Marriage by Arrangement: Book 1

His

Wicked

Lady

Ruth Ann Nordin

Wedded Bliss Romances, LLC

His Wicked Lady - Smashwords Edition

Published by Ruth Ann Nordin at Smashwords

Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Ann Nordin

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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Table of Contents

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Coming Soon: Her Devilish Marquess

Other Regencies

All Books by Ruth Ann Nordin

Find More About Ruth Ann Nordin

Dedication: To Samantha Anne Sink, for sharing with me how beautiful love is when the right man comes into your life. Your story was such an inspiration and makes me appreciate romances so much more. Thank you!

Chapter One

June 1817

Mr. Malcolm Jasper had just taken a drink of his brandy when his father barged into his den and blurted out, “When are you going to get married?”

Malcolm almost spit out his drink. Almost. But he couldn’t bring himself to soil his new clothes. After he managed to swallow, he turned to his father. “What is this nonsense you’re sputtering?”

“I think you heard me the first time.” Without an invitation, his father plopped down in the chair across from him and crossed his legs. Leaning back, he set his gaze on Malcolm as if he’d decided to make a careful study of him. “You’re twenty-five. It’s about time you got married and had some children. Life is more than work and money.”

“I haven’t met the right lady.”

“It’s hard to do that when you haven’t attended any balls since your sister found her husband.”

With a grimace, Malcolm put his glass down. “Can’t we have one conversation where you don’t mention that blasted husband of hers?”

“Watch your language.”

“If that cad said ‘blasted’, you would laugh. If I say it, you criticize me.”

“That’s not true.”

“Yes, it is. My brother-in-law can get away with anything.”

“Logan isn’t as horrible as you make him out to be.”

Malcolm shivered. “I asked you not to say his name in my home.”

“Sorry. I forgot.” His father leaned forward, waiting until Malcolm met his gaze before continuing with, “It’s time you went back to the balls. Find a nice, reputable lady. If you don’t bore her, I’m sure she’ll accept your proposal.”

“It’s nice to know what you think of me. You honestly believe I’m a dullard?”

“You’re not a dullard to me, but then I enjoy discussing investments. Ladies, however, are more interested in what money will buy than how to acquire it.”

Malcolm let out a loud sigh so his father would know how much he was bothering him. Truly, if he’d known his father was going to do this, he would have told the butler to forbid him entrance into his townhouse. But since his father had never approached him on this subject before, how could he have anticipated it?

“I know you think I’m being unreasonable,” his father said, leaning toward him. “But I only have your best interest at heart.” When he rolled his eyes, his father continued, “It’s true. I care very much for you. You’re my son. I’m invested in your happiness.”

“What is this really about? It can’t be about my finding a lady to marry.” He narrowed his eyes at him. “Is this about grandchildren? Now that Melissa’s given you one, you want another one?”

His father gasped in what he suspected was mock indignation. “Grandchildren have nothing to do with this.”

“Oh, don’t lie to me. I’m more intelligent than you give me credit for. I’ve seen the way your eyes light up whenever Mathias is around.”

“I love my grandson. I won’t deny it. The lad may only be one month old, but I admit, he’s already got your mother and me wrapped around his little finger.”

Malcolm shot him a pointed look. “And what could be better than having two, right?”

“It’s more than that.” His father gestured to the room. “Look at all the fine things you’ve collected over the years. The artwork, the sculptures, the books, and the furniture. They’re all expensive.”

“A gentleman has the right to use his money as he sees fit.”

“Of course, he does. I’m not arguing that with you. But there’s only so much money a gentleman can make before he gets bored.”

“I’m not bored.”

“Not now. But then, you’re still young. You have your entire life ahead of you. I, however, am not young, and I can tell you from experience the best things in life are those you can’t buy. A good wife and children will bless you in ways money and possessions never can.”

Good heavens, but his father wasn’t going to give up! He had that determined look in his eye, and that look only spelled trouble. Letting out a bewildered laugh, Malcolm asked, “What are you going to do? Request the Duchess of Ashbourne’s services to help me find a wife?”

“That’s not a bad idea.”

“I was merely jesting, Father. I wouldn’t use her services.”

“But she did a wonderful job in finding your sister a husband.”

Malcolm snorted. “The duchess had nothing to do with it. Logan came up to Melissa and kissed her before I had time to stop him.”

“But she could have married Lord Waxman. Remember, she had a pending proposal, and that was because the duchess helped her.”

Malcolm hid his grimace. Considering the fact that Lord Waxman was caught in a compromising position with an older lady, he was hardly worth an endorsement of the duchess’ ability to help anyone secure a good marriage. For the sake of peace, though, he kept quiet. It was enough his father was pestering him about finding a wife. He didn’t need to add Lord Waxman’s lack of moral standing to the argument.

“At least consider marriage,” his father said after a long moment of silence passed between them. “If nothing else, it certainly is more enjoyable to sleep after you’ve made love.”

“I think Logan has influenced your speech too much,” Malcolm muttered.

“A gentleman doesn’t have to be a cad to know lovemaking is one of life’s best activities.”

This time Malcolm didn’t hide his grimace. Of all people, his father was the last one he wanted to talk to about the bedroom!

“I can tell when you’re not listening.” His father rose to his feet. “I’ll see myself out.” He turned to leave but stopped and faced Malcolm. “Before I go, I have one more thing to say.”

Oh no, there was more? Malcolm forced his expression to remain neutral as he looked at his father.

“When you die, who will inherit all the wealth you’ve built?” Seeming satisfied with his question, his father tipped his hat then left the room.

Malcolm released his breath and closed his eyes, resting the back of his head on the chair. Just what he needed. Of all the things his father had said, the last one was the only one he couldn’t argue.

***

Regan Alger, the Lady of Cantrell, twirled a strand of her blonde hair around her finger in boredom. Sure, the music was lively and couples were dancing, but there was no denying the restless feeling she’d been dealing with for the past year was only getting worse.

Leaning in the chair, she glanced at her friend who seemed content to sip her sherry. “Are you really happy to be at this ball, Danette?” Regan asked.

Her friend’s eyebrows rose as she turned to look at her. “Do I seem miserable?”

“No. You seem happy. That’s why I asked the question.”

Danette laughed. “What’s wrong with being happy?”

“Nothing. I’m just surprised. It’s not like anything interesting ever happens at Lord Roderick’s balls. I would have had more excitement if I stayed home.”

“To be fair, Lord Roderick did have some excitement last Season when the Duke of Ashbourne kissed Lady Seyton in front of everyone. Then there was the kiss Lord Toplyn gave Miss Jasper later that same evening.”

Regan pretended to yawn, but it quickly became a real one. Goodness, something was truly wrong when a lady ended up yawning for real.

Danette took another sip of her sherry then said, “A kiss is scandalous. The Tittletattle even put it on the front page for two weeks.”

“A kiss is not exciting. It’s barely even noteworthy.”

“Then what do you want someone to do?”

“Well, it was exciting when Dr. Westward took off his shirt at Rumsey’s ball. That was definitely worth seeing. He’s got a nice chest. He does more than take care of patients to get muscles like that. Do you ever imagine what it’d be like to run your hands along his body?”

Danette gasped and put her hand to her cheek. After a long moment, she relaxed and said, “I know what’s troubling you. When you return to your townhouse tonight, you won’t have someone in your bed. It’s been three years since Frederick died. Why not marry again? Your mourning period has long since passed.”

“I know, but is it wrong to marry just so I can have someone in my bed? It’s not why I married the first time.”

“If I recall right, you married Frederick because you were in your first Season and wanted to please your parents by marrying a titled gentleman. The bedroom never once crossed your mind.”

“Yes, that is true.” Back then, she’d been a virgin and hadn’t known what to expect. Two years of marriage had changed all that. She knew very well what to expect, and more than that, she had enjoyed it—thoroughly. “Frederick was an excellent lover.”

Her friend’s lips curled up. “So you told me on more than one occasion.”

“Well, he hadn’t started out that way. He had to be taught.”

“You’ve told me that, too.”

Sensing her friend’s amusement, Regan sighed. “Do you really think it’s fair for me to marry again? What if Leonard thinks I’m trying to replace his father?”

Danette’s expression grew serious. She set down her glass and placed her hand over Regan’s. “Leonard’s four. He doesn’t even remember Frederick.”

“I know, but I want him to know about Frederick.”

“He can learn about his father even if you marry again. You don’t have to sacrifice the one to have the other.”

“But he’d have to be good with children. I’d want him to be good to Leonard.”

“Of course, you would. Any mother would want that for her child.”

There was a lull in their conversation, so Regan turned her attention back to the people in the room. Only with her dear childhood friend Danette could she speak so openly about her feelings, especially in a public place such as this. But no one overheard them. No one even glanced in their direction. Regan couldn’t believe it.

At twenty-three, she was a wallflower. Danette, having never married, considered herself a spinster at twenty-four, though Regan thought she could easily find a husband if she’d put any effort into it. But her friend was hesitant after two failed engagements, none of which were her fault.

With a groan, Regan slapped the arms of her chair and stood up. “Come. Let us ask some gentlemen to dance.”

Danette shook her head. “No, we can’t!”

“Why not?”

“Because it doesn’t work that way. They are to ask us, not the other way around.”

“Says who?”

“Society.”

Regan waved her hand. “Society? What does society know? You really think all those people are enjoying themselves?” She gestured to the dance floor. “Most are only pretending they like their dance partners because they’re supposed to. Why, look at….look at…” She scanned the crowd and saw a dark-haired gentleman who seemed as if he was about to fall asleep while he listened to the lady he was dancing with. “Look at him. He’s having a hard time keeping his eyes open. Sure, he’s smiling, but it’s not genuine.”

The music ended, and he bowed to his companion.

“I’m going to go over to him and bring some excitement to his evening,” Regan decided.

“Better you than me,” her friend said.

Realizing her friend was determined to spend all night in the chair, Regan marched right over to the gentleman in question. It didn’t matter one whit who he was. She just needed to do something, even small, that was out of the norm, something to ease the feeling of being trapped in a box. Even if it was for this one moment, she was going to do something unexpected.

The dark-haired gentleman was in the process of heading for the refreshments, but she grabbed his hand, spun him around, and led him to the dancing area before he had a chance to protest. She faced him and curtsied as the music started.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he finally managed once he overcame his shock.

“Waiting for you to lead the dance,” she replied then gestured to the couples around them.

He stood still, his dark brows, which matched his thick hair, furrowed, as if he couldn’t make up his mind on what to do. He was very pleasing to look at. No wonder she’d picked him on a whim. At the time, she’d thought it was because he seemed bored, but the rush of excitement at being close to him told her otherwise. It’d been a long time since she’d felt any spark of attraction for a gentleman, and she’d forgotten how pleasant it was.

She took his hand and winked. “I won’t hurt you. I promise.” Then she picked up on the step to the dance.

All at once he seemed to snap out of his shock and began to dance. “You do know it wasn’t appropriate of you to drag me over here like this, don’t you?”

With a shrug, she offered a coy smile. “Maybe you were so handsome I couldn’t resist.”

He paused in his step, so she nudged him in the side to remind him to keep up with the others.

“If a lady wants to dance with a particular gentleman and he hasn’t asked, then what else is she to do?” she asked. “I could have pined for you all evening, or I could have taken matters into my own hands and met you. So…what should I call you?”

After a moment of moving his lips but not saying anything, he finally blurted out, “Mr. Jasper.”

“Not a tilted gentleman then? No wonder you aren’t more persistent in finding a wife. You have no title to worry about passing on to the next generation.”

“Have you been watching me all evening?”

She thought about letting him believe it. It would, no doubt, boost his confidence, but it wouldn’t be right to lie. Not to him. “I’ll tell you the truth. I just noticed you a moment ago. But,” she continued when he seemed ready to reply, “you’re a good looking gentleman, so I thought, ‘Why not dance with him?’”

Though a hint of red graced his cheeks, he said, “I don’t think you should be so bold. What if you get us into a scandal?” He glanced around them. “You’re fortunate no one noticed the way you hauled me over here.”

She laughed. Oh, but he was just darling. Despite his age, which she supposed to be in the mid-twenties, he had such an innocence about him. “Mr. Jasper, when I get you involved in a scandal, it’ll be worth it.” Then, simply to see what his reaction would be, she winked suggestively at him.

He gasped and made sure no one saw her. “I demand you stop this at once. I don’t wish to be the subject of a scandal. I have a good reputation in this town, and I wish to keep it that way.”

“You’re so adorable.”

He hushed her. “I don’t want to be adorable.”

“Why not?”

“Adorable is for children and pets. It’s not for grown gentlemen.”

“But you are adorable. It’s a refreshing change from my otherwise dull life.”

“I’m not here for your amusement,” he replied, not softening at all under her attempt to lighten the mood.

Maybe she should have been adequately discouraged by his response, but for her, it was quite the opposite. In him, she had a challenge, and there was nothing like a challenge to make her feel alive. “Why are you here if you don’t wish to marry?”

“Who says I don’t wish to marry?”

“You aren’t exactly putting forth a lot of effort into winning any hearts. Why, you were ready to fall asleep with your last dance partner. If you wanted to marry, you’d at least feign some interest.”

“I’ve had a long day. I’m an important person with important things to do.”

Amused, she grinned. “Then it’s my good fortune we met.”

He let out a slight huff, indicating he had no idea how to respond.

She couldn’t help but chuckle. “You are a lot of fun. I have a feeling we could get along very well.”

To her surprise, he blanched. “Well, as it so happens, I’m already engaged.”

“You are not.”

“Oh yes, I am. It’s quite serious. We are to marry soon.”

She didn’t believe him for a minute, but, just to humor him, she asked, “Where is she?”

He looked taken off guard by her question. “Pardon?”

“The future Mrs. Jasper. Where is she?”

“She’s not here. She’s taken ill.”

“That’s convenient.”

“It’s not convenient. It’s the truth.”

She shook her head.

This time, he looked indignant. “I can’t help it if you believe me or not.”

“As it turns out, I don’t believe you.”

“If you don’t believe me, ask the Duchess of Ashbourne. It’s her job to pair up couples. She can find the perfect gentleman for you and arrange the marriage on your behalf.” The music came to an end, and he let out a loud sigh of relief. “Finding a husband without enacting a scandal is in your best interest.” He straightened his suit jacket, lifted his chin in the air, and then walked away.

She couldn’t help but smile. Oh, she would pay the duchess a visit. She’d do it tomorrow, and it would be interesting to know if the lady would confirm he was really engaged.

Chapter Two

Malcolm wasted no time in going to his sister’s townhouse after he left the ball. In any other situation, he would have waited until the next day, but considering his lie, he didn’t have time to waste. He knocked on the door and shifted anxiously from one foot to another as he waited for the footman to answer, glancing over his shoulder to make sure that blonde-haired lady from the ball hadn’t followed him.

Never in his life had he imagined a lady would come right up to him, take his hand, and insist he dance with her. Just what had she been thinking? Her action could have very well trapped them both into a marriage neither asked for.

He shook his head. It was a sign. His father’s prayers were working, and it was only a matter of time before Malcolm ended up with a wife. Well, if he was going to get married, he wasn’t going to be thrown into it by someone else. He was going to do it himself.

The footman opened the door and led him into the drawing room where Melissa was singing to her one-month-old son. His heart softened at the sight of his nephew. Even if Logan was Mathias’ father, he was one of the best babies in all of London. Plus, with Malcolm for an uncle, there was a lot of hope for the baby.

A smile lit up Malcolm’s face as he strode over to his sister. “May I hold my dear nephew?”

Melissa returned his smile and motioned for him to sit on the settee next to her. “Sure you may.”

Once she settled his nephew in his arms, Malcolm stared down at the boy, who stared at him with wide blue eyes. “Good evening there, Mathias. You remember me, don’t you? I’m your good looking and intelligent Uncle Malcolm.”

Melissa chuckled. “I’m sure he remembers you.”

“I want to make sure he remembers I’m good looking and intelligent. I can only guess what that husband of yours says when he has this impressionable young lad all to himself.”

“Logan doesn’t talk about you to Mathias.”

“Not when you’re around to see it.”

“Not at all.”

He shook his head and lifted his gaze heavenward. “You are so naïve, but if it makes you feel better to believe it, then do so.” Turning his attention to his nephew, he added, “We must allow your mother some fantasies. How else will she cope with the fact that she’s married to your father?”

“You’re a bit of a cad yourself, Malcolm.”

He gasped and covered Mathias’ ears. “Don’t you dare say that in front of my nephew. He’s been untainted from the world, and I’d like to keep it that way.” Uncovering the boy’s ears, he continued, “You’re wondering what your mother and I are saying? Oh, we’re just agreeing that you should do everything you can to turn out like me.”

Mathias’ eyes grew wider, and he cooed in a way that suggested he was asking a question.

“Don’t worry,” Malcolm assured him. “We have plenty of time to help you do that. I know it’ll be difficult to attain to the level of respectability I’ve managed, especially given the way things are in London, but I promise you, it’s possible. There are still decent people in the world.”

His sister shot him an amused smirk as she rose from the settee. “I take it you didn’t have a good evening at Lord Roderick’s ball?”

“Considering you got scandalized at one of his balls, I can’t be surprised.”

She picked up a decanter and poured him some brandy. “There was a scandal this evening?”

“No, thankfully, there wasn’t.” Though there might have been had fortune not prevailed. “I don’t understand the appeal of going to the balls. I went with you as a chaperone. There was a purpose. But it seems meaningless to spend the evening reveling in gossip and other idle chatter between dances when I could be doing something productive with my time.”

“Like holding a baby?”

“Exactly. This is much better.” Mathias let out a contented sigh, and Malcolm nodded. “See? Even he agrees. He’s taking after me already.”

Shooting him an amused smile, she set the glass beside him and took her baby. “Have a drink, Malcolm. It seems like you need it.”

She was probably right. After his harrowing experience with the blonde lady who dragged him to the dance floor against his will, he could use some brandy. He took a swallow of it, forgoing the process of savoring its taste.

“You must be agitated,” she commented.

“My hand has been forced. I must seek a wife, and I must do so at once. You said Helena can help me with this matter?”

“I thought you told Father you had no desire to marry.”

“Yes, well, that was then. This is now.”

“It was only yesterday when you talked to him.”

“A lot can happen in a day.” When she didn’t look convinced, he groaned. “I know it’s sudden, but this evening I’ve come to terms with the truth. If I don’t get a bride in a respectable fashion, one is going to be thrust upon me through a scandal.”

To his surprise, his sister burst out laughing. She, of all people, should understand how quickly scandals could happen!

“I doubt a lady is going to enact some scandal so you have to marry her.”

“Oh? And why is that so funny?”

“Malcolm, please stop.” She continued laughing to the point where tears fell from her eyes. “I might drop Mathias if I’m not careful.”

With a huff, he quickly set his glass down and took the poor baby back in his arms. “There. Now my nephew is safe.” He patiently waited for her to calm down before asking, “Why is it so hard to believe a lady might take it upon herself to scandalize me?”

Instead of answering him, she laughed again. “Scandalize you? Why, Malcolm, you do say the silliest things. Only you would talk that way.”

Logan came into the room, which only served to prove this evening definitely wasn’t going Malcolm’s way. Logan smirked at Malcolm and approached the decanter. “I see you’ve been telling my lovely wife about your great prowess with the ladies at tonight’s ball.”

“This has nothing to do with that,” Malcolm said.

“I know. I was merely being polite. I already know you don’t want to get married. And who can blame you? No lady will have you.”

Malcolm’s jaw dropped, and he turned to Melissa. “You told him Father wants me to get married?”

She finally managed to catch a breath as she fanned her face with her hand. “You can’t be surprised he knows. He’s my husband.”

“To be fair to Melissa, your father came over to ask if Helena had any ideas on which lady might be a suitable match for you,” Logan told him. “She didn’t tell me about your plight.”

“My father was over here to see if Helena could pair me up with a lady?” Malcolm asked his sister.

Clearing her throat after a couple more chuckles, Melissa said, “I told Father it wasn’t right for him to try to pair you up with a lady without your permission. Whether or not to marry is your decision.”

Well, that made him feel a little better.

“But you do want to marry,” she continued.

“You do?” Logan asked in interest as he poured brandy into his glass.

Ignoring Logan, Malcolm told her, “I know you are helping Helena arrange marriages. You know me better than anyone. Will you make sure she chooses the right lady for me?”

“I’ll be happy to do it.”

“And make it quick. Go over to her first thing tomorrow.”

“When you get in a hurry, you don’t waste time,” Logan murmured as he plopped down in the chair across from. He crossed his legs and took a sip of his drink.

“I see no point in wasting my time now that my decision has been made,” Malcolm told him. “Unlike you, I’m not going to pick the first lady I can kiss. I’m going to use my sister’s wise judgment.”

“So, in other words,” Logan began, swirling the drink in his hand, “you can’t find a wife on your own, so you’re enlisting her help.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“It was implied.”

“You two need to stop,” Melissa intervened. “There’s no sense in this discussion.” She turned to Malcolm. “I’ll be happy to help you, and I’ll go to Helena’s tomorrow.”

“Thank you.”

At least his sister wasn’t so devoted to Logan she couldn’t see the wisdom in helping her own brother out. But if he thought that was enough to deter Logan from making a nuisance of himself, he was sorely mistaken.

“Hmm…” Logan leaned forward, his elbows resting on his thighs, and stared at Malcolm. “For someone who only seems to care about acquiring money, you’ve taken a sudden interest in getting a bride.” After a moment of Malcolm glaring at him, he snapped his fingers. “I know! You came across a lady tonight who scared you into this.”

“Nothing of the sort happened,” he argued.

“Of course, it did. You’re in too much of a hurry for it to be any other reason. What did she do? Threaten to kiss you? Threaten to take you off to another room and—”

“Logan!” Melissa interrupted. “Please stop upsetting my brother.”

“I’m sorry, my delicate flower,” Logan replied. “It’s safe to assume Malcolm has no idea how to kiss a lady anyway. She’d have to pretty much teach him. Maybe that’s what scared him. Maybe this one was willing to help him along in the ways of romance.” Logan smirked at Malcolm. “You should try a kiss sometime. It’s quite enjoyable.”

“Logan,” she shot him a pointed look, “I’m sure my brother has kissed a lady before. He’s twenty-five.”

Logan, eyebrows raised, turned his amused gaze at Malcolm in a silent challenge to prove he had kissed a lady. Malcolm, however, wasn’t in the mood to play any of Logan’s games. Actually, he was never in the mood for it, but that was especially true this evening.

Malcolm stood up and faced Melissa. “Father made a good point when he said I have no one to leave my money to when I die.”

“You could leave it to us,” Logan said.

Ignoring him, Malcolm continued, “Besides, I like my nephew. It stands to reason I’ll enjoy having children.”

“Especially making them,” Logan quipped with a chuckle.

Melissa shook her head at Logan, and thankfully, this succeeded in getting him to stop chuckling. “I’ll visit Helena tomorrow, and I’ll let you know when we find you a wife.”

“Thank you,” he told her. He turned to leave but caught a muffled chuckle from Logan who was doing his best not to laugh. He almost didn’t justify his brother-in-law’s subtle insult but then decided he might as well. It wasn’t like the evening could get any worse. He directed his gaze to Logan. “Did you receive Lord Steinbeck’s invitation to a dinner party?”

“I didn’t know Lord Steinbeck was having a dinner party.”

Malcolm feigned surprise. “But I thought everyone at White’s got the invitation.”

Noting the frown on Logan’s face, Malcolm let out an innocent shrug then left the townhouse.

***

“Malcolm, you are a genius,” Lord Steinbeck said the next day at White’s. He gave Malcolm a solid pat on the back then handed him a bottle of brandy. “It’s the best brand in London. You deserve the best, my friend.”

Malcolm accepted the bottle and thanked him. “I take it Mr. Carlos’ ship proved a good investment.”

“It did. More so than I’d hoped. You were right about him. He’s the best in the business.”

Malcolm smiled, glad his advice had paid off so well. “Now you can get that new carriage you’ve been wanting.”

“That I can, all thanks to you. Did you get my invitation?” Steinbeck asked, sitting next to him.

“I did. I was going to write you when I got back to my townhouse that I’m coming.”

“Good. I want you to meet a good friend of mine, the Marquess of Dodsworth. You’ll like him. He’s as respectable as they come.”

“That’s a relief. I had another unfortunate encounter with my brother-in-law last night, and you know those things never go well.”

Steinbeck grimaced. “I don’t know how you do it. There can’t be a fate worse than being forced to have Lord Toplyn in one’s family.”

“Sadly, that’s true, and he’s worse at his townhouse than he is here.” Malcolm shivered. “If it wasn’t for my sister, I’d have nothing to do with him.”

Even now Malcolm’s wrist ached from where Logan had shot him during the duel. It was a cruel reminder of how he’d failed to free poor Melissa from marriage to the cad.

“Try not to let people like Lord Toplyn trouble you,” Steinbeck said. “They aren’t worth giving any thought to. You have better things to focus on.”

“You’re right. I do.” Malcolm picked up the paper he’d been reading before Steinbeck came up to him. “I’ve been studying this particular investment for quite some time, and I think it’s worth taking a closer look at. Tell me, what do you think?” He held it out to Steinbeck.

Grinning, he took the paper. “You’re the expert. If you say it’s a sure thing, I’ll believe it.”

Malcolm couldn’t help but be pleased with Steinbeck’s high estimation of him. It was nice to be appreciated. God knew his father was busy talking about all the things Logan liked, and his mother only wanted to talk about Mathias. He couldn’t blame his mother, though, for wanting to dote on her grandson. Mathias was the one redeeming quality Logan had. But even Melissa, the sister he’d dutifully looked after since the day she was born, refused to utter a bad word about Logan. It was enough to make anyone ill, and Malcolm had a healthy constitution.

“Are you going to put some money in that investment?” Steinbeck asked, bringing Malcolm’s attention back to the paper.

“I think I’ll go with five pounds.”

“That much?”

“Well, it’s not really a lot. I want to put in a little bit and see how it does. I never put more in than I’m willing to lose.”

Steinbeck chuckled and shook his head. “I wish I could afford to lose that much. Unfortunately, I’m not as well off as you are. I think I’ll put in a pound. I don’t want to miss this opportunity.”

“I don’t think you’ll be sorry.”

“Judging by your keen eye for this sort of thing, I’ll gladly take my chances.” Lords Roderick and Clement left their chessboard, so Steinbeck gestured to it. “Want to play a game?”

“I love the game, so the answer is a hearty yes.” Malcolm followed him to the board, looking forward to playing with someone of Steinbeck’s prowess at the game. It’d be nice to be challenged for a change.

Chapter Three

Regan wasn’t able to secure an appointment with the Duchess of Ashbourne until two days later. She had no idea so many people went to the lady to find a suitable match, but she reasoned it only proved how well the duchess did her job. Perhaps, just perhaps, it was a sign Regan would like the gentleman the duchess would find for her, though it was a shame things hadn’t worked out as well with Mr. Jasper as she’d wanted.

Try as she might, she couldn’t forget about him. No gentleman since her husband died had excited her so much. Forcing aside the thought, she stepped out of the carriage, and she headed up the steps. Along the way, she paused. Maybe she shouldn’t do this. Maybe she should turn around, get right back into the carriage, and go home. And she almost did just that.

But then she remembered how enjoyable marriage had been on so many levels. She’d had someone she could confide in, someone she could be who she truly was without fear of rejection, someone who could accept her, faults and all.

Surely, there must be a gentleman out there who would be good to both her and her son. Frederick would have wanted her to be happy. Her first priority was her son, of course. Whoever she married, he must be good to her boy. If she couldn’t find such a gentleman, then she wouldn’t marry.

Feeling much better, she continued the rest of the way up the steps then knocked on the door. She’d only seen the duchess from time to time at a ball, but this would be her first time talking to her. She prayed the lady’s reputation would lead her to an ideal match.

The door opened, and she was soon guided into the drawing room. Her footsteps came to a stop when she saw three ladies. One was at a desk with a parchment and quill in hand. The duchess was sitting on the settee, and the third lady sat in a chair close to the duchess.

“Duchess,” the butler began, gesturing to Regan, “Lady Cantrell has arrived.”

“I’m sorry,” Regan told the pregnant duchess who rose from her settee. “I must have gotten the time wrong.”

“No, your timing is perfect,” the duchess assured her, waving her into the room. “These are my friends. They help me arrange marriages.”

“Oh.” Since that was the case, Regan stepped forward.

“What kind of tea do you like?” the duchess asked.

“Um, do you have white tea?”

“I do. Will crumpets be all right to eat?”

Regan nodded, and the butler left the room. She removed her hat, surprised when one of the duchess’ friends gasped. Did one of her pins come undone? She touched her hair, assured everything was in place.

“Forgive me,” the one in the blue dress said as she came over to her. “Your hair is the loveliest shade of blonde I’ve ever seen.”

Since that was the case, Regan felt better. While she didn’t put a high standard on looking perfect whenever she went somewhere, she felt it was important to make a favorable impression on the duchess. “Thank you,” Regan replied and smiled.

“I’m Lady Toplyn,” the lady introduced, “but you can call me Melissa.” She gestured to the other lady at the desk. “This is Lady Reddington.”

“I also go by Chloe, if you’re so inclined,” the lady interjected.

“The informalities are my fault,” the duchess spoke up, motioning for Regan to sit on the settee next to her. “Ever since I met them, I insisted we address each other by our Christian names. It’s become a habit.”

“I don’t mind,” Regan said as she sat down, placing the hat beside her. “My name is Regan.”

“And I’m Helena,” the duchess replied with a smile that set Regan completely at ease.

Perhaps this was a sign that things would work out for the best.

“Of course, when we’re in public, we are more formal,” Melissa told Regan. “We promise not to embarrass you in front of anyone.”

Regan chuckled. If they only knew her secret, they would be the ones who were embarrassed.

The butler came in with the tea and crumpets, and Helena waited until everyone had a cup before turning her attention to Regan. “I should explain how we do things,” Helena began. “We want to arrange a marriage for you with a gentleman who will be a best fit for you, so we have quite a few questions to ask. It’ll take an hour to ask them all. I hope you don’t mind, but we want to be thorough.”

“I don’t mind,” Regan replied. “However, before we begin, I was wondering if Mr. Jasper is seeking your services.”

“Mr. Jasper?” Melissa asked.

Regan nodded. “He said he is already engaged. In fact, he recommended I come here.”

“Dark brown hair, clean shaven, often wears dark clothing, and has gray-blue eyes? Six feet tall?” Melissa pressed.

“Yes. That’s him.”

“Why, he’s my brother!”

“Is he?”

“Yes. He suggested you come here to find a husband?”

“He did. He said you,” she looked at Helena, “found him a lady to marry. Is it true? Is he engaged?”

Helena took a sip of her tea then put the cup back on her saucer. “I’m not at liberty to disclose the details. I do everything I can to keep my clients’ information private. But I can say that he is one of my clients.”

“You know him?” Melissa asked.

Turning back to Melissa, Regan said, “Not well. I talked to him at a ball.”

“You did?”

For some reason, Melissa found this piece of information much more interesting than Regan believed it to be. Many people talked to each at the balls. “It was only for one dance.”

“Mind if I ask what you talked about?”

“Not much, really. It was only a few minutes.” Since Melissa seemed disappointed in her answer, she decided to reveal more. “To be honest, I danced with him because he looked so bored he was going to fall asleep right there on the dance floor.”

Melissa giggled and handed her a crumpet. “That’s Malcolm alright. He’d much rather spend time with ledgers than ladies.”

Malcolm? So that was his Christian name. It suited him quite well. Malcolm sounded like a strong, solid name. She took the crumpet from Melissa and bit into it. If Malcolm was Melissa’s brother, then it stood to reason he talked to her about things that happened to him during a day…or during the course of an evening at a ball.

Swallowing the food in her mouth, Regan asked, “Did he mention me?”

“Not by name, but I gathered you were the most exciting thing that happened to him that evening.”

It was on the tip of Regan’s tongue to ask whether that excitement had been a good or bad thing, but she already knew the answer. For him, it’d been bad. That being the case, if they were still looking for a bride for him, there was no way these ladies would pair her up with him. What a shame. The last flicker of hope fizzled out.

Well, it didn’t mean she couldn’t still get married, and they just might find someone who would be a good match for her. She set down the unfinished crumpet and wiped her fingers on the napkin in front of her.

“He did suggest I come here for your guidance,” she glanced at Chloe and Helena, “and since I’ve heard good things about your service, I see no reason not to take his recommendation.”

“Do you fancy him?” Melissa asked, surprising her.

“I didn’t have the same experience he did,” she replied, choosing her words carefully. This was his sister she was talking to after all. No doubt, he’d given Melissa a poor impression of her. The best she could hope for was that Melissa wouldn’t think ill of her. “I admit I was bold in my actions at Lord Roderick’s ball. When I took Malcolm by the hand and led him to the dance floor, I assure you, I meant no harm.”

“Oh, I know. He tends to be much too serious for his own good.”

Regan relaxed. Good. Maybe his sister hadn’t taken an instant dislike to her after all. She smiled. “I thought he was charming in a shy sort of way.”

“Yes, he can be.”

Sensing the topic of Melissa’s brother was at an end, Regan turned to Helena. “I have a four-year-old son, and he is my primary consideration in finding a husband. I need someone who would willingly welcome the child. I understand children are to be seen and not heard, but I would prefer a gentleman who likes spending time with them, too. I also want someone sweet and thoughtful. I don’t want the rakish sort. They’re too busy thinking they know everything about pleasing a lady to listen to my instructions. The bedroom is a very important matter to me. I’ve had the fortune of enjoying a good love life with my first husband and wish the same with the second.”

“There aren’t as many rakes in London as you fear,” Helena assured her. “And most gentlemen have no trouble marrying a widow with a son, especially if she comes with money. Are you wealthy?”

“Yes. My husband was good in that regard.”

“It sounds like he was good in a lot of regards,” Chloe, who’d been silent up to now, spoke up. “You are fortunate that way.”

“Yes,” Regan acknowledged, “I was, and I still am. Leonard is a wonderful reminder of him.”

“Are you ready to marry again?” Helena asked. “In your heart, I mean.”

Regan nodded as she took a sip of her tea. “It’s been three years since his death. I’m ready, but I want to make sure I do what’s best for my son. If it turns out there are no suitable gentlemen, then I would rather you tell me than arrange a marriage with someone who doesn’t like children.”

Helena rubbed her large belly and smiled. “I understand. I think it’s a mother’s natural instinct to want the best for her child, even if she has to sacrifice what she wants for it.”

“But there’s no reason why you need to sacrifice a husband in this situation,” Melissa said. “I have the perfect gentleman in mind for you.”

“Melissa,” Helena began, “we all need to choose him. It can’t be just you who does it.”

“A mere formality,” Melissa whispered to Regan. “But I know he’ll be the one.”

“He’s good with children?” Regan asked.

“Oh, yes. I know this for a fact.”

Helena let out an exasperated sigh. “Even if you think you know someone is the right one for her, we need to learn more about Regan in order to make sure she’s a good fit for him.”

“I already know she is,” Melissa replied.

“Let Chloe and I make that determination first,” Helena said.

“Unfortunately, I have to do it Helena’s way,” Melissa told Regan as she picked up a crumpet. Glancing at Chloe, she added, “Go ahead and ask her questions.”

