Read Online The Widow Wager by Jess Michaels - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jess Michaels
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often knew the darker side of many of Society’s elite.
“I’m not entirely certain,” Marcus began.
“Well, we won’t judge exclusively on what you say, then,” Rafe reassured him. “What is it you recall?”
Marcus’s lips pinched and he looked at the brothers with an almost apologetic expression. “What I recall was said only in passing. Laurelcross once held a membership in my club and came regularly to game and play in the back rooms with the ladies. He hadn’t been around in a while, and when Abbot and I were talking about it, he mentioned the man had been married and was focusing all his…er… seed on making a legitimate heir.”
Crispin found himself flinching. Gemma would be utterly humiliated if she knew they were discussing her life like this. He wasn’t sure he liked it much himself.
“And?” Rafe pressed, clearly not as troubled by the fact.
“And then one day Abbot told me he was dead. But the rumor was…” Marcus hesitated and looked at Crispin carefully. “Some have said that Gemma killed her husband.”
Chapter Eight
Crispin stared at his brother-in-law in shock as what Marcus had said sank in. When Gemma had begun her talk of secrets, he’d thought of a dozen potential scandals, but this… this had never even crossed his mind.
“I’m sorry, are you truly talking about murder ?” Rafe said, his mouth dropped open and his eyes wide.
Crispin stepped forward. “Wait a moment, Marcus didn’t say murdered. He said killed, and that means there could be much more to it.”
Both men turned their heads toward him, as if astonished that he would argue semantics about a subject as shocking as this. He frowned.
“Don’t look at me like that. I think we would all know, beyond mere rumor, if the woman ran screeching across the room and put a dagger in his back, yes? She likely would have been arrested if that were the case, I cannot picture that Laurelcross’s family would stand for such a thing to go unpunished.”
Rafe paced away, but he was nodding as he moved restlessly across the room. “I suppose you are correct. Were there any other details?”
Marcus shrugged. “You know me, since the woman wasn’t a member in my club, I didn’t have to worry about anything but removing her husband’s name from the roster. I didn’t press the issue and Abbot would never indulge in idle gossip—it isn’t his way.”
“And the entire thing may be idle gossip,” Crispin offered. “After all, Rafe, you and I did a great many of the things that have made our family name so notorious, but many of the actions attributed to us were also lies. You cannot deny that we know from personal experience that a kernel of truth can be blown into something far larger.”
His brother arched a brow and his tone was almost imperceptibly soft when he said, “We were never accused of being killers, Cris.”
Running a hand through his hair, Crispin looked once more toward the liquor that almost winked in promise across the room. If anything was a reason to get obliterated, wasn’t the idea that his forced bride was potentially a killer a good one?
“But you know her better than Marcus and I do, of course,” Rafe said, his voice breaking into Crispin’s longing. “What do you think?”
Crispin looked at him in sharp surprise. “You have heard my tale about last night—I don’t know the woman.”
“You spent a night and a morning with her. It is still better than the twenty minutes Marcus and I have in her acquaintance.”
Crispin sighed. They were right, he supposed, but it seemed an odd exercise to sift through his thoughts about Gemma in that manner. Especially since they were increasingly confused now that this new information was joining his first impressions.
“I was either in a stupor that I cannot recall or asleep for the first portion of our time together,” he began. “And entirely vulnerable. If the woman had ever wanted to kill anyone, I suppose it would have
“I’m not entirely certain,” Marcus began.
“Well, we won’t judge exclusively on what you say, then,” Rafe reassured him. “What is it you recall?”
Marcus’s lips pinched and he looked at the brothers with an almost apologetic expression. “What I recall was said only in passing. Laurelcross once held a membership in my club and came regularly to game and play in the back rooms with the ladies. He hadn’t been around in a while, and when Abbot and I were talking about it, he mentioned the man had been married and was focusing all his…er… seed on making a legitimate heir.”
Crispin found himself flinching. Gemma would be utterly humiliated if she knew they were discussing her life like this. He wasn’t sure he liked it much himself.
“And?” Rafe pressed, clearly not as troubled by the fact.
“And then one day Abbot told me he was dead. But the rumor was…” Marcus hesitated and looked at Crispin carefully. “Some have said that Gemma killed her husband.”
Chapter Eight
Crispin stared at his brother-in-law in shock as what Marcus had said sank in. When Gemma had begun her talk of secrets, he’d thought of a dozen potential scandals, but this… this had never even crossed his mind.
“I’m sorry, are you truly talking about murder ?” Rafe said, his mouth dropped open and his eyes wide.
Crispin stepped forward. “Wait a moment, Marcus didn’t say murdered. He said killed, and that means there could be much more to it.”
Both men turned their heads toward him, as if astonished that he would argue semantics about a subject as shocking as this. He frowned.
“Don’t look at me like that. I think we would all know, beyond mere rumor, if the woman ran screeching across the room and put a dagger in his back, yes? She likely would have been arrested if that were the case, I cannot picture that Laurelcross’s family would stand for such a thing to go unpunished.”
Rafe paced away, but he was nodding as he moved restlessly across the room. “I suppose you are correct. Were there any other details?”
Marcus shrugged. “You know me, since the woman wasn’t a member in my club, I didn’t have to worry about anything but removing her husband’s name from the roster. I didn’t press the issue and Abbot would never indulge in idle gossip—it isn’t his way.”
“And the entire thing may be idle gossip,” Crispin offered. “After all, Rafe, you and I did a great many of the things that have made our family name so notorious, but many of the actions attributed to us were also lies. You cannot deny that we know from personal experience that a kernel of truth can be blown into something far larger.”
His brother arched a brow and his tone was almost imperceptibly soft when he said, “We were never accused of being killers, Cris.”
Running a hand through his hair, Crispin looked once more toward the liquor that almost winked in promise across the room. If anything was a reason to get obliterated, wasn’t the idea that his forced bride was potentially a killer a good one?
“But you know her better than Marcus and I do, of course,” Rafe said, his voice breaking into Crispin’s longing. “What do you think?”
Crispin looked at him in sharp surprise. “You have heard my tale about last night—I don’t know the woman.”
“You spent a night and a morning with her. It is still better than the twenty minutes Marcus and I have in her acquaintance.”
Crispin sighed. They were right, he supposed, but it seemed an odd exercise to sift through his thoughts about Gemma in that manner. Especially since they were increasingly confused now that this new information was joining his first impressions.
“I was either in a stupor that I cannot recall or asleep for the first portion of our time together,” he began. “And entirely vulnerable. If the woman had ever wanted to kill anyone, I suppose it would have
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