Duke 0f Chance (Regency Stories Book 2) Read online

  Albert gaped at him. “I cannot believe it! It’s what women strive for and why women seek your attention. Every woman who walks this Earth wants what the ton has, and all want what you have.”

  “You speak the truth once again,” Joseph said with a heavy sigh.

  A couple walked by, their smiles growing as they greeted Joseph with a diffident bow, a lesser one aimed at Albert, and then walked away.

  “You sound as if you have given up on our wager,” Albert said, clearly hoping Joseph would agree. “Do you wish to sign over the estate now? Or we may do so tomorrow if you prefer.”

  Joseph returned his gaze to Hannah. “No, the bet is still on.”

  “Good. I thought the woman had made you weak.”

  Joseph winced at the speaking of the very word he had thought earlier. “Never,” he stated with a firm resolve, his hands clenched at his side. He would not be considered weak.

  “Good, for there is a matter of business you should know.” He motioned to Joseph to follow, and the two stepped into a nearby alcove. “You see that man over there?”

  Joseph looked where Albert pointed to a group of men. “There are many. Which one?”

  “The one standing beside the woman in the dark-blue dress.”

  The man Albert indicated was a stout man, younger than them by perhaps a year or two, with short blond curls on top of his round head. The buttons on his beige coat stretched in the buttonholes and threatened to pop off at any moment.

  “What of him?”

  Albert leaned in and lowered his voice. “The man is indebted to me for the sum of fifty pounds,” he said in a conspiratorial tone. “I would like to double it, and you have the very coin that will help me do so.”

  Joseph gave a heavy sigh. Somehow, the thought of using that coin again to dupe another person did not have the appeal it once had. Not that he had not put it to good use—good use to him, that is—since meeting Hannah, but that did not mean he took as much pleasure in using it now as before.

  “I see,” Albert said with a sly smile. “The woman of the Gentry has bewitched you.”

  He went to walk away, but Joseph grabbed his arm. “Let us go take care of this situation for you.”

  This made Albert produce a wide grin and a nod. He led Joseph across the room to where the man stood and Albert made introductions.

  “Mr. Edward Sampson, I give you His Grace, Joseph Larson, the Sixth Duke of Charrington.”

  “My pleasure, Your Grace,” the man said as he attempted a bow that his stomach hampered him from completing appropriately.

  Joseph gave him a perfunctory nod in response. What he wanted was to get this all over with, and as quickly as possible.

  “So, Sampson, do you have my money yet?” Albert asked.

  “No, My Lord,” the man replied, his meaty hand brushing through his curls. “I’m trying to sell a portion of my land, and once I do that, I will pay you what I owe. I do beg for a bit more time.”

  Albert gave a sigh that would have done well on a stage. “You had no concern for my time when I lent you that money,” he said with a shake of his head. “Now you want more of it? No, I’m afraid that will not do.”

  “My Lord?” Mr. Sampson asked. “What do you want me to do? If I do not have the money, I do not have it. There is not much I can do.”

  Albert rubbed his chin as if thinking. “Perhaps we can make a wager, say in a game of chance?” he said as if the idea had just occurred to him. “The stakes would be fair.”

  The man took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped at dots of sweat that had formed on his forehead. “What would the stakes be, My Lord?”

  “Simple.” Albert patted the man on the shoulder. “We will flip a coin in the air. If you win, I shall forgive the debt and give you the sum of three hundred pounds, besides.”

  “Three hundred pounds!” Mr. Sampson exclaimed. “That would take me out of your debt and provide a new dress for Mary and…”

  Albert cut him off. “Enough. I do not care how you use the money. If I win, you sign over the deed to that miserable shop of yours.”

  The woman in the blue dress, Mrs. Sampson by Joseph’s calculations, gasped, and Mr. Sampson paled considerably. “I do not know,” the man said in a vague tone. “It is our livelihood.”

  Albert sighed. “Very well,” he said with a defeated shrug. “I suppose a discussion with the magistrates is in order. I believe I have time to see Mr. Thompson tomorrow.”

