Wicked Wager Read online

  “Indeed.” He turned away.

  The heat of a blush moved up her neck. She was mortified. The next moment, she was angry. If Elizabeth Valant had exposed herself to him, he would not react with such cool detachment!

  She blinked hard, her anger and embarrassment bringing sudden tears to her eyes. What a fool she was to think she could entice a man like Revington. He was a hardened, cold-blooded…She searched for a term harsh enough to reflect her mood. A bloody bastard, that’s what he was!

  She fumed for a short while, nursing her resentment, then gradually sought to force it aside. It was absurd to be so upset. She’d known from the beginning that getting him to respond would be a challenge. He was a jaded, cynical gamester. Hardly the sort to fall for an unsophisticated country girl. She’d have to think up some other scheme to avoid having to marry him. But what? In this game, as she supposed he did in many others, Revington seemed to hold all the cards.

  When the townhouse came into view, she let out a small sigh. The last few minutes had been agonizing—sitting beside him while he blatantly ignored her. Was he angry? How dare he be! He wasn’t her husband, at least not yet. Besides, she’d revealed only a tiny bit more flesh than Elizabeth Valant had displayed outside Madame Dubonet’s. Remembering the incident, she decided it was outrageously hypocritical of him to appear so offended.

  Penny fought to hold on to her anger, but underneath it, a gnawing gloom threatened. Revington hadn’t seemed even a tiny bit aroused by the sight of her breast. Did that mean he had no interest in her as a bed partner? She knew she wasn’t beautiful or her figure particularly impressive. But other things had led her to believe she was reasonably attractive. Tad had said so, and with the other servants at Horngate, she’d always felt they not only approved of her but felt a sense of pride that she was their mistress.

  No. She would not act like a mewling milk-and-water miss and feel sorry for herself. She was an heiress to a fine estate. She deserved better than the scorn and disapproval Revington’s attitude reflected.

  At the thought of Horngate, new determination filled her. She would find a way to make Revington see her as a woman, and use that weakness to keep him from running roughshod over her.

  At the townhouse, Revington climbed out and reached up to help her from the carriage. She considered pretending to slip and fall against him, but couldn’t make herself do it. He thought her awkward and embarrassingly unsophisticated as it was. No need to reinforce that outlook by acting like a graceless ninny.

  As soon as they were inside, Revington gave her a terse bow. “I enjoyed your company today, Penny. I look forward to seeing you at dinner.”

  Despite his gracious words, there could be no doubt she’d been dismissed. Penny smiled tightly. “I enjoyed today as well.” She turned and started up the stairs.

  Chapter Seven

  Marcus gritted his teeth as he made his way to the library. Damn, he was still aroused! Penny was driving him to madness. The whole way back to the townhouse he’d had to fight the urge to dismiss the driver, drive the carriage to a secluded area of the park, then lay her down on the carriage seat and have her right there!

  And it wasn’t merely the provocative glimpse of her beautiful breast that threatened to push him over the edge. It was the awareness that she had no idea of her effect on him.

  If Elizabeth had exposed herself to him in such a fashion, he’d have laughed at her and told her not to be such a greedy slut. He’d be aroused, but would have no real desire to act on it. Elizabeth’s shameless cock-teasing could get tiresome. There were times he almost felt used, knowing he was only one of many men she engaged to satisfy her.

  But with Penny, things were different, he mused as he poured himself a brandy. She was so fresh and sweet, so charmingly unaware of her beauty. Along with intense desire, he felt a longing to protect her, to keep her from being corrupted by the harsh, crude world of London society. He wanted her to remain the way she was when he found her.

  At the same time, he longed to introduce her to all the delights of lovemaking. To teach her the pleasures her body could experience. He fancied himself a good lover, taking as much time and care with a woman as necessary to bring her to her peak. His ability to be patient and subtle was wasted on someone like Elizabeth, who wanted it hard and fast. But with Penny, skill and tenderness might actually matter. He would make it good for her, even the first time.

