Sophia and the duke must have discussed the status of the stupid wager.
“I know. I will be fine. I miss going to parties with you.”
“You know I’d go with you, but I’ve already been far too active for a lady in mourning. It offends Harold’s mother.”
Of course, it would.
“I have Mother, of course.”
Sophia wrinkled her nose. “Your mother is nearly as bad a chaperone as Mrs. Goodnight was. Dev says you and Lord Carlisle have yet to make any announcements. Surely, that will provide you with some protection.”
Rhoda moaned and then explained their unfortunate predicament; the financial despair the Carlisle estate was in, how her father had withdrawn her dowry, her mother’s insistence they not go ahead with it.
Sophia furrowed her brows. “You are still engaged, are you not?”
“Not officially, and not according to my mother, in case the subject arises.”
“Dev could help him.”
But Rhoda already knew this. She had suspected it anyhow. “I think this is one of those things, Sophia, you know. I think Carlisle believes he needs to solve this himself. He already believes Dev’s family has given him too much.”
Sophia tapped her chin. “He believes he must earn it himself, then?”
Rhoda recognized this devilish gleam from when they’d been planning the parlor games.
“The wager.” Rhoda stated the obvious. “I’ve thought of it. Mother forbids me but—”
“Why ever would you seek your mother’s permission?”
“Well, I would need assistance, and I didn’t expect you to return so soon.” Rhoda bit her lip. She’d just instructed Justin to trust in God, for heaven’s sake. And here she was contemplating…
“Do you have a sample of his handwriting?” Of course, Sophia’s mind had already caught up with her own.
Rhoda pulled out the copy of the contract Justin had handed over this morning. Had it just been this morning? “His is the second signature.”
Justin White, Fifth Earl of Carlisle and Viscount of Dorwich.
“I didn’t know he’d inherited more than one title.” Sophia pondered this new information.
“I hadn’t either.”
Their gazes caught and held. Would Sophia truly be willing to assist her? “If we were to get caught, even you might suffer from the scandal of it,” Rhoda warned her friend.
“Even more important, if we get caught, might you lose Carlisle’s affections?”
That indeed, was a good question to ask. He’d already once told her he did not appreciate female manipulations. “I’d rather not find out.”
They both fell silent, considering the ramifications of failure.
“We are speaking of the same thing, are we not?” Sophia’s expressive blue eyes were rather serious.
Rhoda drew in a deep breath. “Sneaking into White’s? Placing the wager on Lord Carlisle’s behalf?” She nodded. “I’ve been unable to come up with anything else.”
“Chancy,” Sophia stated.
“I don’t want you to take the risk. I’ll do it on my own.” Good Lord, what a scandal there would be if the Duchess of Prescott were caught sneaking into the exclusive gentlemen’s club! This was most unethical, perhaps criminal.
“I wouldn’t think of allowing you to have such fun without me.” Sophia lifted her chin. “When do you want to do it?”
