The Bachelor Bargain (Secrets, Scandals, and Spies) by Michaels, Maddison (short books to read TXT) 📕

“Your leg troubling you again?” Alex asked while he poured himself a brandy.

“When does it not?” She smiled softly at him. “Which is why I think I shall cry off from the ball tonight. And don’t pretend to be too upset by my decision.”

Alex laughed. “As much as I hate seeing you in pain, I will happily accept the reprieve. Though Griff and Justin will be upset I have been relieved of my duties.”

“I didn’t realise it was such a duty to escort me to a ball.” Livie arched her brow.

“You know it’s not that,” Alex grumbled, pulling a bit at his necktie. “It’s having to deal with the mamas of Society that is the intolerable part. And besides, the Wernhams’ is always a dead bore. I don’t know why you go every year.”

“Because Lady Wernham is lovely and I don’t wish to hurt her feelings by refusing her invitation.” As it was, she’d feel bad about not going, especially as she’d wanted to see in person the sensation the gazette teaser was creating, but that had been before her visit with Lady Chilton.

She had a blackmailer to speak to tonight, and it would be far easier attending directly from here, while her father and brothers were all at events or their clubs, rather than working out how to extract herself from a ball under Alex’s notice.

The last thing Livie needed was for Alex to get any more suspicious about what she was up to than he already likely was. Though her brother may be slightly stuffy, he was very canny too.

“You’re far too much of a bleeding heart, sister.”

“With the compliments you dish out, brother, I’m very surprised you still haven’t managed to marry,” Livie replied somewhat drily, as he sat across from her.

“You shall have to learn to curb that sarcastic tongue, sister.” Alexander took a sip of the amber liquid. “For I doubt the man you eventually marry will appreciate it.”

Alexander was clearly still under the mistaken impression that she would marry, even though the only offer she had ever received in her entire seven years of being on the marriage market was from Lord Ainsworth, who was eighty years old. “You know perfectly well I shall not marry. Why you keep insisting I will is somewhat redundant. No gentleman wants to marry a lady who is a cripple.”

“For goodness’ sake, Livie, you’re not a cripple.” Alexander drew a hand through his black hair, clearly frustrated to be discussing a topic they were always at loggerheads over. “You get about amply fine.”

“I get about with a limp and a cane. Men notice that. And, if you hadn’t already realized, are deterred by it.”

“It is not your limp that deters them from asking you to marry them, it’s your darn stubbornness.”

Livie glared at him. It had always been a bone of contention between them. “Might I remind you that it was your friends who played that prank on me in my debut year. Pretending they were all enamored of me, when in fact all they were trying to do was win a bet as to who could get the first kiss from the duke’s lame daughter.”

Alexander’s eyes clouded in distress and immediately Livie felt horrid for even bringing it up. She knew her brother was still dismayed over what some of his so-called friends had done, and he’d even gone as far as to give the bounders the cut direct after the incident all those years ago.

“Miss Merriweather is here to visit,” their butler Dalton intoned from the doorway, an expression of acute distaste on his face at the familiarity Etta displayed as she strolled around him and into the room, as she did most every day when she came to call.

“Hello!” Etta’s cheery voice called as she hurried over to the lounge.

“Miss Merriweather.” Alex stood and bowed to her as she took a seat beside Livie.

“Lord Whitmore, it’s nice to see you.” She addressed Alex by his courtesy title.

“The pleasure is mine,” he returned. “And now that you are here to entertain my sister, I shall take my leave.”

“Oh, was that what that was? Entertaining me?” Livie raised an eyebrow as he downed the last of his brandy. “I think you need some practice, brother.”

“Sarcasm again?” He sighed rather mockingly as he walked over and gave her a peck on the cheek. “Now rest up and I shall see you tomorrow.”

The ladies watched as he took his leave, and then Etta jumped up from the lounge and rushed over, closing the door. She spun around, facing Livie, her eyes beaming with excitement. “Oh my goodness, the reception the teaser has received has been a phenomenal success! Honestly, it is all anyone can talk of. And the new warehouse is amazing. It is double the size of the space Mr. Mooney had agreed to rent us! I must say, when you mentioned Mr. Colver being a silent partner, I had grave concerns, but he has come through with flying colors.”

He certainly had. Livie herself had made certain to stop at the address and take a look at the new space on the way home. Sebastian had delivered on his promise. It was huge, clean, and simply perfect for the gazette.

Etta clapped her hands together and did a slight dance on the spot. “We shall be able to purchase an even bigger printing press then I’d first thought and triple our production of the flyers. Which is what we shall obviously need for the first edition, going by all the interest the pamphlet has generated.” She hurried back to her seat and collapsed down upon it, her bustle flattening in the process. “Speaking of the gazette, how did everything go with Lady Chilton? Did you convince her to give you the guest list?”

Pulling out the list from the pocket of her pelisse, Livie handed it over. “I certainly did, and look at the three men Lady Chilton marked as showing an interest in Alice