  He took a deep swallow of brandy, reminding himself that he would never be able to do that in his current state of arousal. If he bedded her now, he’d lose control and make a botch of the whole thing. Somehow he had to get himself in a more relaxed state of mind first.

  On the other hand, he shouldn’t have been so terse with her. Recalling the almost chiding way he’d responded to the sight of her exquisite breast, he winced. She must think him a cold bastard. Gads! There was no excuse for his behavior. What was it about her that brought out the worst in him?

  He took another swallow of the brandy and grimaced. He was well aware of his faults. Numerous women had pointed out that he was prone to appearing distant and uncaring. With Penny, his behavior was even worse. The more she affected him, the more he found himself drawing away. Having made up his mind that he wanted quite badly to take her to bed, he’d done everything he could to push her away. He’d cut short the sightseeing trip. Ignored her on the way back to the townhouse. Then curtly dismissed her when they arrived.

  Soon they would dine together. Somehow he must overcome this uncharacteristic nervousness and regain his poise. Do something to take the edge off his rampant lust. Maybe he should visit Elizabeth. A quick furious tumble with her would be just the thing.

  His conscience tweaked him. It probably wasn’t appropriate to bed another woman a few hours before attempting to seduce one’s fiancée. But if he didn’t do something, he suspected he’d make a complete bungle of things with Penny.

  He checked the water clock on the table. Half past three. He certainly had time to see Elizabeth. Or, if she wasn’t home, he could always go to the house of Venus several of his acquaintances had recommended.

  He rang the bell for Bowes. “Have the phaeton brought around. I’m going out. Not for long. Indeed, I’ll be back in plenty of time to join Penny…Miss Montgomery for the evening meal.”

  “Very good, sir.”

  ****

  “You look like an utter fool,” Penny muttered, staring at her reflection in the dressing room mirror. Not only was the mauve gown low-cut, the sheer fabric gave more than a hint of her naked form beneath it. “You should forget this nonsense and put on something sensible.” Thing was, she didn’t have anything sensible. Madame Dubonet had designed nothing like the plain, high-necked green gown she’d worn to London. And she couldn’t wear that. It was truly awful. Indeed, she’d chosen it exactly for that reason.

  “There really is no help for it,” she told herself firmly. “You don’t have a better plan.”

  She went to the window and tried to gauge the time of day. It was at least an hour until the evening meal. She didn’t know what to do in the meantime. Although she’d started a novel, it wasn’t holding her interest. Life in London was quite boring. Other than shopping or riding around, there didn’t appear to be much to do during the daytime—a stark contrast to her usual existence at Horngate, where there were always a dozen things demanding her attention. And if she finished with the most pressing tasks, she could always go riding.

  A sharp pang of longing shot through her. She didn’t want to give up the life she loved at Horngate. Lord Haversfield had referred to marriage as being “leg-shackled”. The term sounded perfectly appropriate. She didn’t want to be tied to Revington, to be forced to go along with whatever he wanted. Which meant that somehow she had to find a way to make him fall in love with her so she could avoid marrying him and everything could go back to the way it was before.

  And she didn’t want to wait hours to put her plan into action. There was no reason she couldn’t se
e Revington now, rather than waiting until dinner. If she meant to seduce him, there was no time like the present.

  Pushing aside the doubts and worries crowding her mind, she strode briskly to the door. She kept up her bold pace all the way down the stairs, slowing only as she neared the library. Oh, dear, this is it, the moment of truth! Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and opened the door.

  All the expectation and tension drained out of her. The room was empty. Had he gone up to change for dinner? Or left the townhouse altogether?

  She headed toward the foyer. Seeing Bowes, she immediately guessed the truth. “Mr. Revington has left, hasn’t he?”

  For a fraction of a second, the butler’s gaze dipped to her décolletage, then swiftly returned to her face. “Indeed, miss. But he did say he would return in time to dine with you.”

