“It’s a pleasure to see you again,” Regan called out as Malcolm passed the drawing room when he came back from White’s.
Malcolm considered continuing on to the den where he wanted to work on the ledger, but he couldn’t bring himself to be rude. Even if theirs wasn’t an ideal marriage, the least he could do was say hello.
He stuck his head into the room, noting she was sitting on the settee, drinking a cup of tea. She appeared as if she wasn’t up to anything mischievous. “Good afternoon, Regan. I’ll see you at dinner.”
He had hoped that would be the end of it, but she called out, “May I hear about your day?”
He hesitated to answer but then said, “It would only bore you. I discussed important plans with important people.”
“Oh, well, if they’re important, I’d love to hear all about them.” She put the cup of tea on the table in front of her and turned toward him with an innocent smile.
He frowned. What kind of trickery was this?
“I’m being honest.” She patted the spot next to her. “Come. Tell me all about them. I’d like to know what kind of plans you make.”
“You would?”
“Of course. You’re my husband, and whatever interests you interests me.”
He wasn’t sure if he could trust her or not. She seemed to be telling the truth, but for all he knew, she had something else in mind. What that something could be, he couldn’t possibly guess. When it came to Regan, nothing was what it seemed.
“I do know something about money,” she said. “Who do you think pays the servants and manages the estate’s investments?”
“A steward.”
“Well, you’re wrong. I do. I’m more than just a pretty face.” She winked at him.
Now there was the Regan he knew! He felt much more at ease.
“Are the plans a secret?” she asked.
“No.”
“Then why don’t you share them with me?”
He tapped the edge of the rolled-up parchment. “Are you being sincere?”
“Yes.”
She didn’t look away from him as she said it, which meant she had to be telling the truth.
“All right, I’ll do it since you asked,” he finally agreed.
His plans were good ones. Maybe even the best he’d ever made. It’d be a shame not to share them. He sat in the chair across from her and opened the parchment.
“Don’t you want to sit next to me?” she asked, her lower lip jutting out in a cute pout.
He glanced at the open doorway. The servants could be anywhere. “Can I trust you not to take advantage of the situation?”
“I only want to hear about your plans, not take you to bed,” she assured him as she patted the spot next to her. “I’ll keep my hands to myself.” She held them up and then clasped them on her lap. “See?”
Not sure if it was the smartest thing to do, he stood up and went over to her. “You really want to know this?”
She chuckled. “Why do you find that so hard to believe?”
“Because, up to now, the only thing you’ve been interested in is,” he lowered his voice, “having me in your bed.”
His comment only seemed to amuse her more. “Malcolm, you should be pleased your wife finds you attractive. Not all husbands have that honor. But you are safe. At the moment, my interest stems solely from your business plans.” She gestured to the parchment. “Go on.”
Relaxing, he turned his attention back to the papers in his hands. “I went to White’s to discuss an investment with Mr. Donald Raleigh. Do you know who he is?”
“The owner of a ship?”
“Right.” He was surprised. He didn’t think she paid attention to anything beyond which gentleman caught her fancy. “Mr. Raleigh is going to be traveling to Africa. He thinks he knows where he can find some caves which have diamonds in them. We know where some are already, of course, but he thinks he knows where some haven’t been discovered yet. Last time he went there, a man from a local tribe pointed him to a lost city that was thought to be a myth. After listening to Mr. Raleigh, I’m convinced the city actually exists.”
“The city is where the caves are?”
“Yes. At least, that’s the idea.” He showed her the parchment. “Warren and I have come up with a proposal on how we will pay Mr. Raleigh and how we’ll divide up what he brings back. Mr. Raleigh needs someone to fund this venture.”
“Yes, I gathered that much. He owns a ship, and he’s the one going. I knew you intended to give him money to go.”
Oh. Good. Then she was smarter than he had given her credit for. With ladies, it was hard to tell how much they understood about investing with ship owners. It was also hard to tell how much they were paying attention to what he was saying. He didn’t know why, but his sister had a tendency to let her mind wander while he explained such things to her.
“When is Mr. Raleigh going to Africa?” Regan asked.
“In a month. That’s another reason why these meetings with Warren and his friends are so important, and it’s why I didn’t have time to meet you before the wedding. Mr. Raleigh has several gentlemen lined up to offer him money. I wanted to make sure I was the first one to come to him. Opportunities this profitable don’t happen all the time. If he’s as successful as I think he’ll be, I can triple my—well, our—wealth.”
“Ah,” she replied with a nod. “So Warren and his friends… Who are they?”
“Warren is Lord Steinbeck. His friends are Sir Willoby and Lord Dunnaby. I know them all by their Christian names. They’re very influential, especially at White’s. They don’t befriend just anyone.” And after what Malcolm witnessed at White’s, it wasn’t an easy thing to match up to their standards. “That brings me to another point.” He turned toward her. “It’s imperative we come to an agreement.”
Regan’s eyebrows furrowed. “What kind of agreement?”
“Now that we’re married, everything you do affects me. So if you act inappropriately, that could come back to hurt me. Some people judge a husband by the things his wife does and says. I know you enjoy,” he searched for the right word, “mischief, but I’m asking you to please stop. This deal I have with Warren and his friends is the most important one I’ve made up to now in my life.”
“I understand. These are the type of gentlemen who aren’t forgiving when someone misbehaves. You have no need to worry. I can be good, Malcolm.”
