Princess Charming (25 page)

Theatrically, Jack placed his hand over his heart while warning Ash. “I am in love with your betrothed already. If you don’t marry her, I will.”

Maura had to laugh at his absurdity. But at least his
enthusiastic response helped her decide upon a way to repay Ash.

“I wish to reimburse you for all the expenses you have incurred this past week,” she murmured to Ash when his family’s attention was diverted by a tale Isabella was relating. “So I thought I might give you one of Emperor’s get. If you like, you may have your pick of any horse in my stables. I expect last year’s crop of foals will be spectacular.”

“There is no need for such a lavish gift, but I will accept since you require it to salvage your outsized pride,” Ash said mildly, although his arch smile told her clearly that he was ragging her.

It had indeed become a point of pride for her to prove that she wasn’t a penniless Cinderella in need of a prince’s charity and that she was determined to meet Ash measure for measure.

Eventually the talk at the table turned to horses, and Isabella mentioned that one of her friends on the Mediterranean island of Cyrene, the Earl of Hawkhurst, possessed superb stables that even Maura might envy. “Hawk visits England occasionally in search of breeding stock. If you wish, I will give him your direction so that you might do business together.”

Maura agreed readily. “My stable master would be very happy to speak to him. We are always looking to improve our breeding lines.”

Then, when dinner was over, she learned about a unique custom in the Wilde family. Instead of the ladies repairing to the drawing room while the gentlemen enjoyed their port, they all remained at the table and shared fond stories about their parents in order to keep their memories alive. Maura found herself laughing
at the tales, until they toasted each parent in turn in what was obviously a solemn ritual.

Unexpectedly, she was taken off guard as an old memory of her own late family rushed up to swamp her, of her father and mother the last time they were together before her mother had taken ill with fever.

Then even more unexpectedly, the Wilde cousins raised a glass to Noah Collyer. Emotion rose up in Maura’s chest and tightened her throat. Their consideration touched her deeply, yet it was knowing they had truly made her part of their clan that momentarily overwhelmed her.

When she met Ash’s eyes and saw the tender sympathy there, she felt a sense of belonging she hadn’t felt since childhood.

Maura managed a grateful smile before forcibly swallowing her threatening tears and rejoining the gaiety. Her wish to end her loneliness had been fulfilled in spades, and the feeling of belonging lingered. She couldn’t possibly be lonely when she had the love and acceptance of this extraordinary family surrounding her. It was beyond wonderful that she could claim this new connection, even if she also knew that the bond was fleeting and would remain only as long as her betrothal to Ash lasted.

Reality returned the following day, however. The Wildes had spent another late evening dancing at a ball, so Maura rose rather late that morning. After breakfast, Ash invited her into his study for a private discussion. Clearly he hadn’t forgotten the main reason she was even betrothed to him.

“We need to remain on the offensive against Deering,” Ash said at once, “so I’ve begun forming a plan. Pray tell me every detail you can recall leading up to the accusations of cheating against your father. You said Deering lured him to a gaming hell. Do you know the name of the club? And what card games they played?”

Maura could scarcely bear to remember that terrible time, but she disciplined her emotions so that she could answer Ash’s questions dispassionately.

“I believe the club was called Sutter’s, although I’m not sure of its location. But the game was vingt-un. I will never forget, since Papa and I used to play that when I was young.”

“Do you know if the deck was actually marked, or did Deering only claim it to be so?”

Maura frowned as she tried to remember. “At least some of the cards were marked. The ace of hearts was for certain. Papa said there was a small scratch in one corner. That ace had somehow fallen to the floor beside his chair, and he suspected that Deering planted it there. Why do you ask?”

“Because if Deering cheated once, he will likely do so again. I intend to give him the opportunity by challenging him to a friendly game of cards.”

The suggestion concerned Maura. “You realize he may accuse
you
of cheating?”

Ash’s smile held a calculating relish. “I sincerely hope he tries, for I will be ready for him. If I can catch him in the act and expose his methods, it will go a long way toward proving your father’s innocence.”

