His Reluctant Lady Read online

  “And you’re hoping to rectify that?” he asked.

  Sensing that he was taking too far of an interest in her since he barely glanced in her sister’s direction, Agatha gestured to her again. “Of course. She loves reading but hasn’t been able to do much of it because of the Season.”

  “That’s a shame,” he said, his gaze lingering on Agatha. “I can’t imagine a day without a good book.”

  “You enjoy reading?” Mister Robinson asked Sophie.

  “Yes, I do,” Sophie replied.

  “I’m a literature enthusiast as well,” Lord Dabney said, finally directing his attention at Sophie. “What do you read?”

  Agatha silently thanked Mister Robinson for taking Lord Dabney’s focus off of her.

  Sophie blushed and shifted from one foot to the other. “I read respectable books, I assure you.”

  Agatha’s smile froze on her face. Of all the things she could say, she had to slip that comment in.

  “My favorites include histories and compositions by philosophers like Pluto.”

  “Plato,” Agatha quickly corrected her and laughed. “My sister likes to tell jokes.”

  “Oh, yes.” Sophie let out a nervous laugh, her cheeks turning a brighter shade of pink than before.

  After a moment, Lord Dabney chuckled. “I get it. You changed Plato’s name on purpose.”

  “Yes,” she assured him.

  “Well, I prefer books of a different sort,” Mister Robinson spoke up.

  “Is this something you should mention in the presence of a lady?” Lord Dabney asked.

  “I don’t see why not since ladies are likely to read for entertainment. I prefer fiction. I find it’s a nice escape.”

  “Oh, those types of books,” he said in a bored tone that made Agatha inwardly wince. “I suppose it suits some, but I read to improve my mind.”

  Mister Robinson laughed. “You can improve your mind with fiction.”

  “How?”

  “Well, for one, you’d be more interesting to talk to,” he joked.

  The others laughed, and Agatha was secretly pleased that Mister Robinson spoke up on behalf of fiction.

  “However,” Mister Robinson continued, “I’d rather dance than spend the whole night talking.” He looked at Agatha. “I’m afraid I haven’t had the pleasure of learning your name.”

  Surprised he should direct his attention at her, Agatha stumbled on what words to say. Sophie got the words out for her. “This is my sister, Lady Richfield.”

  “Oh,” he replied. “Are you the daughter of a duke?”

  “No,” Agatha said when she finally found her voice. “I’m the widow of an earl. I’m not here for a husband. I’m only here to chaperone my sister.” Usually, she wouldn’t be so bold, but she saw no reason to let either gentleman attempt to marry her for her money—and she had more than enough to entice anyone.

  “There’s no harm in a dance, though,” Mister Robinson said.

  “No, I suppose not,” she agreed.

  “Splendid. Lord Dabney, why don’t you dance with her sister?”

  Lord Dabney nodded and turned to Sophie. “I’d be delighted if you’d share a dance with me, Miss Garrison.”

  Agatha’s eyebrows rose in interest. The fact that he remembered her name was a promising sign. Sophie smiled at him before she accepted his arm.

  Mister Robinson offered his arm to Agatha. “Now that I’ve made sure Lord Dabney is distracted, may I have the honor?”

  She took his arm and went to the area where couples were dancing. “You wanted to make sure he was distracted?”

  “He was ready to ask you to dance, which I’m sure you already knew.”

  “No, I didn’t already know that.”

  “Oh, come now. You’re not so innocent. You are familiar enough with gentlemen to know when one has taken an interest in you.”

  As they began their dance, she replied, “It seems you’ve taken such an interest.”

  “Guilty. I won’t deny it. But I promise I won’t try to marry you tonight.”

  “Good because you won’t have a chance of succeeding.”

  He chuckled. “I don’t know, Lady Richfield. I can’t resist a challenge.”

  “Other gentlemen have said the same thing before. And all have failed.”

  “Well, I’m not like other gentlemen.”

