Bargaining With a Rake (A Whisper of Scandal Novel) by Julie Johnstone Page B

see he’s misjudged you.”
    “You don’t think he’ll say anything
to Mr. Sutherland, do you? Warn him against me, I mean.”
    “Darling, I hate to tell you this,
but I’ve no doubt he’ll warn Mr. Sutherland against you. Lionhurst detests
treachery, and it appears he has decided you’re treacherous.”
    “Then why are you smiling? We have to
stop him.” She grabbed Sally’s hand and flew down the stairs, not pausing until
she reached the bottom. “Do you see him?”
    “All I see are stars. That descent
left my head spinning.”
    Gillian wanted to shake Sally for her
flippant attitude. Everything rode on getting to Lord Lionhurst before he got
to Mr. Sutherland. She had to find a way to make him understand without telling
him too much.
    “There he is.” Sally pointed.
    Gillian craned her neck around a
group of men to see the best path to him. But before she could judge the
quickest way, her father materialized from the crowd.
    “Finally,” he barked. “Come along, my
dear.” He took her arm, but she dug in her heels.
    “Are we leaving already?” Things
could not get any worse.
    “Certainly not,” he replied. “Mr.
Mallorian is waiting for you.”
    “ For me ?” Gillian gulped back her fear. “I
feel ill, Father. I really can’t dance right now.”
    “Good.” Her father pushed her through
the crowd. “He doesn’t want to dance.”
    “What does he want?”
    “Why, to announce your engagement, of
course. It’s all settled. The wedding is set for two months’ time.”

 
     

    Alex made his way around the outer
edges of the crowded ballroom, intent on reaching the card room before another
woman waylaid him. He should have known better than to come into the den of
schemers, otherwise known as the marriage mart. Women loved to play games, and
he had decided long ago that he was no woman’s prize, so why the blazes was he
irritated with Lady Gillian? She’d admitted nothing shocking in her plan to
capture Sutherland. Indeed, she had proven herself to be like all other women.
He had expected it, hadn’t he?
    He yanked on the edge of his dangling
cravat and wrapped the material around his fingers as he walked. It wasn’t her
bothering him. Surely not . He flexed and released his fingers against
the soft material. But what if it was? What did that mean ? He paused,
unwound the cravat and stuffed it into his coat pocket. It would mean he was a
fool who still held a farthing of hope that women were not inherently
conniving. And he was no fool.
    No, it was not Lady Gillian—it was
dressing like a dandy and coming to a place where women plotted to catch him or
some other unsuspecting sop for his title, money or land. He refused to spare
another thought for the lady. The company was expanding faster than he’d ever
dreamed when he concocted the scheme of going into a merchant trade to irritate
his father.
    He pushed through the door to the
gaming room. Stopping inside the threshold, he allowed his eyes to adjust to
the dim lighting. A pungent haze hung over the heads of the players. He located
Sutherland at a small table by the window on the far side of the room. By the
way Sutherland’s opponent yanked his hands through his hair, Alex had no doubt
his partner was winning. No surprise given his ability at Vingt-et-un was legendary at the shipping yard. Alex strode across the room, nodding to
acquaintances but purposely not stopping.
    His head buzzed with the roar of
conversations in the room. He needed to talk to Sally about her card room
set-up. It was too loud by half to think properly in here. Bloody balls .
He longed to leave and go to a nice dark corner at White’s.
    Just as Alex reached Sutherland’s
table a chair scraped across the marble floor almost tripping him in his path.
    “Watch it,” Alex clipped, letting his
dark mood slip through.
    “Beg pardon,” the man said and
turned. Marcus Rutherford’s ruddy face broke into a wide smile. “If I’d known
it was you I’d not have