She wasn’t convinced Ash’s plan would work, though. “Why would Deering even play you?”

“Because he wants the opportunity to win your stallion back.”

“Won’t he be suspicious if you suddenly offer him his heart’s desire?”

“I’ve come up with a reasonable answer for that,” Ash replied. “I’ll say that I want Emperor’s deed of sale to give you as a wedding gift. I expect he’ll believe that pretext readily enough.”

Maura’s frown deepened as she tried to think through the various possibilities. “What if he doesn’t cheat when you play him?”

“Then I might be forced to employ the same ignoble tactics he used against your father. I could fabricate a similar accusation against Deering in front of witnesses and offer to retract my charge if he does the same against your late father. If need be, I’m willing to sink to his level and use underhanded means to gain a confession of guilt from him. However, it’s much more likely that he will repeat his previous success.”

“You mean, he will cheat you the same way he did with my father?”

“Yes,” Ash said. “I suspect Deering either marked the cards himself or relied on someone else at the club to do it for him, so he could deny culpability. Or he might have employed some trick such as mirrors to rig the game. I’ll enlist Jack to advise me what deceptions to watch for. Jack has spent a great deal of time in London gaming hells. He might even have played at Sutter’s. And unlike your father, I will be on my guard.”

Maura nodded slowly in cautious approval. “I should have realized you would consider every angle. But what if Deering refuses your challenge altogether?”

“Trust me, he won’t refuse. I’ll goad him into it if need be. When I am done, he’ll be angry enough to strike back at me, and angry men tend to be reckless.”

“I would be delighted to help you goad him,” Maura muttered.

“Oh, no, vixen,” Ash said quickly. “I don’t want to give him any new reason to retaliate against you. I want him directing his wrath at me instead.”

Ash’s protectiveness still roused Maura’s exasperation, but his nonchalance actually worried her. “I don’t like the idea of you making yourself his target, either. It could be dangerous.”

“I doubt it. Deering usually backs down when facing serious opposition. But given the prior animosity between you two, you need to remain as unthreatening as possible, even charming.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “
Charming?
You may have noticed that charm is not my strong suit. And even if it were, I could not possibly be charming to that odious man.”

Ash smiled in disagreement. “You have effortlessly charmed my entire family, sweetheart. Just last evening, Jack declared his love for you. You can do the same with Deering.”

“But I genuinely like Jack. I detest Deering with every ounce of my being.”

“So pretend otherwise for now, just long enough to vindicate your father. It’s for a very good cause.” When Maura hesitated, Ash prodded her. “If Deering were a horse, you would have him eating out of your hand in two minutes flat. Just think of him as a rogue horse you have to win over.”

“He is not a horse,” she grumbled. “Even the hind end of a horse would be too flattering for him.”

Ash took her hand and made Maura look at him. “Don’t make the mistake of letting your hatred get in the way of winning, love. You only have to persuade Deering that you want to mend fences with him and let bygones be bygones.”

“Tell me again why I must do so?”

“Because you will lull him into agreeing to play me at cards.”

“I suppose you are right,” she conceded grudgingly. “Very well, I will try.”

“Good. And you must also make a similar effort with your stepmother,” he added almost as an afterthought.

“What do you mean?” Maura asked warily.

“I want you to try to turn her against Deering. If she is willing to testify that she stole the deed from you and that he acquired your horse illegally, we will have a good deal more leverage over him.”

Maura’s first inclination was to scoff at the thought of Priscilla turning against the viscount. “You would do better to charm her yourself. You well know that my relationship with my stepmother is strained at best.”

“Do you hate her as much as you hate Deering?”

“No, certainly not.”

Maura fell silent as she considered her long relationship with her stepmother. As a child, she’d harbored selfish resentment against Priscilla for taking her father from her. As an adult, however, she’d had to concede that genteel women without independent fortunes were sometimes compelled to marry for security.

She’d also come to realize that even though her father
had mourned his first wife deeply, he was lonely after her death, and that while his loneliness had made him vulnerable to a siren like Priscilla, somehow she had filled that emptiness inside him.

