Ladies, obviously, were another matter.

  “I wish I could go back in time and do things differently with you,” he continued in a softer tone. “I honestly thought you were like my mother. I didn’t take the time to get to know you. I have no way I can prove how sorry I am.” He glanced at the doors that led back to the ballroom. “I suppose after all I’ve done, I don’t deserve a second chance. If I was smart, I’d let you go back to your friend and enjoy the rest of your life.”

  He rose to his feet, and she found the last of her resistance crumble around her. Maybe if she was smart, she’d let him leave. Neither one had wanted to get married. It was only because of her brother that they’d been together at all. They could probably go their separate ways and be content.

  But something in her warned her that if she didn’t accept his offer, she might regret it. She’d seen how happy her friends were with their husbands, and it would be a very pleasant experience to hold her own child someday.

  “Aaron, wait,” she called out as he was walking to the ballroom.

  He paused and turned back to her.