  She studied his expression, trying to determine if he was serious or joking. The only thing she could detect from him was an air of confidence and a twinkle in his eye, and the two seemed to contradict each other for some reason. Venturing for better insight into his motivations, she said, “In case you were wondering about the rumors, it’s true I am wealthier than half the gentlemen in this room.”

  “Money has its advantages, but I suspect your real value lies elsewhere.”

  What did he mean by that? She narrowed her eyes at him. “Care to explain that remark?”

  With an annoying grin, he said, “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “I don’t feel like it.”

  “But it’s not fair of you to say something if you had no intention of disclosing what you meant by it,” she protested, finding him both irritating and undeniably fascinating at the same time.

  “I don’t recall saying I was fair.” The dance ended and he bowed. “Lady Richfield, it’s been a pleasure.”

  “For you, I suppose,” she muttered, gauging his reaction at her curt reply.

  His smile widened and he winked. “You will be a most delightful challenge indeed.”

  She gave the obligatory curtsy and strolled away from him, mindful to keep her pace slow so he wouldn’t realize he managed to do what no other gentleman had done before. He intrigued her. But she knew better than to let him know that.

  She caught sight of her sister as she curtsied to Lord Dabney. Forcing aside the urge to look over her shoulder and see if Mister Robinson was watching her, she went over to her sister. “How was your dance?”

  “Lovely, just lovely,” her sister gushed. “He told me all about his favorite book.”

  “Which is?”

  “I don’t remember.”

  “You don’t remember?”

  “Well, to be fair, I wasn’t listening to what he was saying.” She let out a wistful sigh and smiled. “I just love hearing his voice.”

  “I don’t know what to do with you, Sophie.”

  Agatha waited until they were at the side of the room before searching for Mister Robinson. As soon as she saw him, he gave her a knowing smile and nodded. She quickly averted her gaze and criticized herself for being foolish enough to make eye contact with him. He just gained an advantage because now he knew he was on her mind. Blast it, but she should’ve been more careful!

  “What did you think of Mister Robinson?” Sophie asked.

  She forced a nonchalant shrug. “What’s there to think? He’s a gentleman like any other.”

  “Do you detest marriage?”

  “It’s not marriage I detest, Sophie. It’s the loss of freedom.”

  “Loss of freedom?” She laughed and inspected her gloves. “You were only married for one day. What possible loss of freedom could you have endured in that time?”

  “None. But it was the threat of it. Before I married, I wasn’t at liberty to pursue my interests because I had to concern myself with finding a husband. Then I got married, and the money was my husband’s to do as he saw fit. When he died, the money fell to me, and I could do whatever I wanted to with it. That’s freedom, Sophie. No one tells me what to do with my money, and I’ve managed to make a nice profit with some investments. Just because I’m a lady, it doesn’t mean I can’t make wise decisions.”

  “Of course not.”

  “But gentlemen don’t understand that.”

  “Must you take such a morbid view on gentlemen?” Sophie pressed, a frown on her pretty face.

  “You’re right. A few gentlemen are admirable.” There was Ethan, and she had the greatest respect fo
r him, especially since he supported her endeavors and treated her with respect. “But I think most gentlemen are wonderful for most ladies. You will do well in marriage. You’re meant for it. Balls, the theatre, paying social visits to your friends… You’ll enjoy that kind of life.”

  “You could, too, if you had the right husband.”

  Agatha resisted the urge to laugh. Such a husband would not be coming into her life. What gentleman wanted a wife who wrote gothic horror novels and submitted tasty morsels of gossip to the scandalsheets? Her husband had been so horrified to learn the truth that he strictly forbade her to do it anymore. Fortunately, he hadn’t lived long enough to enforce his mandate.

  Forcing her mind off the past, she scanned the room for a suitable gentleman for her sister to dance with. The least her sister could do was show Lord Dabney he wasn’t the only potential suitor she had. She intentionally ignored the area of the room where Mister Robinson was, and her gaze settled on Ethan who was talking to a couple of gentlemen. She wondered if they were the sort who’d make a good match for her sister. Knowing Ethan’s reputation, it was hard to tell. Even though he had stopped asking her to make up scandals for her to report in the Tittletattle on his behalf, she wasn’t sure if he kept the best company.