“In fact,” Maura admitted in a low voice, “until Priscilla betrayed me by selling Emperor, we had arrived at a truce of sorts. But I never could abide how she behaved after Papa’s death. She claimed to believe in his innocence, but it was as if she
blamed
him for dying and leaving her mired in scandal.”

Ash was unemotional in his reply. “Still, she could be useful to us, Maura. And in this case the end will justify the means.”

“Priscilla will suspect some kind of ruse if I suddenly pretend to be gracious and charming to her.”

“Even so, you should attempt to make an ally of her. The musical recital Skye is hosting for your stepsisters on Saturday could be the best time for you to speak to her, since she will see firsthand how we are benefiting her daughters.”

Maura clasped her hands in her lap and nodded. She wasn’t certain she could ever regard Priscilla as an actual ally, but for her late father’s sake, she would try.

An hour later, Maura was changing her gown for yet another afternoon outing when Katharine entered her bedchamber. Upon hearing about Ash’s plan, Kate fully agreed with her brother’s strategy. Yet clearly she was much more interested in his courtship of Maura.

“Have you come any closer to deciding if Ash is your match?” she pressed.

Maura couldn’t help but smile. “I am loath to disappoint you, but no.”

“Well, just in case … I brought you something, although I warn you, it may shock you a little.” She handed Maura a red silk pouch that contained several small sponges and a vial of amber liquid. “According to Aunt Bella, a sponge soaked in vinegar or brandy can prevent a woman from getting with child.”

Shock, indeed. Maura’s eyes widened. “Lady Isabella gave you these?”

“Yes. Skye and I have always been more enlightened than other girls our age because of our brothers, but we don’t have a mother to advise us about intimate physical matters. And neither do you. You know a great deal about equine breeding and animal husbandry, Maura, but not about carnal relations between people.”

Maura held her tongue, electing not to confide to even her dearest friend that she had learned a great deal about carnal relations from Ash over the past week.

“Aunt Bella has been amazingly frank,” Kate explained, “for she is resolute about wanting us to take control of our own fate. She made me promise that I wouldn’t wind up
enceinte
unless it was my own decision, as it was for Jack’s mother. Our Aunt Clara bore a child out of wedlock, but Skye and I don’t mean to follow her example. In fact, we both fully intend to marry someday and so want to remain virgins until our wedding nights. If you don’t care about marriage, however, there is no reason you must remain chaste … although I truly hope you choose to have a deeper and more permanent relationship with Ash than mere passion.”

Maura was eager to change the subject from matchmaking
but realized the futility of trying. “Why are you so adamant about seeing your lovers’ theory come true, Katharine?”

“Because I care deeply about you and Ash and want you to be happy together. It is not just a silly whim, Maura, or a conceit so that I can prove my skills as a matchmaker. I am pressing you because life is too short not to seize the moment. We Wildes know that better than most, since we were orphaned at such a young age.” Katharine paused, as if recalling a sad memory, but then shook herself. “One thing you can say about my family. We may be pleasure-seekers, but in the long run we know that pleasure is empty without love.”

“But you cannot force anyone to fall in love,” Maura argued. “Your brother does not love me, Kate. He is only pursuing me because you browbeat him into it.”

Kate sent her an arch smile. “Can you imagine Ash
ever
allowing himself to be browbeaten? Even by me?” When Maura didn’t respond, she added earnestly, “All I am asking is that you give love a chance. You would be insanely happy if you loved Ash and he loved you madly in return.”

Indeed, Maura reflected, she would be ecstatic to find that kind of true love with Ash. Not even her deep friendships with Kate and Skye were enough to fill the lonely hole in her heart.

But was it even possible for Ash to fall in love with her?

Granted, he had brought her into his family and wrapped her in a protective cocoon of love, but that was familial love—the deep bond of affection between sisters and brothers. Not a romantic, passionate, soul-stirring sort of love. And even though he pretended to
be smitten with her whenever they were in public together, his show of devotion was only part of a charade to convince the ton that their betrothal was real.