A Lady by Chance (Historical Regency Romance) Read Free

man going to offer for her hand?
    He resituated himself on the settee and met her gaze squarely. "I have a business proposition to make."
    Thinking only of his balding head and long nose, she refused to look him in the eye, sincerely hoping his proposition wasn't matrimony. "But, I assure you, I am quite well off." She tried to sound mature.
    "No one ever has enough money, Anna."
    "But I live quietly and my needs are not great."
    "There is no one who could turn down twenty-five thousand pounds."
    It was a very great sum, indeed. She would be foolish not to listen. Leaning forward, she asked, "What do you want from me, Sir Henry?"
    "I remember how well you played cards as a child."
    She stiffened. "I haven't played in years."
    "Ah, but one of your skill never forgets."
    Her eyes narrowed. "Does your proposition have something to do with me playing cards?"
    "Indeed, it does."
    "Then I can listen no more. My mother abhorred the idea of my playing, and I respect her memory too much to disregard her wishes."
    "Anna, I'm offering a vast sum for one night's  play."
    She wasn't tempted, but she was curious. "Pray, what do you wish of me?"
    "I know a very foolish man who will come into possession of fifty thousand pounds in cash tomorrow. I intend that half of it will go to you and half to me. For reasons I cannot disclose, I cannot relieve him of the money. That is why I need you. I plan to bring him to your parlor where you will make sure he is plied with the liquor for which he has a great fondness. Then, you will suggest a game of cards. You will suggest simple wagering and allow him to win at first. Then, as the stakes are raised, you will begin to win – using skills learned from your mother."
    Anna sprang to her feet, fully intending to show him the door. "What you suggest, Sir Henry, is not only cheating, but stealing, and I will have no part of it."
    "Sit down, Anna, and hear me out."
    "There's nothing you can say that will change my mind."
    He stood up and walked to her. "Who is the man you hate most in this world? Who is the man you blame for your mother's death?"
    Without hesitation, she answered, "The Marquess of Haverstock."
    Sir Henry's cool green eyes glinted. "Just so. My plan will ruin Lord Haverstock." Sir Henry lifted her chin. "Wouldn't that make you happy, my dear?"
    "Nothing would make me happier. I loathe the man. But I cannot do it. To do so would be breaking a solemn promise to my mother."
    "For God's sake, Anna, she's been dead five years," he said harshly, then softened. "Trust me. Annette would be proud of you for making twenty-five-thousand pounds in one day. She knew that large fortunes open many doors."
     "I will not change my mind."
    A frown on his narrow face, he strolled to the window and stood there pondering his next move. He would have to reveal more of the true scope of his plans. More carefully fed lies. But he had confidence he could persuade her to do what would be far more repugnant to her than cheating at cards.
     

Chapter 2
     
    "Come, let us sit together," Sir Henry said, walking to the damask sofa. "I have much to tell you."
    They sat down, Anna leaving a wide gap between herself and her caller.
    A solemn expression on his face, Sir Henry turned to Anna and spoke in a voice barely above a whisper. "Since the money didn't tempt you, I'm going to have to take you in my confidence."
    She eyed him warily.
    "Were my superiors to know what I'm about to tell you, I could be in serious trouble." He took a deep breath. "You see, I work at the Foreign Office – as does Lord Haverstock. The two of us are directly involved in French espionage." A pained look crossed his face. "Sadly, we suspect Lord Haverstock is in the employ of the French."
    "How could such a man ever have been given a position of importance?" Anna asked, dismay and disgust in her voice.
    "Actually, it is Lord Haverstock's son I'm speaking of. The father – the one you despise – is dead."
    "Then I have no complaint against