Page 11 of A Gentleman's Wager

“He didn’t swaddle you in an embrace?”

Louisa shook her head, her eyes widening. “You believe me, don’t you, Bella? “

“Oh, Lou,” Bella pulled her friend into a hug. “Of course I believe you, and I’m not the least bit alarmed. I think it’s marvellous that you’ve had an adventure. And I shouldn’t have thought anything ill of you even if you’d said you’d granted every favour a woman might.”

“Ai, you think I’m a harlot.”

“Gracious, and you say I’m dramatic. I said no such thing. Did he slip you a coin for your affections? No, then you can cross strumpet from your list of accomplishments. In any case, I’m hardly qualified to judge.”

Louisa nodded, but immediately turned it into a shake instead. “You didn’t instigate anything, or allow him to take liberties, it was all out of your control.”

“Hardly.”

“Yes, but you didn’t…” Louisa bit her tongue.

“Didn’t what?”

She shook her head and bowed her chin to her chest.

“Go on, Louisa. Say it. I didn’t what?”

“Kiss him… mount him…offer to suck his cock.” She slapped her hands over her mouth, while her eyes were thoroughly aghast.

“Indeed, I didn’t.” Bella flopped against the sofa back. “What an utter simpkin I am. Fancy running away instead of doing all that. He might have made me his viscountess by now.”

“If you’d mounted him?”

“I was actually thinking about the sucking part.”

Louisa slapped her leg. “But you wouldn’t have done anything. You wouldn’t, Bella, for all your larking.”

“That’s what he was doing.”

Her friend slapped her again. They sat together fighting grins for a while, until Bella’s cheeks ached. Then she got up and rang for tea.

“Do you think he might court you?” Louisa asked, as they huddled closer to the hearth, hands curled around China teacups.

Bella thought for a moment. It would certainly be far preferable to have Lord Marlinscar come calling upon her than Gaukroger, Cockroft and the rest, but she still felt the sting of what she’d taken as rejection when he’d failed to commit to agreeing to gallop across the hilltops. “I’m sure he probably thinks me far too countrified.”

Louisa clasped her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Well, I thought you seemed very well suited.”

“Lou… You only had eyes for the captain.”

“But you spoke for ever such a long while, Bella.”

“Aye, of you and Captain Wakefield mostly. Apparently, he was in Flanders until last year fighting under Colonel Wesley, has a host of unwed sisters, and not a bean to his name. I rather think his family aren’t quite as old or well to do as they might be either. Thus, I believe I’m supposed to warn you off.”

Louisa took a sip of her tea and swallowed slowly. “So, you didn’t speak of your brush with one another in the woods?”

“Did I say that?” It was Bella’s turn to hide behind her teacup. Eventually, she relented with a laugh. “He saw me. Recognised me too. All’s well though, I think we agreed it a matter best forgotten. It’s better for all parties that way. My reputation shall remain pristine, and his… Well, I can’t think that it creates a favourable impression of a man to have it known that he resorts to frolicking by himself when pleasure is so easily purchased.”

Louisa opened and closed her mouth a couple of times. “But he’s a viscount, a gentleman… He wouldn’t pay a strumpet.”

“Heavens, your aunt really has had you by the apron strings if you believe that. They nearly all do… gentlemen… peers… rakehells, even country squires. If I were a man, I think I should do so too. Tis a shame it’s not an option for us ladies.”

“Bella, I don’t think you can be right about that. Take your brother, for example. I cannot believe—”

“Louisa, much as I prefer not to think about what Joshua does or doesn’t do, please allow me to stop you making a fool of yourself by suggesting he’s some kind of chaste saint, because I’ll tell you plain to your face, you’re quite mistaken.”