A Deceptive Wager Page 18

  “Which books did you pick?”

  “Ones that contained short stories meant for a child.” Since she didn’t feel like explaining the situation with Teddy, she opted to continue with, “I was familiar with a couple of them, but there were some I had never read before.”

  “My father collected books. He used to read one story to me every day.”

  “Did you enjoy those stories?” she asked.

  “I did, but the best part was that my father read them to me.”

  “Do you ever read them now?”

  “No. I was going to wait until I had a son and read them to him.”

  “What if you had a daughter?”

  He hesitated then said, “I never considered the possibility of having a daughter. As a titled gentleman, I need a son, so I always thought of having a male child. It wasn’t because I assumed if I had a daughter, she would turn out to be like my mother. The option just never came to mind.” He glanced her way. “Do you think I’m a bad person for that?”

  “I never expected to have children, so I’m in no position to judge you.”

  “It would be nice to have children,” Aaron said in a soft tone. “I like the idea of reading books to them. Few things in this world are better than sitting near a fire with a cup of hot cocoa and a blanket tucked around you on a cold winter evening while someone reads a story to you. At times like that, all is right with the world. It would be nice to pass on that experience to someone else.”

  Kitty wouldn’t have thought him capable of such tenderness. Perhaps there was more to him than his hard exterior. She was beginning to understand why Roger was his friend. Up to now, it had confounded her how anyone could want to be around him. He’d seemed so grumpy and demanding all the time.

  Even though he’d told her about his mother, it had been with some reluctance that she had decided to have anything to do with him. She hadn’t believed they could get along in any meaningful way. The most she thought they might manage was a casual acquaintance that would allow them to be polite if they happened to see each other in public. That was why she hadn’t returned to his townhouse right after the ball, though she hadn’t realized it until now.

  It would do well to keep letting him visit her. Perhaps she might discover there were more pleasant things to learn about him. Feeling herself relax, she listened to him as he told her his favorite childhood stories.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  A couple of days passed, and Kitty decided to visit Gretchen and her family. She was anxious to see if Gretchen had secured another job. Even though Gretchen had assured her she and her family would be fine, Kitty couldn’t help but worry about her. Gretchen didn’t have the kind of money to give her the freedom to do whatever she wanted. Unlike Kitty, she had to work.

  When Kitty arrived at Gretchen’s residence, she was surprised to see that Benjamin’s uncle was having tea with Gretchen, Hattie, and Teddy in the small drawing room. Teddy seemed more intent on eating his biscuit than listening to the conversation, but there was no doubt that everyone was having a good time.

  “Did you bring your husband with you?” Michael asked her as she sat in a chair.

  “No, I came here by myself.” Kitty ran her hands along the book she had brought with her. “Do you come to read stories to Teddy, too?”

  “No, I didn’t come to read,” he replied. “I thought I’d see how things are going for the lady who used to be your chaperone. From what Benjamin told me, it doesn’t sound like you and your husband will change your minds and ask us to play chaperone again.”

  Her cheeks warmed, and she glanced at Gretchen. Just how much should she say? While she and Aaron had experienced pleasant visits when he came by to see her, nothing of significance had happened between them.

  “It’s nice that Lord Northton is finally treating you the way you deserve to be treated,” Gretchen said. “It turns out Mr. Stonewall was correct about him.”

  “Lord Northton isn’t perfect, but then, none of us are,” Michael added. “I think he learned that it’s better to wait and see what someone is like before judging them.”

  Gretchen sipped her tea then said, “Yes, well, I learned that, too. This was one job that taught me something I needed to know.”

  “Are you and your husband happy?” Hattie asked Kitty.

  Kitty shifted in the chair. She wasn’t sure if she’d say she and Aaron were happy. Emilia and Benjamin were happy. Lilly and Roger were happy. She could, however, say that she and Aaron managed to be getting along better than she’d expected. “We’re not as opposed to each other as we once were.”

