A Deceptive Wager Read online

  “I’m not referring to that. I’m referring to the prison guard you paid to go everywhere with me, including White’s. Because of him, I am the laughingstock of London. He followed your instructions perfectly.”

  “I didn’t know you went to White’s, so how could I have given him any instructions?”

  “You told him to humiliate me when we were out.”

  “I told him to treat you the same way Miss Britcher is treating me.”

  “Oh? So Miss Britcher goes with you to a lady’s group and says that she must check the entire place to make sure there’s not a gentleman in disguise hiding somewhere, and then she goes on to say that she must protect your virtue?” Before Kitty could answer, he added, “Then, as if that isn’t bad enough, does she tell everyone that she forbids you from associating with people who will be a bad influence?”

  Benjamin’s uncle had done all of that to Aaron at White’s? Splendid! “How does it feel when all of that is done to you?”

  “You know very well how it feels. That’s why you instructed Mr. Stonewall to do it.”

  “I told him what Miss Britcher has done, and I instructed him to do the same to you so you’d know what I’ve been going through.”

  “Miss Britcher can’t be humiliating you in the same manner I’ve been humiliated.”

  “Oh no? When I went to visit my friends, she made it a point to insinuate that I was there for a dalliance with one of their husbands. Then she searched the entire drawing room to make sure there was no gentleman hiding there. She even searched the drawers of my friend’s desk to make sure there wasn’t anything inappropriate for me to see. Afterward, she sat right outside the drawing room doors to make sure I wasn’t going to sneak off to another room. I’ve never been so embarrassed in my entire life.”

  “She had good reason to think you might be using a trip to your friend’s townhouse as a ruse to have a sordid affair. That’s just the kind of thing a lady would do.”

  “It is not,” she snapped. “No lady ever goes to her friend’s townhouse to have an afternoon dalliance with her friend’s husband.”

  “My mother did it,” he replied, his expression growing dark. “And my father found out when her friend caught the two of them together. Her friend went to him and told him because she wanted to make sure my mother never saw her husband again. As if my father could control her. My mother did whatever she wanted. There was no stopping her.”

  Kitty blinked in surprise. So something like that had really happened? “Well, not every lady has the desire to run from one gentleman’s bed to another. Some of us prefer it if gentlemen don’t use us for their lusts,” she said in a softer tone.

  “Really?” By the look on his face, she could tell he didn’t believe her.

  “Yes, really. It’s no different from all the stories I’ve heard about rakes. Lilly and Emilia have husbands who not only saved themselves for marriage, but they are faithful to them, too.”

  “I know Roger, and he’s the kind of person who can be trusted. Ever since we were young, he’s been decent to the core. He would never defile his body with anyone except his wife. As for Lord Valentine,” he shrugged, “he’s not like other gentlemen. I doubt any ladies even find him attractive. It wouldn’t be hard to keep him faithful. But you,” he added, “can have any gentleman you want. You have a face that draws attention to you, and then there’s the rest of you.” He waved up and down her body. “You’re nothing but a temptress.”

  Her jaw dropped. “I’ve never done anything to tempt anyone to do anything indecent with me. I’ve always been a proper lady.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Sure, you have.”

  “It’s true.”

  “That innocent look on your face doesn’t fool me. I see the way you prop those breasts up and sway your hips. You’re just asking to be touched and kissed. Gentlemen notice things like that.”

  She stared at him in disbelief. Had he really just said what she thought he’d said? And, more importantly, had he just said that to her? “I have never heard of anything so ridiculous. I don’t prop up or sway anything.”

  Truth be told, she wasn’t even sure what he was talking about. All she did was put on her clothes like any other lady. Why he saw something lewd about it said a lot about him.

  She pointed her finger at him. “Your friend Roger and Lord Valentine might be decent people, but you obviously aren’t. Mr. Stonewall will remain your chaperone.”

  She thought she heard him growl under his breath before he stormed out of the room. Mr. Stonewall followed him as he went down the hall, and Miss Britcher came back into the room.