  The only way she was going to find out was to talk to the gentlemen surrounding him. “Let’s go over there,” she whispered to her sister. “Now that you’ve had your dance with Lord Dabney, you can make him think you have others at your beck and call.”

  “I’m glad you came with me tonight. You know so much about gentlemen.”

  It helped that she knew Ethan who didn’t hesitate to answer all of her questions regarding the way gentlemen thought. She had asked him such questions because of her writing, but it helped in real life, too. She smiled at her sister. “Make sure you laugh loudly when the gentlemen tell you jokes and tell them how intelligent they are when they give you an opinion. Even if their jokes are dull and their opinions ridiculous, they need to think you look up to them. If you do that, you’ll have them falling over themselves to get to you, and when Lord Dabney sees that, I believe he’ll pursue you for a change.”

  “How clever!”

  “But don’t thank me until he’s chasing you.” As they approached Ethan and the three gentlemen, she made eye contact with Ethan and gave a slight nod in her sister’s direction.

  He waved to her. “Lady Richfield, might we have a moment of your time?”

  She paused, her sister following suit, and the two approached them. Ethan and the gentlemen offered a bow, so she and her sister offered a curtsy in return. She never cared for all the formalities of polite society, which was one of the reasons she loved writing for the Tittletattle. It was a much needed release to be able to do something wicked for a change.

  Ethan introduced the gentlemen and added, “Lord Pennella loves to travel. In fact, he just returned from Spain.”

  “Did he?” Agatha glanced at her sister with raised eyebrows. “My sister went to Spain three years ago.”

  “She did?” Lord Pennella turned his gaze to Sophie and smiled. “What did you think of it?”

  “It was beautiful country,” she shyly replied.

  “Perhaps we should discuss it while we dance?” he offered.

  Agatha indicated that she should accept, so she did. Agatha looked for Lord Dabney and saw that he was watching Sophie. There. Her plan was working beautifully. No wonder Sophie hadn’t secured a husband yet. She wasn’t doing the things necessary to make her attractive to the gentleman of her choice.

  “I hate to see a lady without a dance partner,” Ethan told the gentlemen before turning to Agatha. “May I?” He offered her his arm.

  Agatha nodded and accepted. Once they were dancing, she asked, “So you’re happy being a married gentleman?”

  He grinned. “I am. I didn’t think I’d be, but my wife is perfect.”

  “It’s a shame not all marriages result in love.”

  “I didn’t think mine would.”

  Unable to resist the teasing tone in her voice, she said, “I know. You thought your life was coming to an end right before your wedding.”

  He chuckled. “It was silly how I reacted, now that I think about it.”

  “Well, you were giving up your dream of living a quiet life in the country so you could escape the chaos that is London.”

  “Yes, that was my dream, but I find I don’t mind London so much now that I don’t have to put up a huge pretense of being a notorious rake.”

  “There’s nothing like a wife to straighten a gentleman’s path.”

  “Or make it so that he can straighten his path without looking as if he was a fraud all along.”

  “I’ll consent to that,” she replied.

  “And what of you?” Ethan asked. “What brings you out to a ball? I thought you’d rather pull out all of your hair than be here.”

  “My sister was in need of a chaperone.”

  “Ah. You’re a good sister to suffer being here.”

  She caught sight of Mister Robinson who was dancing with another lady. He shot her a smile. Heat rose to her face and she quickly looked away. This was nonsense! She shouldn’t keep looking at him. But to be fair, she hadn’t been looking for him this time. “Ethan, how well do you know Mister Robinson?”

  “I wondered when you’d ask me about him since you were talking to him when you gave me your book to submit to Minerva Press.”

  “It was a meeting by chance.”

  “I thought as much. You wouldn’t go around dressed as a gentleman to chat with other gentlemen.”

  “No, I wouldn’t.” She paused. “You seem to know him well.”