Chloe picked up the quill. “Regan, what are your interests?”

Getting comfortable, Regan set her mind to answering all the questions they had for her.

***

“The Duchess of Ashbourne wishes to have a word with you,” Malcolm’s butler said the next day.

Malcolm looked up from his ledger. The duchess already picked out a lady for him to marry? He rose from his chair and shut the ledger. “Show her into the drawing room and bring her whatever she wants.”

“Yes, Mr. Jasper,” the butler said then left the room.

Malcolm straightened his cravat, surprised his pulse had sped up. He was about to find out who the future Mrs. Malcolm Jasper was going to be. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he told himself all he was going to do was find out who he was to marry. He wasn’t actually going to marry her today…or meet her. Unless the duchess brought her over to introduce them. No, the butler didn’t mention two ladies. He’d only mentioned one.

His pulse slowing down, he left the den. It wouldn’t do to look too excited. When he reached the drawing room, he was the perfect image of calm. Though the tea had been placed on the table in front of the settee, the duchess hadn’t bothered to touch it. In fact, she hadn’t bothered to sit down.

Surprised by her serious expression, his steps slowed. Maybe this was bad news. Maybe she couldn’t find anyone for him. If that was the case, this wasn’t going to go at all like he’d expected. While he could have the satisfaction of telling his father marriage was a useless point, the sting of regret told him he would have preferred to marry after all.

The duchess offered a polite smile. “Good afternoon, Mr. Jasper. I hope you don’t mind I came so late in the day.”

“No, I don’t mind, Duchess.” He gestured to the tea. “You didn’t need to wait for me to come in before drinking. I assure you I only get the best tea.”

“I have no doubt your tea is delicious, but I try to watch how much I drink when I leave the house. I really shouldn’t even be out considering my delicate condition.” She rubbed her belly. “Did you not receive my missive requesting you come to my townhouse?”

“I did, but my sister said all you wanted was to hand me some questions.”

“Yes. These questions are very important. Your sister, Lady Reddington, and I want to make sure we get the very best match for you. I would feel better doing that if you came by to answer our questions. If you would rather fill them out here and send them to me, I put them on your desk.”

His gaze went to the desk she motioned to, and he shook his head. “My sister knows me better than anyone. She can answer those for me.”

“While I appreciate your faith in your sister, I advise you to reconsider. We don’t often know people as well as we think we do.”

He waved aside her warning. “That may be true for most people, but Melissa and I are different. We have a strong bond. Ever since she was born, I took her under my wing and protected her. We agree on everything.” At least everything but Logan. “Believe me, Duchess, she will answer those questions in the same manner I would.”

“I urge you to reconsider.”

“There’s no need.” He collected the papers and held them out to her. “I trust Melissa implicitly to do what’s best for me.” When she looked as if she was going to protest again, he added, “I have a dinner party at Lord Steinbeck’s this evening. Tomorrow, I am going to meet with a businessman who stands to make me a good profit in my investments. I’m an important gentleman. I don’t have time to fill this out. That’s why I told Melissa to do it for me.”

After a moment, she closed her mouth and took them. “As you wish, Mr. Jasper.”

Satisfied, he smiled and wished her a pleasant day before seeing her out.

Chapter Four

Regan arrived at her mother-in-law’s townhouse and knocked on the door. She’d given herself permission to go to the seamstress’ after her appointment with Helena, so she could get started on her wedding gown. There had been an inner debate for a good five minutes over whether or not she should get a special gown, and in the end, hope won out.

She’d decided from here on out, she would expect the best. This would work out. Helena, Melissa, and Chloe would find her a husband who had a good heart and would treat her son well. So it was with a light heart she followed the butler into the drawing room where her mother-in-law, Eloise, was reading a book to Leonard who was snuggled up with her in a chair.

Eloise glanced up at her. “How did things go with the duchess this afternoon?”

“I think it went well,” she said as she went over to kiss her son on the head. “Do you like the story Grandmother’s reading to you?”

Leonard nodded but wiggled off the chair. “Can we go to the park?”

“I promised him I’d take him to the park if he was good,” Regan explained to Eloise.

“Well, he was.” Eloise glanced at Leonard and added, “You were a perfect gentleman.”

“Good. Then we will go to the park. But first, I want to talk to your grandmother, so why don’t you have a tart? We’ll go soon.” She sat in the chair next to Eloise and asked, “Would you like to join us?”

“Not today, thank you.” She closed the book and placed it on the table while Leonard picked up a tart and bit into it. “Did the duchess pick someone for you?”

“Not yet, though it seems one of the ladies who works with her said she had someone in mind.”

“Sounds intriguing!”

“It does. Lady Toplyn said he fit everything I was looking for. The most important thing being that he has a tender heart for children. Do you know anything about Lady Toplyn?”

“I’m afraid I don’t. I haven’t engaged in the social scene since my son needed a wife. I wanted to make sure he got a good one.” She shot her a smile and patted her hand. “And he most certainly did.”

Tears filled Regan’s eyes as she placed her other hand over Eloise’s. “I was very blessed to be married to him. You know that, don’t you?”

“Of course, I do. You needn’t worry about me. I never expected you to spend the rest of your life alone.”

“I’m not alone. I have you, Leonard, and Danette.”

“Yes, but a lady as young as you shouldn’t have to go without love. Family and friends are important. Your son is important. But it’s also important to have a good gentleman who can fill in the hole Frederick left when he passed away.”

“It’s no wonder I adore you so much. You’ve always been good to me.”

“And you’ve been good to me. Leonard is a great comfort after losing my son. It’s nice to know his legacy will live on.”

“Are you sure you won’t come with us to the park?”

“I better not. I’m not as young as I used to be, and though this afternoon’s reading hasn’t exhausted Leonard, it’s exhausted me. I’m going to lie down and rest.”

“All right.” Regan turned to her son and wiped his hands and mouth clean. “You will be coming to my townhouse tomorrow for dinner?”

“I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”

“Good because Leonard’s been working on his tracing, and he wants to do your profile.”

Eyes twinkling, she glanced at Leonard who was grinning at her. “In that case, I’ll come in my best hairstyle.”

Patting his shoulder, Regan stood up. “He loves to draw. I think he might have a future in it.”

“I draw good,” he said.

“Yes, you do,” Regan told him. “And tomorrow, you can show your grandmother how much you’ve improved.”

“I look forward to seeing it,” Eloise said, nodding at Leonard.

After saying good-bye, Regan took Leonard by the hand and led him outside. The day was a pleasant one. It was cloudy enough to cool things off. It was actually the kind of day she’d love to take off her hat, let her hair down, and enjoy the feel of letting her hair blow free in the breeze. But she couldn’t do it, of course, not with all of London watching.

In the country, she could, but she often grew bored in the country with so little to do. She came to London as soon as the weather permitted and stayed until all the interesting things to do were over for the Season.

There were drawbacks to everything, she supposed. Except having children. She glanced down at her son and squeezed his hand affectionately.

When she looked up, she caught sight of Mr. Jasper coming out of a carriage. A part of her knew she shouldn’t go up to him, but another part couldn’t resist the thrill of talking to him again. What was it about him that intrigued her so much? On the surface, he seemed like any other gentleman, but she sensed something beneath his prim exterior that promised to be very exciting. The question was, just how could a lady break through his wall?

Since he was talking to the footman, he didn’t see her coming, and that gave her the advantage of being able to come right up to him. She stopped and gestured for Leonard to be quiet.

“Lord Steinbeck’s an important gentleman,” Mr. Jasper was telling the footman. “If Mr. Raleigh happens to come by with the proposal, bring it here. Mr. Raleigh said he was delayed with a personal matter, but he should deliver it within the hour.”

“Yes, Mr. Jasper,” the footman replied. “I’ll do as you say.”

“Good.” Mr. Jasper turned around and almost bumped into her. He jerked back and, after a moment, was able to compose himself. “What are you doing?”

“Taking my son to the park,” she replied as his carriage pulled away from the sidewalk.

“The park is that way.” He gestured down the street.

“I know. That happens to be the direction I’m headed.”

“In that case, I won’t stand in your way.” He moved aside and waved her down the sidewalk. “You may proceed.”

“Exactly what did I do to upset you so much you won’t give me the pleasure of a few moments of your time?”

He glanced around. “Considering I’m not your relative, I don’t think it’s appropriate we talk at all.”

“Come now, Mr. Jasper. We’re allowed a few moments to talk.” When he gave another worried look to a couple of people who passed them by, she said, “Are you really going to spend the rest of your life sulking over what happened at Lord Roderick’s ball?”

He let out a slight gasp. “I’m not sulking. Sulking is something ladies do.”

She almost protested his statement, but what good would it do? He was obviously a proud gentleman, especially in having a pristine reputation. “If I knew it would have upset you so much that I took it upon myself to get your attention so you’d dance with me, I would have had someone arrange for you to ask me to dance.”

He lowered his voice. “You did much more than get my attention. You nearly created a scandal.” His gaze went to her son. “Are you sure he should be hearing this? What is he? Five?”

“Leonard’s four,” she said. “My husband was tall. Leonard got his height from him so most people think he’s older than he really is.”

“You’re married?”

She didn’t think it was possible, but he seemed as if he was ready to faint.

“What are you doing dragging unsuspecting gentlemen into dances when you have a husband?”

Amused he’d refer to himself as an unsuspecting gentleman, she grinned. “I’m a widow.”

“But you’re not wearing black.”

“My mourning period is over. That means I’m free to dance and go anywhere I want. I can even take my child to the park in broad daylight without risking scandal.”

He frowned. “Are you having fun at my expense?”

“It’s hard to have fun with someone who is so uptight, Mr. Jasper.”

“Uptight?”

“Yes. You take everything much too seriously. But since I can see how much I’ve distressed you the other evening, I apologize. It was never my intention to upset you.”

He eyed her critically for a moment then his face softened a bit. “You seem sincere.”

“That’s because I am.”

“In that case, I accept your apology.” His gaze went to Lord Steinbeck’s townhouse. “I received an invitation to an important dinner party. This might be a very profitable evening for me.”

Her husband had once referred to Lord Steinbeck as the kind of gentleman who only befriended those who could do something for him. “I have a feeling the odds of profit are much more in his favor than in yours.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I mean exactly what I said.” Leonard tugged on her hand, so she squeezed it to let him know they would continue on their way to the park. “Well, Mr. Jasper, I won’t keep you any longer. I hope the evening goes as well as you hope.” With a nod in his direction, she resumed her leisurely stroll with her son to the park.

***

Malcolm glanced over his shoulder after he climbed the steps to Steinbeck’s front door. The lady and her son were still walking, going further and further from him, which was a relief. He honestly didn’t know what to expect from her. She had absolutely no sense of decency, coming up to him and talking to him as if they were good friends or—heaven help him—more friendly than they ought to be.

Then she’d blurted out her son’s name. It was ironic she didn’t bother telling him her name, but that was probably good. He didn’t care to know anything about her. The more distance he had from someone like that, the better.

He shook his head. Well, it didn’t matter. Melissa would find him someone respectable, and he could put the troublesome matter with the other lady past him. His gaze unwittingly went to her backside. For a lady who had a child, she certainly had a nice figure.

Face warm, he quickly turned his gaze back to Steinbeck’s door and knocked on it. The lady, no doubt, was a seductress. Her husband probably hadn’t been the only gentleman she’d known. Not with the way she behaved. And really, she didn’t have to swing her hips in such a provocative manner. She was practically asking him to look at her.

He let out a long sigh and cleared his mind. Once he married a sensible lady with a good reputation, such thoughts wouldn’t be a nuisance anymore. Wives were for giving a gentleman children. Mistresses were for pleasure. But quite frankly, he had more important things to think about than the lust of the flesh.

He knocked again, and this time the footman opened the door. Malcolm introduced himself and was escorted at once to the drawing room where Steinbeck was talking to two other gentlemen. Malcolm recognized Lord Dunnaby from White’s, but he didn’t recognize the other one.

“Ah,” Steinbeck told the gentleman Malcolm didn’t recognize, “there’s Mr. Jasper.” He gestured for Malcolm to sit next to him. “Unfortunately, Lord Dodsworth took ill and couldn’t make it tonight, but we’ll still have a good time. In fact, I was just telling Patrick how much we’ll all benefit from having you here.”

“Patrick?” Malcolm asked as he took his seat.

The butler offered him a brandy, and Malcolm took it.

“Sir Willoby,” Steinbeck clarified. “You can call him,” he pointed to Lord Dunnaby, “Robert.”

Malcolm swallowed his sip of brandy. “Are you sure it’s all right to refer to everyone by their Christian names?”

Steinbeck laughed. “You’re one of us now. We would never let your brother-in-law address us in such a way, but you are nothing like him.”

“He’s right,” Patrick said. “You’re intelligent.”

Malcolm chuckled at their joke.

“How do you manage it with something like him in your family?” Steinbeck asked.

“I don’t have a choice,” Malcolm replied with a grimace. “He forced my sister into marriage when he kissed her at Lord Roderick’s ball. I tried to challenge him to a duel to save her, but it didn’t work out.” He forced himself not to rub his wrist at the reminder of the wound he’d acquired during the ill-fated duel.

“It’s a shame we can’t get rid of him,” Steinbeck said. “Though, I’ve noticed he doesn’t come to White’s as much since you got voted in. The challenge to the duel must have scared him away.”

“Only someone like him would avoid a duel,” Robert spoke up. “I always knew he was a coward when he tried to force everyone to honor the bet Davenport and Pennella made after it was dissolved. I placed my money in the wager, too, but you didn’t see me crying because the whole thing fell apart.”

“You made much more money when the Duke of Ashbourne paid you for his brother’s debts,” Patrick added, eyebrows raised.

“My agreement with his brother had nothing to do with the bet Davenport and Pennella made. His brother came to me asking for money, and I don’t lend money without expecting some interest from the transaction.”

“As is sensible when you’re a businessman,” Malcolm spoke up.

“Yes, but the interest rate you charged was a bit excessive,” Patrick replied, shooting a pointed look in Robert’s direction.

Robert shook his head in irritation. “His brother was a poor risk. Few others would lend him money because of it.” Before Patrick could respond, he leaned toward him and added, “Perhaps if he’d been following you everywhere begging for the money, you’d understand.”

“You shouldn’t be harsh with him,” Malcolm told Patrick. “A gentleman who doesn’t honor his debts deserves what he gets. I’d charge a higher interest rate, too. Paying off debts in a timely manner should be rewarded with lower interest. Not doing so should be punished. If a gentleman can’t fulfill his obligations, he has no right asking for the money in the first place.”

“I agree on that count,” Patrick told Malcolm. “I just feel sorry for the duke. After his brother died, he inherited the debt with his title, and he had to pay for it.”

Steinbeck snorted. “I wouldn’t feel too sorry for Ashbourne. His wife is shrewd in business, and she’s very pleasing to the eye. Judging by the smile on his face, I’d say the debt he inherited was the best thing that ever happened to him.”

“There you go,” Robert told Patrick, gesturing to Steinbeck. “It all worked out. I got paid, and he got the lady most gentlemen would give their entire estates to marry.”

“Well, there is that,” Patrick relented, swirling the brandy in his glass. “Many gentlemen have had their share of fantasies about her, I’m sure.”

“I know I have,” Steinbeck said with a chuckle.

The footman came into the drawing room, making Malcolm breathe a sigh of relief. He would much rather stick to topics of financial interest. It was the one thing he excelled at, after all.

“Mr. Jasper, your footman asked me to give you this.” The footman held out the rolled up parchment.

Recognizing Mr. Raleigh’s plans, Malcolm hurried to retrieve them. “Good. I’m glad they came before dinner.” As the footman left, he told Steinbeck, “This is the investment I was telling you about at White’s.”

“Splendid,” Steinbeck replied as he rose to his feet, the others following suit. “We’ll discuss it during dinner. Oh, before I forget, my name is Warren.”

“I’m Malcolm,” he replied.

“Do you like poached salmon?”

“I do.”

“Good. It just came in fresh today.” Warren gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. “You’ll find I only serve the best for those worthy of my time.”

Pleased, Malcolm smiled. Considering how selective Warren was, this was the highest compliment he’d received up to this point in his life. Everything was falling right into place. He would soon be one of the wealthiest gentlemen in London, and he had the respect of influential people. The only thing missing was a child to leave his legacy to, but that matter would be resolved soon enough.

Yes, everything was perfect. Even having Logan for a brother-in-law couldn’t depress him now. He had the world in the palm of his hand, and no one was going to take it from him.

Chapter Five

Two days later, Malcolm was in his den working on his ledger when a familiar knock came at the closed door. “You may enter as long as you didn’t bring your reprobate husband with you,” he called out to his sister.

She opened the door and peaked into room. “How did you know it was me?”

“Because you use the same series of quick taps every time you knock.” Since she hadn’t fully entered the room, he narrowed his eyes at her. “Is that cad with you?”

“No. Logan doesn’t like to be here any more than you like having him here.”

“Then why are you partially hiding behind the door?”

“Because I have important news to tell you.”

That made no sense at all, but then his sister seemed to have taken loss of her senses ever since Logan came into her life. “Well, come on in and tell me the important news.”

She did as he requested, hiding something behind her back. Before he could ask what it was, she held out a piece of parchment to him. “We’ve selected a wife for you!”

Surprised by her excitement, he took it. “Is she unbelievably wealthy or something?” There had to be a reason she looked as if she was ready to jump up and down in glee.

“Well, she is. You’ll be delighted at how well she manages money.”

“All right,” he slowly replied, not sure why this wasn’t as reassuring as it should have been.

This wasn’t his sister’s typical odd behavior ever since marrying Logan. This was something altogether different. He lowered his gaze and saw the contract. It requested his approval for the choice the Duchess of Ashbourne made in picking a wife for him.

Lady Cantrell.

He didn’t recall the name. Glancing back up at his sister who was still grinning from ear to ear, he asked, “What’s wrong with her?”

“Nothing. I got a chance to meet her, and she’ll be perfect for you.” She clasped her hands. “I’m just excited about this. A better match couldn’t be made in all of London.”

He relaxed. Since she put it that way, he supposed he couldn’t blame her for being enthusiastic. He read through the contract.

“You can meet her before the wedding,” Melissa told him. “We can do the banns or get a special license.”

He thought over the options then ran through the long list of things he had to do. “No, that’s all right. You picked Lady Cantrell for me, and that’s enough. I’ll just meet her at the wedding.”

“I knew you’d pick that option,” she said. “That’s why I had Helena mark it down for you to initial.” She leaned forward and pointed to the paragraph. “You can get a special license, and we’ll arrange the rest.”

“What about Lady Cantrell?”

“Oh, she agreed to the marriage as soon as we told her your name. She’s more than willing to marry you without meeting you first. She signed her agreement to the special license.”

Surprised, he asked, “She did?”

“Yes. She knows exactly who you are, and she said she couldn’t be happier with the match.”

How was it possible Lady Cantrell knew about him, but he had no idea who she was? The answer came to him as soon as he finished the thought. He was well known and respected in all of London because of his business prowess. He had friends like Warren, and Warren was one of the most influential gentlemen he’d ever met. So naturally, she knew of him. She, however, was an unknown lady who probably remained in the corner somewhere during balls.

“Is Lady Cantrell shy?” he asked Melissa.

“No, but she’s a widow with a child, so she doesn’t engage much socially.”

Oh, that explained a lot. No wonder he’d never heard of her.

“I assured her you are good with children,” Melissa added. “In fact, my son couldn’t ask for a better uncle.”

“What’s not to like about children? They don’t represent the unpleasant aspects of London.”

“I wish you wouldn’t be so difficult when it comes to Logan. He’s actually quite sweet.”

He grimaced and signed the contract. “You and I will never come to an agreement on him.” He handed it to her. “Let me know when the wedding is, and I’ll show up.”

If Lady Cantrell was as happy to marry him as Melissa claimed, this would be a very suitable match indeed. Lady Cantrell, after all, was already showing him what good taste she had.

“I’ll do that,” Melissa promised then ran out of the room, and if he was right, she was cheering the whole way out of his townhouse.

***

Danette lowered her cup of tea and stared at Regan in disbelief. “But I thought Mr. Jasper didn’t like you.”

Regan shifted in the chair in her friend’s drawing room. “I don’t know if I’d say he doesn’t like me.”

“You said that right after you danced with him at Lord Roderick’s ball.”

She paused, still holding her own cup of tea halfway to her lips. “I didn’t say he didn’t like me.”

Her friend wrinkled her nose for a moment then nodded. “I’m sure you did.” She nodded again. “Yes. I distinctly remember you saying you shouldn’t have been so bold. If you hadn’t taken him by the hand so he’d dance with you, he might have actually liked you. But since you were bold, he didn’t like you.”

Regan raised an eyebrow. “You have a surprisingly good memory.”

“It’s a gift and a curse.”

“I suppose,” she slowly said then decided to put her cup on the table. “I apologized to him the last time I saw him. Surely, that should make things better.”

“Did he accept your apology?”

Regan thought back to that day she saw him in front of Lord Steinbeck’s. “He said he did.”

“Do you believe him?”

“I see no reason why he would lie.”

After seeming to consider her friend’s words, Danette said, “From what you told me about him, he doesn’t mind being honest with you.”

“No, he doesn’t. I assume he’s that way with everyone, though.”

“You’re probably right. I have to admit, I don’t know why you want to marry him. He isn’t anything like you. From what you told me, he’s not very likable.”

“I suspect he just doesn’t know how to act around ladies. He spends all of his time thinking about money. What he needs is someone to teach him there’s more to life than how much wealth you can accumulate.”

“And you think you’re the one to teach him that?”

“I went to the Duchess of Ashbourne seeking the right gentleman for me, and in her estimation, he’s the one.” After a moment, she added, “I believe it’s fate.” She didn’t know if Danette believed in such things, but she did. Nothing happened by accident. “I had no control over who she chose for me.”

“I know. It just seems like it’s more than a coincidence, like someone arranged it so you have to marry him.”

“Well, I didn’t have anything to do with it if that’s the case. I did talk about Mr. Jasper, but that’s because his sister happened to be helping the duchess arrange my marriage. If she hadn’t been there, then the conversation wouldn’t have involved him as much as it did.”

“His sister?” Danette tapped the edge of her cup for a couple seconds then gasped. “Is his sister Lady Toplyn?”

“Yes. Why? Do you know her?”

“No, not really. I’ve made her acquaintance a few times, but I haven’t said much more than the standard pleasantries. I do, however, sit and listen to a lot of people talk at the balls.”

“I know. You should join in the dancing. Doing nothing gets boring.”

To her surprise, Danette laughed and waved her hand dismissively at her. “That’s where you’re wrong. You’d be amazed at how much you learn about people when you’re watching what’s going on around you. I overheard Lord Toplyn saying his wife found someone who is perfect for his brother-in-law. At the time, I had no idea why he was laughing as if the matter amused him. Now, I realize it’s because Lord Toplyn will enjoy watching his brother-in-law suffer.”

Regan’s eyebrows furrowed. “Suffer?”

“Lord Toplyn and Mr. Jasper don’t get along at all. Mr. Jasper never did forgive Lord Toplyn for marrying his sister. I think the fact that you were bold with Mr. Jasper is why you were picked to marry him.”

“But-but…” Good grief. How was Regan supposed to respond to that? Finally, an idea came to her. “Lord Toplyn wasn’t one of the people involved in picking a husband for me.”

“He wasn’t, but his wife was. Rumor has it she’s not the demure lady she was before she married. Maybe she wants her brother with someone who is bold.”

“That hardly sounds like suffering.”

“It would be to someone who doesn’t like bold people, and Mr. Jasper doesn’t seem to like bold people.”

“So if you had the opportunity to marry a gentleman who wanted more than to sit and observe other people, you would hate it if he tried to expose you to something fun?”

“If it’s scandalous, I wouldn’t like it at all. And knowing you, fun means scandalous.”

“That’s not fair. I haven’t created a single scandal since Leonard was born.” And that was true. Ever since he came into her life, she’d been the very definition of propriety, often sitting right along with Danette in the shadows while everyone else had a grand old time. “It wouldn’t hurt you to have some fun once in a while. People can be much too serious about what’s acceptable. So what if a lady comes up to dance with a gentleman? Why must she only take the one who comes to her?”

“Some things just aren’t done.”

“Well, they should be.” Regan let out a frustrated sigh then drank her tea.

“I’m not saying it’s wrong for a lady to want to pick her dance partner. I’ve seen ladies manage it with a simple look. But you see, their approach was subtle. They made eye contact with the gentleman of their choice and gave him an encouraging smile. They didn’t go right up to him, take his hand, and lead him to the dancing area. In fact, I can’t recall gentlemen using such a bold approach either.”

“I doubt Mr. Jasper would have offered to dance if I’d done the subtle approach.”

“Not all gentlemen are like Mr. Jasper. Frederick enjoyed how bold you were.”

Regan considered her friend’s words. She’d taken it for granted Frederick had been so accepting of her brazen nature. He’d often said it was refreshing, saying one didn’t have to guess what she was thinking. “Too many people put on a pretense,” he’d add. “But with you, I know what I’m getting.”

And that was what made their marriage so wonderful. She could be who she was with him, and he could be who he was with her. Recalling her brief conversations with Malcolm, she knew he felt free to be his true self with her, and she’d had no trouble being her true self with him. So that wasn’t the problem. The problem was whether or not they would do well together.

“You’ve made some important points,” Regan said. “I need to talk to Lady Toplyn.”

“Right now?”

She stood up and nodded. “I see no reason to delay this. There’s no need to get a special license if the arrangement won’t be favorable.”

“I hope I didn’t say something wrong,” Danette said, her brow wrinkled in that familiar way of hers whenever she was afraid she’d upset someone.

“Danette, you should know by now you have nothing to fear about being honest with me. I’m not like the others you’ve had in your life.” Regan had hoped by now Danette would understand that, but it seemed she needed reminding from time to time. With a smile, Regan added, “There’s nothing you can do to ruin our friendship.”

Danette relaxed and returned her smile. “I wish you well.”

“I know you do.” She retrieved her reticule. “I’ll come by afterwards and let you know how things with Lady Toplyn went.”

On her way out of the townhouse, the footman opened the door for Danette’s mother. “Regan, how nice it is to see you.”

“I’ll be returning in a short while,” Regan said. “I need to run a quick errand.”

“Splendid. I’d like your advice on a pattern I’m thinking of making for Danette’s next dress when you return.”

“I’ll be happy to look at it.” Saying a good-bye, Regan stepped out of the house.

When the driver pulled her carriage up to Melissa’s townhouse, she peered out the small window, relieved when she saw Melissa’s profile in the large window. She couldn’t tell if Melissa was entertaining guests or not, but at least she was there. Regan had been hoping the matter with Malcolm would be settled today.

She hurried out of the carriage and wasted no time in knocking on the door. The footman brought her to the drawing room, announcing her presence to Melissa who was reading a book. The book had nothing written on the cover, thereby making it discreet to the casual observer, but Regan wasn’t a casual observer.

She happened to be the author of the book, and with Frederick’s help, she’d been able to distribute it throughout London, thanks to Lord Edon. But she hadn’t expected to ever see a lady reading it, especially not in a place as public as a drawing room. It was, after all, a book dedicated to instructing a gentleman on how to best satisfy a lady in bed.

Without even a hint of embarrassment, Melissa closed the book and set it on the table next to her tea. “Regan! I’m so happy to see you.” She gestured to the spot next to her on the settee. “Have a seat.”

“Thank you for seeing me,” she said and sat in the chair.

“I’m very happy to,” Melissa replied. “Soon we’ll be sisters. Well, sisters-in-law, but it’s practically the same thing. I always wanted a sister. When I was little, I begged my mother for a sister, but alas,” she shrugged, “it wasn’t meant to be. Oh, have some tea!” She poured Regan a cup and held it out to her. “I hope you like black tea.”

“Black tea is fine.” Though she took the cup, she didn’t drink anything. She couldn’t with the way her stomach was tied up into all sorts of knots. “I don’t know how to ask this, so I’m just going to come out and say it.”

“Ask whatever you wish.”

Bracing herself for the answer, she blurted out, “Why was I picked to marry your brother?”

“Because you were the one best suited for him.”

“So you don’t think he’ll suffer?”

Melissa laughed. “Of course not. Whatever gave you that idea?”

“I have a friend who overheard your husband telling someone he couldn’t wait to see Mr. Jasper—your brother—suffer after he married me.”

She gasped. “My husband said that?”

“I don’t know his exact words, but my friend assured me that was the general comment.”

Melissa shook her head. “I don’t doubt my husband would think such a thing, but honestly, you are not going to make my brother suffer. You’ll be good for him. I could tell you fancied him when we talked at Helena’s, and you seem like a good lady.”

“I’m afraid he doesn’t agree. He thinks I’m much too bold. I did take his hand and lead him to a dance at a ball, right in front of everyone.”

“Which I’m sure is something he needed.” When Regan frowned, Melissa added, “My brother has only one thought on his mind: money. It’s all he ever talks about. It wasn’t until our father insisted he get married that he even considered a wife. He wants a child to pass on his legacy to. But you and I both know a gentleman can’t be truly happy until he marries. It’s not natural. Ladies do much more than have children. They offer companionship. Why, my husband reminds me of this all the time. Don’t tell him I told you this, but he was lonely before I came into his life. He had no real friends. But now he does, and he’s better off for it. Malcolm will be the same way. He might not realize it yet, but money can’t fill the void a good wife can, and I just know you’ll be good to him.”

“I do like him.”

Melissa gestured to her. “There you go! That’s what he really needs. Someone who cares for him. I’m afraid most people only talk to him because he can make them money. I don’t know if he has any genuine friends or not, but then I’m not allowed to go to the dinner parties where gentlemen talk about investments.” Then, feigning a yawn, she added, “Nor would I want to.”

Regan chuckled at her joke. “I wouldn’t want to either. I don’t mind a gentleman who is wise with money, and one who knows how to make more of it is always a good thing. But life is more than money. My first husband left me with more than I’ll ever need, but I would have rather had him.” In case Melissa thought she was still mourning his loss, Regan quickly said, “I am ready to marry again. I do miss the companionship.”

“I know, and that’s what I most want for my brother, someone like you.”

Though Regan felt better, she said, “I don’t think your brother will agree. I apologized to him for being so bold at the ball, but I suspect he’ll be upset when he realizes he’s marrying me. Maybe you should have us meet.”

“I offered that, but he’s much too busy to be bothered with such formalities.”

“Much too busy?” To meet his future wife? Regan had never heard of any gentleman saying such a thing. “Wouldn’t he at least be interested in how I look? What if I was ugly?”

Melissa giggled and picked up her cup of tea. “You’re not ugly. In fact, I must confess I’m jealous. You’re much more beautiful than I am.”

“You’re attractive.”

“I am, but not as much as you are. My brother will have no trouble being attracted to you.”

“Yes, well, he doesn’t know that. He doesn’t know I’m Lady Cantrell.”

“That’s what he gets for being too busy. There’ll be no one to blame but himself on his wedding day.”

Melissa sipped her tea, and Regan followed suit with her own. Was Malcolm really so busy he couldn’t spare even a moment to meet her? Certainly, Melissa wasn’t right. She couldn’t be. He had to be interested in the lady who’d been arranged to marry him. Well, that settled it. When she got home, she would extend an invitation for him to meet her. She wouldn’t feel right doing otherwise.

“Let’s not spend all our time talking about my brother,” Melissa said. “I’d like to find out more about you. What is your son like? What was your first husband like?”

Regan hesitated to get friendly with Melissa. After Malcolm found out he was to marry her, he’d change his mind and she wouldn’t be Melissa’s sister-in-law after all. But there was an enthusiastic sweetness about Melissa that compelled her to give in and tell her everything she wanted to know.

Chapter Six

Regan stared at the missive in disbelief. She read it again, hoping she’d read it wrong the first two times, but once more, the familiar words popped out at her.

It is with regret I have to delay meeting you until the wedding. I have too many important things to do. I would explain further, but with you being a lady, I don’t want to overwhelm you with matters such as finances. All you need to know is that what I’m doing will lead to some fruitful endeavors. I was told you are aware of my reputation. This being the case, I’m assured you understand why I can’t possibly meet with you. But you need not fret. I have set aside a full week where we’ll have nothing to distract us after we’re married. We’ll get to know each other then.

Regan read the missive again, hoping it would change. But it didn’t. It was the same thing as before. She folded the parchment and set it on her desk. Melissa had been telling the truth. Malcolm couldn’t be bothered to meet her until their wedding day.

Well, he had met her. He just didn’t realize it. She wondered if he’d be so reluctant to meet her if he knew who she was. Probably not. He’d probably rush right on over to beg her to let him out of the marriage.

She sat down and tapped her fingers on the desk. What to do… What to do… She could cancel the arrangement. But then, she would condemn some other lady to a marriage with a gentleman who thought more of money—and himself—than he did of her. She didn’t have it in her heart to do that to an unsuspecting innocent.

But was it a good idea to marry him, knowing this about him? Yes, he was good looking. She couldn’t deny her attraction to him. She’d been looking forward to seeing him without his clothes on ever since she found out she was to marry him.

But there was more to marriage than physical attraction. There was compatibility, trust, and security. Most of all, there was someone who would be a good father to Leonard.

She stopped tapping the desk and glanced at the clock above the fireplace mantel. Leonard was due to wake up from his nap soon. Perhaps it might do her good to visit Malcolm. Not only would she see how he responded to Leonard, but she’d get a better idea of who he would be as a husband.

Decision made, she rose to her feet and headed out of the room.

***

Malcolm was just about done with his investment plans when the butler announced he had two visitors. Surprised, he glanced at his pocket watch. He wasn’t expecting Robert and Patrick for another hour. He didn’t think they would be early, even if they were eager to hear his proposal. Glancing at the plans in front of him, he figured he had enough to show them and told the butler to bring the visitors in.

He stood up and smiled, ready to greet the gentlemen when, to his horror, the blonde lady from Lord Roderick’s ball came into the room, and she brought her son with her.

“I hope I didn’t come at a bad time,” she told him.

How did she find out where he lived? What did she want? He tried to ask her all of this, but he could only manage to squeak in protest. She really shouldn’t be here. It was very improper. If the wrong person saw her come into his townhouse, who knew what would happen to his reputation?

“This is my son, Leonard,” she said, not seeming the least bit disturbed by her unexpected visit. Well, of course she wouldn’t be. She had the advantage. She was the one who surprised him, not the other way around. “Do you like children, Mr. Jasper?”

When he didn’t answer, the boy turned his wide blue eyes in his direction. She squeezed his hand and offered him a nod. Turning his attention back to Malcolm, the lad said, “How do you do?”

Malcolm glanced from him to her and back again. This couldn’t be happening. There was no way this could really be happening. “What are you doing here?” he finally managed.

“My mother brought me,” the lad said as if the answer was obvious.

Blinking, Malcolm redirected his gaze to the lady. “I don’t understand. Are you following me?”

She chuckled. “No, but I have good reason to be here. I want you to meet my son.”

“Didn’t I already meet him the other day?”

“You saw him, but no, you didn’t talk to him. Leonard, why don’t you tell him what you like?”

Leonard looked over at him. “I like tarts.”