  “No!” Mr. Sampson came close to shouting. “No, My Lord. I shall engage in this game of chance of which you speak.” His voice held such a sense of defeat, Joseph’s stomach tightened. The plan had been to double Albert’s money not take the man’s main source of income.

  “No, Edward!” Mrs. Sampson begged. “You can’t do this!”

  “Go fetch me a glass of brandy,” Mr. Sampson said to the woman as he pushed her off his arm.

  She looked down at the floor and then walked away just as Margaret walked up to the group. She said nothing as she stood watching beside Joseph.

  “Excellent!” Albert replied with a clap and a rub of his hands. Then he turned and nodded to Joseph.

  With a strange sadness, Joseph took one of the coins from his pocket. He explained the meaning of each side and showed the man that the two-sided coin while he held the other in the palm of his other hand where no one could see it. When he was finished, he slipped the false coin in place of the other and tossed it into the air. It landed on the tiled floor with a clink.

  “Oh, my,” Albert said with feigned disappointment. “I suppose you should let your wife know of your misfortune.”

  Mr. Sampson gave a nod, though his eyes were wide and shone brightly. Then as a cripple, he shuffled away.

  When the man was well out of earshot, Joseph turned on his friend. “Never ask me to do such a thing again,” he hissed. “We were meant to double your money, not take away his livelihood!”

  Albert laughed as he took a glass of wine from a passing tray. “Oh, Joseph, do not be upset. I just happened to be the lucky man tonight instead of you.”

  With a shake of his head, Joseph walked to the door and into the garden to consider the action he had just done. An action that was not of a good man.

  ***

  Joseph walked the gardens for close to thirty minutes. Stormed the gardens would have been a better description of his movements, in all honesty, for his frustration ran deep. Finally, he came to a stop in a vacant corner and stood with his arms crossed over his chest. His shame was so great he could not get himself to return to the party and face Hannah. The woman had a hold on him he could not fathom, and yet he believed their courtship had gone far past what was needed for the bet. In fact, if he was completely honest with himself, which he realized he rarely was, then he would admit that he held an infatuation for the woman. Somehow he had to express this to her, but he was unsure as to how he could do that, especially after that in which he had been a participant, regardless of how unwillingly.

  “A duke should never be without company,” Margaret whispered from behind him, trailing her fingers across his back and then down his arm as she walked around him.

  “I am merely thinking,” Joseph replied. “I did not want company.”

  She came to stand in front of him, her back to the hedge he had been studying without seeing. What little light came from a lampstand behind him that stood between him and the house.

  “Do you wish me to leave?” she asked in a soft, silky voice, “To give you time alone?”

  “Yes,” he said, not unkindly.

  “Very well,” she replied. “Though, I worry that something is bothering you, my old friend. Is there any way I can be of assistance? Perhaps a ready ear?”

  He smiled at her. She had been a good friend at one time in his life, a person with whom he shared the deepest of secrets—as deep as secrets can be for a child. However, he was no child any longer. “Thank you, but my troubles are my own.”

  Margare
t laughed. “We used to share our concerns with one another.” Then she sighed. “I fear that my status as a spinster has made you want to keep me away.”

  “No,” he said, glad to see her smile return. “You are nowhere near spinsterhood. And we shall always be friends. ”

  “Perhaps we can be more than just friends?” she said.

  Joseph recognized the longing in her eyes, for he had seen it in the eyes of many women, but what he saw was somehow different in Margaret’s eyes than the others, for they held a measure of pain as well. If it had been just a few months earlier, he might have lied to serve his own end. Now, however, he wanted to become the good man Hannah said she saw in him, and to do that would require him to make certain changes in his life. He had failed completely this night, but he had to begin somewhere. Therefore, he took the first step by being truthful.

  “You will always be my friend,” he said as he took her hand in his. “I must admit, however, that although you have become a beautiful woman, I do not care for you beyond friendship.”

