A Little Bit Sinful(15)
Justin exhaled slowly. “And I’m the bastard.”
“Why the interest?”
“There’s a wager at Rodale’s about whom he’ll end up marrying. Evidently the viscount has made him an ultimatum that he must marry before the old man dies. Clarissa is on that list.”
Roe’s brows shot up. “Should have known this was about a skirt. You marry her first. Problem solved.”
“I’m going to pretend you didn’t even suggest that.”
“Suit yourself, but it would get you what you want,” Roe said.
Justin didn’t comment. He might want Clarissa, but he could not have her.
Roe yawned, stretched his legs out in front of him. “Anything else of interest in your life right now?”
Clarissa was masquerading as a financial solicitor, but that was her secret he’d agreed to keep. Though Justin knew Roe would merely find it amusing, not scandalous. “Marcus and his new wife invited me to dinner.”
Roe smiled. “I knew you wouldn’t be able to stay out of Society forever. They lure you in like a worm on a hook.”
“They might invite me to attend parties, but I will never be accepted as anything more than a bastard.”
“Perhaps, but you are a particularly wealthy bastard and the brother of a duke. Certainly my name counts for something in your favor.”
“That is doubtful,” Justin said. “You are far too disagreeable, not to mention vexing and spoiled.”
Roe shrugged. “I do my best. I suppose Clarissa will be at this dinner?”
“I suppose she will be there as well. The invitation did not come with a complete guest list.”
“See you could begin your courtship there, make your intensions known to her brother.”
“I’m certain Marcus would be thrilled with that prospect.” Though Justin could argue that he himself was certainly a better choice than George Wilbanks. Still he could never court her, not with serious intentions regardless of how tempting that suggestion had been. She was a daughter of the Ton, and he would always be nothing more than the boy hiding at the top of the stairs.
…
Clarissa stood in front of the mirror as her maid put the finishing touches on the back of her dress. Ella burst into the room and the maid jumped, clutching her chest and muttering something in Gaelic. “Una, you may go now. Thank you.” Clarissa dismissed the maid who was smiling shakily now.
“I didn’t mean to frighten her,” Ella said. She crossed the room and sat in one of the chairs situated in front of the window.
“She’s a jumpy one, that one.” Clarissa eyed her friend. “You have gossip. I can always tell when you have something you want to say because you purse your lips and smile at the same time. I’ve actually tried to do it in the mirror before. It’s not an easy expression to make.”
Ella gave her a full smile. “I do no such thing.
Clarissa joined Ella and sat in the opposite chair. “Spill it, Ella.”
“Oh very well. So I overheard Victor and two other friends chatting in my dad’s study. Appears there is a wager going around regarding George.”
“About his father forcing him to marry. I only just heard that rumor last night,” Clarissa said.
“Then you know about the wager?”
Clarissa’s heart stuttered. “No, I don’t believe I heard anything about that.”
“Well, the good news, I don’t think you have anything to be overly concerned about because Franny Cooper is, at the moment, at the top of the betting pool.”
Clarissa shook her head. “Wait, you have to start over, I have no notion of what you’re talking about.”
“There’s evidently a wager at Rodale’s about which woman George will marry,” Ella said.
Clarissa’s heart pounded, then she remembered what Ella had said just before. “But they think his bride will be Franny Cooper?”
“Precisely.”
“And why is that the good news? Ella, you know that I want to marry George.”
Ella nodded slowly. “Well, I know that you have wanted that, yes, but I thought once you knew how callous he was being, allowing you to be the object of a wager, I thought you’d change your mind.”
“Why ever would I do a silly thing like that?”
“Because he’s obviously entertaining the idea of marrying a variety of women. Don’t you find that the least bit offensive?”