  Never in Kitty’s life had she met anyone more irritating than Aaron. She plopped back into her chair and went back to reading her book. Aaron might have ruined her life, but he wasn’t going to ruin the afternoon. This was a good book, and she was going to enjoy it no matter what.

  ***

  Dinner was tense. It was always tense, but it was even more so that evening. Kitty still couldn’t believe Aaron had the nerve to insinuate she dressed and walked in a provocative way. The more she thought about his accusations, the angrier she got.

  She would have had dinner in her bedchamber if Miss Britcher wasn’t going to be with her. She hated being alone with her chaperone. Miss Britcher was like a ghost most of the time. She just sat there. Sometimes Kitty preferred it when Miss Britcher scolded her for something, but as of late, Miss Britcher hadn’t found anything to condemn.

  At least with Mr. Stonewall sitting next to Aaron across from them at the table, Kitty was granted a sense of peace. No matter what Aaron or Miss Britcher said or did, she had one ally in the room. She was forever grateful to Emilia for marrying Benjamin. Without Benjamin, she never would have found his marvelous uncle who agreed to treat Aaron the same way Aaron was making Miss Britcher treat her.

  One would think that Aaron would let Miss Britcher go since he now knew what it was like to be in Kitty’s situation, but he was steadfast in his determination to make her suffer. And all for what? Because his mother took lovers? She supposed she should feel sorry for him, but it was hard to feel sorry for someone who insisted she suffer for the sins of another person.

  Aaron broke the silence. “If I ask to be allowed to go into White’s, which is a gentleman’s club, all by myself, will you permit it?”

  It took Kitty a moment to realize he’d directed the question to her instead of Mr. Stonewall. She finished sipping her wine and set her glass back on the table. “I don’t know.”

  Aaron let out a frustrated groan. “It’s a gentleman’s club. No ladies are permitted in there. There’s a footman at the door who makes sure only gentlemen are allowed in there. If a lady were to show up, she’d be forced to leave.”

  “I know ladies aren’t allowed into White’s.”

  What she also knew was that Lilly and Emilia had disguised themselves as gentlemen to go in there. From what they’d said, no one had figured out the ploy, and judging by the seriousness in Aaron’s tone, she knew that to be the case. Aaron truly did not know how inept the footman was at catching ladies who snuck in.

  But it wasn’t likely ladies were sneaking in often. She doubted most even thought about it, much less wanted to be there. She had no desire to enter the establishment. Who cared what imbecile things gentlemen wanted to do when they were together?

  “Why don’t we make an agreement?” she finally said. “If Miss Britcher doesn’t have to follow me into my friends’ townhouses, Mr. Stonewall won’t follow you into White’s. The two will wait outside for us in a carriage or on a bench.”

  Aaron glanced at Miss Britcher.

  “There have been no gentlemen in the drawing room with her and her friends,” Miss Britcher told him.

  Kitty hid her frustration, but she held her tongue.

  Aaron’s gaze went back to Kitty. “Agreed.”

  Well, that was one victory she’d managed to gain, albeit a small one. Kitty offered a nod then turned her attention b
ack to her meal. The silence returned, but this time, it didn’t seem quite as bad.

  ***

  Aaron couldn’t sleep. And worse, he couldn’t do anything to relieve the erection that kept nagging at him. Mr. Stonewall might be softly snoring in the small bed by the door, but he was still in the room. On nights when the idiotic male part of his body pestered him, Aaron used to take care of it so he could get to sleep.

  Nothing was more annoying than his baser urges. He hated them. He hated the fact that he had sexual desires at all. If only he could shut off that part of his body. All it did was remind him of how weak he was. He didn’t want to need a lady for anything. He didn’t want one to have an heir, and he certainly didn’t want one to satisfy the primitive part of him.