  Her disappointment was evident. “Oh. I see.” She took a step back and smoothed out her dress. “I realize that I have not obeyed your wishes. When your courting of Miss Newmont has come to an end, we can once again talk about us…if there is an us to discuss.”

  The hurt look on her face saddened him. “I’m sorry, but you must understand that I do not feel for you in the way you want. I care for you, but only as a friend, and I doubt that will change even after Miss Newmont and I are no longer courting.”

  She nodded. Then she glanced toward the house and then back at him, a smile playing on her lips. “Well, as long as we remain friends,” she whispered before putting her arms around him in a tight embrace. Then her mouth came dangerously close to his ear. “Will anyone ever come between our friendship?”

  “No, of course not,” he whispered back.

  “Good.” She kissed his cheek. “I believe I will return to the house. Please continue in your thoughts.”

  He gave her an affectionate smile and then closed his eyes. Telling the truth gave him a sense of freedom he had not had in a long time; it somehow felt…liberating. And with his newfound sense of self, he could not wait to say the truth to Hannah, as well.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Chapter Thirteen

  Hannah had watched as Joseph walked outside and reminded herself of her mother’s words of patience when it came to men. Though she found it aggravating, she remained in place whilst her mother spoke to a one Mrs. Sarah Collins, an old family friend. As luck would have it, they conversed with one another without asking Hannah to contribute, so she was left blessedly alone—as alone as one could be in the midst of partygoers and their jovial laughter—to observe those around her.

  She smiled at a few of the guests as they passed, and for the first time, some returned the gesture. Their smiles did not necessarily please her any more than when they ignored her, but it would make Joseph happy; therefore, she would accept their courtesies to please him.

  The thought of making him happy somehow brought joy to her heart. She was unsure as to when her feelings toward him had changed, but changed they had, and although their courtship was not genuine, she had begun to think that perhaps it might become so. The man had changed, opening more of his heart and mind to her, and Hannah found herself doing the same.

  Tabitha had asked her if she was in love with the man, and Hannah had refused the notion without knowing what that word meant. Although she could not say with certainty that she did love him, she knew she had a deep affection for him. Tonight, if they had a moment alone, she would share her thoughts with him, and if luck was on her side, he would reveal the same.

  A curiosity ran through her as Miss Treesing moved through the throngs of guests and headed out the same door Joseph had existed only fifteen or so minutes before. It took all the willpower Hannah possessed not to follow; however, she did not wish to embarrass herself or Joseph, so she remained where she was. She had to trust and pray that he would not fall for the woman’s beauty, for Hannah had known enough woman such as Miss Treesing to know when she had more in mind than a renewal of an old friendship.

  Taking a sip of her wine, she pushed the woman from her thoughts and returned them to Joseph. She allowed her mind to wander, picturing what it would be like when she shared her feelings with him. He would pick her up and give her a kiss that was this time expected. Her cheeks burned at the thought of his lips upon hers. For some time she imagined what it would be like if their courtship continued past the three months they had set aside for their wager, and she found herself smiling into her wine glass.

  Her thoughts were interrupted when Lord Whitely came to stand in front of her. “Lord Whitely,” she said. “How good to see you.” How she hated the lie, but he was a close friend of Joseph’s.

  “Miss Newmont,” he replied as he kissed her knuckles. “Are you enjoying your evening thus far?”

  “Yes.” She lifted her glass. “The wine is some of the finest I have ever had.”

  “It’s decent,” he said with a laugh. “Though I have finer tastes for such things in comparison to others.” He did little to keep rudeness from his words and tone, which was much stronger than anything she had seen from Joseph.

  She gave him a polite, if disinterested, look and asked, “Have you seen Joseph.” He frowned and she drew in a quiet breath. “That is, have you seen His Grace?”

  Lord Whitely took a healthy swallow of his drink and gave a nod. “He was in the garden the last I saw him. I’m afraid he left a bit…upset.”

