Page 18 of Wager on Love

“Oh, it did involve a bit of an investment. Naturally the most exclusive florist in London would have that information, so I went there first thing to order flowers sent to Lady Charlotte, and asked the young clerk to confirm the address.”

“You are positively fiendish, Ashbrooke,” Lord Edward declared after staring at his friend in disbelief for a long moment. “I must say you seem well set to succeed in this, much as I hate to admit it.”

“Why?” Sir John demanded. “I cannot understand your objection to my goal. A great many marriages, I dare say the vast majority of them if it comes right down to it, are arranged for the sake of financial security, or social betterment, or any number of other unromantic realities.”

“I suppose my objection is partly due to the fact that you seem so determined to deny that love exists at all, outside of fairy-tales. As I mentioned last night, I strongly disagree with you, and no one cares to have their opinions dashed so casually. Aside from that, I do not believe that you yourself would be quite so pragmatic and practical about the whole affair if you were not within a crisis.”

“I would,” Sir John averred stoutly. “I would act the same with any girl I decided to marry. Though perhaps not with quite so much expedience, I shall grant you that.”

“Well, I would have enjoyed our wager more if love had been given half a chance. I would still very much like to see the full emotion grab you by the throat, as it were, and force you to renounce all of your treasonous notions regarding the fair sex. As the situation stands, that event seems unlikely. The loss of your property complicates the matter and gives me yet another reason to loathe those damnable French,” Lord Edward concluded with a rueful laugh.

“Not that you needed one, eh?” Ashbrooke inquired, an odd trace of bitterness in his tone.

“Certainly not, especially if the frogs and their damned war have killed even the notion of romance. They cannot keep going about mucking up people’s business on the Continent like this. It is exceedingly inconsiderate, after all. We shall all be desperately tired of the like before much longer.”

“Hideously inconsiderate,” John agreed with a wry smile for his friend.

“Exactly my point. Come, if you have no other hapless heiresses to accidentally bump into, let’s go to the club for an early supper.”

“Very well, I am hoping to meet with Blakely. I need to acquire tickets to tomorrow night’s opera and he always has some extras lying about.”

“I thought you were sick to death of the opera? You said as much last time.”

“Indeed I am, but I also happen to have quite keen hearing, and during my conversation with Lady Charlotte I was fortunate enough to overhear her sisters discussing what they planned to wear to the opera tomorrow night. Naturally, I shall need to happen to blunder into her path again before Almack’s. It is the perfect opportunity, even if it does mean pretending to enjoy sitting through yet another lackluster performance.”

“Positively fiendish,” Lord Edward said again, with a shake of his head as the two made their way down the path together.

* * *

9

Lady Charlotte took her seat in her family’s box at the opera, filled with enthusiasm and anticipation for the evening’s performance ofOrfeo and Eurydice. The luxurious, glittering surroundings of the theatre and its occupants alone were enough to stir her imagination. Scanning the people as they filled the other boxes, she gave an involuntary start of recognition.

“What is it?” asked Helen, who was sitting next to her and noticed the abrupt movement.

“Oh, nothing,” Charlotte felt herself blush a little. “I only thought that the gentleman over there looks like Sir John Ashbrooke. I was not expecting to see him again so soon.”

It was true. She had not been expecting to see him, precisely, but if she were honest with herself, she had beenhopingto see him. Their chance meeting at Hyde Park had done quite a lot to assuage her insecurities about romance, and she had caught herself thinking of the handsome, passionate young man more times than she cared to admit over the last day and a half.

“Indeed? Let me see,” Jane said, taking the opera glasses from Charlotte’s gloved fingers. “I shall be discreet, I assure you.”

“Is it him?” Helen asked anxiously, while Charlotte attempted to maintain a dignified disinterest.

“I believe it is,” murmured Jane as she passed the glasses to her husband. “Perhaps you might pay Sir John a brief visit in his box during intermission? It seems an excellent opportunity for you to further your acquaintance with the man, and perhaps take the measure of him.”

“Certainly,” Lord Keegain answered his wife. “If Charlotte wishes me to do so?”

“Oh, I suppose you might,” Charlotte said in what she hoped was a casual tone. “I did enjoy dancing with him the other night.”

“Andspeaking with him at Hyde Park yesterday,” Jane said. “Having had the chance to see the man for myself, I found him most agreeable,” she added for her husband’s benefit.

“Heishandsome,” Helen added. “And well-spoken.”

“Let us hope that lip-reading is not one of his talents,” Charlotte commented self-consciously, giving up her attempt at seeming detached from the subject. “Or else he will certainly be able to tell from his position that we are discussing him at great length.”

“He should know that regardless, if he has any sense at all,” the dowager remarked decidedly. “It is only natural that a family will take interest in a gentleman after he has begun showing a preference for one of its daughters.”

The music began, showing the nymphs and shepherds dancing a ballet and mourning Eurydice’s death. The family ended their conversation and settled in to enjoy the performance. Lady Charlotte found herself swept away by the tragic romance portrayed by the singers, tears welled in her eyes several times as Orfeo was so distraught he could not even say Eurydice’s name. Yet he was so determined to save her he was willing to go to Hades to find her again.

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