  Hattie’s enthusiasm dimmed, but Gretchen told Hattie, “If you had been there when they first married, you’d be surprised by how much of an improvement that is.”

  Hattie seemed happier by this, and Kitty decided that was enough. Unlike Lilly and Emilia, she wasn’t inclined to share things with everyone she knew. She preferred her privacy.

  “Well, I don’t wish to intrude on your time together.” Michael set his empty cup on the tray and rose to his feet. “I hope you have a pleasant visit.”

  Gretchen got up and followed him to the door. They talked in voices so low that Kitty couldn’t make out what they were saying. She hadn’t expected to ever see Michael here. Yes, he knew Gretchen since they’d been chaperones in the same household, but she didn’t think they had gotten to know each other that well. Apparently, she was wrong.

  She forced the observation aside and opened the book to a story Aaron had said he had enjoyed as a child. It was one of his books. He had brought the book over to her yesterday when he came to pay her a visit. After reading a few of the stories, she found one that she thought Teddy would enjoy.

  When she found the page she needed, she glanced up at Teddy and saw that he was no longer bored. He was looking at her expectantly. She felt a smile tug at her lips. She recalled how boring it was to be in a room full of adults when she was a child. It was a shame he would never realize that to adults, such conversations weren’t boring, but it warmed her heart to know he had two aunts who were good to him.

  Gretchen returned to the room. “Would you like something to eat or drink?” she asked Kitty.

  “No, I already had something before I came,” Kitty replied.

  “Teddy and I are done,” Hattie told her sister.

  Gretchen nodded and gathered the cups and half-eaten biscuit Teddy hadn’t finished. “I’ll be right back after I take these to the kitchen. There’s no need to wait for me to begin the story. I don’t think Teddy’s patience will last much longer.”

  Noting the way Teddy was fidgeting in his seat, Kitty started the story.

  ***

  One afternoon, Aaron and Kitty took a stroll through the menagerie. He’d never been here before, and since she hadn’t either, he thought it might be worth seeing. Since discussing the stories both were acquainted with, he thought it might be nice to see some of the exotic animals they’d only read about. Sure, there were illustrations of them in a few of the books, but he was curious to know if the illustrations had done the animals justice. To his surprise, the artists’ rendering of them was a close approximation of how they really looked.

  “What do you think?” he asked Kitty as they approached a cage with a lion in it.

  “I think it’s good they’re behind bars,” she replied in such a matter-of-fact tone that he couldn’t help but chuckle. “What’s so funny? Do you want something as large as that coming after you?”

  “Of course not. Those large teeth would be the end of me. The reason I laughed was that I think it’s good that beast is behind bars, too.” After a moment, he added, “I like that you told me exactly what you thought. I find it refreshing. It’s nice that I don’t have to guess what you’re thinking.”

  “I’ve been upfront with you ever since we married. I don’t see why you’re surprised.”

  “I’m not surprised.” When she arched an eyebrow, he amended, “All right. I am a little surprised.
But as I consider how things have been between us, I’m not. I meant no harm in laughing. I wish you wouldn’t take offense to it. I like the fact that you’re not afraid to voice your opinion. It means I can believe what you say.”

  She relaxed. “I’m sorry. I’m not used to us getting along. It’s going to take a while.”

  It was going to take a while? They had been getting along for the past month. He thought they had made considerable progress. He, for one, no longer had any hesitation about being married to her. It was a shame he had fumbled things up so badly that she had yet to trust him.

  She turned her gaze back to the lion, and then she glanced at the other animals that were in their individual cages. “I think Teddy would get scared if he were here. It’s one thing to see illustrations and hear about these animals in stories, but seeing them is intimidating.”

  “I think any child would get scared,” he said.

  Her attention went back to him. “You still don’t know how old he is?”

  He thought back to everything people had ever said about him. “No, no one’s told me his age. Is it important?”