  “We met at White’s. He’s a good friend, ideal for your sister. Though if you’re looking for someone suitable for your sister, he lacks a title.”

  “Maybe…”

  “However, if the lack of a title doesn’t bother you, I could introduce him to your sister.”

  “They were introduced,” she replied. “She fancies Lord Dabney, so she danced with him instead of Mister Robinson.”

  Ethan’s eyebrows rose. “Oh, then you were inquiring about Mister Robinson because you’ve taken an interest in him?”

  “No, of course not!”

  With a teasing grin, he said, “If you say so.”

  The music ended, saving her from having to respond. After she gave the obligatory curtsy, she went to find her sister, thinking that she would find some more gentlemen for her to dance with. The night couldn’t be over soon enough as far as she was concerned. The busier she was, the faster time passed and the sooner she could get home.

  Chapter Three

  Christopher watched Lady Richfield. She was an exquisite beauty. Dark brown hair twisted on top of her head, revealing a slender white neck that begged to be kissed. He’d heard the neck was a sensitive part on a lady’s body, and he was more than tempted to see if that was true. But her neck wasn’t the only thing he’d like to kiss. Her full, rosy lips begged to be kissed as well.

  His gaze went higher as he watched her walk away from Ethan. High cheekbones, a sharp nose, surprisingly dark blue eyes, and a high forehead. His gaze went lower and noted the maroon dress that accentuated her curves, especially her full breasts. She walked with grace across the room, and she shifted her head slightly. For a moment he thought she might, once again, venture a look in his direction then blush prettily as she looked away. But she didn’t glance his way, and he sighed in disappointment.

  She had danced with Ethan, and maybe if he asked Ethan about her, he could find out more about her. His gaze went to Ethan who was talking to the Duke of Rumsey. From the looks of it, Ethan wished he was talking to anyone but the duke. Seeing this as the perfect opportunity to find out more about Lady Richfield, he wove around some people. When he reached Ethan and the duke, Ethan was pale and beads of sweat covered his forehead. He glanced at him and shot him a silent look asking him to help him.

  “I mean it,
Lord Edon. I won’t have you disgracing my daughter,” the duke said, his expression serious.

  Christopher raised his eyebrows. Ethan had married the duke’s daughter two months ago, and in that time, he hadn’t heard of a single scandal, something highly unusual for Ethan who prided himself on his reputation as a rake…or at least he had prided himself on it before he got married.

  “I’m not doing anything inappropriate with Lady Richfield,” Ethan insisted.

  Stepping up to them, Christopher said, “He’s right, Your Grace. Lady Richfield and I have begun a friendly acquaintance.”

  The duke turned to him and narrowed his eyes at him. “You have?”

  “Yes. In fact, I danced with her before Lord Edon did,” Christopher replied.

  “A dance doesn’t prove anything.”

  “With all due respect, Your Grace, I believe Lord Edon was trying to tell you the same thing.”

  The duke’s mouth twitched and he couldn’t be sure what the gentleman was thinking, but he saw the light of amusement in Ethan’s eyes and was glad he was able to speak up on his friend’s behalf.

  The duke turned his cold eyes to Ethan. “I’ll be watching you.”

  As the duke walked away, Christopher shook his head at the gentleman’s retreating back. “So that’s your father-in-law.”

  “Yes. He’s been a thorn in my side ever since my mother arranged the marriage. Thank you for interrupting things when you did. I thought for sure he was ready to challenge me to a duel.”

  “Surely, you jest.”

  “You haven’t fenced with him.”

  Christopher chuckled. “No, I haven’t had the misfortune.” Fencing wasn’t his pastime of choice, especially when it involved an irate gentleman. His gaze went to Lady Richfield who offered a polite smile to Lady Cadwalader who talked to her. “Ethan, how well do you know her?” He motioned to Lady Richfield, thinking that the more he saw her, the more attractive she got.

  “Who? Lady Cadwalader or Lady Richfield?”

  “Lady Richfield, of course.”

  “Fairly well.”

  “Well enough to be on a first name basis?” Christopher asked, turning his attention back to Ethan.