A Precarious Gamble: A Regency Romance (Gentlemen of London Book 4) by Laura Beers

Author:Laura Beers [Beers, Laura]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-10-03T16:00:00+00:00

Marielle sat in the drawing room later as she embroidered a handkerchief. Dinah sat across from her, but she felt no need to converse. Her thoughts were already taking up all of her attention. They were a confused jumble as she tried to sort out all the pieces of her new life: being without a family, changes to her guardianship, threats from Mr. Emerson, and now, taking care of her father’s business. Her new guardian played a key role in most of them. With every interaction, she was becoming more confident that Hugh held her in some regard. Something was stopping him from acting on it, though.

Which was good—they couldn’t act on feelings of that nature. Not only was he her guardian, but she had no intention of ever marrying. She didn’t want to relinquish control of her life after her experience being repressed by Mr. Cadell. It was an awful feeling to be forced to rely on another’s good graces.

Once she reached her majority and received her rightful inheritance, Marielle would happily return home to her estate and run her father’s company. She wouldn’t have to worry about the demands of Society because she would live far away from Town. Sadly, that meant she would be distanced from Hugh, as well.

Dinah broke through her musings. “You are awfully quiet this morning,” she remarked.

“I suppose I have a lot on my mind,” Marielle replied.

“Anything you would like to share?”

Marielle pushed the needle through the fabric and pulled it through. “Not particularly,” she said.

Undeterred by her lukewarm response, Dinah asked, “Did you enjoy yourself at the opera?”

“I did, until Mr. Emerson threatened to ruin me if Hugh didn’t return the money that he lost at gambling,” Marielle revealed.

Dinah blinked. “Perhaps you should start at the beginning.”

Lowering the handkerchief to her lap, Marielle said, “Mr. Emerson approached us and demanded the money be returned or else he would inform the ton that Hugh and I had formed an intimate attachment.”

“What did Hugh say?”

“He wanted to challenge Mr. Emerson to a duel, but Lord Graylocke encouraged him not to.”

“That was a wise thing to do,” Dinah said. “I wonder if that is why Nathaniel is meeting Hugh at White’s later today.”

“Hugh indicated that he wished to speak to all of his friends at White’s.”

“Is that what you were discussing with him this morning?” Dinah asked. “I happened by the parlor and saw you both engrossed in conversation.”

“We were discussing the status of the shipyard, since we had just gone over the quarterly report with my father’s man of business,” Marielle said.

“Wouldn’t he be your man of business, now?”

“He is, but I am not used to all of this,” Marielle admitted. “Mr. Cadell met with Mr. Britt himself and refused to discuss the shipyard with me.”

“That was wrong of him, since it is your company.”

“Mr. Cadell doesn’t believe that women have a mind for business. He intended to sell it the moment the probate court released it to me.”

“Could he do that?”

Marielle nodded. “As long as he was my guardian, he had full control over my affairs and could do as he pleased.

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