“Do you like tarts?” she asked Malcolm.

“Yes.” Then Malcolm shook his head. “What’s the point of this?”

Instead of answering his question, she asked, “Do you have any children in your life, Mr. Jasper?”

Surprised by her question, he said, “None that are mine, but I have a nephew. He’s not as old as your son. Mathias is only a month old. Well, about two by now.”

“You like your nephew?” she asked.

“Of course, I do. I like all children.”

At that, she smiled. “That’s good to hear. Leonard, why don’t you tell Mr. Jasper what else you like?”

“I like clowns,” Leonard said.

“Specifically at the circus,” she added.

“Um…yes,” Malcolm slowly said, turning to the lad. “The circus is entertaining. I enjoy it, too. Even when you’re no longer a lad, you’ll probably enjoy it, though not as much. There’s a certain magic to it when you’re young. When you get older, you figure out how they do their tricks,” he explained.

“I don’t know,” the lady argued. “I still find magic in the performance.”

“That probably depends on where you direct your attention,” he said. “I like knowing how things work.”

“I prefer the mystery. Some things are better when you don’t question them.”

He shrugged. He supposed for some people that worked, but he still liked solving the mystery. They would have to agree to disagree on this point, just as they did on so many other points.

“I like orses,” Leonard spoke up, breaking the silence that had fallen between them.

“Orses?” Malcolm asked.

“He means horses,” she said.

“Oh,” Malcolm replied. “Yes, I like them, too, but aren’t you too young to be riding them?”

“Not if he’s with me,” she told Malcolm. “I might let him sit by himself when he turns five.”

“I suppose that would do,” Malcolm said. “My family couldn’t afford one until I was seven. By then, I was responsible enough to ride it.” Noting the worried frown on the boy’s face, he added, “However, you seem like the kind of lad who can handle the responsibility of riding a horse.”

The boy beamed, and Malcolm felt better. There was no need in dashing the poor boy’s dreams. Malcolm remembered how excited he was to ride a horse when he was young.

“I’ll be guiding the horse to start,” the boy’s mother said. “But he’s a quick learner, and I expect it won’t be long before he’ll be ready to ride without help.”

“I get Ruby,” Leonard told Malcolm.

“Ruby?” Malcolm asked.

“The mare at our stable,” she explained. “She’s being trained so when he’s old enough to ride her, she’ll be ready. That will be his horse.”

“Stable? You have your own stable?”

She looked amused. “I have an entire estate. Well, Leonard does. He’s the heir of an earl. When he comes of age, it’ll go to him.”

“Oh, right.” He briefly remembered her saying something about being a widow.

“Do we dress like beggars?”

He caught the teasing tone in her voice, so he didn’t take offense to the question. “No, you and your son are well dressed. I assumed you rented the place you live at, that’s all. Your dresses aren’t as…as…garish as what I expect of nobility.”

“Why, Mr. Jasper, I do believe you just paid me a compliment.”

“It’s just an observation.” After a moment, he asked, “Why are you here?”

“I told you. I wanted you to meet my son. He’s the most important person in my life.”

“I don’t understand. What does he have to do with me?”

“You’ll see soon enough.” She winked at him and patted her son on the shoulder. “We won’t keep you. I know what an important gentleman you are.”

Malcolm frowned. What did she mean by that?

Before he could ask, she said, “I don’t want to linger too long in case people talk and you risk your reputation talking to a lady as beautiful as myself.”

She gestured to her body, and he suspected she was alluding more to her curves than her dress. It was a hint the child wouldn’t pick up on, but being a grown adult, he caught her meaning.

“We’ll see ourselves out,” she continued. “May your pressing engagements prove ever fruitful.”

Was she alluding to something else this time? The comment seemed to come right out of nowhere, and yet, it was oddly familiar. But he couldn’t place its origin. He knew he’d recently come across similar terminology, though. Maybe Warren or one of his friends had said something about a fruitful endeavor the other day.

He watched as she and her son left. That had to be the strangest conversation he’d ever had with another human being. Just why was it so important she introduce him to her son? He had nothing to do with the boy, nor would he. He shook his head. He could only hope when he got married, she’d leave him alone. Risking all these scandals was making him more and more nervous.

After she was gone, he found his butler. “Next time that lady shows up at the door, I want you to tell her I’m not here.”

“Understood, Mr. Jasper,” the butler said.

Relieved, Malcolm returned to his investment plan.

***

It wasn’t until his wedding day that Malcolm saw just who Lady Cantrell was. They’d already exchanged vows sealing their fates together, when he lifted her veil and discovered the truth.

He gasped and lowered her veil. Believing it’d been a trick of the eyes, he blinked a couple times, shook his head, and lifted it again. But it was still the same face that greeted him. And what’s more, the blonde had the nerve to wink at him.

“I bet you wish you’d taken the time to meet me now,” she said, a satisfied grin on her face.

He gasped again and put the veil back down. It couldn’t really be her. The lady from Lord Roderick’s ball. The one who’d brought her son over to his townhouse. It just couldn’t be.

He spun on his heel, went straight for his sister, took her by the arm, and practically hauled her out of the Duchess of Ashbourne’s drawing room.

“Malcolm, what do you think you’re doing?” his sister asked as he took her down the hall.

He saw an open door and led her into the den. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw his annoying brother-in-law coming after them and decided to lock the door. There. That ought to keep Logan out while he talked to Melissa.

Malcolm turned to his sister. “What were you thinking?”

A knock came at the door. “Malcolm, I don’t mean to be insulting, but you are aware you ran off with my wife instead of your own, don’t you?” Logan asked.

“Of course, I know, you simpleton,” Malcolm snapped. “Go away.”

“Melissa, do you want me to intervene?” Logan asked.

Malcolm gritted his teeth, and she called out, “I’m fine. Tell everyone we’ll return soon.”

“All right, but if you need me, say the secret word we use whenever you get tired of talking to your brother.”

Malcolm frowned as Logan walked away. “You have a secret word you use when you’re tired of talking to me?” he asked her, unable to believe what he was hearing.

She chuckled, and he couldn’t be sure, but it sounded forced. “No. That would be silly.”

He narrowed his eyes, not at all convinced.

“Anyway, you wished to discuss this matter about your bride, correct?” she asked.

As much as he wanted to find out why she needed a secret word to get out of talking to him, he had much more pressing matters at hand. With a nod, he headed over to her. “Yes. You lied to me.”

“I did no such thing. I told you we picked Lady Cantrell for you to marry.”

“I didn’t realize she,” he gestured in the direction of the drawing room, “was Lady Cantrell!”

The knob turned and the Duchess of Ashbourne came into the room.

His jaw dropped. “Can I get no privacy around here?” he asked.

“This is my home,” the duchess said. “I’ll go wherever I want.” She shut the door and slipped the key back into her pocket. “Now, what’s troubling you?” she asked Malcolm.

“My bride,” Malcolm said. “I don’t want the one you selected.”

The duchess clasped her hands and straightened her back. “To be fair, you didn’t specify who you wanted. You didn’t even answer the questions I gave you. You only said to consult Melissa, and that’s exactly what I did.”

He turned to his sister whose eyebrows rose innocently.

“Did you know she was the lady who almost created the scandal with me at Lord Roderick’s ball?” he asked Melissa.

“Yes,” Melissa replied.

“Then why did you pick her?” he demanded.

“I like her, that’s why.” She crossed her arms. “If you can’t take a more active interest in your love life, you deserve what you get. Besides, I stand by my decision. Regan is exactly the kind of lady you need.”

“She isn’t a proper one,” he said, bewildered Melissa, the one person who knew him better than anyone else, would pick someone like her for him to marry.

“That’s my point,” Melissa replied. “She’s nothing like you. You need someone who can bring some excitement into your life.”

“I already have excitement in my life.”

“I mean, something other than money.” When he stared at her in disbelief, she added, “I want you to be happy.”

“I’m already happy.”

“There’s more to being happy than having money.”

“Don’t you think I know that?”

“No, I don’t,” Melissa said. “You spend all your time figuring out how to make more of it.”

“That’s not true. I see important people.”

“To talk about money,” she pointed out. “You need something more than money.”

Unwittingly, he recalled his father’s admonition to him to remember he wouldn’t live forever, and when he did die, he couldn’t take his money with him. He had to leave it to someone, and he’d rather pull out his eyes than give it to his brother-in-law. As loathe as he was to admit it, he needed a child, someone he could mold into his image and instruct on the proper way to handle the money he’d be getting one day.

Granted, Lady Cantrell—Regan—had a child already, automatically making him a father. But no doubt since the child wasn’t his, she wouldn’t allow him to influence the lad. No. He needed his own child in order to pass on his wisdom, not to mention idealistic moral behavior.

“I don’t suppose I can get an annulment?” he asked the duchess. He had to make one more effort to get out of this marriage, even if it was a feeble one.

“You’ll do nothing of the sort,” the duchess replied. “You agreed to marry Regan. You signed the contract specifically stating you would follow through with it. It’s your own fault you refused to answer my questions or see her before today. You’ll just have to be a gentleman and treat her like the lady she is.”

He almost snorted at the comment. If Regan was anything, it definitely was not a lady. Ladies didn’t drag gentlemen to the dance floor, come up to them on the sidewalk, or barge into their townhouse uninvited. But the duchess was right. He had failed to make sure the match was a suitable one, and because of that, he’d have to deal with the consequences. He’d do so if he lost money in a business deal, and he’d do so now.

Finally, with more conviction than he felt, he said, “Fine. I’ll follow through with my part of the arrangement.” Then, feeling like a gentleman about to go out for a duel, he left the room to confront the enemy.

Chapter Seven

“You needn’t worry,” Logan said as he handed Regan a glass of sherry. “Malcolm has a hard time liking people. It’s in his nature.”

Regan took it then sat on the settee, putting the veil next to her. “I’m not worried. I wore the veil on purpose because I knew he’d run off as soon as he saw it was me he was marrying.”

Eyebrows raised, Logan sat in the chair across from her. “You did?”

Sensing his amusement, she grinned. “I did. He’s got an unnecessarily strong fear of tarnishing his reputation. Anyone so much as sneezes in the wrong direction near him has him in a panic.”

He laughed and slapped his thigh. “I like you! I can already tell we are going to get along splendidly. Welcome to the family, my lady.”

She nodded her thanks and sipped her sherry. “I don’t mind a challenge when I see it. I just want to make sure the challenge is worth taking.”

“And you believe Malcolm’s worth all this trouble?”

“He’s good to my son. I’d like for my son to have a gentleman in his life who can be a father to him.”

“I’ll grant you that one. He is good with children. It might be his sole redeeming quality.”

“I’m sure he has others,” she said. “It’s just a matter of finding them.”

“Well, I hope you have more luck than I did. I couldn’t find a single one.”

“Why do I have the feeling you enjoy saying and doing things in hopes of annoying him?”

He seemed to consider her question before his smile widened. “All right, I admit it. I do. The more annoyed he gets, the better. But,” he pointed to her, “when I was betrothed to his sister, he tried to get rid of me.”

“Did he?”

“Can you keep a secret?”

“Better than you can imagine.”

He lowered his voice. “He kidnapped me and took me out of London. Then he forced me into a duel.”

Her eyes widened, and she leaned forward. “He didn’t!” she whispered.

“He did. I grazed his wrist with a bullet. I had no intention of killing him. I only wanted to get him to stop.”

“It must have worked. Both of you are still here.”

“Yes, it worked.” With a shrug, he leaned back in his chair. “He was trying to save his sister from having to marry me. I can’t completely fault him. I might have done the same if I were him.” A twinkle sparked in his eye. “Of course, I would have won.”

She chuckled. “You’re a mischievous one, aren’t you?”

“I am.”

She laughed. His humor was wonderfully refreshing. It’d been a long time since she’d had such a delightful conversation with someone.

Malcolm came into the room, not looking any happier than he had when he stormed out. He glanced from her to Logan and rolled his eyes. “You two would get along. Let me guess. You’re both trying to think of ways to irritate me?”

Logan cocked an eyebrow in her direction. “Did I mention he’s self-absorbed?”

“Pardon me for having something better to do than to sit around and gossip all day,” Malcolm muttered as he walked over to Regan.

“What was that?” Logan asked.

“Nothing.”

“Oh, please do repeat it. I know how important everything you say is.”

Regan tried to hold back her laughter, but it came out anyway. She quickly compensated for it with a cough.

Malcolm groaned. “I can already see how things will be.” He looked at her. “It’s a shame you didn’t marry him when you had the chance.”

She stood up from the settee and gathered her veil. “Your sister’s happy with him. And I’m sure, in time, you’ll find I’m not as bad as you think I am. You might even be happy with me.”

“I’ll settle for contentment.”

“Promise me you won’t be that boring,” Logan told her.

Helena and Melissa came into the room, and Logan jumped up so he could give Melissa a kiss on the cheek.

“Where are my parents?” Melissa asked.

“Oh, they left with the vicar,” Logan replied. “They figured the damage was already done and if they stayed here, it would only get worse.”

“Too bad not all of us had that option,” Malcolm blandly said. Turning to Regan, he asked, “May we talk?”

Regan nodded. “We may. We’ll take my carriage to my townhouse.”

“Actually, I was thinking we could go in my carriage to my townhouse,” he argued. “I am the husband, and it’s the wife’s duty to go where the husband is.”

“But I have a son, and everything is already arranged for him at my townhouse.”

“You can have his things moved over to my townhouse.”

“This townhouse belonged to his father. It’ll one day be his.”

Logan snickered. “I love my new sister-in-law.”

“I think we’d all be better off without your comments,” Malcolm snapped, shooting a pointed look at Logan that dared him to say something.

Logan only shrugged and slipped his arm around Melissa’s waist. “I’ve grown bored of his childish antics. Take me to our happy home.”

“I’ll be over to see you soon,” Melissa told Regan before she allowed Logan to escort her out of the room.

Regan turned her attention to Malcolm. “I left Leonard at my townhouse with my mother-in-law. She watches him from time to time.”

Though he tapped the floor in irritation with his boot, he finally said, “Fine. We’ll go to your townhouse.”

Glad he at least was willing to do this, Regan offered a thank you to Helena, who gave her a sympathetic smile, then headed out of the drawing room.

Malcolm followed, and though he didn’t say anything, she could hear him sighing in frustration.

To be honest, she wasn’t the least bit surprised. She’d fully expected this. He felt betrayed, but he was unwilling to take responsibility for his part in the whole deception. Had he shown her enough consideration to meet with her prior to today, he would have known exactly what he was getting into…or he could have taken measures to prevent the wedding from happening. Either way, she refused to take sole blame for this.

Without a glance in his direction, she went straight to her carriage and got in. She wasn’t sure if he’d join her. In fact, she expected him to take his own carriage and follow her. But he was soon sitting beside her, looking more like a child denied his favorite toy instead of a besotted groom. What a contrast to her wedding day with Frederick. He’d been so happy he couldn’t stop smiling and talking about all the things they’d do together. Things, of course, they had such a short time to do. They hadn’t even been able to do half of them, but she had his son. She wouldn’t trade that for all the sorrow following his death.

The carriage pulled forward, and she pulled herself out of her memories. Frederick would want her to be happy with someone else. Life was too short to be stuck in the past.

“Will we have this talk before or after we get to the townhouse?” she finally asked Malcolm.

“Might as well do it before. I don’t wish to be arguing in front of an innocent child.” Then, he quickly added, “Or your mother-in-law.” He turned his gaze to her. “Do they know you were going to marry me today?”

“Yes. I told Leonard you were going to be his father after I left your townhouse the other day.”

“How unfortunate it is you didn’t think to tell me.”

“You had your chance, Malcolm. I sent you a missive requesting to meet with you. You were too busy to waste any time on me. You had your pressing engagements.”

“And yet you came by unannounced to talk to me.”

“I had to know if you would be good to my son.”

“Apparently, I was or else you would have stopped this travesty.”

She knew he wasn’t trying to be funny, but something in the way he crossed his arms and cocked his head to the side, his eyes going skyward, made her laugh. If there was one thing she could say about him, it was that he had no trouble letting her know exactly what was on his mind.

“Part of this is your fault, Malcolm,” she said. “You should accept that instead of trying to blame it all on me.”

She wasn’t sure he would listen to her or not, but fortunately, good sense prevailed. He uncrossed his arms. “You’re right. I should have taken the time to meet with you before today. Though, it would have been nice if you had mentioned something about you being my bride when you brought Leonard over.”

“Maybe this will teach you a good lesson. You shouldn’t ever assume anything.”

“Well, I just hope you’re happy with how things developed. You’ll be stuck with me. I married for the sole purpose of having children. I want people I can pass on my legacy to.”

“I understand, and I’m more than willing to comply.”

He stared at her, a critical frown on his face.

“What?” she asked. “Don’t you believe me?”

“You seem all too agreeable to my demands.”

“We are married,” she replied with a suggestive grin. “The process of begetting children will be a part of things.”

“Process of begetting children? I’m far more interested in actually having the children.”

She smirked. “Just how do you think you’re going to get those children?”

“I’m not naive. I know full well how I’m going to get them. It’s a matter of joining our bodies together. After the…exchange…is done, we’ll wait for you to have the child before trying for another. It’s like a business transaction.”

She’d figured he hadn’t been around ladies much, but she had no idea he was completely unaware of how pleasurable the bed could be. “Don’t you ever have needs?” When he frowned, she explained, “Basic urges that lead to an erection?”

He paled. “I would thank you to refrain from such bold speech.”

“Why? We’re alone.”

“That’s not the point. The point is, you’re a lady. You shouldn’t be speaking of things like a gentleman’s…” He waved his hand, as if trying to think of the right word to say.

“Erect penis?” she provided.

He grimaced and shifted in his seat, once again crossing his arms. “Such a thing shouldn’t come out of a lady’s lips. You are the gentler and fairer sex, after all.”

“I’m a widow, Malcolm. I’m not some untried lady. And more than that, I have a son. There’s only one way that son got here. It’s the only way you’ll get those children you want so much. And as much as I hate to shock you, it’s how you came to be. Had it not been for your parents—”

He put his hands over his ears and shut his eyes. “Don’t say it. I forbid you to say it.” After a few seconds, he opened his eyes and glanced over at her.

She waited until he lowered his hands before letting out an exasperated sigh. “It’s a natural part of life. There’s nothing wrong about it.”

“I didn’t say there was something wrong with it.”

“It’s how you’re acting. One would swear you think babies magically pop out of the sky.”

“I know how babies come to be here. I just never concerned myself with the details because I didn’t have a reason to make one.” Then, as an afterthought, he added, “Until now. But this is simply an investment in my future. It’s not something I intend to enjoy or do a lot of. I just want to do it enough so I’ll have at least two children. Ideally, we’ll have a boy and a girl, but I know there’s no way to control the outcome.”

She stared at him, trying to gauge whether or not he was serious. But he made eye contact with her and didn’t blink. He was serious. Absolutely and completely serious. Unable to stop herself, she burst out laughing.

“What’s so amusing?” he asked with a frown.

“Haven’t you ever pleasured yourself? With your hand?” she clarified in case he had no idea what she was talking about.

He didn’t react right away, and when he did, his jaw dropped and his eyes nearly popped out of his head.

“What? The thought never occurred to you to do that?”

“We are not compatible at all. This marriage won’t work.”

“Oh, of course, it will. Once you realize how enjoyable the bed is, things will be fine.” She caught his skeptical expression and said, “I assure you, lovemaking will be one of the best things you’ll ever do. It might even become your favorite activity.” Then, just to ease his mind, she added, “You might even prefer it to money.”

This time, he was the one who laughed. “My dear lady, I could never prefer anything to money. Money is my one greatest passion, and I’m good at making it.”

Not to be deterred by his remark, she leaned toward him and lowered her voice. “Perhaps you will find you’ll also be good at making children.”

The carriage came to a stop, and he seemed relieved the conversation was over. Soon enough, she’d have him in bed, and then she would start teaching him there was more to life than money.

Chapter Eight

Malcolm decided to follow Regan into her townhouse. His coachman had asked him if he should have the butler pack his things and bring them here, and Malcolm had relented enough to say he’d like a couple of his clothes and grooming items. He wasn’t quite ready to admit he was going to live in this place.

Right now, he was staying at her townhouse to get the matter of the child underway. Not all husbands lived with their wives. Some chose to even live in different countries, something he was beginning to think was a good idea.

But he owed it to his future son or daughter to put in the time to create him or her. That being the case, he willingly went into Regan’s townhouse.

“I didn’t expect you back so soon,” the older lady said, rising from the chair where she was playing with Leonard in the drawing room.

“We didn’t have a breakfast,” Regan replied. “It was a simple ceremony at the Duchess of Ashbourne’s townhouse.” She turned to Malcolm and gestured to the lady. “This is my mother-in-law, Eloise. Eloise, this is Malcolm Jasper.”

“A pleasure,” he greeted with a bow.

“How do you do?” she greeted, curtsying.

“Is he my father now?” Leonard asked.

“You should wait until you’re addressed before talking,” Regan told her son.

“I’m sorry,” he replied, clasping his hands in front of him and waiting for his cue to talk.

Malcolm was surprised Regan insisted her boy adhere to the rules when she, herself, was prone to break them. If she could bend them when it suited her, Malcolm decided he could, too. “Nonsense,” he spoke up, interrupting Eloise’s question about the ceremony. “I’d be happy to speak with the lad.” He waved him forward. “Come on over and tell me all about your morning. I wager it was much better than the one I had.”

He caught the startled expression on Eloise’s face and thought it was just as well he’d upset Regan’s mother-in-law. Perhaps it would show Regan how embarrassing she could be, given the right circumstances.

Inspired, he sat in a chair and patted his lap. “You can sit here if you want.”

The boy hesitated but then did as requested. “You really want to know what I did?”

“I wouldn’t have asked if I wasn’t interested.” When the boy didn’t seem to understand him, he added, “Yes, I want to know. Tell me all about it. Don’t leave anything out.” With any luck, the lad would talk all day and prevent him from having to have any more conversations with his mother.

“Cook made eggs,” Leonard said. “I don’t like eggs.”

“You don’t?”

“The yellow part isn’t good.”

“Oh, the yolk. I don’t like it when the yolk gets on my bread. It makes it limp.”

“It doesn’t taste good. I try not to eat it at all.”

“I don’t blame you. If you don’t like something, why pretend to?”

Malcolm glanced over at Regan, wondering if she caught his meaning, but to his surprise, she was smiling at the two of them, as if this was the most wonderful conversation she’d ever heard. What was wrong with her? Was she so daft she didn’t know when someone was telling her he didn’t care to be near her?

His gaze went to Eloise, and she whispered something in Regan’s ear. The two ladies nodded and then smiled at each other. Malcolm wasn’t sure what the exchange meant, but he was sure it wasn’t good. Few things seemed to ever be in his favor when it came to his bride.

“I do like cheese,” Leonard said. Then, as an afterthought, he added, “With biscuits.”

Turning his attention back to the boy, Malcolm nodded. “I do, too. We should have that tomorrow morning. I’ll tell Cook to make those instead of eggs.”

There. Maybe going over Regan’s authority would annoy her. But when he looked at her, he saw the same ridiculous grin on her face. Was there nothing he could do to upset her?

“Can I have a crumpet, too?” Leonard asked. “Mother always says no.”

What a clever lad! If Regan didn’t get annoyed when he did something she specifically forbade, then there was no hope for him. “Yes, you may,” he told Leonard, glancing, once more, at her.

Unfortunately, she showed no signs of irritation. In fact, her mother-in-law whispered something else in her ear, and the two ladies giggled. Malcolm just didn’t understand it. It seemed his new wife was a formidable wall he couldn’t penetrate. He used to believe everyone had a weakness, but in this case, he might be wrong.

“I like you,” Leonard said. “Mother’s right about you. You’ll be a good father.”

Eyebrows raised, Malcolm looked back at Regan who put her hand up to her mouth to cover another giggle. So she thought it was adorable he was talking to her son. He should have known talking to the lad would be a big mistake. Ever since Melissa had her son, she’d made it a point to mention who was good with children and who wasn’t. Of course, Regan would pay attention to the same thing since she was a mother.

“Want to know what I did after I ate?” Leonard asked.

Malcolm figured he was already committed to this conversation. The least he could do was listen to the boy. Besides, the boy was a far safer bet than talking to his mother.

“Yes,” he told Leonard. “What did you do?”

From there, Regan and her mother-in-law sat on the settee and talked quietly while Leonard explained everything about his day in surprising detail, something that impressed him. The lad was very intelligent. He just might be the one silver lining to this whole marriage.

***

Regan couldn’t believe how quickly Malcolm and Leonard got along. The two seemed very well matched, and it was incredibly reassuring. She didn’t think she could have picked a better gentleman to fill in the void Frederick had left behind. Melissa had been right about him. He had a good heart for children. She had no doubt Leonard would do well under his care.

During dinner, she was content to quietly eat while the two talked. Malcolm let Leonard do most of the talking and contributed a comment here or there. For her, the most endearing part of the meal was when Leonard wanted to know what Malcolm did when he was a child.

Malcolm stopped chewing his steak and shrugged. “I don’t remember.”

“You don’t remember?” Leonard asked.

“It was a long time ago.”

“How long?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” Leonard turned his wide eyes to her. “How old is he?”

Malcolm wiped his mouth with the cloth napkin then set it back on his lap. “I’m twenty-five.”

He looked back at Malcolm. “So how long was it since you were four?”

“Twenty-one years ago.”

“That’s a long time!”

“Not really.”

“You’re old. It is a long time.”

Malcolm’s jaw dropped. “Old?”

Regan glanced down at her plate, struggling to keep in her laughter. Malcolm was much too easy to startle.

“You’re big,” Leonard said. “Big people are old.”

“Well, I suppose to someone who is only four, I would seem old, but I assure you I’m not. I’m still young. I have years and years ahead of me. Years to do important things.”

“Like what?”

“Like make profitable ventures, acquire promising partnerships, and leave behind a legacy.”

Regan saw the confusion on her son’s face, so she explained, “What he means is that he wants to make more money and have children.”

“Oh.” Leonard turned his attention back to him. “Why didn’t you say that?”

“I did,” Malcolm said.

“Not in a way he could understand you,” she replied with a chuckle before she took a sip of her wine.

“I’m not used to talking to little people,” Malcolm said. “It’s going to take time to get used to the proper way to do it.”

She thought it was adorable he referred to children as little people but decided to keep that thought to herself. She turned her attention to the remaining vegetables on her plate.

“I want a brother or sister,” Leonard told him.

“When I was your age, I did, too,” Malcolm said.

“Did you get one?”

“Yes. I got a sister.”

“What was her name?”

“Melissa, but you will call her Lady Toplyn.”

“Lady Top Pin,” Leonard sounded out.

At this, Malcolm let out a chuckle. “It fits well enough.”

Regan shot him a pointed look. “Don’t tell me you’re willing to let my son get your brother-in-law’s title wrong.”

Malcolm gestured to Leonard and said, “He’s only four. What do you expect?”

She shook her head. Granted, Malcolm hadn’t been happy when his sister married Logan, but she was surprised he was willing to let Leonard get his title wrong. “I think I might have misjudged you, my dear,” she told him. “There is a small part of you that delights in mischief.”

He let out a light huff. “That’s not true. The lad is having trouble with the title. I can’t blame him for it.”

“You’re not trying to help him sound it out right, either.”

“I just got into this marriage. I can’t be expected to do everything right away. You do it if it’s so important to you.”

She tried to hold back her chuckle, but she couldn’t help it. “You take things much too seriously, Mr. Jasper. I was only teasing you.” Before he could respond, she stood up and motioned to Leonard. “Come. You need to get ready for bed.” With a wink at Malcolm, she added, “I’ll see you later.”

At that, he blanched, and she didn’t know whether she should be amused or worried. She couldn’t recall a single gentleman ever being nervous about the wedding night. Such a thing was often the lady’s plight. Even if he wasn’t thrilled to be with her, he should be at least looking forward to the bedchamber.

Deciding to give it no more thought, she took Leonard to his room and got him ready for bed. After she read to him, she sang a lullaby until he drifted off to sleep. Except for the nights she went to balls, this was her routine with him. One of the most pleasurable moments of her life was being able to look at him while he slept. He always looked so peaceful, and more than that, he reminded her so much of Frederick.

She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. He shifted but didn’t wake up.

“I love you,” she whispered then blew out the candle and left the room to see her husband about their wedding night.

Chapter Nine

Malcolm locked his bedchamber door. Then, for better measure, he locked the door connecting his bedchamber to hers. Yes, he realized he should be willing to see his bride on his wedding night, but he simply wasn’t in the mood. Everything was happening much too fast, what with the shock and all. He needed some time to get used to being married to Regan.

There was no doubt about it. His life was so much easier when all he had to do was balance his ledger. His valet had offered to help him undress, but he thought it better to do it himself. Sometimes he wondered if those who had been employed under him were secretly laughing because his wife was already dictating so much of his life. Up to now, he’d always been in charge, doing things he’d wanted to do, whenever he’d wanted to do them.

Then as soon as he married, he was moving into her townhouse and sitting with her son all afternoon. Not that he minded the lad. Leonard asked a lot of questions, which had grown wearisome as the day drew on, but he was good with details. He had surprising potential. All of these would someday help him manage his money as long as Regan would allow Malcolm the freedom to teach him.

Probably not. Leonard was her first husband’s son. While she wanted Leonard to have a father figure, he doubted she intended for him to actually step into the role as if he were his father. She had her loyalties to her first husband. If he guessed right, she still adored the gentleman. She hadn’t wished for him to die. That much he knew. Malcolm would have preferred it if her first husband had lived, too. Then he would have been matched up with a lady much more suited for him, but neither one of them could bring Lord Cantrell back from the grave.

After he was finished undressing, he was ready to put on his nightclothes when a key turned in the lock connecting his bedchamber with Regan’s. Gasping, he picked up the nearest thing to him, which happened to be a pitcher, still full of water. Ignoring the water that splashed on him, he held the pitcher in front of his private region.

Before he had time to ask her why she dared to come into his bedchamber, she said, “You really didn’t think I had a key to get in?”

“I locked the door because I didn’t want you here,” he replied, feeling much too exposed, especially in the glow of the candlelight. She was, no doubt, going to be noting the differences between him and her first husband, and who knew if she’d find him lacking?

“This is our wedding night,” she said, not hiding the surprise in her voice. “Why wouldn’t you want me here? Aren’t you eager to get started on the children you want?”

“No. I can wait.”

“Malcolm, I didn’t think it was possible for a gentleman to be apprehensive about his wedding night.”

“I’m not apprehensive. I’m just tired. It’s been a long day. I need some time alone.”

“I’ll tell you what.” She shut the door behind her and approached him.

He backed up, his backside hitting the cabinet behind him.

“I won’t take up much of your time,” she said, still coming closer to him. “This is your first time, correct?”

He didn’t want to answer that. It was never good for a gentleman to admit such a thing. Instead, he said, “I’m an important person. Too many gentlemen rely on my expertise to help their businesses thrive.”

“Yes, I keep hearing how important you are. That being the case, isn’t it necessary for you to have children to pass on your legacy to?” She reached him and slipped the key into the pocket of her robe. “I’m afraid there’s only one way you’re getting those children. But don’t worry.” She took the pitcher from him, ignoring his gasp of protest. “I promise it won’t hurt one single bit. In fact, you’ll even enjoy it.”

“I-I-I…” He struggled to find the right words to voice his complaint, but the words didn’t come.

She removed her robe, and his gaze went down the length of her body, noting her plentiful breasts and the nice patch of hair between her legs. She was exquisite to look at. There was no denying that.

She kissed him, her body lightly touching his in a way that excited him. Had he not gotten an erection, he was sure she wouldn’t have noticed the effect she had on him.

Deepening the kiss, she lowered her hands and touched his arousal, her fingers teasing him, notifying him of just how much she knew and how much he had to learn. He’d been so used to teaching others what to do, he didn’t know if he liked the idea of being the one who had more to learn. But it hadn’t been his fault he was inexperienced in this area. Money was much too important to be distracted with other pursuits.

Ending the kiss, she took his hand and led him to the bed. “I promise I won’t make this long. You’ll have plenty of time to be alone while you bemoan your fate.”

She pushed him back on the bed and straddled him. Without wasting any time, she took him into her, the passageway of her wet warmth wrapping ever so nicely around him. And in that moment, he forgot all about his misgivings about this night. On its own accord, his body urged him to thrust deeper into her. With a groan, he slid partially out of her and right back in. She felt heavenly. Absolutely and completely heavenly. And somehow, she’d managed to bring him to a point where he couldn’t even think. All he could do was feel.

She seemed more than happy to encourage this, too, for she rocked her hips, an action that not only made her breasts jiggle in the most arousing manner but also brought him closer to an orgasm. He tried to fight it off. He wasn’t ready to end this round of lovemaking. Not when he’d never felt so good in his entire life. But he couldn’t fight it. He grew still and released his seed, crying out, clenching her hips and staying as deep inside her as her flesh would allow.

She moaned, wiggling over him in a way that prolonged his climax. When he finally descended from the heights of heaven, she brought his hand between her legs and used his thumb to rub a part of her that seemed to bring her intense pleasure.

Despite still reeling from the effects of his orgasm, he focused enough on her instructions to follow her lead, rubbing her in the way she’d demonstrated. Her moans grew louder, and once more she was moving on top of him. He watched her breasts bounce in the same delicious manner they’d been dancing moments before. Even sated, he couldn’t resist the appeal of those wonderful breasts. Who knew they looked even better out of a dress than filling one?

“Oh yes,” she moaned, bringing his gaze to her face, noting her determination. Her eyes met his, and she whispered, “Faster. Do it faster.”

Something in the way she made the order excited him. Yes, he was doing her bidding, but he was more than happy to oblige. He did as she instructed and was rewarded with even louder moans. For a moment, he wondered if all this noise was a good idea. It wasn’t possible anyone could hear her, was it?

Soon, she grew still and cried out her pleasure, this one being the loudest cry of all, and he was torn between enjoying the fact that she had peaked and wondering how many servants knew what they were doing. But certainly, all the servants were downstairs. So they really wouldn’t be able to hear them. Right?

She settled next to him, out of breath. Since she snuggled up to him, he found himself putting his arm around her. He told himself it wasn’t because he wanted to. It was simply because it’d be awkward if he didn’t. If nothing else, he was always a gentleman.

He closed his eyes, not expecting to doze off to sleep. But he did, and when he woke up, he noticed Regan was gone. He should have been relieved. After all, he really hadn’t been looking forward to making her leave so he could finally have some much needed time alone. He wasn’t relieved, though, and he couldn’t figure out why.

***

Regan took her time in picking out her morning dress. She wanted to be attractive when Malcolm saw her. He had made the comment she dressed better than most of the ladies of notable means. While he probably didn’t intend to encourage her, she gathered he found her attractive. He wouldn’t be noticing what she was wearing unless he thought so.

After a fifteen-minute struggle, she finally chose the peach dress because it had a more revealing neckline. It wasn’t anything a prostitute would wear. The dip was subtle. She’d have to lean toward him to get the full advantage of it, but she could find plenty of reasons to lean forward.

