A Wager Of The Heart

8. Making a wager

:::Kent:::

I seemed to notice first that we had lost the silver eyed beauty and called attention to her absence when we came to another of my mother's covered walkways. Geraldine sat quietly on a bench and watched the pathway. I was surprised at her. She was more beautiful than I assumed she might be, given the circumstances under which we'd met. I watched her carefully but I could not make out her character. She was demure and polite, laughing occasionally at something Brandan said but she was more reserved with me.

My thoughts returned once more the girl, my angel, again I smiled wickedly at the thought. Charity. I had watched as recognition had made her blush and then as understanding made her rage. I got a gratifying kind of glee at the thought. Brandan walked over to stand next to me, under his breath he asked, "Well?"

I looked at my friends face and could tell he thought Geraldine was a fine lady. I chose my words carefully, I knew Brandan was walking a thin like of deceit against his own more compass and I didn't want to push him. "She is beautiful and agreeable."

Brandan's face darkened for a moment before he went on. "You have dismissed her already, are you even willing to try ot get to know her, to see if you could be happy with her?"

"No," I said bluntly.

Brandan sighed and nodded, "I will not push you to do what I know you detest and I will only say this once so you will listen to me." Brandan said sternly and I nodded, bemused. "Consider your options, your father is a stubborn man and he will stick to his word no matter the cost. He will continue his plans to find you a wife if this doesn't work out. You owe it to yourself, and her, to try to at least be her friend. Your plans success depends on many unknown factors."

I considered him for a moment. "It will work, did you see the girls face when she realized she'd kissed the man her mistress would marry?" I asked in a self-assured way. "That moment alone would make nearly anything bearable." I chuckled darkly and looked back at the blonde beauty. "If I have the right of it, the girl will tell my Lady as soon as they are alone and they will be running for the hills by the evening meal."

Brandan sighed away his annoyance and laughed, the sound low and not unlike a growl. "It is a dangerous game you play. But I suppose we are still playing?"

I nodded as my eyes lit on two figures approaching us. I watched as my mother led Charity toward me. I smirked when I saw the fire that turned her silver eyes to molten metal. I was in for something, a scolding probably. I laughed and nodded at the older woman. "Mother."

Charity broke eye contact and looked at my mother confused. "Take care not to lose your guests again." Edith said with a smile on her face and a threat in her voice. Charity would not look over to Brandan and I as she walked forward and sat next to Geraldine. I nodded to my mother and she left.

I watched Charity for a moment, she seemed tongue tied and in awe of my identity. I would use that to my advantage. I turned back to Brandan and smiled. The other man rolled his eyes but he couldn't keep the smirk from his face. "See," I said under my breath, "easiest thing I have ever done. The poor girl is half in love with me already and sharing her conflicted emotions with her mistress."

We men watched Geraldine and Charity talking quietly for a moment. A laughing glint entered Geraldine's blue eyes and she looked over briefly at me and smiled. "When we realized you had fallen behind, Lord Kent suggested we wait, the garden is large and he was worried you would get lost." Geraldine turned laughing eyes to the other woman and learned forward, "I thought maybe you'd been snatched by your handsome devil, to be devoured in the morning sun."