  Penny longed to ask the butler if he knew where his master had gone, but she doubted if Bowes would tell her. “Very good. I’ll come back down as it gets closer to the dining hour.”

  She started up the stairs, fuming. Revington was clearly avoiding her. He’d rushed back to the townhouse, dumped her off and left again. It was obvious he considered spending time with her a great trial, and only did it when politeness forced him to do so. Under the circumstances, her scheme to seduce him seemed utterly futile.

  ****

  Marcus drove the phaeton around the block for the third time. It had seemed simple enough earlier, but now that he was actually here, outside Elizabeth’s townhouse, he couldn’t bring himself to go in. This wasn’t what he wanted, not at all. If James were here, he’d be certain to tell him what a horrible plan this was, to bed one woman when he was actually longing for another.

  Indeed, thinking about Elizabeth, the idea of bedding her suddenly seemed distasteful. He was repelled by her vulgarity, her selfishness. Once he’d suggested they slow things down and get to know each other a bit, perhaps share a meal or take a drive around the city. She’d responded scornfully that she didn’t need a companion and had no interest in him except as a lover.

  Heading back home, he realized that what he’d proposed to do with Elizabeth was exactly what he should do with Penny. Before he bedded her, she needed to get to know him. Before consummating the relationship, he must court her.

  At the townhouse, he changed and went down to the dining room. Penny was already seated. As she looked up, he repressed a gasp. She looked absolutely spectacular in another low-cut gown, this one a pale, purplish-pink shade, with a band of black lace around the bodice. The mere sight of her made him want to pull her from the chair and ravish her. Instead, he stiffly took a seat opposite. “You look lovely tonight, Penny.”

  “Thank you.”

  Now what the hell did he say? Recalling his plan to court her, he searched his mind for a topic that might interest her. Ah, yes, Horngate. The horses. Clearing his throat, he said, “So, you grew up at Horngate?”

  She gave him a startled look. “Yes. In fact, I was born there.”

  “No siblings?”

  “I’m afraid not. I had a brother, but he died in infancy.”

  “I’m sorry.” He took a drink of his wine. He was already making a muddle of things, bringing up matters she likely wanted to forget. He tried again. “I’m very interested in the horse operation at Horngate. You seem quite knowledgeable about breeding. Did your father teach you the business?”

  “Yes, it was he who started raising horses.”

  “And you said you raise both hunters and carriage horses?”

  As he continued to ask about the horse operation, he realized he’d blundered again. Her expression grew guarded and her voice, terse, almost expressionless. Damn! He had no idea how to deal with her.

  Thankfully, the footman served their soup and for a time they could pretend to be occupied by eating.

  He still hadn’t come up with anything to say, when she broke the silence. “We’ve discussed my background. But what about you? James says you make your living at cards?”

  Caught off guard, he answered. “Why, yes. I’ve been quite successful with my wagering. But it isn’t luck. It’s a matter of learning the odds of getting a certain hand. And knowing when to keep playing and when to stop. That’s the mistake most people make. When they start winning, they lose control and bet even more. It’s essential to keep to a rigid plan and remain completely unemotional.”

  “So, that’s your secret? You refuse to get caught up in the moment, to lose control?”

  Marcus nodded and took another bite of his fish. He didn’t like talking about these things. While he had no fear she would turn his methods against him—it was unlikely they’d ever play cards together—he was still uncomfortable revealing his methods.

  She gave him an arched look. “Given your skill, I’m not surprised you won Horngate from Adrian. My cousin has always been one to lose his head.”

  He nodded, thinking she didn’t like her cousin much. He couldn’t blame her. Withersby was a bastard. He needed to move the conversation in a different direction. But what should they talk about? No wonder he’d never associated with women in situations where he would be required to converse with them. This was dashedly hard work!

  They ate in silence. As the footman brought the meat course, Marcus tried again. “Did you enjoy yourself today?”

  At last, a bit of a smile. “Yes, I did. I liked Hyde Park especially. All the trees and flowers. I’m afraid I’m already homesick for the country.”

