Free The Wicked Wager by Anya Wylde Page B

been
to meet the gardener. Lady Babbage gave her a sympathetic look but did not ask
her to confide again. Emma was grateful and sat by the old lady, finding her
silence and the rhythmic click of needles soothing.
    She kept waiting for the duke to call her
into his study and demand an explanation. But the entire evening and dinner
went by, and the duke behaved as though nothing was out of place. He did seem
more thoughtful, and now that Emma knew to look for signs, she noticed the
tired lines around his mouth. She felt slightly guilty for adding to his
troubles.
    Mrs Barker had resumed flirting with the
duke the moment he had stepped into the dining room. Mr Barker seemed to have
gone back to enjoying his meals and was unaware of the mounting tension in the
air.
    The duke looked grimmer and grimmer as the
meal progressed, while Catherine was getting distressed and embarrassed. Lady
Babbage’s attempts to steer the conversation to more neutral avenues was
getting more frequent and desperate.
    Mrs Barker showed her considerable skill by
turning the discussion of cabbage soup into an invitation for the duke to join
her in bed.
    Emma was shocked and joined Catherine in
her mortification. She wondered how long it would be before the duke lost his
patience.
    Yet no one spoke a word of admonishment the
entire night. Everyone felt it was not their place to say something. The only
person who had that right was Mr Barker, who seemed immune to his wife’s
blatant flirtation with another man.
    Emma thought the man was secretly hoping
that the duke would take her off his hands. It must be a nightmare living day
in and day out with such a person.
    Everyone retired to their rooms feeling dissatisfied
and troubled.
    Emma once again got ready to steal into the
duke’s study. She was disappointed that the earl didn’t join her. She repeated
the process of the night before and didn’t find a single letter mentioning the
gardener. Surprised, she turned in for the night. She knew the duke had not
forgotten. She would have to continue her nightly investigations.
    ***
    “I have a wonderful plan.”
    Emma groaned. In spite of the duke’s
suspicions, she had still searched out the earl and once again stood by a
flower bed. Catherine and Prudence were seated on a stone bench not far away.
This gave her considerable more time with the earl.
    “I do not like your plans.”
    “It’s just a tweak in the already existing
plan.”
    “What is it?” she asked worriedly
    “You are going to romance the gardener.”
    “Uh? Have your wits been addled? Have you
inhaled the fumes of some odd fertilizer that is turning your brain into
flea-mint?”
    “Think about it, Em, if the duke sees you
spending a lot of time with an old man like me, then he may want to speed up
this entire marriage issue.”
    “He would never believe that I am having an
affair with a commoner old enough to be my father.”
    “A lot of women like older men, and how is
he to know what your taste runs to? It would make him sit up and take another
look at this entire delaying the wedding situation. I mean, if you are falling
all over yourself for an ancient gap toothed man, then a year is a long time
for you to fall for any sort and slip up.”
    “He would never believe it. It is too
absurd.”
    “He is already suspicious. We have been
acting like we have been caught doing something naughty every time he has met
us, and that has already laid down the groundwork. All you have to do is meet
me more blatantly and talk about me a lot more. Throw in how wonderful I am and
how much I know of leaves and roots during dinner or something.”
    “I cannot do that! No one would believe it,
and I can’t have them thinking I am some sort of blatant hussy!”
    The earl chuckled,
    “Fine, do not mention me, but do not run
away either the next time the duke catches us.” He caught her hand and added
slyly, “It is not as if you are trying to keep away from me in any case.”
    Emma had no