  With a frustrated sigh, he sat up in the bed and scooted over to the small table where he kept his pocket watch. He shifted until he was in the moonlight and checked the time. It was only eleven. Just wonderful. It felt like he’d been trying to get to sleep for hours. It should be one or two in the morning.

  Disgusted, he set the pocket watch back on the table then settled back onto his side. He closed his eyes and tried to get his mind on something far more productive than the way Kitty kept flaunting herself around the townhouse. He was going to have to speak to Miss Britcher about the gowns Kitty wore.

  There was no excuse for Kitty to wear anything that low cut. No lady should be allowed to expose the top of her breasts. All a gentleman had to do was look down at them, and he could see her cleavage. And the gowns did too good of a job of showing off how round and full they were. It was even worse when she bent forward. He knew full well that she’d put that book down on the table earlier that day in order to give him a generous view of those breasts. It’d left so little to the imagination. He could pretty much see everything except her nipples.

  She was every bit the seductress every other lady was. She thought he was going to get distracted by her body, but he was no fool. He was going to have to tell Miss Britcher to make sure Kitty was properly dressed. No more gowns that showed everything off. Also, there would be no more swaying of those hips. It was far too obvious that Kitty was used to using her feminine wiles to convince gentlemen to do her bidding. Well, those days were over. She was his wife now, and she was going to act like it.

  He would make sure to leave the instructions with Miss Britcher before he left to take care of an investment tomorrow. He took a deep breath and released it. Yes, that would work. Already, he felt much better. His erection was still a problem, but it was something he’d just have to contend with tonight. Eventually, he would go to sleep. He closed his eyes and settled into the long and frustrating night ahead.

  Chapter Nine

  “What do you mean I can’t wear any of my gowns?” Kitty asked in horror the next morning after she had breakfast and was ready to change into a gown to go out for a walk.

  “You are to only wear gowns with a neckline that starts here.” Miss Britcher put her hand up to her neck.

  “There are no gowns like that,” Kitty replied.

  “None in style, but they do exist.” She gestured to the dress she was holding.

  Kitty stared at the thick fabric in disbelief. It had a high neckline that looked like it was going to suffocate her. “That isn’t in fashion. I’ll look terrible in something like that.”

  “This is what your husband wants.”

  Kitty’s lips formed a thin line. “He wants me to look like you?”

  “He wants you to wear clothes that won’t seduce gentlemen. I can assure you that I’ve never once had a gentleman look upon me with lust in his eyes.”

  Kitty didn’t doubt it. Between the lady’s dress, the hair pulled back into a tight bun, and the serious expression on her face, Kitty was assured the lady was telling her the truth. But even so, “I don’t wear those gowns to seduce gentlemen. I wear them to look pretty. I want to look pretty for myself. I want to look in the mirror and like what I see. What’s wrong with that?”

  “What’s wrong with it is that your husband doesn’t agree with you.”

  “I don’t care if he agrees with me or not.”

  “Well, I care since this is my job.”

  Kitty clenched her teeth. This was all because Mr. Stonewall had “humiliated” Aaron at White’s. He was doing this out of spite.

  “Also,” Miss Britcher continued, “I will spend the day teaching you how to conduct yourself as a lady.”

  “I already conduct myself as a lady. I don’t discuss investments, smoke pipes, or drink brandy.” Except for two times, but there was no need to bring that up.

  “I’m talking about the way you bend and walk.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with the way I bend and walk.”

  “Your husband disagrees. I will send for the supplies needed to make more dresses, and then we’ll get started on your lessons.”

  “No!”

  Miss Britcher had the nerve to look surprised. “You don’t have a choice.”

  “I most certainly do have a choice. This is my body, and I’ll do what I want with it.”

  Before Miss Britcher could respond, Kitty ran out of her bedchamber and headed straight for Aaron’s room. Without knocking, she threw the door open, but the room was empty.

  “You can’t just go rushing into your husband’s bedchamber,” Miss Britcher admonished her. “You need to wait for him to invite you in there.”