To further encourage him to look at her breasts, she chose to wear a necklace with a pearl that came just short of her neckline. She had her lady’s maid pull her hair back so her hair wouldn’t detract from the necklace.

Once she was done, she studied her reflection in the mirror.

“You’re a beautiful lady, but this morning, you are absolutely radiant,” her lady’s maid said.

“Thank you, Minerva.” Let’s just hope the groom thinks so, too.

She left her bedchamber and went to Leonard’s room where the maid was combing his hair.

“He’s almost ready,” the maid told her.

“I’m having crumpets this morning,” Leonard said, squirming in his chair despite his best effort to remain still. “Father said I could.”

Surprised her son had taken so quickly to Malcolm, she asked, “You really like him?”

“Uh huh. He likes it when I talk.”

She shot the maid an amused grin, and the maid chuckled. Turning her gaze to Leonard, she said, “I suppose being a child makes it hard to get adults to listen to you.”

“I have to be quiet a lot,” he replied.

“Yes, I know. It’s polite, and I want you to be polite.”

“Father thinks I don’t have to be polite.”

“Oh, I’m sure he does.” If anyone would stress the importance of being polite, it was Malcolm!

“Then why’d he let me talk?”

“Probably because he enjoys what you have to say.”

Leonard smiled widely. “I like having a father.”

“Well, don’t assume because he is nice to you that you can do whatever you want. You do have to mind your manners, and if he tells you to do something, you need to do it, just as you would with me.”

“He’s ready, my lady,” the maid told her.

“Thank you.” Regan waved him to the door. “Let’s see if your father is downstairs yet.”

The boy bolted for the door, and she had to call out for him to slow down. It was nice he was so eager to see Malcolm. Her only hesitation in marrying again was how well her husband would get along with Leonard, and as it was turning out, the two got along splendidly. Things couldn’t be more ideal.

Following her son down the hallway, she glanced at Malcolm’s bedchamber door, wondering if he was still in there. He didn’t seem like the type of gentleman who would hide, but she’d been surprised when he’d locked his door the previous evening. Who knew what he’d do this morning?

Sure, she was wagering he’d go downstairs and had worn her most attractive morning dress because of it, but one thing she was quickly learning was that she couldn’t take anything for granted. He wasn’t anything like Frederick.

When she reached the drawing room, Leonard peered in, shook his head, and went down the hall. She glanced inside and, as she expected, Malcolm wasn’t there. She followed her son until he darted into the den and called out, “Father!”

Malcolm let out a startled yelp, making her giggle. The lad, in his enthusiasm, could be loud, and he would have, no doubt, startled her, too, if she’d been Malcolm. Malcolm had much to get used to in acquiring a son so soon.

She entered the room, watching as Malcolm used the sleeve of his suit jacket to wipe up the water, which had spilled on the table. The ledger had been thrown to the side of the desk, probably in an effort to prevent it from getting wet. From where she stood, the tactic had worked, for it appeared dry.

She went over to the corner of the room and pulled on the tassel to summon the butler.

“I’m sorry, Father,” Leonard said, standing beside him. “Are you angry?”

“No, I’m not angry,” Malcolm replied. Grimacing, he stopped his frantic wiping and shook his sleeve.

“The butler will take care of it,” Regan told him. “Why don’t you get a new jacket? Then we’ll eat.”

“Yes, I suppose I should.” Without even glancing her way, he hurried out of the room.

“I can help him,” Leonard said.

“No,” she replied. “This is something he should do by himself. Now, you be good and sit over there.” She gestured to the chair.

“All right.”

As he obeyed, she went to the desk and removed the other items that were still dry. Afterwards, she picked up the ledger, surprised it was hers. She’d often had the steward manage the money. Things of this nature didn’t particularly interest her, but it was of much interest to Malcolm. She should have known he’d want to get an idea of how wealthy she was. In fact, maybe it should shock her he hadn’t done this last night since he hadn’t been eager to go to bed.

“What is it, Mother?” Leonard asked.

“Oh, just an account of the money.” Noting the confused expression on his face, she added, “It’s how much we spend and save.”

She set the ledger on a dry area of the desk, marked the page Malcolm had been at, and closed it.

The butler came into the room. “How may I be of service, my lady?”

“There was a minor accident,” she said, pointing to the puddle of water on the desk. “It’s nothing serious. Just water.”

“I’ll get to it at once.”

As the butler left the room, she sat in the chair next to her son and whispered, “Maybe the next time you come into the room, you shouldn’t yell. I think you frightened your father.” Though she tried to be serious, a chuckle rose up in her throat.

“Does he frighten easily?” Leonard asked.

“I’m afraid so. I think he needs time to get used to us.” Mostly her. But she didn’t add that part.

The butler returned to the room with a rag in hand. Once he was done, he announced the morning buffet was ready when they were.

She chose to wait for Malcolm to return. If they ate together as a family, maybe it would help Malcolm make the adjustment that much easier. He came into the den five minutes later, wearing a new suit jacket, and she stood up.

“My ledger is over there,” she told him. “I marked the page you were at, so you can get back to inspecting the condition of the estate after we eat.”

This time, he did look over at her. As she’d hoped, his gaze went from her face to her neckline. Good. The necklace worked. When his gaze went back to her face, she noticed the slight hint of pink in his cheeks.

He cleared his throat. “Yes. Good. I want to see what I got myself into when I married you.”

“You got me,” Leonard spoke up, wiggling out of the chair until he landed on his feet.

Malcolm nodded. “Indeed, I did, and that was the best part of the arrangement.”

She suspected he’d said that to dissuade her from coming to his bedchamber tonight, but if he thought she could be discouraged so easily, he was mistaken. He hadn’t put up that much of a fuss last evening. If he’d really wanted her to leave, he would have led her to the door and waved her on out of his room. But he hadn’t done that. Instead, he’d gone to the bed with her and let her take him inside her and…

She quickly discarded the memory. Now wasn’t the time to let her thoughts go there. If she wasn’t careful, she’d start aching with desire to be with him again. It’d been a long time since she’d had the pleasure of having a gentleman inside her. She’d forgotten how intense an orgasm could be when she was making love.

Malcolm narrowed his eyes at her. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Using as innocent an expression as she could, she asked, “Like what?”

“Like I’m something you plan to eat?”

She chuckled. “I’m doing nothing of the sort. You are speaking nonsense.” Before he could argue with her, she took Leonard’s hand and led him out of the room.

Chapter Ten

Malcolm was sure Regan kept eyeing him in the most impure fashion during the entire meal. The only saving grace was that her son was too young to understand what her sultry looks meant. The butler who stood nearby, however, was old enough to know what was going on, and it only added to Malcolm’s discomfort.

Surely, the staff didn’t know what he and Regan had done last evening. Well, yes, they knew. It was the wedding night, after all. But certainly, they hadn’t heard anything. Had they?

At one point, he glanced at the butler, and he thought he saw the older man smirk.

I’m imagining it, Malcolm told himself then forced his attention from the butler.

“What are you going to do today?” Regan asked before she picked up a strawberry.

“I’m going to White’s,” he said.

She let out a pretty frown. “You are?”

“Yes.” The sooner he made it clear he wasn’t going to let her dictate his life, the better. It was bad enough she wiggled her way into this marriage. “I have important gentlemen to talk to.”

“But I thought you said you had set aside an entire week to dedicate your time to me,” she replied. “I believe it was in the missive you sent when I requested you meet me before the wedding.”

“Circumstances changed,” he said, forcing aside the small inkling of guilt that threatened to overtake him. “I thought I hadn’t met you when I made that promise. It wasn’t like I knew who you were.”

Eyebrows raised, she offered a playful shrug. “All right. Have it your way…for now.”

He didn’t like the sound of that. Before he could consider the impact of her words, she put the strawberry halfway into her mouth. With a wink at him, she let her tongue glide over it, slowly working around the entire thing.

Face warm, he quickly looked away before the suggestive move excited him more than it should. If he wasn’t careful, he’d get an erection. Recalling the butler, he almost looked in his direction, wondering if the butler had seen her scandalous little act, but he managed to keep his focus on the plate in front of him.

“What do you want to do today, Leonard?” Regan asked her son.

Relieved she’d finally taken her attention off of him, Malcolm resumed eating. He didn’t know what to make of his new wife. What other lady would dare do such bold things in front of the staff? Didn’t anything—anything at all—embarrass her?

He’d have to have a word with her when they were alone. He was her husband now, and since that was the case, it was his responsibility to lay down some rules. This kind of thing couldn’t keep going on.

“I want to be with Father,” Leonard said.

Malcolm almost swallowed his eggs the wrong way. Didn’t the boy get enough of him yesterday? He’d spent the entire day with him after the wedding. Surely, the lad had other interests besides him.

“I’m afraid you can’t go to the gentleman’s club,” Regan told her son. “It’s only for adult gentlemen, and those that are allowed there have to be voted in.”

“Your mother’s right. It’s an exclusive club. Only the best of the best get in.” Recalling the fact that Logan belonged there, too, he added, “Of course, there are a few who were granted the honor of belonging to it. I’m not sure how they got in. I assume they knew someone of influence or had significant money.”

“Sometimes it’s who you know that matters in this society,” Regan mused. “Leonard, as you get older, you’ll come to realize this truth.”

Malcolm bristled. “Well, knowing the right people does matter.”

Turning her startled expression to him, Regan said, “I wasn’t talking about you. I was speaking of the Ton.”

He relaxed. “Oh. In that case, I apologize.”

“Not everything I say or think about has to do with you, Mr. Jasper.” She took a sip of her milk then put the glass back on the table. “I’ll tell you what, Leonard. Why don’t we visit Danette today?”

The boy’s shoulders slumped. “That will be boring.”

“No, it won’t. She has toys she brings out whenever you’re there.”

“But you talk and talk and talk. It’s boring.”

“I hate to spoil things for you,” Malcolm began, directing his attention to Leonard, “but the gentlemen at White’s do the same thing. They might play chess or engage in a bet, but mostly, it’s talk.” The boy didn’t seem to like hearing this, so he added, “When you grow up, you’ll enjoy it.”

“After we go to Danette’s, we’ll go to the park,” Regan offered.

The boy’s eyes lit up, and he was much more content to spend a couple of hours listening to ladies engage in boring talk. Malcolm couldn’t blame the lad for dreading it. Ladies hardly had anything of interest to say. Their talk was often on the fashion, gossip, or babies. Malcolm was much happier dealing with money, which reminded him…

He wiped his mouth with the napkin then set it on the plate. “I just remembered I have something important in my bedchamber. I need it for White’s.” He glanced at Regan. It would be rude to hop up and leave without her permission.

As if she could read his mind, she nodded. “You may go.”

Surprised she didn’t protest or give him another suggestive gesture, he thanked her and hurried to his bedchamber. He searched through his trunk and was relieved to see the butler had packed the modified plans he’d made after going to Warren’s dinner party. Warren would love to see how well the new plans turned out.

He put them on the dresser then debated whether or not he should change. No. It’d be unnecessary. When he’d dressed that morning, he’d had his trip to White’s in mind. Gripping the rolled-up parchment, he turned to leave his bedchamber when the door opened and Regan walked in.

He frowned. “I hope you won’t make it a habit of coming into my bedchamber.”

She rose her eyebrows in mock innocence as she clasped her hands together, an action which made her breasts press nicely together. “You didn’t seem to mind what happened after I came in last night.”

His gaze went to her cleavage, and a surge of warmth flooded his loins. Irritated, he forced his gaze back to her face. “I just remembered I have something very important to discuss with you.”

“You do?”

“Yes. Your behavior downstairs this morning was inappropriate.”

“What behavior was that?”

He debated whether or not he should come right out and say it. She knew full well what he was referring to. She was baiting him. He could see it in her eyes.

“Do you enjoy playing games like a child, Regan?” he asked.

“I assure you, my dear husband, childish games were not what I had in mind.”

He didn’t know how to respond to that. If this was a discussion about money, he’d know exactly what to say, but these sexual insinuations were new territory.

“Malcolm,” she walked over to him, “I’m not trying to be difficult. I know that, to you, it seems like I am, but really, I’m not. I want us to get along.”

“If that’s true, don’t do disgusting things like licking a strawberry.”

“Did you really find it disgusting?”

This time, he sensed her raised eyebrows stemmed from genuine surprise. “Yes, it was. I doubt the butler found it the least bit amusing.”

“But I didn’t do it for the butler. I did it for you. I was thinking tonight we could try something different. Just think of the strawberry as your more interesting part.”

He gasped and covered the area of his groin, though he was fully clothed. “I have no such inclination to do that.”

Her eyes widened. “You don’t?”

“Certainly not. I don’t know what you take me for, but I am a gentleman.”

“The reason you’re a gentleman is why you should enjoy having a lady’s mouth on your—”

“Enough. You don’t have to say the word.”

“Are you telling me you don’t want me to do that?”

Since she was being sincere in asking the question, he figured he’d answer it. “The purpose of being intimate is to have children. I don’t see how doing the thing you proposed with the strawberry is going to accomplish that.”

“Not everything we do has to result in children.”

“I see no reason to do something unless there’s a purpose for it.”

“The purpose would be fun. Enjoyment. Pleasure.”

“I find all the fun I need from making money.” Glancing at the grandfather clock in the corner of the room, he said, “I want to make sure I get to White’s by the time Warren does. He likes to get there early.”

“Warren?” she asked as he walked around her.

“Lord Steinbeck.” He looked back at her and smiled. “I get to refer to him by his Christian name. Not every gentleman gets that honor. I took a look at your ledger, and I can easily double what you have in two years. That’s why meetings with people of Warren’s reputation are of the utmost importance.”

He was hoping she’d looked suitably impressed, but she only stared at him as if she hadn’t heard a single thing he’d said. Well, maybe when she realized how much he was capable of earning, she’d understand why he had much more important things to do than spend all day in a bedchamber.

***

Regan was confounded. Completely and utterly confounded. Even after she made it to Danette’s, the conversation she’d shared with Malcolm in his bedchamber still had her at a loss.

She’d thought for sure after experiencing the bliss of lovemaking that Malcolm would want to engage in it for the sole purpose of enjoyment. But he surprised her. He still thought it should only be for having children. He thought making money was far more enjoyable, and, worse than that, he would rather spend time with conceited know-it-alls like Lord Steinbeck.

If only she could discuss this matter with Frederick. He’d know what to do. But then, if Frederick was alive, she wouldn’t be in this situation.

She glanced at Danette who was giving Leonard a tart. It was a shame she couldn’t talk to her friend about this. Her friend had never been married. Her world was in books, and nothing she ever read was remotely interesting.

“My father is nice,” Leonard told Danette.

“That’s wonderful,” Danette replied. Picking up a cup of tea, she turned to Regan. “Would you like more tea?”

Regan glanced down at the cup she was holding, which was still full. “No, I still have enough.”

Danette nodded and settled back on the settee she and Regan were sitting on. “It’s good Mr. Jasper gets along so well with your son. It’s what you hoped for.”

“Yes, it is.” She glanced at her son then whispered, “He needed a father.” And Frederick would have wanted it for him. In a louder voice, she added, “You can call him Malcolm.”

“But I call him ‘father’,” Leonard said.

“Right,” she replied.

Danette studied her as she sipped some tea. “Is something wrong?”

Regan tried to figure out the best way to express her concerns. She couldn’t come right out and say what was on her mind. Not only would Danette not understand, but Leonard was listening. Finally, she opted for, “Malcolm and I aren’t getting along as well as I’d hoped.”

“You can’t be surprised,” Danette told her, her voice soft to help lessen the blow of her words. “He didn’t exactly like you.”

“He didn’t give me a chance.”

“But you didn’t give him a reason to. What gentleman wants to be pursued?”

“Frederick did.”

“Yes, but Frederick wasn’t like other gentlemen.”

There was no arguing that statement. Regan doubted any other husband would be happy to help her write a book instructing gentlemen on how to pleasure their wives.

“Maybe you should let Malcolm pursue you for a change,” Danette suggested.

Lowering her voice, she said, “The only thing he wants to pursue is money. Maybe if I wore a dress made up of pounds, he’d take an interest in me.”

Her friend giggled. “Oh, what a sight that would be.”

Despite her sour mood, Regan chuckled. She could just see it now. He’d be running after her, trying to grab every last pound until she was naked. But knowing him, he’d run off with the money instead of taking her to bed.

“It’s a shame you don’t have a gentleman to talk to,” Danette said. “A gentleman would best know what to tell you about Malcolm.”

Regan considered her friend’s words as she sipped her tea. A gentleman would be the ideal source of advice. Gentlemen had a different way of looking at things than ladies did. She thought through all the gentlemen Frederick had introduced her to, and she quickly dismissed all of them. She hadn’t given them more than a polite greeting since his death. What she needed was a gentleman she knew well enough to have a private discussion with, and better yet, he had to be someone who didn’t mind talk of a personal nature.

She gasped when Melissa’s husband came to mind. Of course! Logan had been very bold in his speech yesterday after the wedding. He might not be friends with Malcolm, but he had a good sense of humor. She couldn’t think of anyone else who might be able to help her. If she asked him for help, and he refused to do it, then at least she’d know she’d tried.

“Danette,” she turned her attention back to her friend who was doting on Leonard, “would you watch my son for an hour? I think I know someone who might help me with Malcolm.”

“I’ll be happy to stay with Leonard,” Danette said. “He’s a delightful lad.”

“That’s why Father likes me,” Leonard replied, his smile wide.

“No one could resist you. You’re nice and intelligent. Those are good qualities.”

Regan watched Danette, thinking it was a shame her friend had been so quick to give up on marriage. Granted, she’d gone through three Seasons and had two failed engagements, but she still had time to find a husband.

“May you find what you need,” Danette told Regan.

“Thank you,” Regan replied, smiling at her friend. Looking at her son, she added, “Be good.”

“I will. I’m nice and intelli-i-ge-a-ment,” her son stammered in an effort to pronounce the word ‘intelligent’.

Regan chuckled before hurrying out of the drawing room.

Chapter Eleven

Warren shook his head. “They’ll never be of any use to Society.”

Malcolm set down the plans he was modifying and followed Warren’s gaze. Lord Edon and Mr. Christopher Robinson were reading through the Tittletattle and laughing.

“Simple minds,” Warren added. “Easily amused by gossip. Who cares who was caught doing something scandalous?”

Malcolm swallowed. God help him if the scandalsheets ever put his wife in there. He’d never live the shame down.

“You know what’s even worse?”

Malcolm wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the answer because it just might have something to do with his wife. For all he knew, Warren heard Regan was running through London causing all sorts of gossip. That was silly. If Warren had come across something like that, he wouldn’t be talking to him right now.

Feeling better with this piece of logic, Malcolm asked, “What?”

“Edon keeps copies of that horrible book on how to pleasure a lady.” With a look heavenward, he sighed. “What kind of gentleman has such an item in his possession? One who lauds his many exploits, that’s who.”

To Malcolm’s surprise, Warren got up from his chair and walked over to Edon and Robinson. Malcolm glanced around. White’s was nearly empty this time of day. Good. He didn’t relish the idea of an argument erupting while he was there. While he’d had his share of conflict with Logan, he didn’t exactly welcome such exchanges.

“Lord Edon,” Warren greeted.

Edon and Robinson looked up from the Tittletattle. “What is it, Steinbeck?” Edon asked.

“You know that disgraceful book you keep handing out to the gentlemen in this reputable establishment? The one with examples of your many exploits?”

Edon’s eyebrows furrowed. “My many exploits?”

“Yes. The one where you recorded your romantic conquests during your days as a rake?”

Edon’s jaw dropped. “You think I wrote the book on how to pleasure a lady?”

“Who else would have written it?”

“Anyone. The author is anonymous.”

“It’s true,” Robinson said, quick to defend his friend. “Some lady who wishes to be anonymous wrote it for our benefit. It’s an excellent guide on how to be a good lover.”

Malcolm inwardly shuddered. Like he had time to be worried about that when he had business plans to work on. Warren was right. Edon and Robinson had nothing better to do with their lives than to study such a book, which was a complete waste of time. Think of all the money they’d make if they spent more time on important things instead of lovemaking and gossip.

“It’s a guide on how to be a lover from someone who used to be London’s most notorious rake,” Warren told Robinson in a tone one would reserve for a child.

Robinson frowned. “I’m not a simpleton, Steinbeck. There’s no way a gentleman, even one as experienced as my friend,” he gestured to Edon, “could know all the things that are in that book. Only a lady would.”

“He’s right,” Edon said. “Go back to your corner over there and work on your plans for world domination.”

At that, Robinson chuckled. “Indeed. We’re already aware of how important you two are.”

“Much more so than us simpletons,” Edon agreed and crossed his eyes, which made Robinson laugh harder.

Malcolm wondered what was so funny. Did those two think he and Warren were under the delusion they thought more of themselves than they should?

“You are simpletons,” Warren told them. “And worse,” he looked at Edon, “you’re too much of a coward to come out and admit the book is yours.”

“It’s not mine. I keep getting copies to hand out at the beginning of every Season. If I knew who was sending them, I’d put a stop to it.”

“If you find the book so repulsive, why hand them out?”

“Because gentlemen keep asking for them.” Edon glanced at Robinson. “For someone so much better than us, he sure is slow to figure it out.”

Warren crossed his arms. “White’s could be a respectable club if it weren’t for gentlemen like you. Do you think I like admitting I belong to the same club as you two? It’s embarrassing. The other day someone asked me for one of those retched books, and I had to tell them I would never carry something like that around.”

“What do you have against making sure a lady is happy in bed?” Robinson asked.

“It’s what the book stands for. That is the kind of book that is responsible for the ruin of our society.”

“I feel sorry for your poor wife. She must cry herself to sleep.”

Edon snickered. “He’s not married. The ladies have been spared.”

Robinson laughed again.

With a grunt, Warren returned to Malcolm and plopped in his chair. “If it weren’t for Edon’s money, he wouldn’t be here, and if it weren’t for Edon, Robinson wouldn’t be here. I don’t understand why so many gentlemen idolize Edon. He didn’t get his wealth through honest means. All of it was the result of his many times at the gambling halls and placing wagers.”

Malcolm shifted in his chair and spoke so the others wouldn’t hear him. “You don’t think everyone sees us the way they do, do you? That we think too much of ourselves?”

Warren snorted and waved his hand at Edon and Robinson. “They’re jealous, Malcolm. We are at a higher level than they are, and they know it. I mean, look at them. That is the best they’ll ever amount to. But you and I… We’re going places. Sometimes I think we should start our own gentlemen’s club and not let things like that into it. Then we’d finally have a place worthy of us.”

“You really think it’d be possible?”

“Anything’s possible. We’d just need to find a building and invite the most reputable gentlemen to it. I’m sure Lord Roderick and Lord Clement would welcome the reprieve. Even if they were forced into scandalous situations, they’re gentlemen of morally, upright character. I can’t fault them if they have wives who took advantage of their naivety. Sometimes it’s ladies who are the problem, not the gentlemen.”

Malcolm breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. Perhaps he wasn’t doomed after all. If Regan did something scandalous that erupted into gossip, Warren might show him the same understanding he was showing Lord Roderick and Lord Clement.

“It’d do no good to invite Lord Reddington,” Warren continued as he picked up his glass of brandy. “He’s friends with Lord Davenport, and Lord Davenport made that wager over a lady that was the focus of the Tittletattle for an entire month.”

“To be fair, Lord Toplyn and the Duke of Ashbourne also created scandals that made headlines in those scandalsheets.”

“Yes, but it was Lord Davenport who started it all. If it weren’t for him, Toplyn and Ashbourne would have won the wager, and they wouldn’t have kissed ladies to get into money.”

“You really think Lord Davenport would have won that bet had it not been exposed?”

“I do. Miss Giles was obviously attracted to him. If I had to guess, Lord Pennella exposed it to someone at the Tittletattle to get out of paying Lord Davenport.”

Malcolm wasn’t so sure it happened that way, but since this all happened before he became a member of White’s, it was hard to argue with Warren.

“Let’s not spend any more time on the reprobates of this club,” Warren said. “Tell me about your plans for making more money.”

Happy to oblige since money was far more interesting than people, Malcolm did just that.

***

Feeling rather foolish, Regan tapped her fingers along the edge of the windowpane in front of her. Maybe coming to Melissa’s townhouse was a bad idea. She could slip out of here right now. The butler had just left to get Logan. She still had time to make her escape.

But she needed to know what she could do about Malcolm. She couldn’t be stuck in a marriage where a gentleman didn’t want to be with her. She’d never imagined a gentleman could be so wrapped up in money he’d prefer it to lovemaking. It didn’t make any sense to her. No sense at all.

The approach she had used with Frederick wouldn’t work with Malcolm. Malcolm was a different breed of gentleman, altogether.

But should she really involve Logan in this? Didn’t he have better things to do than help her?

Maybe this was a bad idea. She should just leave. Leave now before she did anything to further embarrass herself. It was enough she’d come by here without an invitation.

She headed for the doorway when footsteps came down the hallway. Her steps grew still. She’d waited too long. Now she had to stay.

Logan appeared in the doorway and blinked when he saw her. “The butler must have made a mistake,” he told her. “He said I had a visitor, but he probably meant to get Melissa.”

He started to leave, so she blurted out, “No, your butler was right. I did come here to see you.”

He stopped in mid-turn then faced her, eyes wide. “What do you need with me?”

“Advice. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Well, no. I never have trouble telling people what I think.” He glanced out in the hallway. “Are you sure you mean to speak to me? Some people say I don’t have very good advice.”

“I’m sure. Right now I need to talk to a gentleman, and you’re the only one I know that I can go to about this particular thing.”

His eyebrows raised in interest. After a moment, he went over to the decanter and poured himself a glass of brandy. “Want some?”

“Brandy?”

He shrugged. “Why not? We’re going to have a gentleman’s conversation, aren’t we?”

Though she’d engaged in bold talk with Frederick in the past, she had a harder time doing it with someone else. But this was what she came here for. This was what she needed.

Taking a deep breath, she nodded. “You’re right. I’ll have some brandy.”

With a smile, he poured her a drink. “I’ve never been a huge proponent of tea myself. Brandy has a lot better flavor to it.” He went over to her and gave her a glass. “Sit anywhere you like.”

She waited until he sat in a chair before picking the one nearby. The doors were open, which was good. No one needed to think they were doing anything wrong, but she didn’t wish for anyone to overhear her.

“This must be good,” Logan said then took a sip.

“It’s private,” she replied.

“Like I said, this must be good.”

“It involves Malcolm.”

“You want to kill him, and you need my help.”

She couldn’t help but chuckle at his joke. “No. I want your advice on how I might get him interested in me.”

“I don’t understand. You’re gorgeous, and he can see. What’s there to advise?”

“You’d think nothing, but this morning,” she lowered her voice as he took another drink, “I suggested I put my mouth on a certain part of his body, and he said he’d rather not.”

Logan nearly spit out his drink. After a couple of coughs, he looked at her in shock and asked, “He said he’d rather not?”

She nodded. “Now you know why I need your advice. How could a lady convince you to do something like that?”

“All Melissa has to do is mention it, and I’d have my trousers off before she finished the sentence.”

“Let me ask that a different way. How could a lady convince someone like Malcolm to do it?”

He stared at her in disbelief. “He really said no?”

“Yes. Unfortunately.”

“That doesn’t make sense. You know how many gentlemen would love nothing more than for a lady to offer to do that to them?”

“I wager a lot.”

“You’re right. Just about every single one I’ve come across. Except for Malcolm. I don’t know what’s wrong with him, but he’s lost his senses.”

“I’m being serious.”

“So am I.”

She put down the glass of brandy and leaned toward him. “Logan, I have no one else I can talk to about this, and I need a gentleman’s perspective. What can I do to seduce Malcolm? He doesn’t respond well to suggestions of lovemaking or even the removal of clothes. What else can I try?”

Logan downed the rest of his brandy then put his glass next to hers. “All right. I think I know what will appeal to Malcolm, but it’s bound to be hard to do.”

“What is it?”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to do something drastic.”

“You want me to kidnap him and take him somewhere secluded?” she asked. The thought just then flashed through her mind, though she didn’t know how she’d ever pull off such a feat.

“No, nothing like that. He’d probably run back to London.”

Unfortunately, he was right.

“Malcolm likes to be right,” Logan said. “He likes to feel important. Though his opinion doesn’t matter in the long scheme of things, he likes to believe it does. I think in order to win him over, you’ll have to act like you adore everything he says and does.”

She frowned? That was all?

“I know.” He patted her hand. “It’s no easy task for any of us, but I honestly can’t think of anything else that will work.”

“I’ll do it.” What did she have to lose? Appealing to his sexual needs wasn’t working. Why not appeal to his vanity? “Thank you, Logan.”

As she stood up, Melissa came into the room, blinking in surprise when she saw them. “I didn’t know you stopped by,” she told Regan.

“I came to ask your husband for advice,” Regan explained.

“You did?” Melissa asked.

“Why do you sound so shocked?” Logan stood up and went over to kiss Melissa. “I have been known to say something useful from time to time.”

“Well,” Melissa began, “I know that. I just can’t see how you would advise her to do anything good to my brother.”

“Oh, you of little faith.” He tapped her nose in a playful manner. “I can be kind when I want to be. It was your idea to marry her to Malcolm. She only wanted to know how she can make him happy.”

“Through patience,” Melissa said, directing her gaze to Regan. “I know my brother isn’t easy to deal with. The one thing he needs most is patience.”

Logan snorted. “What he most needs is a good thwack on the head. It’d give him some common sense. But I advised Regan to be nice to him. You needn’t worry your pretty little head.” He patted her head and grinned.

Melissa narrowed her eyes at him then looked at Regan. “Did he really tell you to be nice to Malcolm?”

“Yes,” Regan assured her. “He did.”

Regan, however, couldn’t help but agree a good thwack on the head would do Malcolm some good. What gentleman in his right mind didn’t want to spend time in a lady’s bed? And how many times had she heard Frederick say most husbands would love nothing more than to have their wives put her mouth on his penis?

“I want to make your brother happy,” Regan told Melissa.

“I know you do. That’s why I picked you to marry him,” Melissa said and walked over to her. “I know my brother can be a bit stubborn.”

From behind Melissa, Logan rolled his eyes and mouthed, A bit stubborn.

Regan managed to refrain from laughing. It seemed Melissa had a blind spot when it came to her brother, but that was rather nice. “I thought it’d be helpful to get a gentleman’s perspective on things. Who knows better how to please a gentleman than another gentleman?”

“You make a good point,” Melissa replied. “If you need any help from me, I hope you’ll ask.”

“Of course, I will,” Regan said. “I should get back to my friend, Miss Everson. She’s watching my son, so I could come here. I promised her I wouldn’t be gone for long.”

“Logan and I will have to have you and Malcolm over for dinner. It’d be nice to get better acquainted, and maybe it’ll help Malcolm adjust to the marriage.”

Regan ignored the way Logan wrapped his hand around his neck and pretended he was dying. If she paid him any attention, she would burst into laughter, and Melissa would likely think she was laughing at her.

“I’d be happy to come to one of your dinners,” Regan said.

“This will be fun!” Melissa replied, clasping her hands together. She turned to Logan, who put his hands behind his back and smiled politely at her. “Won’t it be fun?”

“I’m sure it’ll be an evening to remember,” he said.

“It will be,” Melissa cheerfully replied, oblivious to her husband’s lack of enthusiasm.

“Send an invite when you’re ready, and Malcolm and I will be here,” Regan promised.

Saying her good-byes, Regan curtsied and left the townhouse, feeling much more positive about the future than she had since Malcolm had left that morning.

Chapter Twelve

“It’s a pleasure to see you again,” Regan called out as Malcolm passed the drawing room when he came back from White’s.

Malcolm considered continuing on to the den where he wanted to work on the ledger, but he couldn’t bring himself to be rude. Even if theirs wasn’t an ideal marriage, the least he could do was say hello.

He stuck his head into the room, noting she was sitting on the settee, drinking a cup of tea. She appeared as if she wasn’t up to anything mischievous. “Good afternoon, Regan. I’ll see you at dinner.”

He had hoped that would be the end of it, but she called out, “May I hear about your day?”

He hesitated to answer but then said, “It would only bore you. I discussed important plans with important people.”

“Oh, well, if they’re important, I’d love to hear all about them.” She put the cup of tea on the table in front of her and turned toward him with an innocent smile.

He frowned. What kind of trickery was this?

“I’m being honest.” She patted the spot next to her. “Come. Tell me all about them. I’d like to know what kind of plans you make.”

“You would?”

“Of course. You’re my husband, and whatever interests you interests me.”

He wasn’t sure if he could trust her or not. She seemed to be telling the truth, but for all he knew, she had something else in mind. What that something could be, he couldn’t possibly guess. When it came to Regan, nothing was what it seemed.

“I do know something about money,” she said. “Who do you think pays the servants and manages the estate’s investments?”

“A steward.”

“Well, you’re wrong. I do. I’m more than just a pretty face.” She winked at him.

Now there was the Regan he knew! He felt much more at ease.

“Are the plans a secret?” she asked.

“No.”

“Then why don’t you share them with me?”

He tapped the edge of the rolled-up parchment. “Are you being sincere?”

“Yes.”

She didn’t look away from him as she said it, which meant she had to be telling the truth.

“All right, I’ll do it since you asked,” he finally agreed.

His plans were good ones. Maybe even the best he’d ever made. It’d be a shame not to share them. He sat in the chair across from her and opened the parchment.

“Don’t you want to sit next to me?” she asked, her lower lip jutting out in a cute pout.

He glanced at the open doorway. The servants could be anywhere. “Can I trust you not to take advantage of the situation?”

“I only want to hear about your plans, not take you to bed,” she assured him as she patted the spot next to her. “I’ll keep my hands to myself.” She held them up and then clasped them on her lap. “See?”

Not sure if it was the smartest thing to do, he stood up and went over to her. “You really want to know this?”

She chuckled. “Why do you find that so hard to believe?”

“Because, up to now, the only thing you’ve been interested in is,” he lowered his voice, “having me in your bed.”

His comment only seemed to amuse her more. “Malcolm, you should be pleased your wife finds you attractive. Not all husbands have that honor. But you are safe. At the moment, my interest stems solely from your business plans.” She gestured to the parchment. “Go on.”

Relaxing, he turned his attention back to the papers in his hands. “I went to White’s to discuss an investment with Mr. Donald Raleigh. Do you know who he is?”

“The owner of a ship?”

“Right.” He was surprised. He didn’t think she paid attention to anything beyond which gentleman caught her fancy. “Mr. Raleigh is going to be traveling to Africa. He thinks he knows where he can find some caves which have diamonds in them. We know where some are already, of course, but he thinks he knows where some haven’t been discovered yet. Last time he went there, a man from a local tribe pointed him to a lost city that was thought to be a myth. After listening to Mr. Raleigh, I’m convinced the city actually exists.”

“The city is where the caves are?”

“Yes. At least, that’s the idea.” He showed her the parchment. “Warren and I have come up with a proposal on how we will pay Mr. Raleigh and how we’ll divide up what he brings back. Mr. Raleigh needs someone to fund this venture.”

“Yes, I gathered that much. He owns a ship, and he’s the one going. I knew you intended to give him money to go.”