  Hannah’s heart skipped a beat. “Have I somehow offended him?” What a silly thing to ask! She had barely spoken two words to the man all night, and no one had come inquiring about their supposed courtship, so she was not sure why the idea he was upset with her had come to mind.

  Lord Whitely glanced around and then leaned in. “I should not say,” he whispered, “for gossip is looked down upon.”

  This only made her heart fall. Perhaps the Duke was angry with her for some offense of which she was not aware. “Please, I beg of you.”

  He sighed. “Very well, if you must know. He worries that you might embarrass him. He told me you do not care for the admiration of the ton, and this bothers him. As a duke, he needs their approval as well as their praise, and to have the woman he is supposed to be courting disregard something that is of such importance disturbs him.”

  Hannah nodded as she thought on his words. “We have talked about this,” she said to no one in particular. Why should she have thought he would be any different? Just because he had expressed the opposite did not mean he had been truthful with her. Lord Whitely was Joseph’s closest friend; if anyone knew the Duke, this man did. “I did not realize it bothered him to such a degree.”

  Lord Whitely snorted. “Oh, it bothers him greatly.” Then he sighed. “Thankfully, my cousin Margaret has gone to comfort him.” He went to take a drink from his glass but then stopped. “Oh, do forgive me. I did not mean it like that. You must understand; they have been close for many years.”

  “Years?” Hannah asked, her heart now falling to the pit of her stomach. “How close would you say?”

  The dark eyebrows raised significantly. “He did not tell you?”

  “No. I thought they were only friends.”

  “I have said too much,” he said with a wave of his hand. “Do not worry, though.” He shook his head. “I must go; there is someone waiting to speak with me.” He gave her a nod and then was gone.

  Hannah looked around the room suddenly feeling lost. Could it be that Joseph and Margaret had been closer than friends and now there was a chance they would reunite? Although she did not want to believe it, she walked over to the door that led to the gardens.

  It took her some time before she finally found Joseph, but what she saw made her heart finish its journey to her feet. For standing before him was Miss Treesing. The woman smiled and the two embraced in what appeared a very affecti
onate manner, much more affectionate than one two friends would share. Miss Treesing whispered something in his ear that Hannah could not make out, but the rapture that appeared on her face was unmistakable, for Hannah had seen herself speak to the man in such a manner in her dreams.

  Anger and hurt coursed through her further when the woman kissed his cheek, and the finality of Hannah’s downfall came crashing to the ground. All that she had conjured in her mind was folly. She had built up some sort of romantic notion that did not exist.

  As the woman moved toward her, Hannah sneaked into a corner to where she hoped the woman would not see her. As luck would have it, Miss Treesing did not even glance her way.

  For a few moments, she stood there, staring at Joseph’s broad back not knowing what to do or say. Without a word to let him know she had been there—she certainly did not want to embarrass herself more than she already had—she turned and walked back to the house.

  ***

  The crowd of people seemed less jovial to Hannah once she returned to the house. Now, the ballroom was crowded and loud, but the garden certainly was off-limits as far as Hannah was concerned. She would keep away from there for as long as she could, forever if that were possible, or for as long as Joseph remained there.

  Her mother still conversed with Mrs. Collins and made no note of Hannah’s return. More than likely she had taken no notice of her leaving, either, and Hannah made no offer to tell her mother that she had. Instead, she craned her neck to find a place where she could be alone.

  “Miss Newmont,” a voice said from behind her.

  Hannah turned to find Miss Treesing standing there, a smile playing at the corners of her lips. Had the woman seen her after all?

  “I was thinking that we really should meet for tea sometime,” Miss Treesing said with a smile. Hannah could do nothing more than stare at the woman. How dare she? Anger would not allow Hannah to speak, and Miss Treesing tilted her head and then shrugged. “Or perhaps not,” she said and then walked away.

  Hannah could not believe the audacity of the woman! She had to have known how Hannah felt about Joseph. However, thinking of the intimacy they showed for one another in the garden left her on the verge of weeping.