Once Upon a Wager Read Online Free

“Why are you here in my home?”
    “Your home?” His eyes widened with surprise. “You must be Miss Layton, Gareth’s sister. He and I are very close friends.”
    “Of late,” she said, “he has been less particular in his friendships.”
    The stranger darkened at that. “As it turns out, we are business partners of a sort. I am Damien Digby, at your service.”
    Gareth had been wrong. She could not like Mr. Digby.
    “How utterly perfect you are, Miss Layton. When your brother spoke of your beauty, I thought he exaggerated. I can see now he was being coy. I will look forward to seeing you inside.”
    With a cold look at Alec, he turned and strode purposefully toward the house.
    • • •
    “Don’t you know enough not to run off without a proper escort, Annabelle?” Alec demanded, anger sharpening his voice.
    At his tone, her own temper flared. “I was more than fine, Alec. I’ve grown … what was the word you used? Oh yes, big. I’m big now, like a sturdy tree out in the lawn. Perhaps if you think on it, you can come up with an even more unflattering term. In the meantime, I will take care of myself.”
    “Don’t be foolish. You don’t know what a man like that is capable of.”
    “You heard him say he meant no harm.” Even as she spoke the words, she knew they were false. She’d seen the look in Digby’s eyes.
    “He is a cad, the very worst sort.” Alec put a hand to the edge of his cravat, as if it were suddenly too tight. “And much as it pains me to say so, you are at an age when such men will seek you out.”
    “I cannot help the fact that I’ve grown up, Alec. I’m sorry the end result of it has been so unfortunate.”
    He met that statement with a long moment of silence, merely watching her in the moonlight, a muscle twitching in his jaw. “I don’t think that is the right word.”
    She didn’t want to find out which word he would choose instead. Her confidence had been battered enough for one evening. “I have to return to the party.” She started to move away, but he put his hands on her shoulders to still her.
    “Have you really taken to carrying around pistols, Annabelle?”
    “Of course not. I was bluffing. I would never ruin the line of this lovely dress.”
    His eyes sparked briefly with amusement, and perhaps admiration. “Lovely as your dress is, you can’t return to the party looking as you do. Let me help you.”
    He reached down to loosen one of the diamond clips tangled in her hair, and slowly worked it free, standing so close she had to remind herself to breathe. He smelled of sandalwood and crisp, clean linen. “This one will also have to be reset,” he said, moving to the other clip, his amusement fading. In moments, the rest of her hair tumbled down to her waist, and he ran his fingers through its long length in an effort to smooth it. Then he cleared his throat, dropping his hands to his sides.
    “I’m not much of a lady’s maid.” He tucked the clips into her gloved hands and stepped back.
    “People will wonder what we’ve been doing out here in the dark,” she said, daring him to think of her that way. But his face was inscrutable, and she fought back a stab of frustration. “Of course, no one would suspect you of misbehaving. You are far too honorable. You’re practically my brother.”
    “I am not your brother, Annabelle. And I’m not as honorable as you think.” Abruptly, he turned toward the castle. “Follow me to the servants’ entrance, and go up to your room from there.” She hurried to keep up with his long strides. “Go straight to your maid,” he called over his shoulder. “Dinner will be served soon. Your absence will be noticed if you don’t hurry.”
    He was dismissing her, because she was a foolish girl he neither wanted nor needed. It was evident in every terse, clipped word.
    When they reached the house, she passed quietly through the doorway leading into the kitchen. In the confusion, as the staff prepared trays of food