Oh. Good. Then she was smarter than he had given her credit for. With ladies, it was hard to tell how much they understood about investing with ship owners. It was also hard to tell how much they were paying attention to what he was saying. He didn’t know why, but his sister had a tendency to let her mind wander while he explained such things to her.

“When is Mr. Raleigh going to Africa?” Regan asked.

“In a month. That’s another reason why these meetings with Warren and his friends are so important, and it’s why I didn’t have time to meet you before the wedding. Mr. Raleigh has several gentlemen lined up to offer him money. I wanted to make sure I was the first one to come to him. Opportunities this profitable don’t happen all the time. If he’s as successful as I think he’ll be, I can triple my—well, our—wealth.”

“Ah,” she replied with a nod. “So Warren and his friends… Who are they?”

“Warren is Lord Steinbeck. His friends are Sir Willoby and Lord Dunnaby. I know them all by their Christian names. They’re very influential, especially at White’s. They don’t befriend just anyone.” And after what Malcolm witnessed at White’s, it wasn’t an easy thing to match up to their standards. “That brings me to another point.” He turned toward her. “It’s imperative we come to an agreement.”

Regan’s eyebrows furrowed. “What kind of agreement?”

“Now that we’re married, everything you do affects me. So if you act inappropriately, that could come back to hurt me. Some people judge a husband by the things his wife does and says. I know you enjoy,” he searched for the right word, “mischief, but I’m asking you to please stop. This deal I have with Warren and his friends is the most important one I’ve made up to now in my life.”

“I understand. These are the type of gentlemen who aren’t forgiving when someone misbehaves. You have no need to worry. I can be good, Malcolm.”

He had no doubt she could. But would she?

With a sigh, she rolled her eyes. “Yes, I will be good.”

“You knew what I was thinking?”

“It’s not hard to figure it out when you frown like that.”

Really? He touched his mouth. Was he that apparent to everyone, or just her?

“Malcolm,” she began, directing his attention back to her, “I can be good when I want to be. I just don’t often have a good reason for it. But, as you pointed out, I’m your wife, and what I do reflects on you. That being the case, I will be on my best behavior.”

“That would be a tremendous help.”

“Which is why I’m agreeing to do it.”

He smiled. Well, that went much better than he’d hoped. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

He glanced down at his plans. “I need to rewrite these, so I can give them to Mr. Raleigh tomorrow. Maybe afterwards, we can go for a stroll in the park.”

“I’d like that. By then Leonard will be up from his nap. He loves the park.”

Oh, right. Yes, the lad. Of course, they would go with Leonard. He didn’t know why he thought she meant it would be just the two of them. “Give me about an hour, and I’ll be ready,” he said.

“An hour will be fine.”

As he left the room, he couldn’t help but think that, for once, he didn’t have to dread the thought of seeing her again.

***

Regan kept fidgeting the entire time she got ready for the park, and her poor lady’s maid had trouble with her hair, something Regan kept apologizing for.

Her lady’s maid only laughed and assured her it was fine, adding, “I don’t mind at all, my lady. It’s just nice to see you happy. You’ve mourned for Lord Cantrell for a long time.”

“A part of me will always love him.” He had, after all, been a wonderful husband and her dearest friend. “But it is nice to be in love again.”

“Lord Cantrell would want you to fall in love.”

Regan smiled at her lady’s maid, grateful for the older lady’s support. It amazed her how easily people were accepting Malcolm. When Frederick died, she couldn’t imagine ever opening herself to another gentleman. But there was something about Malcolm that made her want to be with someone again.

She couldn’t believe Logan’s advice had paid off so well. She’d have to give him something to thank him for helping her.

Once her lady’s maid was done, she thanked her and went to Leonard’s room. When she saw he was awake but still resting on his daybed, she said, “I’m surprised you didn’t get up.”

“I was thinking,” he replied, sitting up in the bed.

She sat next to him. “Oh? What were you thinking about?”

“About my new father. Is he as important as he says?”

“He seems to think so.”

She couldn’t bring herself to completely agree that he was as important as he claimed. Influential, yes. There was no doubt he had connections, and those connections led to some fruitful endeavors. Importance, however, was a matter of perspective. She’d never heard of him before the evening she met him at the ball. As much as he fancied himself important in London, it didn’t seem the Ton agreed.

“Your new father,” she began, choosing her words carefully, “does business well. He understands money. He knows how to make it and keep it. Those are good traits, and it’ll be good for both of us.”

“Was my first father good with money?”

“Your first father wasn’t as profitable when it came to investing, but he did know how to make some money and keep it. He provided very well for you. You have a secure estate.” She rubbed her son’s back. “I hope you remember to be wise with it.”

“I will, Mother. Will my new father teach me to be wise?”

With a smile, she said, “I’m sure he will.” If there was one thing she suspected Malcolm loved more than anything else, it was talking about money. “All you have to do is ask, and I wager he’ll be the one talking all the time instead of you.” She rose to her feet and gestured for him to get out of bed. “Your new father wants to go to the park, and he’s asked us to go with him.”

“He’s back!”

“Yes, he is.”

The lad jumped off the bed.

“Leonard,” she called out before he ran for the door, “you need to change clothes. Those are for resting.” She pointed to the clothes he had on.

“Sorry, Mother.”

Amused, she helped him dress for the park. Afterwards, they went to the drawing room, and when they didn’t see Malcolm there, she had to stop him before he ran for the den.

“We’ll wait for him,” Regan told him. “He’s busy with some business plans. Let’s enjoy some tarts while we’re waiting.” She rang for the butler.

“Did Father miss me while he was gone?”

“Yes, he did.” Given how well Malcolm treated him, she was sure Malcolm liked her son.

“Your mother’s right,” came Malcolm’s familiar voice. “I missed you while I was gone.”

She turned in time to see Malcolm entering the room, and Leonard rushed right over to him. “Leonard, manners.”

“It’s all right,” Malcolm assured her and picked the boy up. “I don’t mind the lad’s enthusiasm.”

Her eyebrows rose in interest. Had it been her who did that, she suspected he wouldn’t be as relaxed about it.

“Mother said you make money,” Leonard said.

“She did?” Malcolm glanced at her, and if she guessed right, he was happy about it.

“I told him you’re good at making a profit from your business dealings,” she replied. “I didn’t use those exact words, but it was my meaning.”

He turned his attention to Leonard and smiled. “As it turns out, I excel at acquiring money.”

“Will you teach me how to do it?” her son asked.

“I don’t know if I can,” Malcolm slowly said, looking at her. “Can I?”

She nodded. “Certainly. I want you to treat him like you would your own son.”

She didn’t know why her reply should surprise him, but there was no denying the shock on his face. Then, just as quickly as it’d appeared, his smile grew wider.

“Splendid!” He patted the boy on the back. “In that case, I will be happy to teach you everything I know. Now, however, I believe we will be taking a stroll in the park. Are you ready?”

Leonard let out an enthusiastic agreement, and they headed for the front door.

Chapter Thirteen

Malcolm stared at the ceiling of his bedchamber. His blankets were pulled halfway up his chest, and he was twiddling his thumbs. He sighed and glanced at the door that separated his bedchamber from Regan’s. He hadn’t heard any sounds coming from there for a while now. He thought for sure she was going to come in as soon as he heard her tell the lady’s maid she’d like to be alone.

Malcolm didn’t make it a habit of eavesdropping, but he figured in this case, he was better off being prepared for when Regan would come barging into his room.

Where was she? Last night, she came in just after he’d undressed. And tonight…? He’d been in bed for over an hour. At least, he thought it was over an hour. With a grunt, he got out of the bed. The cool night air blowing in through the window gave him a slight chill, reminding him why he didn’t make it a habit to go to bed naked.

But he had gone to bed naked tonight, and worse, the memory of how wonderful it’d felt to be inside her was making a certain part of him ache to the point of distraction. Needless to say, that part of him wasn’t at all happy with him at the moment. If he hadn’t been so bullheaded earlier that day when she’d suggested taking that part of him into her mouth, he wouldn’t be going through this agony right now.

“I know, I know,” he muttered, as if that part of him could be reasoned with.

It couldn’t, of course. All it knew was what it wanted. It didn’t ever care for logic. And really, how logical was it that he even argued with it?

He lit a candle and grabbed his pocket watch. He hadn’t been in bed for an hour as he thought. It’d been two hours. With a sigh, he set the pocket watch back on the dresser then blew out the candle. He went back to bed and debated the best course of action.

If he went into her bedchamber, she might declare it a victory, especially after he’d argued with her earlier that day about him having more important things to do than to make love to her. Undoubtedly, she was teaching him a lesson. He couldn’t blame her, really. He’d do the same in her situation. The best way to win was to outlast the opponent. The method had suited him well in some sound investments in the past.

But this wasn’t an investment. It was trivial. This was about a nighttime dalliance in the bedchamber. She really seemed to enjoy that kind of thing. The erect part of him enjoyed it, too, which was proving most unfortunate. How was he supposed to sleep when it wouldn’t let him?

With a heavy sigh, he got up and slipped on his robe. He was only doing this so his penis would stop pestering him. That was all. It had nothing to do with him wanting anything else.

He went to the door connecting their rooms and tried the knob, surprised when it turned. He wouldn’t have blamed her if she’d locked the door since he’d done that last night. Perhaps she was more forgiving than he was. In that case, maybe she wasn’t delaying their lovemaking on purpose. Maybe she hadn’t given lovemaking any thought at all for this evening.

When he opened the door, he saw she was sound asleep in bed, looking perfectly content. Disappointed, he shut the door and returned to his bed. She was a lady. She didn’t have to contend with bothersome erections. He didn’t make it a point to envy anyone anything, but in this particular situation, he couldn’t help but envy her ability to go right to sleep. It just wasn’t fair.

After staring at the ceiling for another hour, he gave up on the notion of sleep. He got dressed and went downstairs to the den. He could have taken care of things on his own, he supposed, but now that he knew what being with a lady was like, it wouldn’t have been the same. That part of him wouldn’t have been satisfied. It was best to focus on other things, and there was nothing better to focus on than money.

He lit some candles, poured himself a glass of brandy to help himself relax, and sat at the desk. In short time, his attention was drawn to financial matters, which proved to be completely uninteresting to his penis. Finally, at long last, it stopped bothering him.

***

When Regan passed by the den the next morning, she was surprised to see her new husband fast asleep at the desk, quill still in hand and angled above the parchment he’d been writing on. She debated on letting him sleep. The poor thing was snoring pretty hard. But her son came running up from behind her and darted right over to him.

“Father! Father!” Leonard shook his arm.

“Leonard,” she reprimanded with a sharp look. “Stop it.”

The boy immediately stopped and let go of his arm. “Sorry, Mother.”

The damage, of course, had already been done. Malcolm was sitting up and trying to focus on what was going on around him. He was absolutely charming first thing in the morning, what with his immaculately combed hair ruffled and his face unshaven.

“What’s going on?” he murmured. “Where am I?”

“You’re in the den,” Regan told him. “I think you were working on more business plans, but I can’t be sure.”

“Yes.” He put the quill back in the inkwell and cleared his throat. “I had trouble sleeping, so I thought I’d come down here and work on something important.”

Trouble sleeping? Her eyebrows rose in interest. Could it be her ploy in not coming to his bed had something to do with it? Frederick had said all he’d wanted to do was be in bed with her right after they married. “Once you know what making love is like, you want more of it,” he’d teased her. Perhaps Malcolm was beginning to understand there was more to lovemaking than having children.

“Will you be going to White’s today?” Regan asked.

“No.” Malcolm rolled up the parchment and set it in a drawer. “I need to visit Warren and a couple of his friends about the things we discussed yesterday at White’s. You remember who Warren is? He’s Lord Steinbeck.”

“Yes, I remember.”

“He’s highly influential. A good word from him to the right person can make all the difference.”

She held her tongue, so she wouldn’t remind him he’d already made it clear how much he idolized Warren. She didn’t share his enthusiasm for the gentleman, but he was welcome to his opinion.

“Anyway,” Malcolm continued, “when I return, maybe we can do something.”

“Like what?” Leonard asked.

“What do you want to do today?” he asked the boy.

Her son’s eyes lit up. “Can we go to the circus? Mother seldom takes me.”

“Not enough chances for a scandal, hmm?” Malcolm asked.

At first, she thought he was criticizing her, but then she caught the hint of a smile on his lips and knew he was teasing her. That being the case, she offered a playful shrug and said, “Well, scandals do get attention, and I’ve never been much of a wallflower.”

“You are many things,” he began, “but a wallflower isn’t one of them.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Considering wallflowers are usually ugly, you should.” He turned to Leonard. “I’ll take you to the circus.”

Her heart warmed with pleasure. So he thought she was pretty? That was nice. She extended her hand to Leonard. “Are you ready to eat?”

Her son nodded and ran over to take her hand. Then the three of them went to eat.

***

Regan was in the middle of writing Logan a missive later that day when the butler announced she had a visitor. Putting aside the quill and parchment, she got up from the desk in the drawing room and went over to the settee, fully expecting either her mother-in-law or Danette. As it turned out, however, Logan stepped through the doorway.

“Logan!” She waved him over to the chair then sat down. “What a pleasant surprise. I was just writing to let you know how yesterday went.”

“Great minds think alike,” he said, accepting her invitation and sitting down. “I was about to ask how things transpired between you and my insufferable brother-in-law.”

She giggled at the way he chose to describe Malcolm. “He’s not so bad once you know what to say around him.”

“I take it I was right then. You just needed to tell him how godlike he was, and all your problems were solved?”

“More or less,” she admitted as the butler came into the room with tea and scones. She waited until he left before she continued, “I listened to all of his very important plans he has with very important people, and before I knew it, he asked to spend the rest of the day with me and my son.”

Logan snorted. “He seems to think everything he does is of the utmost importance.”

Chuckling, she poured tea into their cups. “I think it’s rather adorable.”

“Adorable isn’t the word I’d use to describe it.” He took his cup and asked, “Mind if I add a little brandy to this?”

“Of course not.” She rose up to get the decanter and placed it on the table. “Have as much as you want. I owe you for your help, Logan. If you ever need me for anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Is he really that taken with you?”

“Well, he’s been pleasant to me, and better yet,” she lowered her voice and leaned toward him, “he had so much trouble sleeping last night he spent the night working on some business plans.”

“I’m shocked,” he said in mock horror. “You withheld the bed from him?”

“No. He could have come to my bedchamber, but he didn’t. I, however, chose not to go to his like I did the other night.” As Logan poured brandy into his tea, she stirred a lump of sugar in hers. “I do feel sad for him, though. The poor man was tired. There were circles under his eyes. I think I’ll go to his room tonight.”

Logan, who’d been ready to take a drink of his tea, stopped and set the cup back down. He scooted closer to her and, keeping his voice low, said, “You must not do that.”

“Why not? Don’t you think he wants me in his bed?”

“Oh, I’m sure he very much wants you in his bed, and that’s the point. You don’t want to give him the advantage. Make him earn it.”

She bit her lower lip. “Don’t gentlemen experience great discomfort if their needs aren’t met? Not to be indiscreet, but I could tell he didn’t take care of things on his own.”

“That’s even better. If he’s not relieving the discomfort on his own, it gives you a better advantage. Make him come to you. Don’t make it easy by going to him.”

She took a sip of her tea as she considered what he said. He had a point. A good one, actually. Malcolm had made it clear he had no interest in lovemaking beyond conceiving a child. Technically, since they’d already consummated the marriage, she could very well be with child right now.

There would be no reason to make another attempt until she had her lady’s time of month. It’d be easy enough to explain why she didn’t go to his bedchamber, if he was inclined to ask. And how could he argue her logic without admitting he wanted to make love to her for the sake of pleasure?

But still…

“Is it right to torment one’s husband in such a way?” she asked.

Logan finished drinking his tea then gave her a pointed look. “Is it right to torment one’s wife by making her tell you how important you are so she can get you to spend time with her?”

“When you put it that way, it seems like Malcolm deserves to suffer.”

“Don’t think of it as suffering. All you’re doing is showing him it’s all right for the gentleman to initiate lovemaking. Though, why a lady has to show her husband something so obvious still confounds me. But that’s irrelevant. The next time you suggest putting your mouth on the most interesting part of his body, wouldn’t you like it if he didn’t argue with you?”

“Yes, that would be nice. I want a good intimate life. I had one with my first husband. Once a lady gets used to it, it’s hard for her to give it up.”

“Exactly.” He nodded. “I’m telling you, if you wait for him to come to you, he’ll be completely and totally yours, in and out of bed.”

“I’d like that.” She wanted nothing more than for Malcolm to fall in love with her. If she had to sacrifice a few romantic nights to get that to happen, it’d be worth it. “Thank you, Logan.”

He patted her hand with brotherly affection and grinned. “Stay the course and all will work out.”

“What will work out?” came a familiar voice.

They looked up in time to see Malcolm coming into the room, rolled-up parchment under his arm and a scowl on his otherwise handsome face.

“Why are you in my townhouse, and, more importantly, why are you touching my wife?” Malcolm demanded, striding over to Logan.

“First,” Logan began as he stood up, “this isn’t your townhouse. It’s hers.” He gestured to Regan. “Second, I was merely offering my comfort in this trying time of her life.”

“Trying time?” Malcolm asked.

“Yes. The poor thing is married to you. Her life will never be the same.” Logan maintained eye contact with Malcolm, as if daring him to offer a rebuttal.

“It must be boring to lead the kind of life you do, Logan. Drifting from one thing to another with no real purpose. Meanwhile, the rest of us are engaged in important things.”

Logan raised an eyebrow and glanced at Regan as if to ask, He always has something important going on, doesn’t he? Regan stifled the giggle that rose up in her throat. The two of them really didn’t get along, but it was amusing to watch them engage in their banters, though she’d never tell either one that.

“As it turns out,” Logan began, “I came here to invite you both to dinner tomorrow evening. Melissa wishes to get to know her sister-in-law better, and I wouldn’t mind welcoming her to the family as well. The fact that you’re coming along is a mere inconvenience I’m willing to bear. That is, unless you have something important to do. I wouldn’t want to keep you away from amassing a king’s fortune.”

“We’re unable to attend. Lord Steinbeck has already extended an invitation for tomorrow.”

Regan, who was biting into her scone, almost gagged on it. An entire evening with Lord Steinbeck? She’d rather stick a fork in her eye.

“I have an idea,” Logan said, his smile widening. “Why don’t you go to Lord Steinblech’s, and your lovely wife will come over to my place?”

This time, Regan wasn’t successful at hiding her laughter. She’d never heard Steinbeck referred to in such a way, but the name Logan came up with certainly fit. When Malcolm glanced her way, she covered up her laughter by coughing into a napkin.

Malcolm turned his attention back to Logan, “My wife wouldn’t dream of missing such a golden opportunity. Lord Steinbeck is very influential. He’ll be bringing Lady Iris.”

Logan grimaced. “You mean the Duke of Hartwell’s daughter?”

“Yes. She’s got a pristine reputation and a lot of money,” he replied.

“She has a pristine reputation because she’s so ugly no one will go near her. Sadly, all the money in the world can’t make up for her looks.”

Malcolm looked over at Regan and gestured to Logan. “You see how inconsiderate he is? Only a cad would refer to a lady like that.”

“Well, it’s true,” Logan said. “She’d be better off wearing a mask to the balls. Maybe then someone would touch her. Malcolm, if you ever need to restrain your baser desires, think of her.”

“Unlike you, I am a gentleman. I don’t have base desires.”

Logan smirked at him. “Sure, you don’t.” Then he turned to Regan. “So, will you be gracing us with your presence tomorrow evening?”

Before Regan could speak, Malcolm said, “She’ll be going to Lord Steinbeck’s with me. She’s my wife. Her place is by my side.”

“She can speak for herself.”

“Fine.” With an irritated sigh, Malcolm glanced over at her. “Tell him you’re going to Lord Steinbeck’s with me.”

Regan set aside the rest of her scone and rose to her feet. “He’s right, Logan. I’ll be going with him tomorrow.” Just as Malcolm turned to give Logan a satisfied smile, she added, “But I do want to visit you and Melissa. Would the day after tomorrow be all right?”

“That will be fine,” Logan replied. “I’ll let my darling wife know.” He bowed to Regan. “It’ll be a pleasure to see you then.” With a glance at Malcolm, he added, “We’ll just have to make the best of it with you there.”

After Logan left, Malcolm rolled his eyes. “I’ve never met anyone more annoying in all my life. What did he want?”

“He merely wanted to see how I was doing,” Regan replied then settled back on the settee. “Would you like something to eat or drink?”

“I suppose something to tide me over until dinner will do.” Malcolm sat next to her and put the parchment on the table, next to the tray. “Where’s Leonard?”

“Resting. He takes a nap this time of day.”

“Oh.” Malcolm reached for a scone.

“Did you have a productive meeting with Warren and his friends?”

“I did. The plans are finalized, and I’ll have them delivered to Mr. Raleigh.”

“That’s good.”

He almost took a bite of the scone but then lowered it and turned toward her. “Do you honestly enjoy Logan’s company?”

“He’s got a good sense of humor,” she allowed. “Why? You’re not jealous, are you?”

“Jealous? Of Logan?” He scoffed. “That’s like a lion being jealous of an ant, or a great storm with thunder and lightning being jealous of a mere sprinkle.”

She hid her smile and ate the rest of her scone. It was rather flattering to think he might actually be jealous, which she suspected he most definitely was. His pride, of course, would prevent him from admitting it.

After he finished his scone, he said, “I think you’ll like Warren and his friends. Naturally, you’ll be spending a great part of the evening with the ladies, but I hear they are delightful to talk to. I only ask… That is…”

Noting his uncertainty, she encouraged, “What?”

“Well, I know you like to push the boundaries of what is acceptable and what isn’t. This is a very important evening for me, and Warren is rather particular about who he has at his dinner parties. Like Logan. He would never invite Logan. Logan would say or do something to embarrass everyone.”

By everyone, he meant him, Regan knew, but to save him from having to come out and say it, she offered him a smile. “I’ll be on my best behavior. I promise.”

He sighed with relief. “Thank you.”

“I want to do what I can to help you.”

“I appreciate that.” He poured them both a cup of tea and handed her one. As she took it, he said, “I must say, this is refreshing. I like you this way.”

“I told you we could get along well.”

“You were right.”

She took a sip of her tea. Logan’s advice was working out perfectly. A few kind words and a little stroking of Malcolm’s ego had him wanting to spend time with her. Now, if she could manage to keep her hands off him, maybe—just maybe—he’d take her to bed and make mad, passionate love to her.

Chapter Fourteen

“Malcolm!” Warren called out the next evening as Regan entered the drawing room with Malcolm. “What a pleasure it is to have you here. And this is your lovely wife,” he added, coming over to them. With a bow, he added, “Lady Cantrell.”

She curtsied. “Lord Steinbeck.”

“You may refer to her as Regan,” Malcolm told him.

“What a lovely name,” Warren said, smiling at her. “It was also my mother’s.”

“Oh, how…nice,” Regan replied.

What else was she supposed to say? She glanced at Malcolm, whose expression, if she read it right, indicated he thought it was a good omen she shared the same name as Warren’s mother. In fact, Malcolm looked positively excited about being here.

It was a shame he didn’t come to their wedding with the same enthusiasm. She would have even been happy if he came to their wedding with half the excitement as he was showing now. But she told herself not to despair. She was employing Logan’s ideas now, and already they were working. Granted, Malcolm had yet to come to her bedchamber, but he was spending time with her. That, for now, was enough.

Warren led them further into the room and motioned to the lady, who’d risen from the settee. “This is Lady Iris. She’s the Duke of Hartwell’s daughter.”

Noting the proud tone in Warren’s voice, Regan studied his countenance as he continued to tell them all the wonderful things the duke did for the betterment of London. He seemed rather impressed with the lady simply because of her father.

Regan suspected his interest in her had little to do with how she looked. Unlike Logan, Regan didn’t think she was ugly. If she made herself more presentable, she might be attractive. But as it was, she didn’t do much to style her hair or adorn her drab green dress. In fact, the dress looked too big for her. Didn’t she want to show off her figure?

Gentlemen were visual creatures. It was why Regan made sure to wear her best dresses and gowns around Malcolm. He might be able to resist her for a while, but sooner or later, he’d need to give in to his sexual urges, regardless of whether a child would be the product of the union or not.

“Regan’s first husband left the estate in good order,” Malcolm was telling Warren by the time she drew her attention back to the conversation. “You wouldn’t think it since she doesn’t wear gaudy jewels and outlandish gowns like some ladies, but I’ve had time to look over the ledger. It turns out she is wise with money, and that’s important in a wife.”

Her eyebrows rose in interest. There went that word again: important. It seemed to her everything revolved around how important something was, and undeniably, that something important had to do with money.

“Now, now, Malcolm,” she began in a flirtatious tone, “you don’t want Warren and Lady Iris to think you only value me for my money. I’m sure they’re more interested in my flair for humor and my pleasant disposition.”

Warren chuckled. “Yes, you do have a flair for humor. And ladies are necessary. How else would we have children?”

Regan’s smile froze on her face. Oh good heavens! Was that what he honestly thought?

“Well, children are delightful to have around,” Malcolm said. “I can already tell Regan’s son will aspire to great things. He’s intelligent for a four-year-old.”

Regan’s heart warmed at his assessment of her son. Hearing such praise made this dreadful evening worth going through.

The butler came in and announced, “Lord Dunnaby and Miss Carlisle are here.”

“Excellent!” Warren clapped his hands and turned to the group. “We can eat now.”

“Surely, you weren’t waiting just for us,” Lord Dunnaby said.

“It wouldn’t be a dinner party without you, Robert.”

In the same manner Warren had greeted Regan, he made a show of bowing before Miss Carlisle. Regan glanced at Lady Iris, wondering if he’d extended a similar greeting to her. In the short time Regan and Malcolm had been here, he hadn’t given so much as a glance in her direction. For all appearances, however, it didn’t seem Lady Iris noticed. Either she didn’t notice or she was pretending it didn’t bother her. Regan couldn’t tell which was the truth.

Lady Iris glanced her way, and Regan smiled. Lady Iris returned the sentiment. Yes, Lady Iris wasn’t really so bad to look at. All she had to do was make an effort to attract gentlemen.

“Come,” Warren called out. “I have one of the best cooks in London, and there will be something for everyone.”

During the course of the meal, Regan had to admit Warren was right. The food was some of the best she’d ever tasted, and she had to stop herself from eating too much, lest she get ill.

The conversation around the table, however, left much to be desired. It seemed to revolve around money. Lady Iris joined in from time to time, though most of her comments seemed to go unnoticed.

Regan bit her tongue, so she wouldn’t say anything that might upset Malcolm. Warren would do well to at least feign interest in the lady he’d escorted to dinner. Regan glanced at Miss Carlisle, and Miss Carlisle rolled her eyes, a silent message the dinner was boring her to tears. In return, Regan made a motion of slitting her throat, which resulted in a giggle that the lady quickly coughed away before anyone noticed it.

Regan already liked Miss Carlisle, and she didn’t even know her, but she sensed a kindred spirit in the room and was grateful for it. Danette was always too serious. It’d be nice to know another lady who didn’t mind a little fun from time to time.

“I believe we’ve exhausted all the items on the menu,” Warren said at the end of the meal. “Ladies, we don’t want to bore you. We’ll adjourn to the den while you enjoy yourselves in the drawing room.”

If Regan was going to enjoy herself, she’d be with Malcolm trying to seduce him. But, since she had promised to be good, she followed the other ladies to the drawing room then closed the doors.

“My goodness,” Miss Carlisle said as she plopped in a chair, “I thought that meal would never end.”

“I believe it was a form of subtle torture,” Regan agreed. “I don’t know about you two, but I wouldn’t mind some sherry after all that nonsense.” She went over to the decanter and opened it to sniff the contents. “Or maybe some brandy. Anyone care for a glass?”

“Yes,” Miss Carlisle said. “Though I might be better served to get some green tea. I’m ready to fall asleep after that boring talk. Do those gentlemen think of nothing but money?”

“Sadly, I don’t think so.” Regan poured them both a glass then glanced at Lady Iris. “Would you like some brandy?”

“I better not,” Lady Iris replied, adjusting the skirt of her gown. “My father would not approve.”

“He doesn’t have to know,” Regan assured her. “And I can fill it up just a little bit.”

“I’m quite all right as I am,” Lady Iris said. “Besides, I rather enjoyed their discussion.”

“You did?” Miss Carlisle asked.

Lady Iris nodded. “Money is far easier to understand than gentlemen are.”

“Gentlemen aren’t that difficult,” Regan said, handing Miss Carlisle a glass of brandy. “These ones are peculiar. They love money way too much.”

“So I’ve noticed.” Miss Carlisle giggled. “My name is Madeline.”

“Mine’s Regan.” She took a sip of her drink then looked at Lady Iris. “Gentlemen aren’t hard to keep happy, really. As long as you respect them and are a willing bed partner, they are satisfied.” Then with a smirk, she added, “At least, with most gentlemen. With this lot, I think you’d have to throw money at them to get their attention.”

Madeline almost spit out the brandy she’d been drinking. She quickly swallowed it and laughed. “What a refreshing sense of humor you have. So many ladies are terribly serious. You’d think they never had a moment’s enjoyment in their entire lives.”

“I have a friend like that,” Regan confided. “Don’t get me wrong. She’s a lovely person. I adore her. But she would not be happy with this conversation. She’d most likely leave the room, albeit discreetly, to avoid hearing anything else.”

“Perhaps she can’t afford being caught in a scandal,” Iris said. “My father would be appalled if he knew I was listening to this.”

“My apologies,” Regan replied. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“Oh, I don’t mind listening,” Iris quickly assured her. “I just meant he wouldn’t like knowing I did. I’m curious about gentlemen. It’s hard to even know what to say to get their interest.”

“Sometimes the best thing you can do is show instead of talk.” When Iris’ eyebrows furrowed, Regan continued, “Bending in a certain way to allow them a peak at your breasts, for example, is an excellent way to get their attention. There are dresses that allow for some room at the top, if you know what I mean.”

“What about witty conversation?” Iris asked.

“Yes, that will work, too, once you get him to notice you.”

“How do you know so much about gentlemen?” Madeline asked.

Regan glanced at her. “My first husband was very open about the kinds of things that attract gentlemen. He wasn’t nearly the mystery my current husband is. With him, I need my brother-in-law’s help. As you gathered, Malcolm’s obsessed with money. He cares little for the things normal gentlemen do.”

Iris leaned toward her in interest. “You two seem to get along well. What did you do to get him to think so well of you?”

Regan shot her a wry smile. “I don’t know how well he actually thinks of me, but our relationship has greatly improved from the day we married. I had to act like I adored everything he said about his investment plans.”

Iris frowned. “You lied?”

“I wouldn’t say lie. I went along with whatever he said and acted as if it was the most interesting thing I’d ever heard. My brother-in-law was the one who gave me that idea, and it worked. I have a suspicion our particular gentlemen like to think they’re more important than anyone else in London. You wouldn’t believe how much Malcolm talked about coming here tonight. All he could keep saying was how influential Warren is and how important he was because he got invited to this dinner party when so many others didn’t, but honestly, Warren isn’t nearly as interesting as Malcolm would make you believe.”

Madeline chuckled. “You’re terribly wicked, Regan.” After she took a sip of her brandy, she added, “I enjoy it immensely.”

“I kind of like Lord Steinbeck,” Iris said, fiddling with the skirt of her gown.

“Oh, he’s awful,” Regan replied, surprised Iris would think such a thing. “He’s worse than the other two. At least Madeline’s gentleman had the sense to compliment her on her gown and put his hand on the small of her back, both of which indicates his interest in her. I hate to say it, Iris, but Warren is all wrong for you. He’s insensitive and rude. Five times you brought up a good point about investments during our meal, and five times he ignored you. It was Roger or Malcolm who acknowledged what you said. If I were you, I’d never talk to Warren again.”

Iris’ face fell. “So he has no interest in me? Not even a little?”

“I’m afraid not.” Regan sighed and turned to her. As much as it would hurt Iris to hear the truth, someone had to do it to save her a lifetime of misery with him. “You can do better than him. My first husband wasn’t impressed with him. He’s much too full of his self-importance. You don’t need someone like that. From the short time I’ve known you, I can tell you’re a sweet and lovely lady. You deserve someone who can appreciate you.”

“I don’t understand,” Iris replied. “Why did he ask me to come here if he had no interest in me?”

“Your father. Warren thinks very highly of him. Sometimes it’s the connections a lady has that wins a gentleman’s affections more than the lady herself.” To help lessen the blow, Regan added, “That is why you should be with someone who can see you for who you are.”

“But I don’t know anyone else, and this is my second Season.”

“You could always have a marriage arranged for you. There are three ladies who interview ladies and gentlemen, and then they match up the ones best suited for each other.”

Iris seemed to consider the option but then shook her head. “I can’t. My father is very particular about who I marry. He wants the match to be a good one.”

“I understand, but if you ever change your mind, let me know. I’ll be more than happy to introduce you to them.”

The doors opened, and Regan quickly took her and Madeline’s glasses and hid them under the table. It wouldn’t do to let the gentlemen see them drinking something as strong as brandy.

The three gentlemen came into the room, congratulating themselves on their latest investment.

“Mr. Raleigh won’t disappoint us,” Malcolm said. “He’ll double, maybe triple, what we currently have.”

“No matter how many times you say that, I never get tired of it,” Warren replied.

Regan glanced at Madeline, who stifled a giggle.

Malcolm frowned at them. “What’s so funny?”

“Oh, Lady Iris was just telling us an amusing story,” Regan said as she and the other two ladies rose to their feet. “She’s very witty. She had Miss Carlisle and me laughing the whole time you were gone.”

“She did?” Warren asked, his expression giving away his skepticism on the matter.

“Yes,” Regan told him. “She’s intelligent and has a great sense of humor.” This she’d gathered from the short time she’d known the lady. “I suspect she’ll make a gentleman a very happy man.”

“Well, we’ll all be happy at the end of the Season when Mr. Raleigh’s ship comes in,” Malcolm said.

“Indeed,” Robert agreed, his grin widening.

Leave it to Malcolm to bring everything back to money. Regan resisted the urge to shake her head. Instead, she curtsied. “Thank you for a lovely evening. It’s been memorable.”

“I’ll second that sentiment,” Madeline added.

Catching the subtle joke in Madeline’s statement, Regan winked at her. It wasn’t likely any of them would forget how these gentlemen had droned on and on all evening about their financial prowess. If nothing else could be said for her time here, she had met two very lovely ladies who might one day be her friends.

“I hope we’ll see each other again,” Regan told Madeline and Iris before heading over to Malcolm.

“Oh, I’m sure we will,” Warren replied.

Surprised, Regan glanced at Warren. He couldn’t think she meant she was looking forward to seeing him and Robert again. While Robert was fine, Warren was absolutely dreadful. But by the smug expression on Warren’s face, she knew, without a doubt, he honestly thought she’d enjoyed listening to him. The gentleman had an even bigger illusion of his importance than Malcolm did.

After the gentlemen made another round of congratulating each other, Malcolm led her out to the carriage. It wasn’t until she was settled in her seat that she breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness it was over. Had it not been for the ladies, she didn’t think she would have survived the ordeal. She must really care about Malcolm to go through all of this.