  Kitty looked over her shoulder and noticed that Miss Britcher stood at the threshold of the doorway. Kitty waited for the lady to come in and grab her, but the lady remained where she was standing. Kitty went further into the room to see if she would follow, but she didn’t.

  That was interesting. Up to now, Miss Britcher had followed her all over the place. Kitty hadn’t been allowed to get a single moment by herself since her wedding because the old coot insisted on following her everywhere. What was it about Aaron’s room that made the lady reluctant to come after her now?

  “Lady Northton,” she began, “I understand you don’t like the situation, but you have no choice. Your husband gave me specific orders. I have to do them.”

  “Or what?” Kitty asked.

  Miss Britcher’s eyebrows furrowed. “Pardon?”

  “What will happen if you don’t follow his orders?”

  “I’ll lose my job. Mr. Stonewall will lose his job if he doesn’t do as you wish, too. That’s why we’re both making you and your husband do the other’s bidding. Now, if I must, I will get the butler to retrieve you from that room.”

  “Why not come in and get me yourself?”

  Feeling the spirit of rebellion welling up within her, Kitty went to Aaron’s bed and sat on it. When the lady didn’t budge from her spot, Kitty decided to push her luck and laid down on it. Again, the lady didn’t make a move to get her. Curious to see how far the lady would let her go with this, Kitty rolled on the bed, intentionally messing up the bedding so that Aaron would know someone had been in his room.

  Miss Britcher let out an irritated huff and departed from the doorway. Kitty sat up in the bed and scanned the room for anything else she might do to get even with Aaron for all of the grief he was giving her. At the moment, she had a brief period of time where she could do anything she wanted. She didn’t want to waste this opportunity.

  She ran over to the small room off to the side of the bedchamber. She opened the top drawer of the desk and pulled it open. She wasn’t looking for anything in particular. She figured she’d just leave the drawers open and take the quill out of the inkwell just to spite him. Yes, it was childish, but this whole situation he’d put her in had pushed her beyond what she could endure.

  She found some blank parchment in the top drawer and an idea came to her. She pulled out one of the parchements and wrote, I hope your wife doesn’t find out about our tryst, my darling Aaron. She hurried back to the bed and put the parchment on his pillow. Then she rushed back to her bedchamber, selected one of her least favorite gowns, and
ran back to the room and shoved it under the covers of the bed.

  Since Miss Britcher hadn’t returned with the butler yet, she still had time to do something. She ran to his dresser and opened the drawers. Everything was neatly folded, and to her surprise, his clothes were organized according to color. With a snicker, she moved all of the clothes around until they were mixed up. Then she pulled open the armoire and, noting those clothes were also arranged according to color, did the same with them. She had almost finished with her mission when the butler came into the room.

  “Lady Northton,” he said as he hurried over to her, “I can’t allow you to be in here doing…doing…” He paused and scanned the room. His eyes grew wide. “Lord Northton likes to keep an orderly room.”

  “Does he?” She found a couple of red and purple shirts and removed them. “These are inappropriate. These are the colors a prostitute would wear. He is a married gentleman, and it’d do him well to remember that.” She ran to the window and tossed them out before he could stop her.

  “Are you saying that Lord Northton is a prostitute?” the butler asked in shock.

  “Those colors will send ladies the wrong message,” she replied. “He needs to be mindful of what he wears. I can’t wear those colors, and neither can he.”

  “To be fair, you can wear a certain shade of purple,” Miss Britcher said at the doorway of the room.

  Kitty rolled her eyes.

  The butler cleared his throat. “Be that as it may, I can’t let you continue this…this,” he gestured around the room, “assault on Lord Northton’s bedchamber.”

  She thought she heard a chuckle trying to escape his throat but couldn’t be sure.

  “If he has to carry you out of there, he will,” Miss Britcher warned.

  Since there was nothing else she could think of to do in the room, Kitty returned to her bedchamber. Miss Britcher didn’t hide her relief.