Getting up, he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her toward him, the youthful glimmer in his eyes doing its best to melt her heart. “I’m sorry I lied to you,” he said. “It was foolish of me and I . . . I regret it, Becky. I want the same as you do—for us to trust each other and for us to share the sort of camaraderie we enjoyed on our way to Scotland. I betrayed that trust because I wanted to prove myself worthy, but as a result I fear I may have done the opposite. Please forgive me.”
How could she not? Hell, she already had when he’d explained himself to her the first time. “Let’s start a fresh page and forget this ever happened, shall we?”
He gazed at her intently for a moment, then lowered his lips to hers and kissed her so thoroughly that she thought he might lower her onto the floor and have his way with her right there in the middle of the parlor in broad daylight. He didn’t though, and she wasn’t quite sure if she felt disappointed or relieved. “Thank you,” he murmured, still holding her against him in a tight embrace. “I believe I must be the luckiest man alive to have been blessed with you as my wife. I’ll never let you down again. You have my word.”
And as she stood there, her head resting against his chest and with his strong arms around her waist, Rebecca sincerely hoped that what he said was true.
Chapter 18
Daniel’s visit with Chilton went better than he had expected. He and his brother-in-law had always had a bit of a tense relationship, but once they’d begun discussing investments, the earl had become exceedingly enthusiastic. “We’ll have you making a profit in no time,” he’d told Daniel as he’d slid a piece of paper across the table to him. On it was a list of companies that Chilton was already investing in, along with a few that he was keeping in mind for the future. “The South Sea Company and the East India Company are good options of course,” Chilton had said, “but their stock doesn’t come cheap. If I were to advise you, I’d buy into newer companies that show promise. There is one particular one that I have in mind—a paint finishing company by the name of Haden Drysys. They’re based in Birmingham and just started trading last year, but with the momentum they’ve gathered so far, I expect them to become a huge success.”
An hour later, Daniel had bid Chilton a good day, thanking him for his help. He’d then returned home, happy to have found a sense of direction, though he did not fool himself into thinking that he would turn a profit from one day to the next. It would take time, and if he was to manage with what he had until then, he would have to be more careful with his spending. An ice at Gunther’s was hardly going to put a dent in his pocket, however, and besides, it would be worth every penny just to watch Rebecca enjoy such a treat for the very first time.
“Are you ready to go?” he asked as he stepped into the parlor, where she was sitting, reading a book.
She looked up and smiled. “I didn’t even hear you come in. How did your meeting go?” Setting the book aside, she looked at him expectantly.
“Rather well, I think,” he said. “Chilton was very eager to help. I believe the information he gave me will be invaluable.”
“That’s wonderful news, Daniel. I’m so proud of you.” Rising, she came toward him and kissed him fully on the lips before stepping away and heading for the door. “I’ll just fetch my spencer and bonnet, and then we can be on our way.”
The weather was pleasant, so they decided to take the phaeton, arriving at Gunther’s within five minutes. The tea shop looked packed, the line of people waiting to be served ending outside on the pavement. Thankfully, another carriage pulled away just as they arrived, offering Daniel a place to park. “It appears we’re not the only ones who decided to come here this afternoon,” he said. “Why don’t you wait here, and I’ll fetch the ices. The Royal Cream is particularly delicious.”
Rebecca agreed that eating in the phaeton would be much more comfortable than trying to find a table inside, but she felt a qualm at being left alone for an extended amount of time while people paraded past her, their curiosity and scrutiny visible upon their faces whenever they happened to look her way. She knew she was being silly and that she shouldn’t care about their opinion, but she couldn’t seem to help it. If only Daniel would soon return to keep her company, she’d feel more comfortable with him at her side. In the meantime, she decided to give her attention to the carriages that were passing by.
“Rebecca? Is that you?”
Turning her head, Rebecca spotted a petite young woman with golden hair, roughly her own age, who was looking up at her from beneath a very pretty straw bonnet that had been dressed in yellow ribbons. There was something about the woman’s face that jolted a distant memory, and the manner in which she’d addressed Rebecca suggested close familiarity. “Forgive me,” Rebecca said, “but I’m afraid I don’t recall making your acquaintance.”
The woman laughed. “It’s me, Judy . . . Viscount Tromwell’s daughter. We used to play together whenever you came to London as a child. Our houses were right next to each other.”
“Goodness me,” Rebecca exclaimed as her stomach twisted itself into a tight knot. “I didn’t recognize you at all.”
“Well, it has been a few years . . . twelve or thirteen, perhaps? We’ve both changed a great deal in that time. Had it not been for your black hair, I wouldn’t have known you either.”
