Sarah Mallory - Behind the Rake's Wicked Wager

‘Then I hope you are satisfied.’

‘Very. Only, it makes it pretty clear that Mrs Wilby would prefer you as a match for Susannah.’

‘Would that matter to you?’ Jasper asked him. ‘Have you set your heart on marrying her?’

‘Oh, well, you know, she has already told me that she can never think of me as anything other than a friend, but I hope that when she comes to know me better—but she is so good, she is not one to raise false hopes in a fellow.’

‘You know, Gerald, I wonder if Miss Prentess is quite the paragon you make her out to be.’

His cousin laughed at that.

‘Oh but she is, Jasper. Good, kind—a veritable angel. She is quite, quite perfect.’

Jasper shook his head.

‘My poor deluded boy, when you know as much about women as I do you will know there is no such thing!’

‘My mother is convinced of that, certainly. Which reminds me, I had a note from her, asking me to visit. It is still early, I could go today, riding cross country would be a pleasure.’ He put his hand on Jasper’s shoulder. ‘And you can come with me. You will be able to support me when I tell her about Susannah.’

‘Why not, if we can hire a hack for me?’ Jasper swallowed his misgivings. ‘When I left Rooks Tower I sent my horses on to Markham, not expecting to need them in Bath. However— and forgive me if this pains you, Gerald—your mother is not famed for her hospitality, so let us have breakfast first!’

After they had eaten, Jasper and Gerald rode over to Hotwells. Gloriana received them joyfully enough, but when Gerald happily disclosed that he was to take tea in Royal Crescent the following day, the look she threw at Jasper left him in no doubt that she was seriously disappointed in him. She despatched Gerald on an errand to fetch a further supply of tonic from her doctor and as soon as he was out of the door she turned on Jasper.

‘I thought you were going to Bath to save my poor son from this woman?’

‘I was going to look into the matter,’ he corrected her. ‘Having done so, I have given up all plans of returning to Markham for the time being.’

‘Aha. Then you admit my son is ensnared.’

‘Miss Prentess is an heiress, Gloriana. Does that not please you?’

‘If that is the case why did she take his money from him? Besides, she is a nobody, and she is too old for him.’ Gloriana was determined not to be appeased. ‘She is three-and-twenty if she is a day. And her birth—who knows anything about the girl, save that she is heir to the Middlemass fortune?’

He smiled slightly.

‘That would be enough for most mothers.’

Gloriana looked at him and for a moment her guard dropped.

‘I only want his happiness, Markham. If you could assure me of that I could be reconciled.’

‘I wish that were possible, but I cannot believe it.’ He frowned. ‘You know he has offered her marriage, and she refused him?’

‘He wrote to tell me. I hoped that would be the end of it, but today he seems as beguiled as ever.’

‘I know, ma’am. I have failed to find anything against the lady. However, my enquiries about her friend Mrs Logan have proved far more interesting. She is the widow of a soldier and the story goes that he quit the army to open a gambling house in Portsmouth. When Logan died, his widow sold up and came to Bath, where she now lives in respectable retirement. I am not in the habit of listening to the gossip-mongers, but having watched the lady at work at one of Mrs Wilby’s little parties I know that she is very good with the cards. Good enough to be a professional.’ He strode to the window and stood for a moment, looking out. ‘Add that to the skill shown by both Miss Prentess and her aunt and I cannot help thinking that there is more to their little card parties than mere social entertainment. I would wager that at the end of the evening the three ladies come away from the tables considerably richer than they started.’

‘A gaming hell. Oh my heavens.’ Gloriana resorted to her handkerchief. ‘To think my poor boy should be caught in the tangles of such women.’

Jasper shook his head.

‘By London standards the stakes are trivial, and the play is certainly not deep enough to cause concern. There is no faro bank, something which attracted a great deal of criticism when employed by several high-born ladies in London twenty years ago. But the suspicion persists that they run their little parties at the Crescent for profit. Not that there is anything wrong with that, if they would but own it.’

‘In Royal Crescent? It would never be permitted!’

‘No, ma’am, I suppose you are right.’

‘And you have spoken to Gerald about this? You have told him the sort of woman he has given his heart to?’

‘I have tried, but he is deaf to any criticism of Miss Prentess.’ He turned away from the window, his jaw set. ‘My cousin is seriously besotted with the woman. I think he would have to witness the lady’s fall from grace for himself before he would see her for what she really is.’

‘Then that is what must happen.’

There was such an air of grim determination behind the words that the corners of Jasper’s mouth lifted a trifle.

‘I’m afraid wishing won’t make it happen, ma’am.’

‘No, but you could,’ came the confident reply. ‘You have a reputation with the ladies, Markham, your flirtations are forever gracing the society pages. You must seduce Susannah Prentess!’

Whatever startled response Jasper would have made was silenced by Gerald’s coming back into the room at that moment. Nor was there opportunity to discuss the matter again, for very soon afterwards the gentlemen took their leave. Gloriana squeezed Jasper’s fingers as he bowed over her hand, and the speaking look in her eyes told him that she relied upon him to comply with her outrageous suggestion.

But was it so outrageous? Jasper pondered the matter as he rode back to Bath beside Gerald, the setting sun casting long shadows before them and the chill wind cutting through their coats. If he succeeded in turning the lady’s head then it would destroy his young cousin’s infatuation at a stroke. Many men would not hesitate, but for all his reputation Jasper had never yet set out to make any woman fall in love with him. He might have done so with Zelah, if it had not become plain to him that she was head over heels in love with his brother. She was the only woman he had ever loved, the only woman he had ever considered taking as his wife, so there was no danger that he would succumb to Miss Prentess’s charms. He could flirt with her, court her, even seduce her without risk to himself.

He shifted in the saddle. What of the risk to the lady? If he went that far it would ruin her reputation and she would lose her good name. He hardened his heart. She had every young man in Bath at her feet and from what he had seen at her aunt’s card party she was fleecing them quite ruthlessly. The amounts might be small, but over the weeks they would mount up to a considerable sum. Enough to live quite comfortably. Dammit, the woman was running a gaming hell, she deserved no good name!

‘Eh, what’s that?’ Gerald looked round. ‘Did you say something?’

Jasper glanced at the young man riding beside him.

‘Aye. I was wondering about those little card parties of Mrs Wilby’s. Do you think they profit from them?’

Gerald shrugged.

‘A hundred or two, perhaps. I doubt it is ever more than a monkey.’

‘I should hope not.’ He paused. ‘Does it not concern you that they are making money out of these parties?’

Gerald looked at him.

‘No, why? The sums are negligible.’ He laughed. ‘Mother told me that when she was young the London hostesses made thousands in an evening, especially those who ran a faro bank. And they charged their guests card money, to cover the cost of the new packs. Mrs Wilby does nothing like that. Her parties are for friends to gather together and enjoy themselves.’