The footman shut the door, and soon, the carriage was moving forward, taking her far from Warren.

“That was a splendid evening, don’t you think?” Malcolm asked.

“I won’t soon forget it,” she replied.

“I must say I misjudged you, Regan.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. When we met, I thought you would be the type to do and say inappropriate things just to get attention. But you proved me wrong. I’m not saying you don’t have a wicked side to you. There’s no denying you do. You did grab my hand and make me dance with you, and then there were certain things you did when you visited me shortly before we married.”

“What certain things do you mean?” she interrupted.

“Well, you made it a point to gesture to your body in a suggestive manner.”

Her eyebrows rose. So he had taken the moment to take a good look at her. She hadn’t been sure since his expression had been irritatingly stoic. Apparently, he did a good job of hiding his feelings. But it was nice to know he had noticed, and if he’d made it a point to bring it up, then a part of him had enjoyed it, even if he couldn’t admit it.

With a coy grin, she said, “I suppose barging into your bedchamber and having my way with you was wicked as well.”

She thought he might insist it was, especially given how much he’d protested her intrusion. Then there was the next day when he’d made it a point to remind her he was only interested in having children and that was it. But to her surprise, he only shrugged as if to say he hadn’t considered it that wicked after all. Well, who knew?

Perhaps he secretly wanted her to put her mouth on the more interesting part of him after all. She had to resist the urge to do it. She imagined it was a fantasy many gentlemen entertained—receiving such pleasure while in a moving carriage. She wouldn’t give into the temptation, though. Logan was right. She’d be better off waiting until Malcolm came to her for sensual play.

“Regardless of our beginning,” Malcolm said, “it’s refreshing to know you are an excellent companion. I have no hesitation letting you be in the same room as my esteemed friends.”

Though under ordinary circumstances she wouldn’t have considered that a compliment, she reminded herself Malcolm was the one calling them esteemed, and that being the case, he was paying her a high compliment.

The carriage came to a stop, and he patted her knee. “I think we’ll get along after all.”

The footman opened the door, and Malcolm hopped out, looking like a young boy who’d just had the best day of his life. He turned toward her and held his hand out. “I’d be delighted to escort you into our townhouse.”

She bit back her laughter. Well, it wasn’t a declaration of undying love. He was much more excited about the way Warren and Robert had applauded him for his financial prowess. But she couldn’t help thinking he was adorable.

She accepted his hand and let him lead her up the steps of her townhouse. Once they were inside, he said he had last minute instructions to write to Mr. Raleigh and hurried off for the den.

With an amused shake of her head, she went up the stairs. Theirs definitely wasn’t a love match…yet. She’d underestimated just how much his business dealings meant to him. But he wasn’t out gambling, getting drunk, or spending time with another lady. So really, she couldn’t complain.

Besides, when she remembered how adamantly opposed he’d been to their marriage, they’d made a lot of progress in their marriage. She just needed to be patient. Things worth having often took time.

After she checked on Leonard, who was sound asleep, she retired to her bedchamber for the night. Given the trying evening, she fully expected to drift off to sleep right away, but she didn’t. In fact, she was still awake when she heard Malcolm enter his bedchamber. She didn’t think he’d enter her bedchamber. He never did. But she did hear him pacing back and forth in his room for the longest time.

Whatever was he doing? She didn’t think he made it a habit of walking from one end of his room to another, much like a caged animal that was used to running in the wild. He’d had a good evening. Surely, he was content.

As she finally drifted off to sleep, it suddenly occurred to her why he hadn’t just gone to bed. He wasn’t pacing because he was worried. He was pacing because he wanted to be in her bed, but he was too proud to come to her. He was waiting for her to go to him.

A smile crossed her face. Was it wicked of her to not give him what he wanted, to let him suffer another night without satisfying his baser needs? Probably. But was it worth it to be wicked if she could get him to even admit he had an interest in being intimate? Most definitely.

Before long, she rolled onto her side and went to sleep, assured she was one step closer to having the kind of marriage she’d enjoyed with her first husband.

Chapter Fifteen

Malcolm went to White’s the next day, hoping that by getting out of the townhouse, he would be able to get Regan out of his mind. He didn’t know how she managed to haunt his thoughts, but as of late, it seemed he couldn’t concentrate on much. The more days that passed since their wedding, the harder it was getting. He told himself it was natural. She was his wife, after all.

And yes, it was definitely to his advantage she could be a gracious companion when she needed to be. Her behavior the previous evening at Warren’s was exceptional. No one would guess she was the same lady who’d dragged him on to the dance floor or came to his townhouse uninvited. He was still in shock she’d even received a high compliment from Warren right after dinner.

Warren had told Malcolm he’d done very well in his choice of a bride. “She’s beautiful and conducts herself in the most ladylike manner,” Warren had said. “If only all of us could be so fortunate.”

“Your lady has a good moral standing,” Robert had told Warren.

“Yes, but she’s not exceptional to look at,” Warren had replied. “To have beauty and discretion…now there’s a gift.”

Even now, Malcolm found his heart swelling with pride. Yes, he and Regan just might do well after all. As he turned the page of the book in his hands, he shifted in his chair, doing his best to ignore the part of him that insisted on bothering him. He’d never been one to give into his baser desires. Only rakes did that sort of thing. But it was getting harder and harder to ignore his erection. It was most uncomfortable.

Up to now, he’d been able to will it away by focusing on investment plans and tallying up how much he’d have once Mr. Raleigh returned. However, there was only so much time a gentleman could spend with numbers before even that grew boring. If he’d had a new investment, it wouldn’t be so bad.

But his mind drew a blank, and as it turned out, reading through successful business principles was boring him. Boring him! He couldn’t recall a time when anything this terrifying had happened. Was this the beginning of the end? Was Regan going to be his undoing?

“Oh, good, you’re here,” called out a familiar voice.

Malcolm glanced up in time to see Logan pull up a chair next to him. Without an invitation, he plopped in it and dumped a book on top of the one Malcolm had been—unsuccessfully—trying to read.

Gritting his teeth, Malcolm shoved Logan’s book to the floor. “Go somewhere else,” he snapped.

Logan retrieved the book, not the least bit disturbed by Malcolm’s bad mood. He leaned toward Malcolm and showed him the book. “You’ll thank me for this someday.”

He gagged. “The only thing I would ever thank you for is leaving my poor sister alone.”

Logan clucked his tongue. “You mustn’t be that way, Malcolm. We’re family. You’re my son’s uncle.”

“My nephew is your sole redeeming quality.”

“And I’m delighted to have him in my life. This book is a thank you.”

Malcolm shuddered. He’d never opened the book, but he knew full well it was one of Lord Edon’s abominations by the fact he’d seen Edon hand copies out to other gentlemen in the past. “I will not taint myself by touching such a morally repugnant excuse for literature.”

“What is so wrong with wanting to make sure your wife is satisfied in bed?”

Malcolm glanced around the room, relieved when he didn’t see anyone of notable reputation—especially Warren or Robert—nearby. God willing, those two wouldn’t come here until Logan was gone.

Logan opened the book and flipped through it. “It’s a good book, and I think every husband should read it. You know, it’s not fair to expect the lady to pleasure us without returning the favor. Your sister is very happy with the things mentioned in here.”

Oh, dear heavens. Malcolm clutched his stomach. He was going to lose his morning meal. “I’d rather not think of you with my sister in such a way.”

“Why not? You don’t honestly think your nephew came into this world through immaculate conception, do you?”

“That’s what I prefer to believe, yes,” Malcolm snapped. “I forbid you from saying anything else about it.”

“All right. I’ll be nice for once.”

But as it turned out, Logan wasn’t, for in the next breath, he showed Malcolm a page in the blasted book that gave instructions on how to touch a lady in the most inappropriate way. Malcolm gasped, grabbed the book, and threw it across the room, drawing the attention of several gentlemen, who’d been playing chess or quietly talking.

“I forbid you to ever show me such vile…vile…” Malcolm couldn’t even bring himself to say the word. It was a word only a cad would use, and he wouldn’t degrade himself by saying it. It was enough he was thinking it.

Logan made a big show of rolling his eyes as he stood up and went across the room to get the book. Malcolm took that as his cue and bolted toward the exit. He wasn’t going to sit idly by while Logan tried to pollute his mind with such…such… He shuddered. No. He wouldn’t even allow himself to think it.

Malcolm made it to the door in time for it to open, and to his horror, Warren and Robert were right there—right in front of him. Malcolm glanced over his shoulder. At the moment, Logan wasn’t nearby.

“Malcolm,” Warren said with a wide grin, “we were hoping you’d be here. We wanted to know if you’d like to play a game of cards. Not for money, of course. Just for the fun of playing.”

“I can’t,” Malcolm replied. “I have to leave.” At once. If he wasn’t careful, Logan was going to embarrass him, and right in front of the people he desperately wanted to stay in good graces with. “Maybe tomorrow.”

“Is there something wrong?” Warren asked. “Perhaps we can help.”

“No,” Malcolm quickly replied as he wiggled past the two gentlemen. “I just remembered something I have to do. You’ll thank me later when you see the plans.”

Oh goodness. Now he’d have to come up with another investment idea, or he’d be a liar. Logan was constantly ruining his life!

“It must be good if you’re rushing out of here,” Warren replied, his eyes twinkling with excitement.

There was no helping it. Malcolm would have to come up with something. He didn’t dare disappoint his new friend.

“Mr. Jasper,” Logan called out.

“I must go,” Malcolm whispered and tried to escape before Logan caught up to him.

Fortune, however, was most definitely not on his side. Logan jumped right in front of him as he turned to leave. “You need this book,” Logan insisted, opening the book. “The fate of your marriage depends on it.”

Logan showed him the page of an illustration of a naked lady, and worse, all the parts of her body were labeled. Logan held it out to Malcolm.

“This will be extremely helpful as you figure out how to please your wife,” Logan said.

Malcolm felt all the color leave his face. How dare Logan do this! And right in front of Warren and Robert! “Get that filth out of my sight,” he snapped and swatted the book out of Logan’s hands.

The book landed on the floor, and as it did, the book opened to another page. This one with all text, thankfully, but when Warren read, “The gentleman’s responsibility is to make the bed a pleasurable experience for his wife,” Malcolm thought for sure he was going to faint.

Only ladies ever fainted, as far as Malcolm could recall. He just might be the first gentleman to do it. All of London would be hysterical over it. He wobbled on his feet, willing himself to remain upright, no matter how lightheaded he was feeling.

Warren turned his accusing eyes to Logan. “What is the meaning of this?” he gestured to the book and shuddered.

“It’s Lord Edon’s book,” Logan replied as he retrieved it.

Malcolm managed a step behind Warren and Robert before Logan thought to thrust it his way again. Good heavens, but he was never going to recover from this.

“That book is in very bad taste,” Warren told Logan. “You are not to bring that disgusting thing to White’s anymore. Keep your debauchery safely at home.”

“Yes,” Robert agreed, straightening his cravat. “We’re gentlemen at a gentlemen’s club. If we wanted to engage in such distasteful literature, we’d go to a pigpen.”

“One can hardly call that,” Warren gestured to the book, “literature. It’s a travesty anyone wrote it.”

“Who did write it?” Robert asked. “Lord Edon?”

“No one knows who wrote it,” Logan said, not looking the least bit guilty about having it.

Malcolm shook his head. Did Logan have no sense of propriety? Not even a single ounce of it? Being related to him through marriage was going to be the very death of him. Melissa couldn’t honestly be happy with him.

Warren crossed his arms. “Well, we will not tolerate such filth in this establishment.”

Logan snorted. “Half the gentlemen in this establishment own a copy. Those that do happen to have very happy wives.”

“Oh really?” Warren asked, not sounding the least bit convinced.

“Yes, really,” Logan replied. “My wife happens to be one of them. Why, she even reads it to get ideas on what we can do to enhance our lovemaking.”

And that’s when it happened. Malcolm succumbed to the lightheaded sensation and let himself faint.

***

When Malcolm regained consciousness, he realized he was in a chair, and his feet were raised on the ottoman in front of him. He opened his eyes. He was still at White’s. But he was safely away from the group of gentlemen who were gathered around Lord Edon.

“I forbid you to hand out any more of those books,” Warren told Edon. “You are making this club a mockery in all of London.”

“I only have these books because gentlemen keep asking for them,” Edon blandly replied.

“Well, tell them you don’t have any more copies,” Warren said. “They don’t need to be reading such…such…”

“Reprobate material,” Robert supplied.

“Exactly.” Warren nodded then turned his gaze back to Edon. “We’ve talked about this before. Now we have Logan trying to force Malcolm to take the book, and when that kind of thing happens, it’s gone too far.”

“Since when is it wrong to want to satisfy your wife?” Mr. Christopher Robinson asked, eager—as always—to defend his friend.

Malcolm sighed. There was no reasoning with either Robinson or Edon. They were lost causes.

Warren groaned. “Wives aren’t for pleasure. They are for necessity. They are to give us an heir and a spare. That is all. They receive satisfaction when they get to spend our money.

“What’s sad,” Logan began, “is that you actually believe that. But when you marry, you’ll find things are much better if you look for ways to make her time in bed pleasurable. It’s downright selfish to think only of your own satisfaction.”

“I won’t aim to be satisfied,” Warren said. “All I’m going to aim for are two sons. That’s it.” He motioned to Malcolm, who sank lower into the chair. “Gentlemen like us have more important things to do than worry about spending time in bed. We have fortunes to acquire.”

“Usually, I’d agree with Lord Steinbeck,” Lord Roderick spoke up. “But in this case, he couldn’t be more wrong. I find I concentrate much better on investing when I’m satisfied in bed, and a large part of being satisfied is knowing my wife has enjoyed herself as well.”

Robinson gasped. “Roderick, for the first time since I’ve known you, you actually made good sense.”

Roderick rolled his eyes.

“No, I mean it,” Robinson insisted. “It’s refreshing to hear you agree with me for a change.”

“I can’t believe what I’m hearing,” Warren said. “Lord Roderick, you wanted to see more upstanding gentlemen in this club. You voted for Mr. Jasper to be a member.”

“Yes, I did,” Roderick admitted, “and I stand by my decision. But I don’t see what that has to do with having a happy marriage. A good marriage is best for London. It prevents a lot of scandals.”

“Regardless,” Warren said, turning his attention back to Edon, “I want this book banned from White’s. You can hand it out anywhere else but here.”

“I won’t do that unless the majority vote for it,” Edon replied.

“Yes, that’s a splendid idea,” Robinson agreed. “We’ll put it to a vote.”

Warren didn’t look at all happy with the outcome, but since the other gentlemen, who had gathered around them, agreed to a vote, the decision was made.

“Good,” Robinson said, a pleased smile on his face. “We’ll vote on it then.”

“Not now,” Warren replied. “We need to give everyone notice we’ll be voting on this.”

Robinson smirked. “He’s only saying that because he knows he’ll lose if we vote right now.”

Malcolm rubbed his forehead. He was in danger of getting a headache, especially since Logan was the reason they were having the debate about the book. When it came to Logan, nothing turned out well.

Warren scowled at Robinson. “It’s important every member in this establishment has a chance to vote.”

“Fine,” Roderick said. “Everyone who wants to vote on the book may do so on Wednesday. Four days should be enough time for everyone to get a notice about the vote. Then on Thursday, we’ll count the votes. Whatever the decision ends up being, we’ll abide by it. Agreed?”

Warren nodded. “Agreed.”

“Good.” Roderick turned to his friend, Lord Clement. “Let’s play chess. I’ve had enough of this ridiculous debate.”

Malcolm rose to his feet. He needed to get out of here. If Logan did anything else to embarrass him, he just might end up throwing him down a well to get rid of him, once and for all. While no one was looking, he slipped out of White’s and hurried on home.

Chapter Sixteen

Regan and Leonard had just returned from visiting Eloise’s when Malcolm entered the townhouse, mumbling something under his breath about how terrible his life was. Frowning, she left the drawing room, her son at her heels, in time to intercept him before he went up the stairs.

“Mind if I ask what’s troubling you?” she asked. When he hesitated, she added, “Did I do something to upset you?”

He waited until the footman left before answering. “No. Your behavior has been impeccable. Ideal, even. I have no complaints there. It’s just,” he sighed, “every time I remember I couldn’t save my sister from marriage to that…that…” He glanced at Leonard. “Never mind what he is. The fact of the matter is, I couldn’t save her from the marriage, and because of that, I have to live with the consequences of my failure every day of my life.”

She glanced at Leonard, sure this would be one of those discussions best done without him there. “Go on back to the drawing room and work on your drawing.”

Though her son looked disappointed, he obeyed.

She turned back to Malcolm. “Would you like to talk in a more private area?”

“What about Leonard? Is it safe to leave him unattended?”

“The butler can watch him. Why don’t we talk in the den?”

“All right.”

Once she summoned the butler, Malcolm went with her to the den. He plopped in the chair, his head thrown back, and stared at the ceiling as if he’d lost his dearest friend in all the world.

“Do you need some brandy?” she asked, ready to head over to the decanter.

“No. Brandy won’t help me. Nothing will help. I’m stuck with my loathsome brother-in-law until I die. There’s no getting rid of him.”

She went over to the chair next to his and sat down. “What did Logan do to upset you?”

“I think the better question is, what doesn’t he do to upset me? I honestly think he looks for ways to annoy me. All I want is to stay out of trouble. I don’t want to be involved in any scandalous activities. I want a simple and quiet life where I can go to White’s without being embarrassed. Is that too much to ask?”

“No, it’s not,” she softly replied, thinking of the things she’d done to potentially embarrass him.

He was so unlike Frederick. Frederick found humor in everything, often saying if a gentleman took life too seriously, he was going to miss out the best it had to offer. She’d taken it for granted others were like him or that Malcolm would be happier if he’d adopt the same attitude Frederick had.

But it wasn’t right of her to change Malcolm. Malcolm had a right to want to protect his reputation. Granted, it was a little bit amusing he considered everything he did of the greatest importance, but she supposed given all the faults a gentleman could have, this was one she could live with. He could be worse.

Malcolm let out a heavy sigh and rubbed his eyes. “It was bad enough that Logan came up to me at White’s, but then he made it a point to keep bothering me in front of Warren and Robert. The only saving grace was that they knew I’d never condone the kind of book Logan reads for entertainment.” He shuddered. “It was just awful.”

“I’m sorry, Malcolm,” she said.

“You have nothing to be sorry about. You can’t control what that loathsome cad does.”

“No, I meant I’m sorry for all the times I did something to upset you. You know, taking your hand and leading you to the dance floor, talking to you too long in front of Warren’s, coming to your townhouse uninvited, and not telling you it was really me you were marrying. Then the things I did the morning after we married while we were eating.”

“It turned out all right,” he said. “Besides, you are nowhere as horrible as Logan is. At least your things were harmless.”

“Does that mean you forgive me?”

His eyebrows rose in surprise. “I thought you understood I already did.”

“It’s nice to know for sure.”

“You’re nothing like my dimwitted brother-in-law. He torments me relentlessly. To him, it’s a challenge to see if he can irk me more today than he did yesterday. He knows what he does upsets me, and he keeps doing it. Whereas with you, once you understood certain things bothered me, you stopped. You respect me, whereas he doesn’t.” He closed his eyes and groaned. “If it weren’t for my sister and nephew, I’d never deal with him.”

“Is it a good idea to go to their dinner party this evening?” Regan asked. “We can always tell them we won’t be able to make it.”

“No. If I don’t go, I’ll never hear the end of it. He’ll see it as a victory.” He straightened in his chair. “I have to go whether I want to or not.”

After a moment of staring straight ahead, he ran his fingers through his dark hair. Her fingers itched to do the same. He had marvelous hair for a gentleman. It was rich in color and texture. There were many other things she wanted to do to him, as well, but unless he allowed it, she couldn’t.

“I should get ready for the dreadful event,” Malcolm finally said and rose to his feet. “Afterwards, I think I’ll spend some time with Leonard. Do you mind if I explain the importance of not being a reckless spender?”

Despite the serious conversation they’d been having, she caught herself chuckling. “He’s only four, Malcolm. I doubt he’ll understand what you’re talking about.”

“He might not understand everything I tell him, but he might grasp a piece of it. I can later take that piece and build upon it with other conversations.”

“You may instruct him as you see fit,” she replied. “I just didn’t want you to get your hopes up.”

“I won’t.”

She waited until he left the den before she returned to her son. She supposed her heart should have been lighter since he’d forgiven her for all the things she’d done to upset him, but it wasn’t. In many ways, she experienced regret. She had no idea the things she’d thought were harmless had impacted him so deeply. He was a sensitive soul.

She was beginning to suspect his show of pride covered up his feeling of insecurity. Logan was right when he suggested she appeal to Malcolm’s self-confidence. Yes, it was a way in. The method had worked wonderfully in getting Malcolm to open up to her.

But it hadn’t made him more prideful, as Logan thought it’d do. What it had done was shown him that someone respected him. Respect, as it turned out, was the way to his heart. In the future, she would be mindful to watch what she said and did, so she could honor that.

***

By the time Regan was ready to go to Melissa and Logan’s dinner party, she found Malcolm in the drawing room with Leonard. He had set out chess pieces on the table, some of which were on one side while the others had been delegated to the floor in a neat pile. Curious, she kept quiet as she peered in to see what they were doing.

“So now you have your favorite pieces,” Malcolm told Leonard. “The King, the Queen, two Knights, and two Bishops. You’ve already been reckless with the ones you didn’t like, which is all right. As long as you have enough money here,” he gestured to the pieces on the table, “your wealth is still secure. However, it’s important to save some of these aside while you’re making investments. Investments allow you to retrieve back some of the pieces you already lost. But, and this is the tricky part, you will need to decide how much to spend. If you spend everything on one investment, you could lose all your pieces. For example, let’s say you want to get a Rook. Which of these pieces are you willing to lose?”

“None,” Leonard said.

“But you have to pick one.”

“I like them all.”

“What about a Knight or a Bishop? You already have two of each of those.”

Amused, Regan watched as Leonard studied the six pieces in front of him. She bit her tongue so she wouldn’t laugh. This was too adorable. Who but Malcolm would think to make a lesson on money from chess pieces?

After a long pause, Leonard shook his head. “I like all of them.”

“But the whole point in making money is to be willing to risk some of it for a bigger return,” Malcolm said. “Why not risk the Knight? Of all the pieces, he is the least important.”

“But I like him. He’s a horse.”

“All right. If you don’t want to chance losing a Knight, then what about one of the Bishops?”

He shook his head. “But I like them. They remind me of fire.”

“Fire?”

“On a candle. Like when Mother tucks me into bed. There’s always a candle.” Leonard pointed to the King and Queen. “I’ll give up one of these.”

“But those are very important. They represent the most valuable things you have in your estate. That is your land,” Malcolm pointed to the King, “and this is your manor,” he pointed to the Queen. “Even if you lose everything else, you must keep these.”

At that moment, Leonard looked over at Regan. “Mother, which one should I give up?”

Having been exposed, she went over to them and sat down and asked, “What do the Bishops and Knights represent?”

“Money in various amounts,” Malcolm said. “The Bishops are higher amounts than the Knights. For the sake of this discussion, I’m not going to be specific. I just want him to understand the importance of being careful with things he can’t afford to lose.”

“The estate being one of them,” she replied then looked at her son. “He’s right. You don’t want to ever do anything as foolish as bet your estate. Some day you will have an heir, and you’ll want to leave that to him.”

“You also don’t want to be irresponsible with the money in your possession,” Malcolm added. “I’ve seen too many titled gentlemen end up destitute due to such carelessness.”

“I’ll be good with money,” Leonard said.

“With your father’s guidance, I have no doubt about it,” Regan replied. Malcolm smiled at her compliment, and she was glad she was able to say something to make him happy. “I don’t know how much longer this will take,” she said, gesturing to the chess pieces, “but I promised Leonard he could sleep at his grandmother’s tonight.”

“I suppose that’s all we need to do today.” Malcolm rose to his feet. “We can talk about what to do with your Bishops or Knights next time.”

“When?” Leonard asked.

“Well,” Malcolm shrugged, “I suppose tomorrow.”

“Good,” he replied. “I can’t wait to find how this game turns out!”

Malcolm opened his mouth to speak as Leonard hurried for the hallway, but he closed it and glanced at Regan, who chuckled.

“In time, he’ll understand it’s not a game,” she assured him.

“There’s no harm in it at his age. Besides, if he thinks of it as a game, he’ll probably remember what I tell him.”

“I think so. Children remember things they enjoy.”

By the time they reached the door, Leonard was practically jumping up and down. “Grandmother said she has a gift for me.”

“She likes to spoil him,” Regan told Malcolm with a smile. She tapped her son on the shoulder. “Settle down.”

Leonard stopped jumping, and Regan nodded to let the footman know he could open the door so they could go to the carriage.

It was nice her son had such a good relationship with his grandmother. However, between the two of them, Regan suspected Frederick’s mother benefited most from their times together. His poor mother had lost two children to childbirth. Frederick had been a sickly child, and she’d doted on him to the point where he’d felt confined all his life. So was it really any wonder that he’d found Regan’s mischievous nature refreshing?

As Regan followed her son into the carriage, she glanced at Malcolm. No two gentlemen could be more different. While Frederick wanted to push against the rules of the Ton, Malcolm needed to stay safe inside them. It was surprising both gentlemen should appeal to her so much, but the truth was, she wanted to be with Malcolm as much as she’d wanted to be with Frederick. Both were wonderful gentlemen, despite their differences.

After she sat down, Leonard scrambled over her so he could sit between her and Malcolm. “Sorry, Mother,” he said, standing up so he was no longer sitting on her dress.

“It’s all right,” she replied as she tucked the bottom of her dress safely around her legs.

The carriage moved forward, and Leonard settled back down and smiled at them. “This is great fun, isn’t it?”

“Speak for yourself,” Malcolm said. “I have to endure the ramblings of a madman. You get a nice, quiet evening with your grandmother.”

Leonard’s eyebrows furrowed, and he looked over at Regan. “What’s a madman?”

“Someone who lacks good sense,” Malcolm replied. “It’s worse when they do it on purpose.”

“We don’t have to stay long,” Regan told Malcolm. “We can make up an excuse and leave early. Maybe I could get a headache or feel sick to my stomach. They shouldn’t suspect anything if I claim the illness.”

“Oh, I don’t mind coming right out and telling him I can’t stand to be around him anymore,” Malcolm said. “One time I even walked out while he was still talking. I even did that today at White’s.”

“Who don’t you like, Father?” Leonard asked.

“Lord Toplyn.”

Regan couldn’t help but notice her husband’s face puckered up as if he’d just tasted a lemon.

“Oh, Lord Top Pin,” her son said. “I remember him.”

“It’s Toplyn,” she told him.

“That’s what I said,” Leonard replied.

Malcolm chuckled. “You have to admit, it sounds like Top Pin.”

The carriage came to a stop, and she decided to put aside the discussion in favor of taking her son to see his grandmother.

To her surprise, Malcolm joined her. She had expected him to wait in the carriage. But he hadn’t. In fact, he even took her by the elbow, an action which warmed her from her head to the tips of her toes. There was nothing sensual about the touch. It was a sweet gesture. It was a sincere gesture. It was something he did because he wanted to. And because of that, it was the best touch she’d ever received.

Chapter Seventeen

“Oh good, you came!” Logan greeted Regan as the footman brought her and Malcolm into the drawing room.

Logan gave her a bow, his gesture much more elaborate than it needed to be, something not lost on Malcolm, who rolled his eyes. Regan bit back a chuckle and decided to be polite by offering a curtsey and extending a greeting to Logan and Melissa.

After Melissa returned the greeting, Logan turned to Malcolm and sighed loud enough for all to hear. “I see you couldn’t get out of bringing your less-than-enthusiastic companion with you.”

“That’s not fair, Logan,” Melissa said. “You know I want to see my brother. The invitation was for both of them.”

“I only came here to see my sister and darling nephew. Speaking of which,” Malcolm glanced around the room, “where is Mathias?”

“He’s upstairs,” Melissa said. “Would you like to see him?”

“Yes.” Malcolm turned to Regan. “Want to join us?”

Regan almost said yes, but Logan gave a slight shake of his head, a silent indication he wished to speak to her. Considering his assistance in helping her win Malcolm, she opted to see what he had on his mind.

“Actually, I’m thirsty,” Regan said. “Could I come up after I have a chance to drink some tea?” She gestured to the teapot and cups resting on the table.

“Of course,” Melissa replied. “Logan, bring her up when she’s done.”

“I’d be delighted to,” Logan promised.

Malcolm and Melissa left the room, but Regan waited until she heard them going up the steps before she turned to Logan. “You wish to speak to me about something?”

“Yes.” Logan hurried over to the desk and opened a drawer. “I got this from Lord Edon the other day.”

Curious, Regan followed him, wondering what it was he wanted to show her. To her surprise, he pulled out the same book Regan had caught Melissa reading the last time she’d been here.

“I tried to give this to your husband while I was at White’s today,” Logan told her. “But he refused to take it. I thought it would help you get him to come to your bed. You know, give him some inspiration.”

She took the book and opened it, just to make sure it really was the one she’d written. The title was How to Pleasure a Lady. Yes, it was hers, all right, even though no author was specified. At the time, she’d thought it best to keep her identity a secret, and right now, she was especially glad for it. Who knew what Logan would think if he knew he was giving her the very book she’d written?

“Now, he might not read the contents,” Logan warned her. “He might even find the illustrations frightening, even though they are more educational than erotic.” Lowering his voice, he added, “I showed him one that labeled the important parts on the lady’s body, and he ran off as if I’d shown him a newspaper article reporting the demise of all the banks.”

She couldn’t help but chuckle at the joke. “There’s no denying he’s timid when it comes to the bedchamber.”

“Yes, but normal gentlemen still find the female body fascinating enough to explore, despite their initial shyness.”

She had trouble arguing that statement.

“I don’t know if you can get him to read it,” Logan continued. “Maybe you can slip it into his bed when he’s having one of his restless nights. I’m sure if he’s aroused enough, he’ll be more inclined to read it.”

That was probably true. Even if Malcolm was reluctant to come to her bed, she didn’t see how his curiosity wouldn’t win the battle in seeing what was in the book.

But if he found it in his bedchamber, he’d know she’d put it there. That wouldn’t work well considering how much progress she’d made with him over the last few days. He seemed to be softening quite a bit toward her. If he saw this, they might end up where they were on their wedding day, and that was the last thing she wanted.

However, she couldn’t refuse the gift. Logan’s heart was in the right place. He was doing this to help her. So she had to accept it.

“Thank you,” she told Logan.

“Of course, I don’t expect you to take it home with you this evening,” he said, taking the book back. “I’ll wrap it in brown paper, so no one will be the wiser when it arrives.”

“When what arrives?” came Malcolm’s voice from behind her.

Startled, she spun around, eyes wide as her husband made his way across the room in long, even strides. She glanced at Logan, who appeared as equally shocked.

“You’re quieter than a church mouse,” Logan said as he slipped the book into the drawer and shut it.

“What were you showing my wife?” Malcolm demanded.

Regan glanced at Logan. Oh dear. This wasn’t going to be good. Not with the way Malcolm was so prudish. She recalled how upset he’d been earlier that day when he came home from White’s. It was the book that did it. Who knew something she’d thought would be a good idea at the time she wrote it would come back to haunt her in such a horrific way?

“It’s nothing to concern yourself with,” Logan told Malcolm then gestured to the stairs. “Why aren’t you doting on your nephew?”

“Because I realized leaving you alone with my wife wasn’t in my favor. Who knows what you’ll say or do to annoy her?” Malcolm made a move to the drawer, but Logan blocked him.

With a frustrated sigh, Malcolm turned to her. “What was he showing you?”

“Um…” What a tricky situation she’d been put into! If she told him the truth, he’d be upset, and if she didn’t tell him, he’d be upset. Either way, she didn’t think she could win. But even with all that, she’d be better off telling him the truth, in as vague a way as possible. She cleared her throat. “It was just a book.” Then with a casual laugh, she shrugged. “It’s not even worth talking about. Come, let’s see Mathias.”

But before she could take him by the arm and lead him up the stairs, he turned to Logan and shoved him aside so he could get to the drawer. Regan blinked. The whole thing happened so fast she didn’t have a chance to stop him. And neither did Logan, who seemed at a loss on what to say about the whole matter.

Malcolm opened the drawer and pulled out the book, letting out a gasp that seemed to echo through the quiet room. “What are you doing showing this to my wife?” Malcolm asked Logan.

After a moment, Logan straightened up and, in an indignant tone, said, “If you’d taken it earlier today, I wouldn’t have had to give it to her.”

“You have no right to give her something of this…this…” Malcolm stared at the book as if it’d poison him if he opened it. “This is inappropriate. Did I give something like this to your wife? No. I’d never dream of giving a lady something this…this….”

“Entertaining?” Logan supplied.

Malcolm dropped the book back into the drawer and slammed it shut. “I thought even you, someone with the moral standing of a shameless rake, would have more sense than to give this piece of filth to a lady.”

“I’ll have you know ladies can enjoy that book just as much as gentlemen,” Logan said, hands on his hips. “Why, Melissa often tells me what she’d like to try after reading that book.”

Regan didn’t think Malcolm could be any more disturbed than he already was, but she was wrong. The color draining out of his face, Malcolm stumbled back, his hand over his heart.

Regan hurried to get a chair for him so he didn’t end up collapsing onto the floor. He plopped into the seat, staring straight ahead. Regan waved her hand in front of him, but he didn’t blink.

“What’s going on down here?” Melissa asked, coming into the room.

“Malcolm found the book on how to pleasure a lady, and the excitement was too much for him,” Logan dismissively replied. “He fainted earlier today at White’s, so I can’t say I’m surprised.”

“Logan,” Melissa said as she went over to her brother, “I told you to be discreet when you gave Regan that book.”

Malcolm bolted straight up in the chair. “You knew about that book?” he asked Melissa.

“Well, yes,” Melissa replied. When his face fell, she added, “I’m a married lady, Malcolm. Surely, you didn’t expect me to live like I was in a nunnery.”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I did.” Malcolm stood up and gestured to Logan. “You’re married to that thing over there.”

“I have a son. Just how do you think he got here?”

“I imagined it was only once and you were relieved when it was over.”

“Well, you imagined wrong.”

Logan snickered. “Not everyone lives the celibate life you do, Malcolm.”

“I’ve heard enough,” Malcolm muttered. “I’m not staying.” He turned to Regan. “Will you be coming with me, or should I send the carriage to come back for you?”

“She’ll be staying, of course,” Logan said for her. “Just because you have trouble accepting what’s going on around you, it doesn’t mean Regan does. We’ll have a good time without you, and you don’t need to send for a carriage. We’ll send her in ours.”

“No,” Regan replied. “I think I should go.” She wasn’t sure if she should thank them for a lovely evening, especially since they hadn’t even stayed for dinner, but it seemed she should say something. So, she opted for, “Thank you for inviting us to dinner.”

Logan looked as if he’d been deprived of his favorite treat. “But I was looking forward to talking to you this evening.”

“She doesn’t want the kind of talk you want to do,” Malcolm snapped. “Melissa, when you can get your husband to behave, we’ll be happy to return.”

