Page 43 of Her Ruse with the Wicked Duke
“My father wanted me here to scout out future bets for him while he is out of town. He is a bit of a gambler.”
Rowan almost choked at the obviousness of it all. No wonder the man had not paid his rent.
Rowan kept his cool, running his fingers through his hair. “Anything good?”
“Nothing but the cricket betting during the next Society event. The men will surely be fawning over the money while the women fawn over the sportsmen.”
“Cricket?” Rowan echoed, suddenly intrigued. He used to play at Eton, and he was not half bad.
“Yes, Your Grace. There is to be a cricket tournament at the next event. With your status, you should be receiving an invitation to play.” The boy smiled.
I have not played cricket since I was a teenager, but it sounds fun. Plus, if there are intoxicated men with money spilling from their pockets, it is somewhere I want to be.
* * *
After a long afternoon of cleaning and a quick, hearty dinner, Alice sat on her bed, chewing on the end of her pencil as she attempted to sketch out something that she would be happy with.
“What did you say the next event was?” Grace asked, standing at the foot of the bed, and rummaging through Alice’s collection of fabric samples.
“It will be an event at the Queen’s Gardens, Grace. I need to be a flawless Diamond and prove that she made the right decision. Because we are getting into the blooming season, I wanted to pick something that says ‘summer.’”
“How about this?” Grace replied after a few moments, holding up a lime sheet of material, and Alice smiled.
“It’s perfect. It will match the hat almost flawlessly!”
“I am so excited to see your newest creation, Miss. You are sure to stun the crowds. And with your brother off on business for the day, and not around to hound you about finances, you will be able to spend your savings on the fabrics you need.”
“Exactly. I truly did not mean to be so harsh with him earlier, I just could not take one more second of his hate. I wish he would just open up to me, Grace.”
“I know, Miss. I wish I could help you in some way. All I can do is reassure you that he is not unhappy all of the time. I have seen him enjoying himself while reading or writing to whoever his correspondence goes out to. I do not think you will ever change his mind about how much your parents gave you, though.”
“It truly was not that much, was it?”
“It was exactly what you both deserved, which was to be spoiled with anything your hearts desired. He was always a shy boy, and when he did not speak up and you did, he got fussy. I suppose that stuck with him until now. I just wish it did not affect you so.”
Alice sat quietly for a moment, thinking about what she could do for her brother to possibly prove that she was not the monster that he had created in his head, but she realized that to do that, she would need an easy escape in case he became upset, which led her right back to getting married.
I hope that one day, I will never have to worry about these things ever again. The Duke has helped me feel more confident than ever in my escape from my brother, but could I ever ask him for more?
ChapterFifteen
Rowan made his way to Reynolds Estate two weeks after his encounter with the man’s son in the gentlemen’s club, and it went better than expected.
“Sir, I understand your predicament,” Rowan said as the man ushered him out of the door. “But you must send word if you are unable to make your payments. I am not a cruel man, and I want to work with you to figure the situation out. Are you currently working?”
“No, Your Grace. Not as of late.”
“How about this.” Rowan paused, pondering his decision before going through with it. “How would you like to work for me? You’d be in the harbor a majority of the time, loading and unloading ships. If you must travel, your son will come with you.”
“You cannot be serious.” The man’s jaw dropped, before startling himself into a bow, remembering his manners. “Y-Your Grace, that is simply too much to ask for. I cannot thank you and your wife enough.”
“My wife?”
“Oh, I heard that you were getting married. My apologies if I assumed it had already been done. Thank your fiancée for me, then, Your Grace,” the man replied, smiling.
The rumors about my relationship must be running rampant through London at this point. How did I go from simply courting Miss Snow to already being married to her?
Despite his annoyance with the constant misunderstanding, Rowan simply smiled and stuck his hand out to Mr. Reynolds.
