Lord Ashford's Wager Read Online Free PDF

certain sense in what she said. Who better to marry Claudia than the new earl?
    As his hostility to Claudia had decreased over the years, he couldn’t help noticing that she was a very attractive woman. He didn’t love her. He couldn’t imagine his emotions binding him to any woman in that way. But he could imagine bedding her for a while, until he had his heir.
    There was no rush. She wouldn’t return to society for at least a year.
    He had been a little surprised by her two-year stay with her parents, but was in no way disappointed, for it meant her grief was even deeper than he could have guessed, and therefore she wasn’t likely to rush into a second marriage.
    And so, when she purchased the townhouse and came up to London for her first Season as an unattached woman, he only saw it as his opportunity to win her hand. He had to admit she didn’t seem particularly drawn to him. But neither was she drawn to anyone else. Until Tony Varden.
    Varden was the fly in the ointment. He was handsome enough, Mark had to admit, if you liked the combination of merry brown eyes, which could turn serious in an instant, above a sensuous full mouth. And women did seem to like it. And the unusual combination of blond hair with dark eyes.
    Claudia certainly looked happy enough in Varden’s arms, thought Mark, after he left the townhouse. She looked very comfortable as his dance partner and very absorbed in conversation at suppers and musicales. Varden had done nothing to put the relationship on a more physical basis, to Mark’s knowledge. That didn’t mean, of course, that nothing was happening. Claudia was an independent widow, not a hedged-in virgin up for her first Season. For all Mark knew, Varden could be visiting every night. Except that he couldn’t, thought Mark, because he was spending all his time at 75 St. James. That little bit of information was true, and despite Claudia’s disclaimer, he was sure he had affected her opinion of Varden.
    But he needed to keep a close eye on his seemingly virtuous cousin. If he only had someone inside her household who could inform him about her relationship with Varden… He could buy off one of the under-footmen, and then introduce his own replacement to her. He had just the man, he realized. One Jim Rooke, who worked in the warehouse as an assistant clerk. His parents had been in service and saw Jim’s employment as a step up for the family. He was an ambitious young man, from what Mark knew of him, and if he was offered a bonus and a promotion, was sure to jump at the chance to please his employer. As a footman, Jim could keep his eyes and ears open for gossip about Lady Fairhaven and Lord Ashford. A spy in Claudia’s household was just what he needed.
     

Chapter 5
     
    By mid-Season, it was clear to anyone who had eyes that Lord Ashford was devoting almost as much time to his pursuit of Lady Fairhaven as to Rouge et Noir . Although perhaps “pursuit” was not the right word, since the lady was not running anywhere. And if it came to a match, well, it would make perfect sense for all concerned, said the gossips. Lady Fairhaven was rich enough to rescue Lord Ashford and his family and hardly note the expenditure. And he was, after all, a very handsome young man. Younger man. After her first marriage, she was probably looking to please herself.
    Tony was aware of the gossip. He knew what it looked like: Desperate young man charms wealthy widow and marries her to obtain her fortune. And, unfortunately, there was some truth in what it looked like. After their first conversation, Tony had felt a growing bond between them, and with her money in mind, had used his considerable charm to strengthen their friendship. But it was a real friendship. At least on his part. He liked Claudia and he admired her. She could have acted like many a young woman married to an older man and found a young lover. Instead, she had opened her heart to the possibilities in her marriage and made it a happy