Since there was nothing else to say, Regan offered a smile and left with Malcolm. The evening hadn’t turned out the way she’d expected. Yes, she thought there might be some awkward moments where Malcolm and Logan argued, but never once did she think they would end up leaving before she and Malcolm even ate.

After she got into the carriage with Malcolm, he took her hand in his and offered her the biggest smile she’d ever seen. It was even bigger than the ones he’d given Warren, and that was saying something.

He waited until the footman closed the carriage door before speaking. “Thank you, Regan. You have no idea what it’s been like since my sister married that cad. My entire family has taken his side, no matter what the situation is. But you took mine tonight. All the doubts I ever had about you are gone.”

This shocked her even more than their sudden departure from his sister’s. The carriage moved forward, and the sudden jolt broke her out of her speechlessness.

“I didn’t want to be there without you,” she finally said. “Really, it was nothing.”

“It was much more than you realize. I get so tired of hearing how wonderful Logan is. Whenever I make a complaint, my parents and Melissa argue with me. They keep saying I need to give him a chance, despite the fact that all he does is look for ways to irritate me. Like with that book.” He shook his head. “I can’t believe he had the audacity to try to give it to you.”

Oh my. That book was more of a problem than he realized since she was the one who’d written it. She shifted in the seat and cleared her throat. Though it would undoubtedly upset him, she had to tell him, and the sooner she told him, the better.

“Yes, Malcolm. About the book,” she began, gathering up her courage. “There’s something I have to tell you.”

“Whatever it is, it can wait.”

Then, without any prompting on her part, he kissed her. For the first time since they’d married, he initiated an actual kiss. And right on the lips, of all places! She was so stunned she couldn’t even respond.

He lifted his head and looked at her. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Uh, no,” she said. “I just didn’t expect it, that’s all.”

“Understandably,” he replied. “But it’s long overdue, I think. You have been patient with me. More patient than I deserve, now that I remember all the grief I put you through.”

“Well, I didn’t realize how I seemed to you when we first met. I assumed you were like my first husband. He liked it when I was,” for lack of a better word, she chose, “mischievous.”

“Most gentlemen don’t mind that kind of behavior, so I can’t say I blame you for assuming I wouldn’t either. Maybe it’s best to say we just needed time to get to know each other in order for me to understand the Duchess of Ashbourne did, in fact, pick the right lady to be my wife.”

Regan nearly fell over dead at his proclamation. First, the failed dinner, then the kiss, and now this. The entire evening was turning into one big surprise.

And then he was kissing her again. She was able to respond to him this time. How she’d anticipated the moment where she wouldn’t have to fight him, and now that the moment was finally here, all she wanted to do was melt in his arms and let the rest of the world fade away.

Except, she couldn’t. Not when that book was taunting her. If he knew she’d authored the book, he wouldn’t be kissing her. He most likely wouldn’t even want to talk to her. And that being the case, she didn’t give in when he tried to deepen the kiss.

“Malcolm,” she said, pulling away from him, “I really need to tell you something. It’s important.”

The carriage came to a stop, preventing her from saying more. If Malcolm was going to faint or yell at her, she’d rather he do it where no one was there to watch them. The footman opened the door, and she joined him in going to the townhouse. Once they were alone, she would tell him.

Chapter Eighteen

The butler came over to them as soon as they entered the townhouse, a shocked expression on his face. “Mr. Jasper and Lady Cantrell,” he said, glancing from one to the other, “are you in need of something?”

“No, not at the moment, thank you,” Malcolm replied.

All right, this was getting even more peculiar. Didn’t he want to eat?

Malcolm took her hand and led her up the stairs. She almost stumbled after him. He couldn’t mean to… No, it was impossible. There was no way he intended to do what she thought he intended to do. But she was too baffled to ask him what he was doing.

When they reached the top of the stairs, he said, “I hope you don’t mind. I know we could wait, but in all honesty, I don’t think I can make it through dinner. We’ll get something to eat afterwards.”

Afterwards? Then he did intend to…and right now...

He opened the door to his bedchamber and gestured for her to go in first. She stared at him. Did she really dare do this? Especially when she had something to tell him that would change the way he thought of her? She’d worked so hard to get to this moment, but now that it was here, she couldn’t take it. As much as she wanted to, she just couldn’t.

He lifted her up in his arms and carried her into the room. When he set her down, he chuckled. “I know it wasn’t what you expected, but the thought just occurred to me that it wouldn’t hurt to be more spontaneous.”

“Well, you did surprise me.” She watched as he shut the door, ensuring their privacy. She took a deep breath and wiped her sweaty hands on her dress. “Malcolm, this is something that can’t wait. The thing is—”

“Let’s not trouble ourselves with trivial matters.” He strode over to her and cupped her face in his hands. “You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this.”

Then he was kissing her again with those incredibly warm lips, and more than that, he brought her into his arms. This time, she did melt into them. It was, perhaps, the most heavenly thing that’d happened to her in a very long time.

This wasn’t fair. How was she supposed to tell him about the book when he was doing and saying everything she’d wanted since she married him? Here he was, finally embracing her and kissing her in the most glorious way a husband could embrace and kiss his wife, and she had a terrible emotional struggle to contend with.

Malcolm’s mouth left hers, and he kissed her cheek and then her neck. His lips were so warm and soft against her skin. He couldn’t possibly know her weakness was being kissed on the neck, nor could he know how much it excited her when he pulled her against him so she could feel his body, particularly the strength of his arousal. Her own body responded to him, her core aching for the feel of him inside her. How she’d missed this. Few things were as wonderful as making love to one’s own husband.

As his hands ran ever so delightfully over her rear end, she tried to remember what it was she wanted to tell him. She knew there was something—something important—she needed to say, but it was getting harder and harder to remember what it was. And it certainly didn’t help as he brought his hands up to the back of her gown and loosened the buttons.

He was going to make love to her. Really and truly do it. This wasn’t one of the many fantasies she’d entertained over the past week. This was real. Best of all, he was the one initiating it. The thrill of it all was a heady experience in itself. She couldn’t recall a time when she’d been so excited to do anything in her entire life.

Pulse racing, she helped him take off her clothes and wasted no time in helping him out of his. There were times when she found clothes to be a great hindrance, and this was one of them. The only thing she wanted at the moment was for him to be naked so she could take in her fill of his naked body. She ran her hands along his shoulders and then his chest, which were her favorite parts for they spoke of masculine strength.

Her gaze lowered to his erection, and he surprised her by saying, “You remember that thing you mentioned, about putting your mouth there?”

Noting the shyness in his voice, she looked up at him. There was something different in his expression, something she hadn’t seen before, well, except for their wedding night when she took him inside her. It was unabashed desire. It was the point where he forgot all about propriety and money, and all he could do was give himself over to his passions.

Feeling a bit coy, she offered a teasing grin. “I seem to remember something about it. Are you interested?”

“Very much so,” he whispered, his hands running up her arms and then over her breasts.

She shivered in excitement. He might not be experienced, but he had a way of touching her that drove her to distraction. Part of the enjoyment in lovemaking, of course, were the activities leading up to the final moment when their bodies would be joined.

“Maybe you should lie down,” she replied.

Then, just to tease him further, she let her fingers brush his penis, starting from the base of his shaft and ending at his tip, which was already slick. As she’d hoped, he shivered in pleasure from the simple action.

He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. This particular kiss was far more wonderful than all the others because he didn’t hold back. His tongue brushed her lower lip, and when she accepted him, he wasted no time in interlacing his tongue with hers.

When the kiss ended, he picked her up and carried her to the bed. He settled next to her and kissed her again, this time wasting no time in letting his tongue sweep across her mouth. Oh my. Who had any idea Malcolm was hiding such a passionate side? Never in a million years would she have guessed he could be so sensual when it came to making love.

While she’d heard it reported many gentlemen discredited the activity leading up to intercourse, he seemed to relish the build up to it. Usually, gentlemen needed the book to teach them this, but Malcolm hadn’t needed to be taught how to get her ready for him. Perhaps it was his patience and dedication to making money that had taught him some things were best waiting for. She certainly hadn’t done it on their wedding night. She’d come to him already ready for him. And really, it hadn’t taken her much to get ready this time, either. But it did heighten her desire to go through this sensual play.

Recalling his request, she got on top of him, intentionally letting her sensitive nub rub up against his shaft. He let out a soft moan and put his hands on her hips then slid his penis against her so he stroked her nub. With a sigh, she leaned forward and traced one of his nipples with her tongue. She thought he might enjoy that, and his gasp of pleasure let her know he did.

She took her time in teasing him this way, first paying attention to one nipple and then paying attention to the next. All the while, she rocked her hips so she was moving the sensitive part of her flesh along his shaft. He was wonderfully hard. More than that, he was moving his hips in rhythm with hers and being quite vocal in his enjoyment of what they were doing.

It was nice to see him so uninhibited, so caught up in the moment he didn’t care what else was going on around them. She could take him into her right now if she’d wanted. It’d be a simple matter of rising above him enough to take him in. She was certainly wet enough to make it easy. But she wanted him to know the pleasure of a lady’s mouth on him. Then, perhaps, he’d understand why her licking a strawberry was arousing.

She moved down his body, noting the way he protested. “I’ll make it worth the wait,” she promised.

She took him in her hand, choosing to stroke him a couple times in a way that could get him to climax if she continued to do it long enough. He seemed very eager for her to do it now, based on the way he murmured her name and clenched the blankets under him. He would definitely enjoy it. Some day she would do it this way.

But for right now, she lowered her head and took him into her mouth. Holding the base of his shaft, she traced the length of him with her tongue. When she got to the tip, she went a bit slower, choosing to circle around the head before licking his tip.

He let out a gasp then groaned. “That feels incredible,” he said, his voice laced with need.

Satisfied, she repeated the action, thoroughly enjoying the process of prolonging his torment. She knew this would be one of his favorite sexual activities once he embraced the notion of making love for more than simply having children.

Once she was satisfied with teasing him, she rose up and straddled him. But he shot her a wicked grin and rolled her onto her back. “It wouldn’t be fair of me not to return the favor,” he murmured against her neck then kissed it.

His hand traveled along her skin, brushing over her breasts, stopping long enough to give her nipples a playful tug before it rested between her legs.

“You’re so wet,” he whispered, tracing the folds of her flesh. “I assume that means you’re aroused.”

“You assume right,” she replied, her pulse racing in anticipation. Just what did he plan to do to her?

“Where’s the spot you had me touch on our wedding night? The one that gave you the greatest pleasure?”

She guided his thumb to her sensitive nub, and she moved it in circular motions.

He was a quick study and soon picked up on the rhythm she had established. Letting go of his hand, she ran her hand up his arm and then brought his head to hers so she could kiss him. She brushed her tongue along his, groaning when he slid two fingers into her. She hadn’t instructed him to do that, but she figured he’d picked up on how much she’d enjoyed having him inside her when they’d first made love.

She lifted her hips, an action which brought him deeper into her. Seeming to be encouraged by her excitement, he stroked her core in earnest and brought his mouth to one of her breasts. He proceeded to take her nipple into his mouth, swirling it with his tongue in the same manner she’d swirled hers around his tip. The action shot bolts of pleasure straight to her core, further arousing her.

For someone who hadn’t read the book, he seemed to know what he was doing. Before long, she was moaning in earnest and moving her hips in desperate need of release. When she finally climaxed, she let out a cry and grew still, barely aware of anything but the intensity of each wave of pleasure as it crashed into her. Who knew someone so rigid upon first glance could be so incredibly gifted in bed?

When she was able to speak, she whispered, “I want you inside me.”

He didn’t hesitate to satisfy her desire. He shifted on the bed and settled between her legs. With a mischievous grin, he dipped the tip of his penis into her, intentionally delaying the inevitable. She moaned and wiggled against him, loving his playful teasing as much as she needed him to stop tormenting her. She deserved it, she knew, since she’d teased him earlier.

He slid in a little further then pulled back out. She groaned again and lifted her hips to encourage him to come back in. He did, but this time, he only went halfway in then slowly pulled back out.

“How did you learn such restraint?” she asked, scooting down so his tip was dipping back into her.

“A good investor knows when to wait for the right moment to make his move,” he replied, his voice tight with the effort it took to control his movement.

She was ready to tell him it wasn’t fair to practice such control in bed, but then he slid all the way into her, and she gasped. It felt so much better the way he was doing this. Grasping his arms, she dug her nails into his skin as he proceeded to make love to her. At first, he was slow and deliberate, often pausing and moaning, his body tense with need to release his seed, but he intentionally kept putting it off.

She had no idea he had such restraint. No wonder he was able to hold out this long since their wedding night. She doubted any other gentleman could have done it, but then, they didn’t have his gift for patience. In time, he was moving faster, but each thrust was calculated and controlled. And it drove her to such distraction, she ended up climaxing again. Her flesh wrapped around him, pulling him deeper into her.

As she was caught up in her bliss, he joined her and released his seed, the throbbing of his penis only serving to prolong her pleasure. She’d heard of couples reaching their peak at the same time, but until now, she’d never experienced it. It was absolutely heavenly. She wrapped her legs around him and pulled her deeper into her. He let out a moan and murmured her name.

Once they relaxed, he spent considerable time kissing her. She kept her legs securely around him, reluctant to let him go. How she’d missed having this intimate connection with a gentleman. She’d keep him inside her all night if he’d let her. And it seemed he was in no hurry to get out of her since he stayed right where he was.

After a while, he lowered his head to her ear and whispered, “I suppose we should get something to eat.”

Noting the thickening of his penis, she chuckled. “Are you hungry?”

With a moan, he moved inside her, and sure enough, he was fully aroused. “Not for food. You?”

She lifted her hips and began rocking them, delighted when he let out another moan. “Let’s stay here all night and make love.”

He lowered his head to hers and kissed her. Then he began making love to her in earnest once more.

It wasn’t until the next morning she remembered she hadn’t told him about the book.

Chapter Nineteen

When Malcolm woke up, the first thing he became aware of was how relaxed he felt. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d experienced such contentment. Keeping his eyes closed, he rested on his back, taking a moment to thoroughly enjoy this new feeling.

His entire body felt good, and thankfully, his penis had stopped pestering him. That, in itself, was a huge relief. It has gotten to the point where he had trouble concentrating on his investment plans. Today, however, he’d have no such difficulty.

But then, he decided he’d rather not dwell on such matters. He’d rather spend the day with Regan and Leonard. Maybe he’d take them to the Royal Menagerie. Malcolm had been meaning to check out the newer attraction, Martin, the Grizzly bear, but he hadn’t taken the time to do so. Leonard, no doubt, would have a good time.

Even Regan might find pleasure in it, especially since these were exotic animals, which seemed more her style. Malcolm sensed she’d enjoy them more than the tamer animals at the circus. She’d been on her best behavior for his sake. He owed her something exciting. Then, maybe this evening, he’d take her to the theatre. Lots of ladies seemed to enjoy that, too.

Smiling, he rolled onto his side, fully expecting Regan to be right beside him, but when he reached for her, she wasn’t there. Surprised, he opened his eyes and sat up. She wasn’t anywhere in the room. In fact, her clothes were gone. He hadn’t been all that surprised when she’d disappeared right after their wedding night. He hadn’t exactly been the most gracious groom. But he thought last night he’d made it clear he wanted her in bed with him.

He slipped out of bed and checked the time. It was late. Well, late for him. He wasn’t used to sleeping in until nine. He did his best work early in the morning. But he wasn’t going to work today, so that was irrelevant. After he got dressed and made himself presentable, he left his bedchamber and went downstairs.

As it turned out, she wasn’t anywhere down there, either. That was odd. Last night really had happened, hadn’t it? He was in her townhouse. Surely, that meant the marriage really happened. It hadn’t been some elaborate dream.

“May I help you, Mr. Jasper?” the butler asked, coming up to him in the hallway.

“Yes,” Malcolm said. “I’d like to know where my wife is. Has she come down here yet?”

“No, she’s still upstairs. As far as I know she’s still asleep. She hasn’t called for her lady’s maid.”

“Thank you.”

Malcolm turned and headed up the stairs. He didn’t know why it didn’t occur to him to check out her bedchamber, but it was the most logical choice. His first impulse was to enter in through the hallway. However, that seemed too impersonal, given how close they’d gotten last night. So he went into his bedchamber and went to the door connecting their rooms.

He knocked. “Regan, are you in there?”

There was no response. That was odder still, but then he reasoned she was asleep. He turned the knob and peeked into the room. Sure enough, he saw her resting under the blankets, which she’d pulled up over her head. The poor thing must be exhausted. Maybe he shouldn’t have kept her up as long as he had. He hadn’t meant to be so demanding, but it’d been near impossible to stop making love to her.

Thinking to surprise her by being next to her when she woke up, he tiptoed up to her bed and gently got on top of it. Then he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her to him, imagining how happy she’d be when she woke up and he was right there with her.

Such a fantasy, however, did not play out, for just as he closed his eyes, he heard a faint sniffle. Eyebrows furrowed, he sat up in the bed and pulled back the blanket. His eyes grew wide when he saw her nose was red and her eyes were swollen from crying.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. “Did I hurt you?” Perhaps he’d been rough in his excitement last night. Ladies were, after all, delicate creatures. He touched her shoulder and turned her so she was facing him. “Don’t lie to me, Regan. If I hurt you, I need to know so I won’t do it again.”

Letting out a long sigh, she scooted so she was in a sitting position. He noted she’d put on a shift, which was a shame since he much preferred her without clothes on. She swallowed and wiped her damp cheeks.

“No, you didn’t hurt me, Malcolm. Last night was the most wonderful thing that’s happened to me in a long time.”

“Then why are you crying?”

“You’re going to hate me.”

“What? Why?”

“You remember that thing I wanted to tell you last night before…before we got distracted?”

Now that she mentioned it, he did remember something she’d said she needed to tell him that was important. Had he not been so aroused he would have been more inclined to oblige her, but with the nights he’d resisted going to her bed, he hadn’t been in the right frame of mind to have such a conversation. He supposed this morning was a good time to hear her out.

“What is it you need to tell me?” he softly asked.

She took a deep breath then blurted out, “It’s about the book Logan tried to give me.”

He shuddered. “Try not to think about it. I promise you Logan will never do that again. Even if I have to tie his hands behind his back, you won’t have to endure another shock like that in the future.”

“It didn’t shock me, Malcolm. In fact…”

She opened her mouth to speak, shut it, and then groaned in frustration. Finally, she wiggled off the bed and went to her dresser, pulling open the top drawer. When she turned toward him, she was holding a copy of the book in her hand.

“You already have one?” he asked, not sure if this shocked him as much as it should have. This was Regan, after all, and considering how skilled her mouth and hands were, it made sense she was well acquainted with such things. But still… “Or is that a book on how to pleasure a gentleman?” he asked.

“It’s the same book Logan tried to give me,” she said. “I don’t just own a copy, Malcolm. I’m the one who wrote it.”

His eyes nearly popped out of his head. “You what?”

“Well, it just seemed that it’s so easy to please a gentleman. All a lady has to do is lie there, and he can climax without any problems. But it’s not so easy for ladies. Most of them require more touching and kissing, and these touches and kisses need to be done in such a way to ensure they have their climaxes. I didn’t write it to be something distasteful or scandalous, as some think. I wrote it to help husbands understand how to better satisfy their wives in bed. And it’s not just instructions on what to do in bed or ideas on different sexual positions to try. There are other things in here, too. There are chapters dedicated to spending time with one’s wife, giving her attention, caring about her, seeking ways to make her feel loved. It’s not meant to be an erotic book as so many claim. It’s meant to strengthen marriages.”

He didn’t know what to say. For one, he’d never actually read the book, so he didn’t know what was in it, an error he was regretting at the moment since this gave him a disadvantage in this conversation. And two, he could tell she was sincere. She honestly hadn’t meant for the book to end up being the scandalous thing it’d turned into…which prompted him to finally speak.

“Lord Edon hands them out,” he said. “That’s why so many think its contents are unsuitable for reputable gentlemen.”

Except for the rare few like Lord Roderick who didn’t mind letting others know he had a copy, probably because he understood the intention of the book was exactly what she had hoped for when writing it. Which further meant, of course, Lord Roderick was more intelligent than most of the gentleman at White’s.

“That was Frederick’s idea,” she replied, turning the book over in her hands. “He thought it best to deliver copies to Lord Edon since no one would question it if London’s most notorious rake had copies of this on hand.” She shrugged. “Frederick said it would help Lord Edon’s image. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but it’s why we chose him.”

Malcolm considered his next question before asking, “Did Frederick help you write it?”

“All he did was draw the pictures,” she said. “I have no artistic talent. Leonard gets his artistic ability from him. He thought it would help gentlemen if they had something visual to go by.”

Frederick was probably right.

“No one knows I wrote it, Malcolm,” Regan said, finally coming back to the bed. She settled on the edge of it and stared at the book in her hands. “The secret is safe, and it’ll continue to stay safe. I didn’t say a word about it to anyone. Frederick picked a discreet gentleman who owns a printer to run off copies of this book once a year for the next ten years. The printer’s been paid in advance, and he delivers the books to Lord Edon at the beginning of every Season. I don’t have to do anything, so no one will find out the truth.”

She stopped talking and lifted her gaze, her eyes meeting his. He couldn’t hate her. He couldn’t even hate the book now that he knew the truth behind why it was written. All this time, he’d assume the author was some braggart who wished to lord his sexual prowess over other gentlemen. He never once guessed it was really a lady who wished to help husbands grow closer to their wives.

“I don’t hate you, Regan,” he said, his voice soft in the quiet room. “I understand why you didn’t tell me about the book sooner. You didn’t want to disappoint me.”

“No, I didn’t, but it’s also not fair to keep the truth from you.”

“You shouldn’t have to keep anything from me. I’m your husband. If there’s anyone you should be able to tell the truth to, it’s me.” He reached for her hand and took it in his. “Regan, over the past couple days I saw a side of you that made me think you could be the one person in this world who truly understands and respects me. And last night when you were willing to leave Logan and Melissa’s to show them you supported me, I knew I could trust you with my life. Our time in bed together wasn’t just about having children. It was about being with you. I love you.”

Tears filled her eyes as she smiled at him. “Oh Malcolm, I love you, too. I think I fell in love with you the moment I met you. I just didn’t approach you the right way.”

He chuckled. “It wasn’t that bad. You could have stumbled on top of me like Lord Roderick’s wife did when they met.”

“I missed that scandal,” she said.

“You would have liked it. For all appearances, it really did look like they were about to engage in something highly inappropriate.”

“I didn’t think you attended balls.”

“Usually, I don’t, but I was there that evening because my father wanted to establish a business connection, and I wanted to be a part of it.”

“Of all the scandals, that one sounded like the most exciting one.”

“It was, except for the things Dr. Westward did. Lord and Lady Roderick are still permitted to go to everyone’s balls. Dr. Westward’s been banned from over half of them. You might have enjoyed living the scandalous life with him more than the boring one you have with me,” he teased, squeezing her hand. “But I suppose it won’t be so bad if we bring a pillow in the carriage. That way you can fall asleep if things get too boring.”

As he hoped, she giggled at his joke. “I could never be bored with you, Malcolm. When you make love to a lady, there’s nowhere else she’d rather be than in your bed.”

“That’s a relief. Now that I know you wrote the book, I was a bit worried I didn’t meet up to your expectations.”

“All those careful calculations you make with investing has paid off very well in bed. You know exactly how to torment me to the point where I forget everything but how good you’re making me feel.”

“Good. Being the husband of the author of this book,” he tapped it, “I need to make sure I succeed in this area.”

“You don’t just succeed. You excel at it, just like you do with your investments.”

He couldn’t be sure if she was telling him this to stroke his ego or because she was hoping he’d be inclined to spend more time in bed with her, but either way, he supposed it didn’t matter. The important thing was she was happy with him. He urged her to come closer to him, and once she did, he lifted the shift off her shoulders. Then, he proceeded to make love to her, making sure both of them received their fill of pleasure in the act.

Chapter Twenty

Two days later, Regan began writing Logan a missive in the drawing room. She had meant to write to him sooner. She had to thank him for all of his advice, which had paid off so much better than she’d ever dreamed. Malcolm had not only made love to her, but he’d actually chosen to spend time with her instead of running off to White’s. Oh, she didn’t expect him to always choose her over White’s. Gentlemen, much like ladies, needed to have their own interests and enjoy talks with members of the same sex, but it was nice to know Malcolm deemed her important enough to include her in his life. Best of all, he loved her. Really and truly loved her.

Her lips curled up into a smile, and she let out a contented sigh. Love was such a wonderful thing.

Leonard’s laughter drifted from the den, reminding her she didn’t have much time to waste. At the moment, Malcolm was giving Leonard a lesson on money. She assumed he’d picked up where he left off the other day with the chess pieces, but he could have thought of something different, for all she knew.

Turning back to the parchment, she dipped the quill in the inkwell and continued the letter, letting him know how well his advice worked and how grateful she was for his discretion in the matter.

The butler came into the room. “I was given specific instructions to deliver this only to you,” he said as he placed the rectangular object wrapped in plain brown paper on her desk.

If she had to guess, Logan had sent her the book he’d tried to give her the other evening. Bless him, he meant well. After the butler left, she ripped up the missive she’d been writing. Perhaps it would be best to send Logan a gift.

She took the thing the butler had given her and tore open a piece of the brown paper. Sure enough, it was the book. Even though Malcolm had graciously accepted the fact that she’d written it, she saw no reason to upset him by letting him know Logan sent it to her.

She went up to her bedchamber and opened the top drawer of her dresser to put it away with the other copy. But the book wasn’t pressed neatly up against the left side as she’d placed it. It was more to the right. Curious, she pulled it out and flipped through it. To her surprise, there was a note tucked in one of the pages. She took the note out and unfolded it.

My dear wicked lady,

I thought of a game you might enjoy. Over the next month, I’ll pick things from this book, and you let me know which chapter I got the idea from. Just leave me a note in this book, and I’ll leave a note letting you know if you’re right or not.

Forever Yours,

Malcolm

Her skin flushed with pleasure at the thought of playing such a game. With a giggle, she retrieved the quill from the small desk in the other room and wrote on the back of the note, Let the game begin, and slipped it back into the book.

Then she placed the copy Logan gave her in the desk in the small room. Afterwards, she went back downstairs.

Malcolm and Leonard were still in the den. And, as she suspected, Malcolm was using the chess pieces.

“But if you do that, you’ll lose your land,” Malcolm told Leonard. “You remember what I said you most want to keep: your manor and your land. You’re the son of an earl. That means you have a title to pass on to your son, and when you do, you’ll want to give him an estate that’s in good standing.”

“But the King and Queen are dull,” Leonard replied.

“To a grown gentleman, the land and manor can seem dull, too. But you must remember, these are the foundation on which everything else rests. Gambling, dalliances with the wrong kind of ladies, excessive drinking, reckless spending on things that won’t truly satisfy… All of these will try to rob you of the things most important to your title. It is your responsibility to give your future children the gift of a good legacy. These foundations,” he gestured to the King and Queen, “are a part of that.”

“What’s the other part?” Leonard asked.

“A good reputation. A good lady of fine moral standing can help with that.”

“And if you can’t find such a lady,” Regan interrupted, coming further into the room so they could see her, “then you must find one who can at least play the part.”

Malcolm glanced her way and smiled. “You play the part very well, my dear.”

“I do what I can,” she replied with a curtsey.

Malcolm patted Leonard on the back. “I think we’ve talked enough about money for today. Are you ready to go to the park?”

Leonard nodded, and Malcolm headed over to her. “I have something I want to pick up,” Malcolm told her. Before she could ask him what it was, he added, “I can’t say what I’m up to. It’s a surprise. I was wondering if you would mind meeting me at the park in an hour?”

“An hour will be just fine,” she replied. That would give her enough time to go to the market and select a gift to send Logan.

After Malcolm gave her a kiss, he ruffled Leonard’s hair and left the room, whistling as he headed out.

“Are you ready?” she asked Leonard, turning to him. “I was thinking we might pick something up for you at the market before we meet your father at the park.”

“I don’t like chess,” her son said, surprising her.

“Why not?”

“You don’t play it on the board. You just look at the pieces. Then you talk about money.”

With a chuckle, she took his hand and led him to the drawing room so she could retrieve her reticle. “You do use a board when you actually play the game. Father’s just using the pieces to teach you about the proper use of money, and he’s right, Leonard. You’ll want to make sure your estate is in good condition when you’re older. Many titled gentlemen are ruined for not doing better with their money.”

He didn’t look the least bit enthusiastic by her response.

“When you get older, you’ll appreciate all the time your father is taking to teach you about the proper use of money. And,” she added when he yawned, “the fact that he’s taking time to teach you means he thinks of you as his own son. It’s really a compliment.”

As she hoped, he smiled at that. Satisfied, she led him to the carriage.

***

“It’s a beautiful cane,” Regan said a half hour later as she turned the dark cane over in her hands. The tip had a nice, golden curved handle, something she thought Logan might like. The style seemed to fit him. “I’ll buy it,” she told the gentleman who was selling it.

“Very good, my lady,” he replied, a pleased smile on his face.

She handed him the money then asked, “I’d like to send this to a friend. Can you deliver it for me?”

“Certainly.”

After she paid for the cane, she wrote down the address he should send it to and added a quick note thanking Logan, knowing he’d know exactly what it was she was thanking him for. When she was done, she turned to her son and browsed through the toys in the marketplace until he found one he wanted.

By the time they made it to the park, Malcolm was waiting for them, holding something behind his back. Sensing he was up to something, she asked, “What trouble do you bring with you, Malcolm?”

“I don’t bring any trouble,” he replied, his smile widening. “I have a gift to present to you.”

“You do?”

“Yes.” He presented her with a small rectangular box with a floral decoration on it.

“It’s for a girl,” Leonard piped up, his tone hinting at his disinterest.

“I see you have a toy horse and a toy gentleman,” Malcolm told the lad.

“Yes,” Leonard replied. “If you take my Knight, I still have this.”

Recalling Malcolm’s lesson on money, Regan laughed. “I didn’t know that’s why you chose that particular toy.”

“He’s a smart lad,” Malcolm said then looked at him. “I hope you remember your estate will be as important to you when you grow up as that horse and rider are to you right now.”

Malcolm turned to Regan and handed her the box. “As Leonard so eloquently put it, this is for you. I thought it would make a fitting apology for all the grief I caused you when we first married.”

Curious, she opened the box and saw a diamond and ruby necklace.

“I thought the ruby best represented you.” Then, in a lower voice, so no one would overhear, Malcolm added, “Red is a more passionate color. One might even say there’s a hint of wickedness in it.”

Her face grew warm with pleasure. “It’s lovely,” she told him.

“What is it?” Leonard asked.

She leaned down and showed it to him.

Predictably, Leonard grimaced. “I like my things better.”

“And I like mine,” she replied, straightening back up and setting the lid back on the box. “Thank you,” she told Malcolm.

Malcolm seemed especially pleased by her reaction since his smile widened. “While we’re here, we should take a stroll.”

As they headed down the walkway, Regan recalled a time, not so long ago, when she’d taken Leonard down the very same path. A flicker of longing had swept over her back then. She’d had an image of what it might be like to have a gentleman in their lives—a husband for her and a father for her son. That longing had probably prompted her to go up to Malcolm that evening at the ball when she’d first seen him.

And now, she couldn’t think of anything more wonderful than having the dream realized. Malcolm, as it was turning out, was the answer to her prayers, and she couldn’t think of a single thing left to complete her life.

***

The next day, Malcolm received a missive from his sister saying she had something urgent to tell him. Without hesitation, he went right over to her townhouse, not sure what news she had for him. Was Mathias sick? Was she sick? Were one of their parents sick? Or…should luck prevail…did Logan get sick? Even better, did Logan finally decide to head off to another country to leave his sweet sister and innocent nephew alone?

His hopes of finding out Logan was no longer a part of their lives were dashed the moment Melissa closed the doors to the drawing room and showed him a cane. “Logan received this gift this morning,” she announced, as if the matter was akin to the townhouse being set on fire.

His eyebrows furrowed. Then a burst of excitement shot through him. “Did he fall down the steps while using it and break his neck?”

Her eyes grew wide before she rolled them. “No. Why do you insist on hoping he’ll die or abandon me?”

“Because it’s the only thing that keeps me going,” he replied. “You know how much I detest him.”

“One would think you two would have resolved your differences by now.” Before he could remind her he wouldn’t be able to resolve anything with Logan until Logan treated him with respect, she blurted out, “Your wife sent this to Logan.”

“Well, maybe she’s hoping he’ll have some tragic accident when he uses it.”

Letting out a grunt, she strode over to the desk and picked up a note. “It came with this.” When he didn’t go over to her, she waved him toward her. “Come on. Read it.”

Reluctant, he went forward and took it from her. After he read it, he shrugged. “I fail to see why this is urgent.”

“Didn’t you read it?”

“Sure. It just thanks him.”

“Do you know why she’s thanking him?” Melissa asked.

“I assume she’s glad he was already married so she was spared the agony of being his wife.”

Melissa stared at him in disbelief. “This is serious, Malcolm.”

He set the note on the table and sighed. How much did he really want to continue with this senseless discussion? “It’s just a cane. It’s not like she went to his bed naked.”

“Who knows if that’s not where this is headed?” She put the cane down and turned to him, crossing her arms. “I don’t like this. I don’t like it one bit. Right after you married her, I caught them sitting in this very room talking to one another.”

He let out a mock gasp. “Tell me it isn’t so!”

Her face grew red. “Will you please take a moment to carefully consider what I have to say?” Since he nodded his agreement to be good, she continued, “When I caught them talking, they said they were discussing how she might get you to enjoy her company. Can you believe that?”

“While I wouldn’t go to Logan for advice, I can see why she’d do it. It’s not like she knows a lot of gentlemen, and she is related to him through marriage. The poor lady was in love with me, and I was being difficult.”

“The two were talking in low tones when I came into the room, and they were startled when they realized I was there. More than that,” she added, as if inspired, “when I offered to help her, she wasn’t interested. There’s something going on between them, and it’s not in our favor.”

He considered the possibility of Regan having an affair with Logan and laughed. “Why would she be with Logan when she has me?”

Melissa frowned.

“Be reasonable. I’m more intelligent, I’m better with money, I don’t go around annoying everyone I meet, I have a good reputation, and,” he shot her a pointed look, “I’m better looking.”

“You forgot the last part.”

“Oh?”

“You’re also full of your own conceit.”

“It’s not conceit when you’re only stating the truth.”

Melissa groaned and stomped her foot. “I wish you would stop making light of this. The two are getting much too close. It’s disgraceful to watch all of this, and it’s happening right before our eyes. I know for a fact Logan was over at your townhouse alone with Regan in the drawing room. The reason I know this,” she closed the gap between them, “is because he said you showed up while they were still talking.”

“Oh, yes. I remember that. It was the day he gave us the invitation to dinner.”

“Right. That’s the day.” After a moment, she asked, “Did you notice anything about the way they were talking?”

“Yes. Since you mention it, I do.”

“What did you notice?”

“He mixed brandy in with his tea. It was disgusting.” He made a show of shuddering. “Really, tea and brandy together? How can you stand to be with someone of such garish taste?”

For a moment, he thought his sister was going to slap him for not taking any of this seriously, but having been brought up with parents who insisted on propriety at all times, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. However, it was unfair of him to be insensitive to her needs.

