Fine, perhaps the Marquess of Murdock was thethirdmost eligible if one was being precise. In truth, the good-for-nothing Duke of Worthington was themosteligible, but he was a rogue and a scoundrel and a—not helping!
Thesecondmost eligible gentleman was the Marquess of Bellingham, but he didn’t count either. For one reason, he was a confirmed bachelor who’d never expressed the slightest interest in marriage. For another, it was rumored he worked for the Home Office and was deeply engaged in his work. But even if those other two things weren’t true, the Marquess of Bellingham was the closest friend of Detestable andthatalone made him completely unacceptable to her. Julianna wanted nothing to do withthat odious man.
She’d spent her first Season pining after him and her second Season being wooed by him. Everyone who was anyone within thetonhad been convinced an engagement between them was imminent. It had even been hinted about in the paper. TheTimesfor heaven’s sake. So when the duke left for the countryside quite suddenly, directly before the end of her second Season, a bit over a year ago, it had been a shock to everyone, including Julianna, when not only had Worthingtonnotoffered for her, but he’d cut off their acquaintance entirely.
The last time she’d heard from him, in fact, had been in the form of a poorly written letter many months after his departure, that had offered few details as to his change of heart and absolutely no mention of when she might see him again.
She’d spent a good portion of the first half of her third Season searching every crowd and guest list for him. It wasn’t until the Season was half over that Mama, bless her, had sat her down and given herthe talk. The one Julianna had needed all along. The one in which Mama reminded Julianna that she had two choices in life. She could sit around waiting for Worthington to reappear, or she could act like a true Montgomery and get about the business of securing thenextmost eligible match.
“He’s not worth your thoughts,” Mama had said during the talk, giving Julianna her new chant, one she repeated to herself over and over in the weeks to come. “Let alone you wasting your best months for him.”
Julianna may have gone to her bed that night the tossed-over, would-be intended of the Duke of Worthington, but she’d awakened the next morning the determined, future-intended of the Marquess of Murdock. Murdock was handsome, rich, and charming. Who cared if he wasn’tquiteas handsome, rich, and charming as Detestable?
Julianna had gone on to meet her goal splendidly. By the time her third Season was not three-quarters through, she’d secured her match with Murdock and only suffered a bit of chagrin when the papers implied she’d landed thenext bestbachelor, having let Worthington somehow slip through her fingers.
It irked her of course, but Murdock had never mentioned it, so what did it matter? It had all been quite tidy, really. Much less trouble than she’d expected. The best part was, now that she was officially betrothed, with her wedding planned for next spring, she could relax at this house party and ride horses as much as she liked, in addition to helping Mary secure a match, of course.
After a promising first Season, her younger sister still had yet to receive an offer, a mistake that would be quickly rectified if Julianna had any say in it. However, first things first.
Julianna glanced at her sister lying on the bed across the room. Her sister’s blond hair was fanned across the pillow. Her hazel eyes closed. Yes, Mary was dutifully asleep, and Mama was probably reading. It was the perfect opportunity to find those Arabians.
Besides, there would be time to look for an eligible gentleman for Mary later, at dinner this evening, perhaps. Despite being close friends with Lord Clayton, the Duke of Worthington never attended Clayton’s late summer house party. Julianna had looked into the matter before agreeing to come, of course. Apparently, Detestable didn’t care for parties filled with debutantes and their mamas. All the better for her.
Julianna glanced around the darkened bedchamber. Mary’s chest rose and fell with each breath she took while sleeping. A smile curled Julianna’s lips. “I think I’ll just go down to the stables,” she whispered to herself. “And see about getting a mount.”
CHAPTER THREE
Agrin covered Rhys’s face as he stood in the stables rubbing down Alabaster from his earlier ride. First, he would buy a newphaeton. Then, perhaps a set of matching grays to pull it. A new wardrobe would be welcome. And he’d been meaning to do a few things to his property in Kent.
Yes. The money Rhys won from the bet would be welcome, indeed. But even better than spending the money would bewinningthe money. That part was always his favorite. He’d be gracious, of course, informing his friends that they’d put up a good show. Then he would take every single farthing from them. Finally, he’d jaunt down to Hollister’s for a bit of sport with his winnings. Mustn’t disappoint the gossip rags.
