Wagered to the Duke (BookStrand Publishing Romance) by Karen Lingefelt Read Free Book Online

any relatives of your own there, do you?”
    Polly’s lower lip trembled. “Me mam’s the cook, and until today, I was all she had, Miss Baxter. Don’t you have a mother somewhere?”
    “Yes, but she wanted me to leave, Polly. And quite frankly, I was only too happy to go. So, as you might expect, I have no desire to go back.”
    Only where did that leave Polly? Guilt bit at Kate once more, as she glanced from Polly to Freddy, who rightly looked as if he feared being coshed again, for he remained curled up into a pitifully quivering ball.
    Kate lowered her voice. “About Mr. Fraser,” she whispered. “He’s the same man to whom you foolishly and selfishly wagered your poor sister?”
    “I wouldn’t say I wagered her to him, specifically. There were others at the table, and he just happened to be the one who won that particular hand. Only I could have sworn he was a duke.”
    “And he gave no hint that he was going to forgive the debt?”
    “Not at all, or I wouldn’t have brought her to the inn today.”
    “And the woman you were with earlier, in that monstrous barouche? Who is she?”
    “The mother of a friend of mine,” Freddy replied. “He rode ahead with Lord Bellingham to collect a debt at Bellingham Hall nearby, but that wasn’t on the way to Leeds, so his mother took me as far as the crossroads and threw me out.”
    Kate’s heart skipped a beat at the mention of her stepfather. “What debt does Lord Bellingham owe your friend?”
    Freddy shrugged. “I don’t know. Mayhap Lord Bellingham has a sister.”
    Or even a stepdaughter. Yet her stepfather was supposed to be up in Northumberland at a shooting party. Supposed to be.
    “Where and when exactly did you wager and lose Meg?” But she thought she already knew the answer.
    And Freddy confirmed it. “About a week ago, at Lord Gorham’s house party in Northumberland.”
    Kate stared at Freddy, aghast. That was where her stepfather had gone shooting. In fact, it was precisely because it was supposed to be just a shooting party that her mother had remained at Bellingham Hall.
    But did her stepfather do some gambling there, only to wager Kate to the son of that mysterious matron in the huge, black barouche, driven by the sleek, black horses?
    She shuddered at the thought of what she’d escaped, but she knew she wasn’t out of danger yet. Not until she reached London and saw her brother again. Surely Anthony would know what to do.
    She sat back on the worn leather seat. “Now listen to me, if you don’t want to get coshed again. I want you to tell Mr. Fraser that I am indeed your sister, and that you mean to honor your debt. In fact, you are determined to honor your debt. Tell him if you can’t, then you’ll have to shoot yourself or something equally dire.”
    “I rather feel like doing that now,” Freddy mumbled.
    “Good. Then you’ll do it? Not shoot yourself, that is, but tell Mr. Fraser I’m your sister. You owe me a boon. I’ve spared your sister from a horrible fate.”
    “Only what’s so horrible about being a duchess?”
    “ Nothing that I know of, but rest assured he has no plans to marry your sister.”
    “Not now he doesn’t.” Bitterness seeped into his voice. “Obviously you have plans to marry him.”
    “Perish the thought,” Kate said flatly. Something told her Mr. Fraser, or rather the Duke of Loring, would jettison her the first chance he got, but until then, she intended to remain in this carriage for as far as he would take her. She could only hope it would be as far as London.
    “Tell me you’ll do it,” she prodded him.
    “I’ll do it,” he agreed in a whiny voice.
    Now there was nothing to do but wait until they reached the next village.

Chapter Four
     
    “I say, Bilby, did you hear something?” Nathan asked.
    “I hear lots of things, Your Gra—I mean, Mr. Fraser. The clip-clop of the horses’ hooves. The creaking of the harness. The rumble of the wheels. The sound of my own voice.”
    “No, I