My Once and Future Duke (The Wagers of Sin #1)(89)

“Here I am.” His brother stepped in front of him, arms open wide.

“I’m not looking for you.”

“No?” Philip affected surprise. “Was that not your sole purpose in joining the Vega Club?”

Jack was beginning to envy Sophie her lack of family. “Philip, I am not in the mood for this.”

“Oh.” His brother perked up. “Fancy a hand of cards, then? Fraser and Whitley would surely make up a table with us.”

“No doubt,” he said dryly. Fergus Fraser never had two shillings to rub together, and Angus Whitley was Philip’s most useless friend. “Perhaps another time. I’m looking for someone.”

“Who?” Philip fell in step beside him when he started to walk away. “I can help you locate him.”

Jack gave him a narrow--eyed look. “Why are you so accommodating this evening?”

“A renewed spirit of brotherly love.”

“No, really, why?” Jack moved past the hazard table. No gleam of mahogany hair caught his eye.

“Perhaps I’m keeping an eye on you tonight.”

“What?” He could barely attend to what Philip said. Was she really not here? Surely she would have mentioned it last night, if she planned to stay home.

“To keep you from any awkward situations with people who don’t desire your company.”

He looked at his brother, perplexed, and finally took in Philip’s expression. “What are you talking about?”

Philip’s gaze darted left, then right, and he lowered his voice. “Sophie knows about Lucinda.”

“What?” A nearby table looked around at his sharp exclamation. Jack also lowered his voice. “There’s nothing to know!”

Philip threw up his hands in protest. “She asked me. Whoever told her you were going to marry Lucinda, it was not I.”

“And did you deny it?” he whispered harshly. “I am not engaged to Lucinda, I never was, and if you told her I am—-God help me, Philip—-”

His brother put down his hands. “Deny it? When my own mother said it was true? Ware, everyone believes you’ve been promised to Lucinda for years—-”

With a curse, Jack turned and stalked off. Philip dogged his heels, seeming to understand that their conversation was too public. As soon as they reached a quieter spot, Jack whirled on his brother. “I told you that was idle rumor, no matter what Mother wished,” he said between his teeth. “The mythical engagement was cooked up by her and Lady Stowe. No one even asked Lucinda her opinion, which turns out to be that she’d much rather traipse off to ancient Egypt than marry a dull old man such as I.”

Philip grinned in delight. “She said that? I always liked Lucinda.”

“And I’ll happily send you to Egypt, never to return, if you told Sophie I was marrying another woman.” Jack glared at him. “I’m in love with her, damn you. She said she loves me, too. If you have ruined this for me, Philip, if you have broken her heart by telling her rubbish . . . as God is my witness, you shall never draw another farthing from Ware, nor be welcome on any property I own.”

“Love?” His brother goggled at him. “You—-in love?”

He stared at his brother, who had once looked up to him and trusted him, even when they were lads and Jack told him tall tales and scary stories. It was like a different person in front of him, someone who believed him capable of seducing one woman with false promises while betrothed to another woman. Someone who believed him incapable of any deeper feeling than distaste for large gaming debts. His own brother.

He swore under his breath. This was a waste of time, scolding Philip when he should be looking for Sophie and assuring her it was all false, that the only truth between them was what he had told her last night: that he loved her and wanted to marry her. Sophie was all that mattered to him, not his mother’s disapproval and not his brother’s dislike. “Never mind.” He brushed past his brother, but Philip caught his arm.

“Ware. Jack.”

He paused, glaring icily at the hand on his sleeve. Philip released him and edged back a step. “I didn’t know.”

“How could you, when you were sulking that I’d spoiled your bid to make her your mistress?”

His brother flushed at his scathing derision. “For what it’s worth, I actually do care for her. When you carted her off, I’d no idea what you meant to do, and I worried for her.”

Jack gave him a look of pure disdain. “You have an odd way of demonstrating your affection and concern.”

“I might say the same,” retorted Philip. Jack jerked, and his brother took another step backward. “Do you really love her?”

“Desperately.” He hesitated. “I asked her to marry me.”

Philip exhaled. “I suppose she said yes.” Jack nodded once, unable to speak. His brother seemed to wilt for a moment, then he took a deep breath and straightened his shoulders. “Since we’re both miserable at this, I guess we had better work together. One of us might as well be happy. Come, I’ll help you find her.”





Chapter 27




Sophie did not want to be alone.

After Philip confirmed what Georgiana had seen, her first thought was to go home, climb into bed and pull the covers over her head, and stay there for the rest of the year. How could she have been so wrong about Jack—-so foolishly, spectacularly wrong? How could he have lied and deceived her so brilliantly? Everything he did had been perfectly designed to work upon her weaknesses, dismantling her rules one by one until he smashed her world to bits. How long would he have continued telling her he loved her? she wondered numbly. How long would he have continued charming his way into her bed? She pressed one hand to her stomach and thought the real question was, how long would she have continued to believe him?