The Courtesan's Wager by Claudia Dain Read Free Book Online Page B

would be the reason she gave Louisa for dropping in unexpectedly, if Louisa even asked. It was so very convenient to her plans that Louisa now resided at Hyde House as Hyde House was the London residence of the Marquis of Iveston, as well as all the other sons of Hyde. So very, very convenient. Louisa couldn’t have married a better man for Amelia’s schemes if she’d planned to do so for a decade, which she had most definitely not.
    Amelia was admitted to Hyde House, a truly imposing structure, and escorted into the music room. It was a sumptuous room, newly papered, and littered with the necessary musical instruments to support its name. Neither the Marquis of Iveston nor any of his unmarried younger brothers were in view. It was most unfortunate that Iveston or even Cranleigh, the next oldest brother and an earl, was not littered about the music room with the harp and the pianoforte. Nearly before disappointment could find its way into Amelia’s heart, Louisa entered with a saucy grin, her curling ginger hair looking slightly mussed. She wore a gown Amelia had seen her in often, a simple white muslin with clever pleating at the bodice and amber thread in a leaf design at the hem. Amelia was relieved that she did not look down-at-the-heel in her white muslin with the green-sprigged design. One did want to look one’s best when calling at Hyde House, while at the same time not looking as if one had tried too vigorously to look just the thing.
    “Lost your comb, Louisa?” Amelia said with a grin that she was certain Louisa would find cheeky.
    “I find that there is no real point in taking supreme care with my toilette, Amelia, as Blakes will make a mess of me within an hour,” Louisa said. “He is most inconsiderate that way. It is quite annoying.”
    Naturally, Louisa did not look annoyed in the slightest. She looked completely delighted, which was perfectly understandable. Amelia could only hope that her future husband would delight her just as completely. In fact, she was determined that he do so.
    “He sounds quite a handful,” Amelia said, to which Louisa laughed and then blushed. Oh, dear. That could have multiple meanings, couldn’t it? “You are most content, Louisa, are you not?
    “I am. Truly,” Louisa answered, the blush still pink on her cheeks and throat.
    She appeared most sincere, which did give Amelia even more assurance that her minor conspiracy with Sophia would bear the appropriate fruit.
    “But what of you, Amelia? Would you not seek your own contentment? You want a duke, and there are only two available, yet wouldn’t either one of them do? Why, even Lord Iveston will be a duke one day. You might consider him.”
    Amusing, as usual. Did Louisa actually think that she needed to remind Amelia as to the number of dukes on the market? And as to Iveston, could Louisa possibly believe that Amelia had overlooked him? Regarding Iveston even more specifically, now that Louisa was part of the family, it did open up all sorts of opportunities for Amelia to have reasonable access to Hyde House. Had Louisa not realized that? Amelia certainly had.
    Sometimes Amelia wondered if Louisa were as intelligent as she ought to have been.
    “Louisa, I have considered him. The problem is that he has not considered me. Nor have Edenham or Calbourne. You see Iveston often now, as indeed you must see the entire family regularly; does he appear at all interested in marrying?”
    “But of course he doesn’t, Amelia. He’s an eligible man and they are the most unwilling sort of men, completely repulsed by women, by all appearances.”
    “How typical. And how unfortunate,” Amelia said softly, casting her gaze to the design of the carpet beneath her feet. “It would be so much more convenient if he were at least mildly interested in me. You don’t suppose I could entice him, do you? He is very much reserved; it is quite his most well-reputed trait. Perhaps I might be able to lure Iveston into some sort of