  “I don’t know if it’s my place to say anything,” she said. “I don’t think Miss Britcher ever intended to tell me about him. It’s only because she had to go over there when he was in a panic that I found out. On the other hand, Mr. Stonewall knows. It’s not like this is a secret.”

  Now she was only confusing him. Maybe he ought to tell her it didn’t matter. It wasn’t like his life was going to change one way or the other if he found out the lad’s age. “I don’t wish to make you uncomfortable. You don’t have to say anything.”

  He was ready to suggest they take a look at the elephant when she softly said, “He’s twenty.”

  He didn’t hide his surprise. “Twenty?”

  “I don’t want to go into detail about what happened to him. It’s a private matter. But something bad occurred, and he’ll always be like a child.”

  “That’s terrible.”

  “It is. Nothing like that should happen to anyone. Miss Britcher and her sister have done a wonderful job of taking care of him. He’s loved very well.”

  “Well, that’s good.” At least there was a happy side to things.

  “He enjoys the stories,” Kitty continued in a louder voice. “They brighten his days.”

  “Are these all stories from my books in my library?”

  She nodded. “Yes, the ones that your father once read to you. It turns out he enjoys them as much as you did.” She offered him a smile. “I enjoy them, too. They’re a pleasure to read no matter how old someone is.”

  He couldn’t argue with that sentiment. Though he had other books he’d rather read when he was alone, he enjoyed looking back on those days when his father had read them to him.

  “I was careful with the books you gave me,” she said. “They’re in the same condition they were when you let me borrow them.”

  “You’re welcome to come to my townhouse and borrow more any time you want.”

  She studied him. “By the tone of your voice, it sounds like you want me to go to your townhouse.”

  He would, though he hadn’t thought she had picked up on it. He considered offering a nonchalant shrug to act as if it didn’t matter to him if she came over or not, but he realized that would be disingenuous of him. If she was going to be honest with him, he owed it to her to return the favor, even if it meant risking rejection.

  “I would like it if you came to my townhouse,” he admitted. “I’ve enjoyed these past few weeks. You’re nothing like what I thought you were when we married.”

  She offered him a smile that indicated she was pleased by his words. She didn’t say she’d come by and see him sometime, but at least the smile let him know they had a possible future together. And for now, that was enough.

  “You mentioned an elephant?” she asked, breaking him out of his thoughts.

  With a nod, he led her away from the lion and to the cage with the elephant in it.

  ***

  Another week passed, and Lilly came by with Jackson. Kitty joined Emilia in the drawing room with their friend, and they all enjoyed some tea and crumpets.

  At the moment, Emilia was holding Jackson while Lilly told them, in surprising detail, what giving birth was like. It was almost enough to make Kitty think better of ever having children. It sounded like it was a long and painful ordeal. Kitty was tempted to run off to a nunnery for the rest of her life to protect her virtue, but two things stopped her.

  One, babies were the cutest little things. Jackson was only a month old, but she’d already grown attached to him. Though she wasn’t Lilly’s sister, she considered herself an aunt to him, and she rather enjoyed the prospect of being a part of his life. Lilly had told her and Emilia that she’d call them both his aunt. “I feel like you two are my sisters,” Lilly had added. “I might have a real sister, but you two are just as close to me as she is.” And Kitty liked that, for she felt like Emilia and Lilly were the sisters she’d never had.

  The second reason she decided the ordeal of giving birth would be worth it was how happy Lilly and Emilia were. Lilly’s face glowed with the pleasure of motherhood. Lilly had been happy after Roger had forgiven her for trapping him into marriage, but she seemed much happier now that she and Roger had a child. And though Emilia still had only recently discovered she was expecting a child, she was already having fun coming up with possible names.

  So, Kitty came to the conclusion that even though giving birth wasn’t pleasant, it was worth it. She would like to have a child of her own and let Lilly and Emilia be her child’s aunts. It would be nice if her child would be friends with their children. She could already imagine them all going to Hyde Park or spending the day at one of their townhouses. And it might be nice if the child grew up listening to the stories in Aaron’s books.

