“I think you know what I’m going to say,” Lucas said quietly. “You have to end the wager, Clayton. If you have any hope at all of earning Lady Isolde’s favour, then…”
“But I don’t know if I want her favour. Perhaps these feelings will just… just go away.”
Lucas gave a wry smile. “From the way you’ve been talking, I wouldn’t hold out much hope. If these feelings persist, you cannot simply ignore them. They won’t allow you to ignore them.”
“You speak like a man who’s been in love.”
“I speak like a man who keeps his eyes open and knows how the world works. Clayton, you really must…”
But Clayton was destined never to find out what he really must do, because at that moment Lucas stopped dead, and stared over his friend’s shoulder with a resigned, annoyed expression.
“What? Lucas, what is it?”
“I’ve made a mistake,” Lucas said, sighing. “We aren’t as out of the way here as I’d hoped.”
Twisting around, Clayton saw at once what he meant.
Mr. Simon Dudley stood in the doorway, frozen in the process of handing over his gloves and hat to a footman. His eyes narrowed when he spotted Clayton and Lucas.
“Well, that’s not ideal,” Clayton muttered.
And then Simon came striding over towards them, grinning.
“Well, well. What a surprise to see you two fine gentlemen here. And here I thought you only attended White’s!”
Clayton’s fingers tightened on the arm of his chair, making the leather squeak. He cleared his throat, making a determined effort to let go.
“Can’t a man try new things?” he managed at last, pleased with how level his voice sounded.
He could feel Lucas’ gaze though.
Tell him now, he could imagine his friend urging. End the wager here, where there isn’t too much of an audience to worry about.
Simon gave a mocking grin. “Yes, a man can try new things. A literary evening, for example. I heard you got yourself an invitation to Lady Maria Bell’s rather exclusive literary salon. Alongside the Ice Queen herself, of course.”
The hairs on the back of Clayton’s neck prickled and his face fell, but not for the reason Simon no doubt thought.
If Simon heard gossip that I was there that night, could my father not hear gossip that Eliza was there, too? He’d never have countenanced her going to a literary salon, certainly not in my company. If he finds out, I dread to think what will happen to her.
“That is none of your concern,” Lucas chipped in, when it became clear that Clayton wasn’t going to say anything. “This wager is a shameful topic to all honourable men, and you ought to be ashamed of yourself, Simon.”
Simon chuckled. He did not seem ashamed at all, not one bit.
“So, you are making progress, then? A few of the chaps have put in wagers of their own, by the way. Some feel that you’ll succeed in melting the Ice Queen’s frozen heart. And so you might, if the scandal sheets are to be believed.”
“Only a fool would believe such nonsense,” Clayton hissed, on his feet in a moment. The footmen glanced their way, looking wary.
Simon did not flinch. “So you are not succeeding. What a shame. Do you plan to cry off, then, like a coward and a fool?”
Out of the corner of his eye, Clayton saw Lucas close his eyes. He already knew what was coming.
“Cry off? Never,” he ground out. “And you’re a fool if you think a man like me would ever back down from a wager.”
He shouldered past Simon and strode towards the door, snatching his hat and gloves from a nervy-looking footman as he went. He didn’t look back.
Chapter Sixteen
“It was awful, Viola, absolutely awful,” Isolde muttered, eyes on the bookshelves. There was something so soothing about book spines.
