“From the rumors circulating, the wedding is off, so she’s not your fiancée anymore.”
Gregory waved a hand, as if Caroline’s decision was of no consequence. “Her opinion is irrelevant. My father is her guardian, and he will never let her back out.”
“Fine.” Caleb shrugged, his patience exhausted. “She’s still your fiancée. What of it?”
“She’s a pristine virgin, Ralston. Pristine!”
The personal remark made Caleb so angry he nearly reached over and whacked Gregory alongside the head. Blake sidled closer, as if he’d deliver a clout himself.
“I’m not in the mood to discuss her chastity,” Caleb coldly said. “Let’s finish this.”
“No, no, hear me out!” Gregory hurried to insist. “What if. . . if. . . you could have my wedding night?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You could spend my wedding night with her. In fact. . . ah. . . how about this? You could have her for an entire month. Her virginity can be yours—if the price is right.”
A calculating gleam entered Gregory’s eye, and Caleb was suddenly reconsidering Blake’s suggestion to murder the idiotic swine. He peeked at his brother, and Blake shot back a look that said, I’ll end this however you want. What’s your preference?
“I can have her,” Caleb said, “in exchange for what?”
“How about. . . to cover. . . all the losses I’ve incurred from the very beginning?”
“She’s not worth that much. It wouldn’t be a fair trade.”
“Then how about a month for a month? You can do whatever you like with her for thirty days, and I shall receive thirty days of cancelled arrears.”
“No.”
“Ralston! Don’t be a fool. You know you’d love to fornicate with her. Any fellow would.”
Blake muttered, “Any fellow but you apparently.”
“I’ll have the rest of my life to climb into her bed,” Gregory said.
Caleb studied the prick, wondering how long he’d pondered the foul idea. And who would have put the notion into his sick head? Lucretia Starling perhaps?
It was common for gamblers to barter over their wives and sisters. A man who was addicted to wagering, a man who had nothing left to lose, would flail as if drowning, as if searching for a rope. Sometimes, a female family member was all he could find.
Caleb didn’t allow these sorts of stakes in his club, so this was his first experience with such sordid thinking. If Caleb didn’t accept, who might Gregory bargain with next?
Despite how Gregory negotiated over her, Caroline would never consent to such a wicked scheme, but a corrupt rogue wouldn’t give her a choice. He’d kidnap her out on the lane and force her to supply what Gregory had pledged.
Should Caleb agree to be the one instead? He’d never follow through, but it would be a way to protect her. Should he?
Clearly, he had to have Gregory swept up as a debtor. If he was in debtor’s prison, he couldn’t harm her. Not for awhile anyway, so she’d have a bit of breathing room.
Caleb glanced at Blake again, seeking his brother’s opinion, but Blake simply wanted to kill Gregory and be done with it. Blake shrugged, advising Caleb to handle it as he saw fit.
“I’ll obtain her virginity from you,” he told Gregory, “but these are the terms.”
“It’s to be a month for a month,” Gregory said. “That’s what I offered. You get to use her for a month—and I get a month of debts cancelled.”
“No,” Caleb said. “I get her for a month, starting on your wedding night. She’ll stay with me in town and please me in any fashion I require. For that dubious privilege, we’ll wipe away the amounts that have accrued since I arrived at Grey’s Corner. It’s a substantial sum, and you should be glad I’m willing to go that far merely for the chance to fornicate with your insipid cousin.”
He voiced the insult blandly, his expression bored, but inside, he was raging. He had to save Caro from the negligent wretch, and he’d need to contemplate the appropriate conclusion. Caleb understood Gregory was reckless, but he hadn’t realized he was incredibly dangerous too.
Gregory fumed, downed his liquor, fumed some more. “I intended it to be thirty days for thirty days.”
“Take it or leave it. It doesn’t matter to me. My world is chock full of beautiful women. I can dally with your cousin or not. It’s up to you.”
“There has to be more in it for me,” Gregory complained.
“How about this? I won’t call in your markers for a year, so you’ll have twelve months to figure out how to square yourself with me.” Caleb smiled a grim smile. “And I won’t beat you to a pulp tonight for being such a horse’s ass. Nor will I have Blake murder you—even though he’s dying to. It’s the limit of what I’ll consider.”
Caleb finally poured his own whiskey, relishing how it slid down and burned in his belly. The clock seemed to slow, Time dragging as if it had halted.
Ultimately, Gregory said, “It’s a deal.”
He extended his hand, as if they’d shake on it, but Caleb simply glared at the dangling limb, and Gregory withdrew it.
“Will you tell her about this,” Caleb asked, “or will it be a surprise?”
“I’ll tell her, but not until after the wedding. I won’t give her an excuse to delay the inevitable.”
Gregory looked at Caleb as if he expected them to continue chatting, but Caleb sat like a statue.
Gregory picked up the deck of cards and shuffled them. “Let’s play,” he urged. “What do you say?”
“Get out of here,” was Caleb’s reply.
“I just shed a ton of debt. There’s no reason we can’t begin again.”
“There’s every reason,” Caleb said.
“Name one.”
“I can’t abide you. I never could.”
Gregory huffed with offense. “There’s no need to be rude.”
“I’m not being rude. I’m being brutally honest for a change. Now slither away so I can enjoy my drink in the peace and quiet.”
Gregory didn’t move, so Blake grabbed him and yanked him to his feet.
“Goodnight, Mr. Grey. We’ve had enough of you for one evening.”
Gregory shrugged him away. “It’s my own damn house. You have some gall to
