The Earl's Wager

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Book: Read The Earl's Wager for Free Online
Authors: Rebecca Thomas
Tags: Romance, Regency, horse, love, Victorian, Earl, bet, Race, marriage mart, Wager, hoyden, jockey, tutor
circumstance.”
    She placed her hands on her hips. “And what is that supposed to mean?”
    “It means it’s inappropriate to speak of someone’s pregnancy.”
    “How else are you supposed to say it?”
    “You can say she’s increasing or expecting a child,” he replied.
    “Fine. What else is on that list?”
    “If time will allow, we should consider a voice coach to help you with your accent.”
    She gaped. “My accent? As far as I’m concerned, you’re the one with the accent.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “This is where I draw the line. I am not seeing a voice coach.”
    All right. Maybe for their first day he’d pushed a little too hard. “Fine. I’ll take voice coach off the list. I was thinking maybe we’d go to the theatre, if you’d like. I’m not sure if it might be different here than in America. Is that acceptable to you?”
    “I suppose that would be all right. I might like the theatre.” She pressed her lips together in a hard line before gazing up at him. “But I’d still like to know a little bit about flirting.”
    His stomach churned, and he questioned whether he might be hungry. Growing up with Arabella should have prepared him for the likes of Georgia Duvall and her impertinent line of questioning. “When Oliver asked for my assistance in teaching you our customs, I don’t believe flirting was one of his objectives.”
    At least she had the decency to blush, although she didn’t look away. “No. I suppose not.”
    Miss Duvall was well past Arabella’s level of precociousness. And considering the first time he laid eyes on her she was wearing a jockey uniform, he didn’t know why she kept surprising him. “The first item on our list to accomplish is to learn what are, and are not, appropriate things to discuss with a man, and talking about flirting isn’t one of them.”
    “That makes absolutely no sense at all. How else am I to attract Sir Richard’s attention?”
    “No.” He distinctly smelled the scent of lilacs. He backed up. Whatever perfume Miss Duvall wore certainly didn’t matter. This conversation was too much. She had latched on to wanting knowledge about flirting like a hound with his favorite bone, and Will could see he’d have a hard time releasing the bone in question from her grasp. “I am not the right person to be having this conversation with. Discuss it with Arabella if you like. I’ll come by tomorrow morning, and I’ll have another list with me. A list of appropriate topics to discuss with a man, and it most certainly won’t include flirting.”
    “All right. We’ll discuss it later then. But I don’t understand. I can’t talk about pregnancy or flirting, but hounds are all right?”
    “Yes. I think that’s quite enough for the day. I must say hello to my sister, then I need to return to my estate.”
    “And what did I learn today, exactly?” she queried. “That I’m supposed to ask Sir Richard if he has hounds?”
    “Yes, that’s correct.” It was an imbecilic answer to her question, but he didn’t have time to reassess his project. “Tomorrow we’ll discuss dining and the proper use of utensils. I will arrive in time for luncheon. Later in the week, we’ll go to London to see the modiste.”
    “Arabella has spoken of her childhood at Black Pine Hall, but I haven’t been there yet. It’s not far, is it?”
    She asked entirely too many questions. Although he imagined Arabella would be no different, since he’d been gone for several months.
    “It’s an hour’s carriage ride. I must leave now.” He should get Arabella’s take on the chit. Then again, maybe he didn’t want to know how much of a project he’d undertaken.
    “Good day, my lord, until tomorrow then.”
    He’d taken on much more than he’d comprehended when he agreed to tutor the American, Miss Georgia Duvall. But he’d made a wager, he’d given his word, and he wasn’t backing down.

Chapter Four
    Georgia spent the next morning with Harland

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