He had no doubt she could. But would she?
With a sigh, she rolled her eyes. “Yes, I will be good.”
“You knew what I was thinking?”
“It’s not hard to figure it out when you frown like that.”
Really? He touched his mouth. Was he that apparent to everyone, or just her?
“Malcolm,” she began, directing his attention back to her, “I can be good when I want to be. I just don’t often have a good reason for it. But, as you pointed out, I’m your wife, and what I do reflects on you. That being the case, I will be on my best behavior.”
“That would be a tremendous help.”
“Which is why I’m agreeing to do it.”
He smiled. Well, that went much better than he’d hoped. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
He glanced down at his plans. “I need to rewrite these, so I can give them to Mr. Raleigh tomorrow. Maybe afterwards, we can go for a stroll in the park.”
“I’d like that. By then Leonard will be up from his nap. He loves the park.”
Oh, right. Yes, the lad. Of course, they would go with Leonard. He didn’t know why he thought she meant it would be just the two of them. “Give me about an hour, and I’ll be ready,” he said.
“An hour will be fine.”
As he left the room, he couldn’t help but think that, for once, he didn’t have to dread the thought of seeing her again.
***
Regan kept fidgeting the entire time she got ready for the park, and her poor lady’s maid had trouble with her hair, something Regan kept apologizing for.
Her lady’s maid only laughed and assured her it was fine, adding, “I don’t mind at all, my lady. It’s just nice to see you happy. You’ve mourned for Lord Cantrell for a long time.”
“A part of me will always love him.” He had, after all, been a wonderful husband and her dearest friend. “But it is nice to be in love again.”
“Lord Cantrell would want you to fall in love.”
Regan smiled at her lady’s maid, grateful for the older lady’s support. It amazed her how easily people were accepting Malcolm. When Frederick died, she couldn’t imagine ever opening herself to another gentleman. But there was something about Malcolm that made her want to be with someone again.
She couldn’t believe Logan’s advice had paid off so well. She’d have to give him something to thank him for helping her.
Once her lady’s maid was done, she thanked her and went to Leonard’s room. When she saw he was awake but still resting on his daybed, she said, “I’m surprised you didn’t get up.”
“I was thinking,” he replied, sitting up in the bed.
She sat next to him. “Oh? What were you thinking about?”
“About my new father. Is he as important as he says?”
“He seems to think so.”
She couldn’t bring herself to completely agree that he was as important as he claimed. Influential, yes. There was no doubt he had connections, and those connections led to some fruitful endeavors. Importance, however, was a matter of perspective. She’d never heard of him before the evening she met him at the ball. As much as he fancied himself important in London, it didn’t seem the Ton agreed.
“Your new father,” she began, choosing her words carefully, “does business well. He understands money. He knows how to make it and keep it. Those are good traits, and it’ll be good for both of us.”
“Was my first father good with money?”
“Your first father wasn’t as profitable when it came to investing, but he did know how to make some money and keep it. He provided very well for you. You have a secure estate.” She rubbed her son’s back. “I hope you remember to be wise with it.”
“I will, Mother. Will my new father teach me to be wise?”
With a smile, she said, “I’m sure he will.” If there was one thing she suspected Malcolm loved more than anything else, it was talking about money. “All you have to do is ask, and I wager he’ll be the one talking all the time instead of you.” She rose to her feet and gestured for him to get out of bed. “Your new father wants to go to the park, and he’s asked us to go with him.”
“He’s back!”
“Yes, he is.”
The lad jumped off the bed.
“Leonard,” she called out before he ran for the door, “you need to change clothes. Those are for resting.” She pointed to the clothes he had on.
“Sorry, Mother.”
Amused, she helped him dress for the park. Afterwards, they went to the drawing room, and when they didn’t see Malcolm there, she had to stop him before he ran for the den.
“We’ll wait for him,” Regan told him. “He’s busy with some business plans. Let’s enjoy some tarts while we’re waiting.” She rang for the butler.
“Did Father miss me while he was gone?”
“Yes, he did.” Given how well Malcolm treated him, she was sure Malcolm liked her son.
“Your mother’s right,” came Malcolm’s familiar voice. “I missed you while I was gone.”
She turned in time to see Malcolm entering the room, and Leonard rushed right over to him. “Leonard, manners.”
“It’s all right,” Malcolm assured her and picked the boy up. “I don’t mind the lad’s enthusiasm.”
Her eyebrows rose in interest. Had it been her who did that, she suspected he wouldn’t be as relaxed about it.
“Mother said you make money,” Leonard said.
“She did?” Malcolm glanced at her, and if she guessed right, he was happy about it.
“I told him you’re good at making a profit from your business dealings,” she replied. “I didn’t use those exact words, but it was my meaning.”
He turned his attention to Leonard and smiled. “As it turns out, I excel at acquiring money.”
“Will you teach me how to do it?” her son asked.
“I don’t know if I can,” Malcolm slowly said, looking at her. “Can I?”
She nodded. “Certainly. I want you to treat him like you would your own son.”
She didn’t know why her reply should surprise him, but there was no denying the shock on his face. Then, just as quickly as it’d appeared, his smile grew wider.
“Splendid!” He patted the boy on the back. “In that case, I will be happy to teach you everything I know. Now, however, I believe we will be taking a stroll in the park. Are you ready?”
Leonard let out an enthusiastic agreement, and they headed for the front door.