  There was no other father her child could have. Maybe other ladies took lovers, but she didn’t want to do that. She preferred to have the kind of marriage her friends did. They loved their husbands, and their husbands loved them. The children only added to their happiness. Marriage, it seemed, was only worth it if a lady had the right kind of husband.

  “Do you want to hold Jackson?” Emilia asked Kitty.

  Kitty nodded and accepted the baby in her arms. His eyes grew wide as he focused on her.

  “It seems like he doesn’t know what to think about you,” Emilia said.

  Kitty chuckled. “I’m sure he’s overwhelmed by everything. I know I would be if I were him.”

  “At one time, you were in his situation, and you managed just fine,” Lilly said. “He’s very fortunate to have so many people who love him in his life.”

  “It is nice,” Emilia agreed. “Benjamin is hoping for a lot of children. I told him I’ll do my best to make his dream come true.”

  Lilly shot Kitty an amused grin. “Is this the same person we saw on her wedding day?”

  “She’s not the same person,” Kitty replied, going along with the joke. “I think she’s been replaced by someone who looks like her.”

  Lilly giggled then bit into her crumpet.

  Emilia rolled her eyes. “So what if it took me a little time to get used to the idea of being married to Benjamin? It seems like all of us weren’t all that sure about the gentlemen in our lives when we first met them. Lilly, you originally declined Roger’s proposal. And Kitty, it wasn’t like you were eager to marry Aaron.”

  “I didn’t want to marry anyone,” Kitty pointed out.

  “Regardless, you seem to look forward to seeing Aaron when he visits now,” Emilia said. “In fact, you had trouble concentrating on our card game right before he came by yesterday.”

  Despite the heat in her cheeks, Kitty shrugged. “I might have glanced at the clock a couple of times.”

  Emilia snorted. “A couple?” She glanced at Lilly. “I ended up letting her sit in a chair that allowed her a direct view of the clock. Then, as soon as the footman anno
unced he had finally arrived, she jumped up from the chair and ran to see him.”

  Kitty gasped. “I didn’t run to see him.”

  “All right. You were walking at a fast pace,” Emilia allowed.

  Lilly smirked at Kitty. “I can’t help but notice you didn’t say you didn’t jump up from the chair.”

  Ignoring the increased heat in her cheeks, Kitty turned her gaze back to the baby in her arms.

  “I think it’s wonderful,” Emilia said. “Aaron seems to be sincere about wanting to get to know you.”

  “Yes, he does seem sincere,” Kitty replied.

  “He probably feels as bad as I did when I realized I had made a terrible mistake in picking Lord Hedwrett over Roger,” Lilly said. “I know he wasn’t very nice to you, but I hope you don’t make things too hard on him. I almost gave up on Roger. I was ready to leave when he offered me a second chance. I’ve never been more thankful for anything in my entire life. I’m dedicated to him now more than ever.”

  “And I’m glad Benjamin was so oblivious to all of the ways I was trying to get my own townhouse that he never made the offer. It gave me time to realize how much I wanted to be with him,” Emilia added.

  “I thought it was the horse that won you over,” Lilly said.

  “The horse helped,” Emilia replied. “I won’t lie. That horse is a marvelous creature. It was the best gift anyone’s ever given me.” She glanced at Kitty. “Maybe Aaron will say or do something that makes you decide you’d like to move back into his townhouse.”

  Kitty let out an exasperated sigh. “You two don’t need to keep on about this. I can already see that Aaron isn’t as horrible as I thought he was.”

  “Roger said Aaron is no longer speaking about ladies as if we’re all evil,” Lilly said. “The other day, Aaron even sat down and talked to me while I was in the drawing room with him and Roger. For the first time, I felt like he was making an effort to get to know me. It was nice. It wasn’t easy to feel like Aaron didn’t think I was good enough for his friend.”