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Authors: Edward Marston
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wager.’
‘What wager?’
‘The one that I’ve made with three like-minded friends of mine.’
His brother was sickened. ‘If they are like-minded, they must be seasoned voluptuaries in the mould of Henry Redmayne. That being the case,’ he said with repugnance, ‘this wager will doubtless pertain to the very person whom we’ve been discussing. True or false?’
‘True, Christopher.’
‘Then you are even more mired in corruption than I feared. Not content with harbouring designs on the lady’s virtue, you place bets upon the outcome with your fellow rakehells.’ Crossing to the door, he pulled it wide open. ‘I’d like you to leave now, please.’
Henry was wounded. ‘There’ll be no loan?’
‘Not a brass farthing.’
‘What about the portrait?’
‘To keep it away from you,’ said Christopher with determination in his eyes, ‘I’d be prepared to stand guard over it day and night with a loaded musket.’
‘A regiment of soldiers would not be able to ensure its safety,’ boasted Henry, taking up the challenge. ‘I spurn you, Christopher Redmayne. Instead of a brother, I have a mealy mouthed parson.’
‘I only seek to save you from your own wickedness.’
‘Here endeth the lesson!’ taunted Henry.
‘You would do well to mark it.’
‘I prefer to enjoy my time on this earth.’
‘Yes,’ said Christopher, sadly. ‘I’ve seen the trail of victims you leave behind you after you’ve enjoyed them and I’m resolved that Lady Culthorpe will not be the next one.’
Henry was outraged. ‘Araminta is not my victim!’ he roared. ‘She is my salvation. Until I can make her mine, I’ll have that portrait of her on my wall. Mark this lesson, if you will,’ hecontinued, arm aloft. ‘The portrait belongs to me. It’s destined to hang in my house and woe betide anyone who tries to stop me from getting it.’
Storming out, he left the air charged with his passion.
Word of the crime provoked a varied response among members of the Society. When three of them met at a tavern that evening, it was only Elkannah Prout who showed any real compassion.
‘The wager must be cancelled,’ he said. ‘It’s unsporting – like hunting an animal that is already badly wounded.’
‘I concur,’ said Sir Willard Grail. ‘She needs time a long time to recover – months, at the very least.’
‘I think we should call off the chase altogether.’
‘Oh, I don’t agree with that, Elkannah.’
‘We should forget all about our wager.’
‘You were the one who advocated the creation of the Society for the Capture of Araminta’s Maidenhood. You cannot back out now.’
‘Her maidenhood has been surrendered, Sir Willard.’
‘A mere detail.’
‘And so has our raison d’etre .’ Prout was decisive. ‘The game is not worth the candle,’ he said. ‘We had the excitement of pursuing the lady hotfoot but we must now let her go free. I’m sure that Jocelyn agrees with me.’
Jocelyn Kidbrooke had made no contribution to the debate thus far but he had not missed a single word of it. Toying with his wine glass, he gave his opinion.
‘I do not agree with either of you,’ he said, bluntly.
‘You must take one side or the other,’ argued Prout.
‘No, Elkannah. You call for the whole project to be abandoned. Have we come so far and invested so much to back out now? That would be madness and I’ll not hear of it.’
‘Then you must take my part,’ said Sir Willard.
‘Hold off our assault for months on end? That’s ludicrous.’
‘It’s seemly, Jocelyn.’
‘And that’s precisely what I have against it,’ said Kidbrooke, slapping the table with a flabby hand for emphasis. ‘Since when have we espoused seemliness and respectability? They are the sworn enemies of real pleasure. You may have been converted to propriety, Sir Willard, but I have not – nor, I dare venture, has Henry. He and I will think alike. The race is still on.’
Prout blenched. ‘You’d allow
‘What wager?’
‘The one that I’ve made with three like-minded friends of mine.’
His brother was sickened. ‘If they are like-minded, they must be seasoned voluptuaries in the mould of Henry Redmayne. That being the case,’ he said with repugnance, ‘this wager will doubtless pertain to the very person whom we’ve been discussing. True or false?’
‘True, Christopher.’
‘Then you are even more mired in corruption than I feared. Not content with harbouring designs on the lady’s virtue, you place bets upon the outcome with your fellow rakehells.’ Crossing to the door, he pulled it wide open. ‘I’d like you to leave now, please.’
Henry was wounded. ‘There’ll be no loan?’
‘Not a brass farthing.’
‘What about the portrait?’
‘To keep it away from you,’ said Christopher with determination in his eyes, ‘I’d be prepared to stand guard over it day and night with a loaded musket.’
‘A regiment of soldiers would not be able to ensure its safety,’ boasted Henry, taking up the challenge. ‘I spurn you, Christopher Redmayne. Instead of a brother, I have a mealy mouthed parson.’
‘I only seek to save you from your own wickedness.’
‘Here endeth the lesson!’ taunted Henry.
‘You would do well to mark it.’
‘I prefer to enjoy my time on this earth.’
‘Yes,’ said Christopher, sadly. ‘I’ve seen the trail of victims you leave behind you after you’ve enjoyed them and I’m resolved that Lady Culthorpe will not be the next one.’
Henry was outraged. ‘Araminta is not my victim!’ he roared. ‘She is my salvation. Until I can make her mine, I’ll have that portrait of her on my wall. Mark this lesson, if you will,’ hecontinued, arm aloft. ‘The portrait belongs to me. It’s destined to hang in my house and woe betide anyone who tries to stop me from getting it.’
Storming out, he left the air charged with his passion.
Word of the crime provoked a varied response among members of the Society. When three of them met at a tavern that evening, it was only Elkannah Prout who showed any real compassion.
‘The wager must be cancelled,’ he said. ‘It’s unsporting – like hunting an animal that is already badly wounded.’
‘I concur,’ said Sir Willard Grail. ‘She needs time a long time to recover – months, at the very least.’
‘I think we should call off the chase altogether.’
‘Oh, I don’t agree with that, Elkannah.’
‘We should forget all about our wager.’
‘You were the one who advocated the creation of the Society for the Capture of Araminta’s Maidenhood. You cannot back out now.’
‘Her maidenhood has been surrendered, Sir Willard.’
‘A mere detail.’
‘And so has our raison d’etre .’ Prout was decisive. ‘The game is not worth the candle,’ he said. ‘We had the excitement of pursuing the lady hotfoot but we must now let her go free. I’m sure that Jocelyn agrees with me.’
Jocelyn Kidbrooke had made no contribution to the debate thus far but he had not missed a single word of it. Toying with his wine glass, he gave his opinion.
‘I do not agree with either of you,’ he said, bluntly.
‘You must take one side or the other,’ argued Prout.
‘No, Elkannah. You call for the whole project to be abandoned. Have we come so far and invested so much to back out now? That would be madness and I’ll not hear of it.’
‘Then you must take my part,’ said Sir Willard.
‘Hold off our assault for months on end? That’s ludicrous.’
‘It’s seemly, Jocelyn.’
‘And that’s precisely what I have against it,’ said Kidbrooke, slapping the table with a flabby hand for emphasis. ‘Since when have we espoused seemliness and respectability? They are the sworn enemies of real pleasure. You may have been converted to propriety, Sir Willard, but I have not – nor, I dare venture, has Henry. He and I will think alike. The race is still on.’
Prout blenched. ‘You’d allow
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