Alabaster stamped his hooves and neighed. Rhys petted the horse’s head and spoke softly in his ear. When Clayton had informed Rhys that groomsmen didn’t actuallyridethe horses unless they needed to, Rhys had reluctantly agreed. Or appeared to at least. But there was little chance that Rhys would be in the presence of one of Clayton’s fine Arabians and not take a ride. Besides, what Clayton didn’t know was unlikely to hurt him, wasn’t it? Rhys already had an understanding with Mr. Hereford to that effect. Mr. Hereford was an excellent stablemaster, indeed.
It also didn’t hurt that all the other groomsmen, stable boys, and coachmen already knew Rhys was the Duke of Worthington. He’d told them, of course. The bet hadn’t called for him not to. The only people who mustn’t realize he wasn’t a groomsman were the guests at the party, the young ladies, specifically, and that would prove simple enough to avoid. He’d been here all day and had yet to see even one young lady in the stables, and the young ladies had been arriving all morning.
It was quite safe actually. The house was full of a lot of simpering debutantes. There was little chance a pampered, chaperoned young woman would come traipsing out to the stables by herself. He grimaced. He’d only ever known one young lady who would do such a thing, and it was highly unlikely thatthatparticular young lady was here. She was engaged to be married, after all. No longer looking for a husband. In fact, she was to be the future Marchioness of Murdock.
Rhys clenched his jaw. He always clenched his jaw when he thought of her. He had to admit, she’d done well for herself. If she couldn’t be a duchess, she’d made the next best match, just like theTimeshad reported. A scowl curled Rhys’s lip. It made his stomach tighten to think how close he’d come to offering for the beautiful but scheming Lady Julianna Montgomery.
But as disgusted as he was with Lady Julianna, Rhys was even more disgusted withhimself.He’dbeen the fool who’d fancied himself falling in love with the chit.
Love? Ha. He’d known his entire life that emotion didn’t exist. Hadn’t his father told him enough? And yet courting Julianna all those months ago had made him feel things he’d never felt.
It was a good thing he’d been called away when he had. He’d bloody well been on the verge of offering for her. In fact, it hadn’t been until after the accident, after it had all been too late, that his valet had read that fateful copy of theTimesto him. John had got in the habit of reading him the paper every day. He’d recited the story about the gorgeous Lady Julianna Montgomery and how she’d been forced to set her sights on Murdock, having let the last eligible duke slip through her fingers.
Rhys had nearly vomited that day. He’d given John some excuse for needing to be alone, and he’d nearly wretched into his wash bowl. It had taken him several minutes to pull himself together and steel his resolve. Lady Julianna had been an excellent actress, nothing more, and his own damned desire to be noble and do the right thing for once—a desire she’d inspired in him, ironically—had kept him from offering for her before he left that spring.
And after—after—offering for her had been out of the question. Or at least it had been until…recently. But she’d done him a courtesy. She’d gone and betrothed herself to someone else. Well, Murdock could have the actress. Rhys would do quite fine remaining a bachelor.
“Yes, milady,” Mr. Hereford’s voice rang out from the entrance to the stables. “One of the Arabians be right over there. I’m certain our newest groomsman, Mr. Worthy, will be ‘appy ta show ‘im ta ye.”
Rhys smiled as he brushed the horse’s side one last time. Mr. Hereford had obviously raised his voice so Rhys would hear that one of the young ladies from the house party had arrived. Time for his first performance. He just hoped whoever her chaperone was didn’t recognize him. At any rate, he could pretend as well as Kendall and Bell. Herefusedto lose the bet.
Rhys cleared his throat, straightened his shoulders, and put on his most charming and devilish smile. The one that was certain to make this young lady swoon. He rounded the back of the horse to come out of the stall and greet her.
The moment he saw her, he felt both the charm and the devilishness slide right off his face. She sauntered toward him in an emerald-green riding habit and dark-brown leather boots, with a crop in her hand. Of all the ladies in the world, what in the bloody hell was Lady Julianna Montgomery doing here? She was no debutante!
CHAPTER FOUR