  “You didn’t care for the rest of it, the Carlton House and the other fine buildings?”

  “I’m afraid not. Of course, merely driving by, I’m certain I didn’t get a true sense of the real splendor of the city.” She paused, then added, I would still like to attend some balls or soirees. I must take advantage of my new wardrobe.”

  At the mention of her wardrobe, he immediately glanced at her décolletage. She caught his gaze and frowned. What had he done wrong now? Given that she was wearing a gown that revealed a good portion of her bosom, he didn’t understand her reaction. Unless she was remembering what happened in the carriage.

  Oh, damn, that was it! Recalling the curt, almost rude way he’d addressed her, he gritted his teeth. He must make it up to her. Treat her like a lady, rather than an object of his lust. It wouldn’t be easy. But he had to try.

  He took another swallow of wine. “I’m certain we can find some sort of social event where you can make use of your new wardrobe. Although I’m not invited to many functions these days. Most of the society matrons have given up on me.”

  “Oh, why is that?”

  “I suppose in the past I so seldom accepted invitations that they’ve written me off as hopeless.”

  “You don’t like parties or balls?”

  He hesitated. While the fact was, he hated them, it was probably unwise to tell her this. Given that she’d just expressed the desire to attend one of these functions, it would be quite rude of him to make his real feelings known.

  “It’s not that…exactly. It’s more…I suppose I’ve always been so occupied with pursuing business matters that I’ve ignored the social opportunities that have come my way. But now that I have Horngate, it would behoove me to mingle more in society. After all, we’ll need to find buyers for the horses bred at the farm.” He shot her a smile as he said this. Surely this would please her. She’d have an opportunity to enjoy London society and at the same time, talk about her beloved horses.

  Again, she reacted unexpectedly. She gave him a look that could only described as hostile and responded in clipped tones. “That sounds delightful. And of course, I would also like to go to Covent Garden and the theatre. I’ve heard the shows are something to see.”

  “Indeed.”

  What the devil did she want! The woman was impossible to please! He took a deep breath and focused on the trifle the footman had brought. The next month would be grim indeed. Especially if he didn’t find a way to take her to bed. His attraction to her hadn’t ebbed, but
had grown fiercer. Perhaps it was the wine. In his distraction, he’d drunk his first glass quite quickly and already started on a second. She’d hardly touched hers. He definitely needed to get her to imbibe more.

  As the footman cleared away their plates, Marcus said, “Perhaps we should take our wine into the library.”

  What a surprise, Penny thought sourly. He was actually going to spend time with her, rather than abandoning her as soon as he’d fulfilled his minimum obligation! Could it be he was warming to her?

  She should be pleased, but she wasn’t. She was still furious about the way he’d talked about finding buyers for her horses. No matter how she sought to distract him, Horngate always remained on his mind. The man was as cold and single-minded as James had portrayed him! Their whole conversation during dinner had been a disaster. She’d had to struggle not to snap at him as he gloated over the success of the horse operation.

  But now she had to get hold of herself and remember her goal. This was it, her chance to seduce him.

  Revington called Bowes and asked the butler to prepare the room for them. A few moments later, they both rose from the table, and Revington escorted her to the library. Although the fire had been lit, it was still a bit chilly. She couldn’t quite suppress a shiver as they entered. He apparently noticed, for he said, “Here, drink some of your wine. It will help warm you.”

  He held out her glass, which he’d carried along. She accepted it and took a quick swallow. He was right. The ruby red liquid burned a pathway of heat down to her stomach. She took another swallow, gradually getting used to the taste. Wine wasn’t a beverage to which she was accustomed.

  “There. That’s better, isn’t it?” He was watching her intently.

  Her anger and determination vanished, replaced with a sense of panic. He was so close. The expanse of the dining room table had served as a comfortable barrier, but now there was nothing between them. In many ways. She was uncomfortably aware of the sheerness of her gown. It made her feel vulnerable, like helpless prey.