Heart pounding in her chest, Rebecca tried to force away the memory of her last visit to Judy’s house, but it was to no avail. The nickname that Judy and her friends had given her, and how ugly it had made her feel as they’d followed her about, chanting, “Gypsy” amidst mocking bursts of laughter, could not be easily forgotten. She’d cried herself to sleep that night and had never spoken to Judy since.
“No, I don’t suppose you would have,” Rebecca muttered.
“You know, I must confess that I’m relieved to have run into you,” Judy said, her expression filled with nothing but kindness. Was she completely oblivious to the hurt she’d once caused? “The way I treated you all those years ago was unforgivable, but I was a stupid child—weak and unable to stand up against the other girls. I’m so sorry for the things we said.”
Rebecca stared back at her for a long moment before eventually managing to say, “Thank you.”
Regret fell across Judy’s face. “It isn’t always easy to understand why children do the things they do, but in your case, I do believe the other girls were jealous—you were without a doubt the prettiest one of all of us.” She smiled and said, “You still are.” She hesitated before adding, “Perhaps in time, you can forgive me? I should like for us to be friends again.”
“Have you not heard?” Rebecca asked. “I’m a pariah, Judy. Even speaking to me like this in public could damage your reputation.”
Judy raised her chin in defiance. “I abandoned you once, and I’ve felt rotten about it ever since. I’d like to help you this time if you will allow me.”
The urge to turn her back on Judy and pretend they’d never had this conversation was there, but what would really be accomplished by harboring resentment when the woman who’d once wronged her was trying to make peace? It was unlikely they would ever be close friends again, but since Rebecca and Daniel were running low on mere acquaintances, she decided to accept Judy’s offer. It would be good to know they had someone on their side. “You are welcome to try,” she said.
“Wonderful! My husband and I are planning an evening out at the opera tomorrow night. You should join us,” Judy said just as Daniel returned, carrying two large ices. Introductions were quickly made, then Judy said her good-byes, leaving Rebecca and Daniel to enjoy their treats in the phaeton.
“Do you know who she’s married to, by the way?” Daniel asked as Rebecca savored the smooth flavor of her ice. “She’s the Duke of Landborough’s wife.”
Rebecca stilled, her mouth falling open as she stared back at Daniel. “Are you sure?”
Grinning, he gave her a nod. “It appears you have a very important friend, Becky. With her help, we might actually stand a chance of being accepted back into Society.”
“And if we’re not?”
“Well, in that case, we’ll have to make do with each other,” he said as he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her a little bit closer. “And frankly, that doesn’t sound half bad to me.”
She laughed at his playfulness. “No, I don’t suppose it does, and considering that you’re willing to let me accompany you tonight on your evening adventure, I daresay I’ve no need for anyone else.”
“I wouldn’t say I’m willing,” he said, aiming for a bit of mischief. “Coerced by a charming wife is more like it. In fact, I think I must be completely cracked in the head to allow you to join me at a gambling hell.”
“You’re not having second thoughts, I hope?”
“Of course I am. You’re my wife, after all, and the very thought of you entering such a disreputable place unsettles me. However, since I did agree to your request in a moment of weakness, I will not protest in the slightest; I am, after all, a man of my word.” He kissed her cheek and added, “Besides, no matter how inappropriate it may be for me to take you along, I can think of no one else’s company I’d rather keep, even in a gambling hell.”
Chapter 19
An overwhelming smell of tobacco crammed the air, casting a foggy haze throughout the room as Rebecca followed Daniel into Riley’s gambling hell later that evening, the hood of her cloak concealing her identity from anyone who happened to be passing by. She might not have been an innocent anymore, but there would still be those who would disapprove of a lady visiting such a place. Nevertheless, Daniel had assured her that once inside, none of the patrons would make a fuss, since their own reputations were more than a little bit questionable. She clasped his hand tightly as he led her past a seating arrangement where three women wearing the most outrageous gowns Rebecca had ever seen had perched themselves as if on deliberate display. Rebecca couldn’t help but stare. She’d never imagined that a woman could dress more provocatively than the way Lady Trapleigh tended to do, but she’d been wrong. Why, one could actually see their n**ples peeking out from beneath their scandalously low-cut bodices, and as if that weren’t enough, their ankles showed!
Looking away when one of them met her gaze and trumpeted her lips, Rebecca noticed the tables arranged all around, some with four players, and some with six. On closer inspection, not all were for cards. Hazard was being played as well.
“Stay close to me,” Daniel said as he steered her toward a table where two other men were already seated. “This place . . . the clientele that frequents it is generally wealthy. Many are even peers, but Riley’s affords a man who might be the very definition of a gentleman when he’s out in Society an opportunity to be less so here.”