A Deceptive Wager (Marriage by Design #3) - Ruth Ann Nordin Page 0,74

it took me a little time to get used to the idea of being married to Benjamin? It seems like all of us weren’t all that sure about the gentlemen in our lives when we first met them. Lilly, you originally declined Roger’s proposal. And Kitty, it wasn’t like you were eager to marry Aaron.”

“I didn’t want to marry anyone,” Kitty pointed out.

“Regardless, you seem to look forward to seeing Aaron when he visits now,” Emilia said. “In fact, you had trouble concentrating on our card game right before he came by yesterday.”

Despite the heat in her cheeks, Kitty shrugged. “I might have glanced at the clock a couple of times.”

Emilia snorted. “A couple?” She glanced at Lilly. “I ended up letting her sit in a chair that allowed her a direct view of the clock. Then, as soon as the footman announced he had finally arrived, she jumped up from the chair and ran to see him.”

Kitty gasped. “I didn’t run to see him.”

“All right. You were walking at a fast pace,” Emilia allowed.

Lilly smirked at Kitty. “I can’t help but notice you didn’t say you didn’t jump up from the chair.”

Ignoring the increased heat in her cheeks, Kitty turned her gaze back to the baby in her arms.

“I think it’s wonderful,” Emilia said. “Aaron seems to be sincere about wanting to get to know you.”

“Yes, he does seem sincere,” Kitty replied.

“He probably feels as bad as I did when I realized I had made a terrible mistake in picking Lord Hedwrett over Roger,” Lilly said. “I know he wasn’t very nice to you, but I hope you don’t make things too hard on him. I almost gave up on Roger. I was ready to leave when he offered me a second chance. I’ve never been more thankful for anything in my entire life. I’m dedicated to him now more than ever.”

“And I’m glad Benjamin was so oblivious to all of the ways I was trying to get my own townhouse that he never made the offer. It gave me time to realize how much I wanted to be with him,” Emilia added.

“I thought it was the horse that won you over,” Lilly said.

“The horse helped,” Emilia replied. “I won’t lie. That horse is a marvelous creature. It was the best gift anyone’s ever given me.” She glanced at Kitty. “Maybe Aaron will say or do something that makes you decide you’d like to move back into his townhouse.”

Kitty let out an exasperated sigh. “You two don’t need to keep on about this. I can already see that Aaron isn’t as horrible as I thought he was.”

“Roger said Aaron is no longer speaking about ladies as if we’re all evil,” Lilly said. “The other day, Aaron even sat down and talked to me while I was in the drawing room with him and Roger. For the first time, I felt like he was making an effort to get to know me. It was nice. It wasn’t easy to feel like Aaron didn’t think I was good enough for his friend.”

“What did you three talk about?” Kitty asked.

“Most of the conversation had to do with Jackson,” Lilly replied. “Most of what I talk about has to do with Jackson. I can’t help it. He’s a big part of my life.”

“Which he should be,” Kitty said. “You went through a lot to have him, and he’s adorable.”

“All of this is making me impatient to have my child,” Emilia commented.

“Your little one will be here before you know it,” Lilly said. “Why, look at how old Jackson is already. And he’s grown so big in such a short amount of time.” Her gaze went to Kitty. “Whether you decide to make your marriage to Aaron real or not, I feel obliged to thank you. It’s nice to not feel a sense of dread when Aaron comes over to visit Roger. I never told Roger this, but I felt uncomfortable whenever he was around.”

“I’m glad Benjamin’s uncle never had any bad experiences with a lady,” Emilia added. “It would be terrible to know someone you were close to had a friend, or family member, who didn’t trust you.” She gave Kitty a sly smile. “Speaking of Benjamin’s uncle, did you happen to talk to Miss Britcher recently?”

Kitty shook her head. “I haven’t been by to see her and her family in a week. Is she all right?”

“She’s fine,” Emilia replied. “In fact, she’s more than fine. It seems that Michael’s taken an interest