Free A Scandalous Deception by Ava Stone Page B

made that more than clear over the
years. “As though that was ever an actual possibility.”
    To his credit, Alex’s lips upturned to a
roguish smile. “Anything is possible, my friend.”
    “Just not probable, especially where a
certain proper lady is concerned.”
    “Well, Felicity Pierce is a proper
lady. And I know your aversion to the type. So what are you doing
with the chit?” Alex pressed.
    Marc shrugged. “Annoying Carraway.”
    At that, Alex shook his head. Then he rubbed
his brow as though to stave off a headache. “And why are you poking
Carraway, of all people?”
    “Because the man is a sanctimonious prig. Is
that reason enough?”
    Alex shook his head once more. “No.”
    Of course Alex would want more than that.
He’d become quite domesticated since his marriage. So Marc heaved a
sigh and began to tell his friend the truth. “The jackass tracked
me down…here.” He gestured to the room at large, a place that
should have been his sanctuary. “Of all the bloody places. A man
ought to be able to enter his club to play cards without being set
upon by bloody politicians.”
    “Better here than Madam Palmer’s.”
    “If he’d tracked me down there , I’d
have killed him where he stood.” Marc scowled at his friend. “And
then he had the gall to throw Callista at me.”
    “Callista?” Alex’s eyes widened. “What did he
say about your daughter?”
    “Tried to use her existence to manipulate me.
If some fool had done the same to you in regards to Poppy, you’d
have made him pay a penance.” Daughters were strictly off limits.
Any dolt should know that, certainly one as politically savvy as
Carraway.
    “So that’s what Rotherby’s was about? Putting
Carraway in his place?”
    “I’m certainly not courting Lady Felicity, if
that’s what you’re asking.”
    “Olivia will be relieved to hear it.”
    “Well, I’m so happy to set your wife’s fears
at rest.”
    Alex chuckled, looking almost like the rogue
Marc had once wiled away many a night with. “I don’t know that
you’ll ever do that, completely.”
    No, probably not. The prickly duchess was the cousin of a certain viscountess, after all. “How is
Caroline?” he dared ask, but only because it was Alex and no one
else was within earshot.
    “Still happily married,” his friend
returned.
    Though how she could be made no sense at all.
“Staveley,” Marc grumbled the man’s name. “That humorless bore,
he—”
    “Is an old friend of mine,” Alex finished.
“I’ve known him longer than I’ve known you. So don’t make me choose
between my loyalties.”
    How Alex could stand to be bored by the man
was a complete mystery. And then there was Caroline. It wasn’t even
possible Staveley took care of her as he ought. The man couldn’t
have a clue what to do with a lady like her. So vibrant, so
delectable, so…
    “Ah, Kelfield!” Simon Masters, the Earl of
Thurlstone, interrupted Marc’s thoughts as he ambled over to the
pair. “Surprised to find you in Town this season.”
    Truly, it had been a while since Alex had
braved London after the scandal his hasty marriage had caused.
Though it wasn’t terribly sporting of Thurlstone to say as
much.
    “Surprised they admitted you membership here.” Marc lifted his whisky glass toward the
disreputable earl in a mock toast.
    Thurlstone lifted his own glass toward Marc.
“Why not? They let you walk through the doors.”
    The earl did have him there. “Touché.”
    “Over here, Heaton!” Thurlstone called across
the room, gesturing to some fellow Marc hadn’t ever seen before.
“American,” the earl confided before his friend joined them. “Can’t
win at Hazard to save his life.” Then he lifted his glass toward
the American in greeting. “Do join us. John Heaton of Boston, this
is Kelfield and Haversham.” Then he chuckled to himself. “Actually,
you’re in very bad company, Heaton. Between the three of us, any
scandal in London the last decade has had one or