“I’m sorry, Melissa,” he said and brought her into his arms for a long hug. “I know you’re worried. But I promise you, you have nothing to worry about. Logan loves you, and Regan loves me. There’s nothing going on.” He released her and smiled. “When I saw them talking, the drawing room doors were open. If they were doing something inappropriate, they wouldn’t do it where the servants could see them. Can you imagine the scandal that would erupt? Even Logan, for all his flaws, wouldn’t invite that kind of scandal.”

“Maybe,” Melissa said then bit her lower lip as if she were considering it.

“Everything’s all right.”

“Just to be sure, I’m going to host a ball and see how the two act together.”

“You’re going to what?”

“I need to see if they find an excuse to go off somewhere together alone.”

“Melissa, you are aware they could do that at any time, don’t you?” he asked.

“Yes, but I want to catch them, and I’ll have Helena and Chloe help me watch them.”

He was ready to argue with her that the whole thing was a bad idea, but then he decided he might as well let her go through with it. Her fears were unfounded, but she had to discover this truth on her own.

“All right,” he granted. “Regan and I will make it a point to be at your ball, but in the meantime, go out and have a good time. See Mother. Go shopping. Visit your friends. Forget about your fears for a while.”

Melissa nodded. “I should. It won’t do me any good to spend all day inside.”

“You’re right. It won’t.” He patted her arms and smiled. “Everything will be fine. You’ll see.”

With that, he left the townhouse to go to White’s to vote on the book his wife had written.

Chapter Twenty-One

After Malcolm cast his vote to keep the book at White’s, he decided to wait for the final tally. Since Regan had explained why she’d written it and since he’d read some of it, he’d come to realize it wasn’t the kind of book he’d assumed it to be. There really was much more about what happened outside the bedchamber than there was about what happened in it.

The advice was actually quite good, just as Lord Roderick had stated. Now he understood why someone of Roderick’s high esteem would speak in favor of the book. He could even understand, to a point, why Logan had tried to get him to read it the other day.

Malcolm still wasn’t delighted with Logan’s approach, but he could see that Logan was actually trying to do something good for once. And this was why he knew Melissa’s fears were unfounded. Logan wouldn’t give Malcolm something to help him make his marriage better if he harbored feelings for Regan.

If Malcolm had thought of it sooner, he would have reminded Melissa of this, but as it was, he was at White’s and needed to see how the vote ended before he could go home and send word to Melissa about it. Undoubtedly, she’d spend all day shopping with their mother. Those two could be gone for an entire day when they went to the market.

While Malcolm poured himself a glass of brandy, Warren came up to him. “We should know the results in a few minutes,” Warren said. “I hope we can be done with that horrible book. If we can get that thing banned, maybe we can clean up some of the other objectionable filth around here.”

Malcolm followed Warren’s gaze to Lord Edon and Mister Robinson. “I don’t think you can get them removed from this club,” Malcolm replied.

“I know I can’t do that. But maybe we can get them to behave better when they’re here. Wouldn’t it be nice if they kept their vulgar speech to their townhouses?”

“Banning a book is one thing, but not letting them speak what they want is another.”

“Not by much. This place would be better if we could ensure decency at all times.”

While Malcolm couldn’t disagree with that, he didn’t know how Warren could honestly make such a thing happen. There were too many gentlemen who enjoyed listening to Lord Edon. Yes, he told distasteful stories, but he was popular in the club for a reason.

“The votes are in!” Lord Clement called out.

Clement, being the only one everyone trusted to be fair on the matter, had been selected to count the votes. The group still gathered at White’s grew silent and gathered around Clement to hear the final verdict.

Beside him, Malcolm was aware Warren was holding his breath. Robert, who had come to his other side, wasn’t quite as tense. Malcolm glanced back at Warren, surprised this vote should matter so much to him. Sure, he knew Warren didn’t like the book—or Lord Edon or Mister Robinson—but he’d underestimated just how much Warren despised them.

“The votes are in favor of keeping the book,” Clement announced.

Warren grumbled as he glanced at the gentlemen who clapped. “It figures. Every single one of these gentlemen are cads.”

“The vote was close,” Clement added, quieting them down. “The book won by one vote.”

Malcolm’s eyes grew wide. One vote? That meant his was the deciding vote?

“Apparently, the gentlemen aren’t all cads,” Robert told Warren. “We only lost by one. That’s actually a good sign.”

“I wonder which gentleman doomed us all?” Warren asked, shaking his head.

Malcolm decided not to respond. Anything he might say could possibly give him away.

“Don’t trouble yourself in this matter,” Robert told Warren. “Just be glad half of us are respectable. White’s is better than you feared.”

“Yes, I suppose there is that,” Warren muttered.

“Why don’t we play a game of cards?” Robert asked. He glanced at Malcolm. “What do you say? We could even talk about your favorite topic?”

“Well, money does have a way of making things better,” Malcolm said.

“Yes, that’s true,” Warren agreed. “It might help to remind ourselves that we’re doing something worthwhile with our lives while the reprobates are wasting theirs.” Warren looked at Malcolm. “At least you and Robert belong to this club. I don’t think I could tolerate it otherwise.”

“So you’re not going to make your own club?” Robert asked.

“What’s the point?” Warren replied, gesturing to the other gentlemen. “If we left and created our own club, what hope would there be for the gentlemen who wanted that book banned? Someone needs to stay here and give them hope this club isn’t totally given over to wickedness.”

“That’s the spirit!” Robert gave him a firm pat on the back and waved to Malcolm. “Come, let’s play a friendly game of cards.”

Malcolm followed the gentlemen to the other room, grateful the matter with the book was finally over. Now, he could go back to spending his time pursuing his investments.

***

Later that day, Regan returned to the townhouse with Leonard, surprised to see the butler carrying a large trunk up the stairs. Before she could ask what was going on, Malcolm popped out of the den and hurried down the hall in their direction.

“Father!” Leonard called out, running to him.

It was on the tip of her tongue to remind her son not to run, but Malcolm caught the boy and lifted him into his arms, a wide smile on his face. “I see you enjoyed your visit with your grandmother,” Malcolm told her son.

“I did,” Leonard said. “She said chess pieces aren’t money.”

Regan held back her chuckle and went over to them. “I told Leonard one day he’ll understand the importance of what you’re teaching him.”

“Well, I suppose for a four-year-old, money isn’t that interesting,” Malcolm replied with a grin. “Though, I don’t think he’d find the actual game all that interesting, either.”

“Why not?” Leonard asked.

“I’ll play a game with you and show you why,” he promised.

The footman came into the townhouse, carrying a large box, reminding Regan what she wanted to ask Malcolm. “What’s with all the things you’re bringing in?”

“Oh, I’m moving all my things over here. I hope you don’t mind some new furnishings,” he said as he guided her and Leonard into the drawing room.

Pleased, Regan smiled and sat on the settee. “No, I don’t mind. We can put some old ones upstairs.”

“I’m going to sell my townhouse.”

“But you’re selling your Queen,” Leonard said.

Recalling the chess pieces, a giggle rose up in Regan’s throat. She’d forgotten the Queen had represented the home.

“No, I’m exchanging Queens,” Malcolm told the boy. “Your mother already owns a townhouse, and since I’m married to her, I moved here. That means I don’t need the other one anymore. Remember, in chess, you’re only given one Queen.”

“Well,” Regan interrupted, “to be fair, we have two Queens. One is this townhouse and the other is the manor in the country.”

“Good point.” Malcolm sat at the desk and turned to face Leonard. “If you are fortunate enough to have the money, you can have two Queens. Some gentlemen even have more than that.”

“How many more?” Leonard asked.

“As many as they want.” Malcolm picked up the quill and took the top off the inkwell. “You’ll find that when you’re older, you’ll have choices on what you can buy. My hope is that you’ll make sure you always have what you need and enough to provide a comfortable living for your wife and children. Any excess money should be divided up into saving and proper spending.”

As Regan sat on the settee, Leonard asked Malcolm, “What is esk-sus-ess?” which made Regan grin in amusement. From the entire spiel Malcolm had given her son, she suspected the boy didn’t get much more than that word.

“Excess is how it’s pronounced,” Malcolm said. He dipped the quill in the inkwell. “It means money you have left over after you’ve taken care of your needs, like having a place to live, food on the table, and clothes to wear.”

Leonard looked at Regan and asked, “Do we have that?”

“Yes,” she replied. “We’re very fortunate that way. Some people don’t have those things.”

“What do they do?” her son asked.

“Some live with a family member. Some, if they’re old enough, marry someone who has the necessities. And, unfortunately,” she added, though she hesitated to since he was so young, “some have to go without them.”

“But you don’t have to worry about that,” Malcolm spoke up, directing her and Leonard’s attention back to him. “I do invest quite a bit of money, but I never invest more than I can afford to lose.”

“And,” Regan told Leonard, “your father is wise with how he invests. I doubt he rarely loses anything.”

Leonard turned to her. “How is he wise?”

Surprised, since she expected him to ask Malcolm that question, she took a moment to answer. “Well, he is careful. He takes his time to meet the gentlemen he thinks he could invest with. He talks to them, and…”

Her voice drifted off when she saw Malcolm dip the quill into the inkwell, raise it slightly, then dipped it back in. What was he doing? He had no parchment in front of him, so he wasn’t planning to write anything.

“And what, Mother?” Leonard asked, bringing her attention back to him.

It took her a minute to pick back up where she’d left off. “Um, he finds out everything he can about those gentlemen. Then he writes up initial plans.”

Noting the movement of the quill out of the corner of her eye, she glanced back at Malcolm. This time he was more deliberate in his actions. He dipped the quill in, almost all the way out, and then back in again. Eyebrows furrowed, she made eye contact with Malcolm and saw the mischievous spark in his eye.

He grinned and proceeded to speed up the movement with the quill, imitating the way he thrust into her during lovemaking. An all-too-familiar ache settled between her legs. She wanted nothing more than to make love to him.

“Is that all?” Leonard asked.

Blinking, she forced her gaze off the quill and back to her son. “Is what all?” she replied. Dear heavens, what had they been talking about?

Not missing a beat, Malcolm set the quill back into its proper place and set the lid back on the inkwell. “No, it’s not all. I speak with the gentlemen again, modify my plans, and go over it a final time before deciding whether or not to proceed.”

“What does ‘modify’ mean?” Leonard asked.

“Change things so they’re better,” Malcolm replied.

The butler came into the room. “Mr. Jasper, everything has been delivered.”

“Thank you.” Malcolm rose to his feet. “We’ll wait on arranging the furniture until Lady Cantrell and I have a chance to discuss how we want the rooms to look.”

“Very well, sir,” the butler replied. “Shall I bring tea and something to eat?”

“Not now,” Malcolm said, giving Regan a heated look that made her core clench in anticipation. “Maybe in an hour.”

The butler nodded and left.

“I want to eat,” Leonard told Malcolm.

Malcolm offered him a smile. “I believe it’s time for you to sleep for a short time. After you rest, we’ll have something small to eat.”

“Yes,” Regan agreed, standing up. “Your father’s right. First, you must rest.” That would leave her time with Malcolm to do all sorts of wonderful things.

Her husband was turning out to be far more exciting than she’d hoped. More than a little eager, she followed Malcolm as he carried her son up the stairs.

***

An hour later, while Malcolm was checking on Leonard, a fully satisfied Regan opened her dresser drawer to retrieve her book. She opened the pages until she came to Malcolm’s note with his instructions on the game they were to play.

Over the next month, I’ll pick things from this book, and you let me know which chapter I got the idea from. Just leave me a note in this book, and I’ll leave a note letting you know if you’re right or not.

She went to the small room adjacent to her bedchamber, picked up a piece of paper, and wrote her response. You gave me a necklace. This came from chapter three, which encouraged gentlemen to give their wives tokens of their affection. You also engaged in sensual teasing with the quill and inkwell today. That came from chapter five. Did I guess right?

She slipped the new note into the book and returned the book to the drawer.

***

Later that evening, she checked to see if he’d read her note. As it turned out, he had, for he’d replied with a note of his own.

One out of two, you guessed correctly. The necklace was a gift I came up with on my own. I enjoy offering jewelry to my mother and sister on occasion, and I will do the same for you. But you are right about the second thing. The quill and inkwell did come from chapter five. For getting one right, I will rub your back. For getting one wrong, you will have to be on top while making love to me, so I can get a generous view of your breasts. After you’ve had time to undress, meet me in my bedchamber. I’ll be waiting for you.

More than eager to face the consequences of losing, and winning, the first two guesses, she undressed and hurried to the other room.

Chapter Twenty-Two

A month later, as their carriage pulled up to Melissa and Logan’s ball, Regan asked, “Are you sure you want to do this?”

Malcolm rolled his eyes. “It’s not a matter of whether I want to do it. I have to do it. My sister is insistent on making a point.”

“What point is that?”

“One that is completely unnecessary.” The footman opened the door, and he added, “Keep in mind she has a tendency to think there’s more going on than there really is. Fortunately for you, I have enough sense to see things as they really are.”

Now Regan was really curious about what he was referring to, but she supposed she could wait to find out. She got out of the carriage and joined him in walking up the steps to the ball.

“Will we have a dance this evening?” Regan asked.

“Of course,” Malcolm replied. “At least with you here to talk to, it won’t be boring.”

“Don’t any of your friends come to these? Some married gentlemen come to talk rather than dance.”

“I’m not sure if Warren or Robert will be here. They tend to stay at White’s. They don’t like to talk investments at balls because the music and conversations are disruptive.”

“Why not find a room or go onto the veranda to talk?”

“Honestly, I hadn’t considered it. I don’t think they have either.” They reached the ballroom, and he gave her elbow a playful squeeze. “Perhaps you and I can find a moment alone in a room.”

She wasn’t sure what to make of that statement. Was he telling her he wanted to sneak away to engage in a little mischief, or did he simply mean it would be nice to take a reprieve from the activity of the ball to talk in a quiet room?

“I’m glad you made it,” a familiar voice called out.

Regan’s attention went to Logan, who came right over to her and bowed. “It’s good to see my brother-in-law hasn’t made you a recluse.”

“I’d do no such thing, and you know it,” Malcolm dryly replied. “Unlike other gentlemen, I don’t force a lady into doing something that makes her cry.”

Logan gasped in indignation. “I’ll have you know your sister’s very happy with me.”

“I can’t help it if her association with you has made her lose her wits,” he retorted.

Maybe it was wrong for Regan to enjoy the rivalry the two gentlemen shared, but they did say the most amusing things when they were in the same room.

“Malcolm, Regan,” Melissa greeted once she reached them. “It’s nice of you to accept our invitation.”

“Well,” Malcolm began, “it’s in everyone’s best interest we all be here tonight. Then we can put certain matters to rest.”

Regan glanced at Malcolm, wondering what matters he was referring to. It must have something to do with what he’d told her in the carriage.

“Since I was denied the opportunity to get to know Regan better at dinner,” Logan turned to her, “I’d like the next dance with you.”

Regan couldn’t be sure, but she thought she saw Melissa’s expression darken. Sensing it was best to decline, Regan offered a smile and said, “Malcolm has requested the first dance with me. Perhaps we can dance later in the evening?”

Regan glanced at Melissa, who didn’t seem any happier. Regan wondered if she’d said or done something to upset her sister-in-law. Truly, she hadn’t meant to.

Malcolm let out a sigh that indicated he knew exactly why his sister was upset. “Regan, I’d like nothing more than to get away from Logan. Lead me to the dance floor.”

Despite the situation, Regan’s lips curled up into a smile at his reminder of how they’d met. Deep down, her husband was turning out to be quite the romantic, something she rather enjoyed.

As much as she wanted to press Malcolm about the thing upsetting his sister, the dance required far too much clapping and jumping for her to do so. Just as the music ended, she caught sight of Warren, who had been dancing with a lady.

“Your friend is here,” Regan told Malcolm. “Lord Steinbeck,” she clarified when she saw him scanning the large room.

“Is he with Lady Iris?” Malcolm asked.

“No, he’s with someone else. I don’t recognize her.”

Malcolm’s gaze finally settled on her. “I don’t recognize her either, but then, I don’t make it a habit to pay attention to which ladies come from which families.”

Since Regan didn’t see Lady Iris, she could only hope Lady Iris had taken her advice and dismissed Warren. She didn’t need someone who only valued her for her money.

“Do you mind if I talk to him?” Malcolm asked her. “I won’t be gone too long.”

“I don’t mind at all, Malcolm. Like I said, sometimes gentlemen come to discuss business.”

He smiled and headed for Warren, looking very much like a child getting his favorite toy. Even if she didn’t care much for Warren, she was happy for Malcolm. It appeared Warren was a decent friend, though he’d make a miserable husband. God help the lady who ended up with him.

Thankfully, that wasn’t her problem. Regan turned to see who else was at the ball and saw Danette, sitting in a corner, watching everyone as she usually did. Regan shook her head. What her friend needed was a husband. If she were truly content to live the life of a spinster, she wouldn’t keep coming to these balls.

Regan reached her friend and sat in the chair beside her. “Danette, I didn’t know you were coming tonight. You should have told me. Malcolm and I could have picked you up.”

“I didn’t decide to come until a couple hours ago,” Danette said. “It’s nice to see you so happy. I watched you and Malcolm. You have such a glow about you when you’re with him.”

“If you had come over for dinner at my townhouse when I invited you, you would’ve seen that sooner.”

“I don’t want to intrude on your time with him.”

“It’s no intrusion, Danette. We’re friends. I enjoy visiting with you. You are always welcome to come to my townhouse as much as you did before I married Malcolm.” She couldn’t think of anyone else who was so terribly shy as Danette. “I promise you, Malcolm will be nice. He’s a good gentleman.”

“I can see he’s nice by the way he treats you. I wouldn’t have thought it possible, but he adores you.”

“I learned it was important I act respectably in public for his sake. It was a good lesson. Who knew I could have fun without creating a scandal?”

Danette grinned. “I think if Frederick were alive, he wouldn’t believe you actually said that.”

Regan chuckled. “Probably not.”

Regan scanned the crowded room. “Would you like me to find a gentleman for you to dance with? Malcolm’s sister and her husband are hosting this event tonight, so they will know the gentlemen here.” At least well enough to help her friend find a dance.

“No, I’d rather sit and watch.”

“But you do that all the time.”

“Because I enjoy it.”

“Wouldn’t you like to get married?”

Danette shook her head. “I tried that twice, and neither time worked. When the last gentleman ended the engagement, I vowed to never open myself up to such travesty again. I’m a spinster, and I’m happy.”

Regan wanted to argue with her friend. The third time might be the one that succeeded. She even opened her mouth to suggest such a thing, but she caught sight of Logan, who stood not too far from them. He indicated he wanted to talk to her, so she decided to delay this talk with Danette for the time being.

“My brother-in-law wishes to speak to me,” Regan said. “Why don’t you come to my townhouse tomorrow afternoon? I’ll make sure the butler has your favorite tea.”

“All right,” Danette replied.

Good! At least she’d get to continue this conversation tomorrow. For tonight, she’d leave the matter alone. Content, Regan wove around a few people until she met up with Logan.

Before she could speak, Logan gestured for her to follow him. Surprised, she glanced around to make sure no one saw them before she headed down the hall after him. She prayed this wouldn’t somehow come back to hurt Malcolm’s reputation.

Once they were in the den, Logan shut the door and turned to her. “You’ll never guess what I found yesterday.”

“What?” Regan asked, sure he was right. Indeed, she had no idea what he could possibly be talking about.

He went over to the window, pulled aside the curtain, and produced the cane she’d bought for him. “Melissa hid this from me. The only reason I found it is because I found the note you’d written me. I found the note almost a month ago, and it was in the trash.” He came over to her. “I almost asked Melissa about it, but I thought she’d deny it. It’s not like her to hide anything, so I suspected something was amiss. After looking all over this house, I finally found this cane at the bottom of her armoire.” He placed a hand on his hip and asked, “Do you have any idea why she hid this?”

Regan shook her head. “No. It’s only a cane. I wished to thank you for helping me with Malcolm.”

“Yes, I know that, but for some reason, she doesn’t want me to have this.”

As if on cue, the door opened, and Melissa burst into the room. She pointed to Logan and Regan then looked at Malcolm, who closed the door to ensure their privacy. “I told you they’d sneak off together,” she said.

Regan’s eyebrows furrowed. Was Melissa accusing them of something?

Malcolm looked heavenward and said, “Melissa thinks you two are having an affair.”

“You think we’re what?” Logan asked.

“That’s nonsense,” Regan said.

“Which is exactly what I told her when she came to me about it a month ago,” Malcolm told Regan.

So that was the thing bothering Melissa. Regan went over to her. “Melissa, I only gave Logan the cane as a way to thank him for helping me get Malcolm to fall in love with me.”

“It’s true,” Logan said. “She came to me because she wanted a gentleman’s perspective on things, and she didn’t know any other gentlemen to ask. You were there that day she came to see me.”

Melissa shifted from one foot to another, looking between them as if she needed time to weigh their words. “Well, yes, I was,” she slowly agreed. “But the two of you met since then.”

“Right, at my townhouse,” Regan replied. “He wanted to know if his advice worked or not.”

“As it turned out,” Logan said, “Malcolm needed a little more prompting which is why I got a copy of Lord Edon’s book to give him. You were there for that, too. I tried to give it to Regan during our dinner party, but Malcolm panicked so I was unable to.”

Melissa glanced at Malcolm.

Malcolm grimaced. “Logan, if you had to hear your sister talking about enjoying the bed with a cad, you’d panic, too.”

Melissa turned back to Regan and Logan. “Why are you in here right now, all alone?”

“Because of this.” Logan lifted the cane. “I couldn’t understand why you’d hide this from me.”

“I thought she,” Melissa gestured to Regan, “was trying to win you over with gifts of her affection.”

Regan gasped. “No! I never meant it to be such a thing.”

“See?” Malcolm asked Melissa. “I told you there was no way Regan would ever have a dalliance with Logan.” He went over to Regan and slipped his arm around her waist. “You have nothing to worry about. I trust you completely.”

Melissa bit her lower lip and studied Regan and Logan. “Well, I suppose now that I think about it, the note Regan sent didn’t mention a secret rendezvous.”

“No, it didn’t.” Logan produced it from his pocket. “It reads, ‘Thank you, Lord Toplyn, for your assistance. Things couldn’t be better.’” He gave the note to Melissa. “How did you get that I was having a torrid love affair with Regan from that?”

“I’d like to know that, too,” Malcolm added.

Melissa read the note, and her face turned pink. “Now that I look at it, I suppose it could apply to things being better between Regan and Malcolm.”

“That’s what I meant when I wrote it,” Regan assured her. “Melissa, I would never do anything to disrupt a marriage. You and Logan belong together. Anyone can see that.”

“Especially since no one else will have him,” Malcolm quipped.

Logan’s jaw dropped at the insult, but Melissa spoke up before he could retaliate. “I’m sorry.” Melissa chuckled and pointed to the note. “I don’t know how I misconstrued what was happening.” She glanced at Logan. “It was silly of me to get jealous.”

Logan relaxed, and he smiled. “Actually, it’s flattering you did. It means you don’t want to share me with anyone else.”

“I love you,” she told him.

“And I love you.” He gave her a kiss. “I’ll never have anyone else but you.”

“Unfortunately,” Malcolm muttered under his breath.

Regan shot him a pointed look, and he shrugged.

Melissa, however, didn’t notice either one of them, for she had wrapped her arms around Logan’s neck and kissed him in return.

When the kiss ended, Logan asked, “Do you feel better?”

“Yes.” Melissa turned to Regan. “I’m sorry. Will you forgive me?”

“Of course,” Regan said and gave her sister-in-law a hug.

“Well, that’s a relief,” Malcolm replied. “Now we can all get on with our lives.”

“I agree. Melissa, will you have the next dance with me?” Logan asked.

Melissa went back to him and accepted his arm. “I’d be delighted, my lord.”

After the two left, Malcolm headed for the door. Regan followed, fully expecting to leave the room as well, but to her surprise, he shut it and turned to face her.

“I know I can trust you,” Malcolm said. “The whole nonsense of you having an affair with Logan was all Melissa’s fretting. That’s what she gets for marrying a cad. She has to constantly question his motives.”

Regan couldn’t hide her grin. The two would probably forever be at odds with each other, but even so, she couldn’t stand idly by while Malcolm thought the worst about his brother-in-law. “Malcolm, I love you. When I look at you, I see the most wonderful gentleman in all of London.”

“That’s to be expected.”

For a moment, she thought he was serious, but the hint of a smile on his lips betrayed his joke. Laughing, she pulled him closer to her and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I assure you that Logan was honorable at all times. He never once insinuated he wanted to do anything improper with me.”

“Because he knows you wouldn’t allow it.” Malcolm brought his arms around her waist and pressed her up against him. “He knows if he were to try, you’d find him inferior to me.”

“Malcolm! I’m shocked. I had no idea you had such a wicked streak in you.”

He chuckled and traced her rear end, an action which caused shivers of delight to run up and down her spine. “I suppose I don’t mind a little mischief from time to time.”

He lowered his head and kissed her, his lips warm and soft on hers. She fully expected him to end things there, but he brushed his tongue along her lower lip, encouraging her to open her mouth to him, something she was more than happy to do. Soon, their tongues were intertwining, and he was gently nudging her to step back until her back was pressed up against the wall. She might have thought nothing of it, except he was pulling up her gown so that her legs were exposed.

“Malcolm?” she asked when she ended the kiss.

“Hmm?” He nuzzled her neck while he continued to lift her gown higher.

“What are you doing?”

“You know the answer to that,” he murmured, his breath hot against her ear.

The bare skin on her thighs tingled as they were exposed to the air. Surely, he didn’t mean to do something intimate here. Not while a ball was going on in the other room. But soon his hands were sliding up to her rear end, and he nudged her legs further apart.

She gulped, partly in anticipation but also in fear of being caught. Yes, the door was closed, but who was to stop anyone from coming in and finding them like this? “Malcolm, the door,” she whispered.

“I locked it,” he whispered then kissed the sensitive skin along her neck, making her shiver in pleasure. “Do you always make it a habit of wearing nothing under your dress?” His fingers brushed the tender flesh between her legs.

With a moan, she leaned back against the wall and allowed two of his fingers to slide into her. She closed her eyes and forgot all about the ball. Right now, the only thing that mattered was what Malcolm was doing to her. And doing it with surprising skill. Malcolm, it was turning out, was a quick learner.

“You’re ready for me,” he murmured.

“Well, I happen to enjoy lovemaking,” she replied.

“As it turns out, I do, too.” He undid the buttons on his trousers and shoved them down. But instead of entering her, he brought her leg up around his waist and slid his fingers back into her. In short time, his thumb found her sensitive nub, and he was rubbing it. “There. That’s better.”

“Yes,” she moaned, giving herself completely over to the moment. “It’s definitely much better.” Then she shifted, bringing him deeper into her to get more enjoyment out of the way he stroked her core.

She let out another groan, and he kissed her, probably so that anyone coming by wouldn’t hear what they were doing. It was quick thinking on his part, and it further emboldened her to voice her pleasure for everything he was doing. Holding onto him, she rocked her hips, aiding him along, making it no secret she was thoroughly enjoying herself much more alone with him than she could ever enjoy herself at the ball.

Whether it was his skill or the excitement of doing something so scandalous, it wasn’t long before she peaked. She let out a soft cry and grew still. Her core clenched and unclenched as she rode each wave of pleasure that coursed through her.

She ended their kiss and gasped, murmuring his name while he continued stroking her, slowly bringing her back down to earth. When she was finished, he lifted her other leg and wrapped it around his waist. Holding onto his arms, she shifted so she could take him into her. Again, she moaned, this time careful not to be loud. She’d never get over the thrill of being filled with him. He was hard and thick, two things she loved most about a gentleman’s penis.

But Malcolm had a way of thrusting inside her, slow at first, and working his way up to a steady rhythm that had her eager for another release. She hadn’t expected to be able to have another orgasm, but with him, it seemed an easy thing to experience it twice during their lovemaking. And this was no exception. Soon, she was clenching around him again. He joined her, growing taut and releasing his seed. They remained still, each suspended in the heights of ecstasy until they finally came back down.

Malcolm slid out of her then helped her wipe up with his handkerchief. “It’s probably not a good idea to stay in here too long, even if the door is locked.”

“You’re right,” she replied, still a little lightheaded from the sheer exhilaration of doing something so unexpected at Melissa and Logan’s ball.

She adjusted her gown so she was presentable, and he buttoned his trousers. The only evidence they’d just made love was their flushed cheeks. She took a deep breath and willed herself to cool down.

“I must say,” Malcolm began as he brought her back into his arms, “you are the most exciting lady I’ve ever met.”

“You’re quite exciting, too,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I had no idea you were such a wicked gentleman.”

With a sly grin, he said, “I probably always had a wicked inclination and suppressed it until now.”

“Well, I love it.” She kissed him. “And I promise I’ll be a reputable lady whenever we’re in front of other people.”

“And I’ll be a scoundrel when we’re alone,” he whispered, wiggling his eyebrows in good humor.

She chuckled and gave him another kiss. “I think we make a splendid match.”

“I couldn’t agree with you more.”

After he gave her another kiss, he unlocked the door and led her back to the ball.

Coming May 8, 2016!

Marriage by Arrangement: Book 2

Her Devilish Marquess

Helena, Melissa, and Chloe are still arranging marriages, but not all will go smoothly on the way to a happily ever after…

Dr. Derek Westward has been happy living his life doing everything possible to upset the Ton. Second to his occupation, it’s one of his favorite pastimes. Then his brother dies, and the worst thing imaginable happens. He inherits the title of a marquess. Now he has to secure the future of his family's estate with an heir, and worse, he’s expected to be on his best behavior, something he’s been unable to do since childhood.

After two failed engagements, Miss Danette Everson has given up on the idea of ever marrying. At twenty-four, she’s resigned herself to spinsterhood. That is, until her friend decides she’d be better off married. Before she knows it, she’s a bride. But her new husband isn’t the reputable gentleman she was hoping for. No, he’s got a horrible tendency to scandalize the Ton at every opportunity that presents itself. Surely, a pair couldn’t be more mismatched. Whatever were the three matchmaking ladies thinking when they arranged for her to marry the most devilish marquess in all of London?

Reserve your copy today!

(Link includes character endorsements.)

***

Regencies Already Available!

Marriage by Scandal Series:

The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife: Lord Roderick needs an heir, and the only way he’s going to get one is by finding a suitable young lady to marry. But one wrong move on his part has just betrothed him to a lady he believes tricked him into a scandal.

A Most Unsuitable Earl: Lord Edon has done everything he can to avoid marriage, including building a reputation as London’s most notorious rake. His scheming mother, however, is so determined that he’ll find a good lady to marry, she’ll stop at nothing to find him one. And the lady she finally picks happens to be London’s most notorious wallflower, the ever-so-boring Lady Catherine.

His Reluctant Lady: From the moment Mister Robinson meets Lady Richfield, he knows they are destined to be together. But it may take the threat of a scandal to convince the reluctant widow that marriage can be the most sensually and emotionally satisfying experience she’ll ever have.

The Earl’s Scandalous Wife: Lord Clement, who others refer to as “the earl who can’t find a wife,” is about to find that scandals aren’t so bad when a lady kisses him at a ball.

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Marriage by Deception Series:

The Earl’s Secret Bargain: Toby and Lord Pennella have just made a bet for the hand of Miss Regina Giles. The gentleman she chooses wins the loser’s estate. But things don’t go according to plan when Toby falls in love with her.

Love Lessons with the Duke: Camden asks Helena to help him secure a bride in one month, but soon he realizes he’s in love with her and will do anything it takes to marry her, even if it involves a scandal.

Ruined by the Earl: After losing all of his money in a reckless bet, Logan needs to marry a lady from a wealthy family–and fast. So he does the only thing he can think of and picks one at random to trick into marriage.

The Earl’s Stolen Bride: Orlando Emmett, the Lord of Reddington, fell in love with Chloe as soon as he met her over a year ago. Unfortunately, she married Lord Hawkins before he could propose. Now, she’s a widow. And while he should honor the mourning period, he’s afraid if he doesn’t act fast, he might not get another chance to be her husband. So he plans a way to make sure he gets her before someone else can.

***

A Standalone Regency Novel that is also Currently Available:

Her Counterfeit Husband: When her abusive husband dies, the Duchess of Watkins plots a way to hide his death so his brother doesn’t get the title. Fate steps in and she comes upon a gentleman who looks just like her husband, and more than that, he doesn’t remember who he is. Has she just come across the best solution to her problem, or has she just made things much, much worse?

All Books Written by Ruth Ann Nordin

(Chronological Order)

Regencies

Marriage by Scandal Series

The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife

A Most Unsuitable Earl

His Reluctant Lady

The Earl’s Scandalous Wife

Marriage by Deceit Series

The Earl’s Secret Bargain

Love Lessons With The Duke

Ruined by the Earl

The Earl’s Stolen Bride

Marriage by Arrangement Series

His Wicked Lady

Standalone Regency

Her Counterfeit Husband

Historical Westerns

Pioneer Series

Wagon Trail Bride

Nebraska Romance Series

Her Heart’s Desire

A Bride for Tom

A Husband for Margaret

Eye of the Beholder

The Wrong Husband

Shotgun Groom

To Have and To Hold

His Redeeming Bride

Isaac’s Decision

South Dakota Series

Loving Eliza

Bid for a Bride

Bride of Second Chances

Montana Collection

Mitch’s Win

Boaz’s Wager

Patty’s Gamble

Native American Romance Series

Restoring Hope

Brave Beginnings

Bound by Honor, Bound by Love

A Chance In Time

Virginia Series

An Unlikely Place for Love

The Cold Wife

An Inconvenient Marriage

Romancing Adrienne

Historical Romance Anthologies (with Janet Syas Nitsick)

Bride by Arrangement

A Groom’s Promise

Standalone Historical Western Romances

Falling In Love With Her Husband

Kent Ashton’s Backstory (Prequel to Catching Kent)

Catching Kent

His Convenient Wife

Meant To Be

The Mail Order Bride’s Deception

Contemporaries

Omaha Romance Series

With This Ring, I Thee Dread

What Nathan Wants

Just Good Friends

Across the Stars Series

Suddenly a Bride

Runaway Bride

His Abducted Bride

Standalone Contemporaries

Substitute Bride

Bride by Design (under pen name Barbara Joan Russell)

Other Genres

Thriller

Return of the Aliens (Christian End-Times Novel)

Late One Night (flash fiction)

Fantasy

Enchanted Galaxy Series

A Royal Engagement

Royal Hearts

The Royal Pursuit

Royal Heiress

To find out more about Ruth Ann Nordin’s books and upcoming titles, you can go to the following sites:

Her Author Blog: http://ruthannnordinauthorblog.wordpress.com

Her Website:

www.ruthannnordin.com

Her Timeline on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/ruth.a.nordin

Join Ruth Ann Nordin’s Email List!

If you would like to receive an email when Ruth has a new book out, go to this link:

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Table of Contents

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Coming Soon: Her Devilish Marquess

Other Regencies

All Books by Ruth Ann Nordin

Find More About Ruth Ann Nordin