The Damn Wager
The air of London smelled of soot, rain, and sin. But inside The King’s Club, the air consisted only of expensive cigars, aged whiskey, and male ego.
Lord Dominic, the Duke of Ashbourne, sprawled in his leather armchair, holding his crystal glass up to the light. The amber liquid glowed in the firelight of the hearth. Just like Dominic’s golden-blond hair.
"I am bored," Dominic said, without bringing the glass to his lips. His voice was as smooth as velvet but as cold as ice. "London is boring. Society is boring. Women... God, women are the most boring of all."
Sitting opposite him, his closest friend Viscount Jasper laughed. Unlike Dominic, Jasper was dark-haired, and his eyes always held a glint of mischief.
"Of course you are bored, Dom," Jasper said, shuffling a deck of cards. "Half the season has passed through your bed. The rest are praying for you to just look at them. When the hunt is over, what does the hunter do?"
Dominic rolled his eyes. "The hunter finds a new forest. But the trees here are always the same."
Just then, laughter erupted from a group of lords in the corner of the club. On the table lay the anonymous gossip sheet distributed to society that morning.
Lord Felix walked over to them, waving the paper. "Gentlemen, have you seen this year's list of 'Hopeless Cases'? It seems Lady Eleanor Moore is breaking records in her third season."
Dominic frowned. "Moore? The redhead?"
"The very same," Felix laughed. "They call her 'The Invisible Redhead'. Though how one can be invisible with hair that color, I do not know... Three years and not a single dance offer. I hear she has given up hope too, content only to watch Lord Julian from afar."
Dominic’s lip curled in amusement. "Julian? That poetry-reading, romantic fool? It is impossible for a girl like Eleanor to snag a society favorite like Julian."
"Poor girl," Jasper said cynically. "Some women are born diamonds, others coal. Eleanor is definitely coal. Julian will never look at her."
A dangerous idea struck Dominic at that moment. Coal, under enough pressure, turned into diamond. And Dominic loved a challenge. Especially the ones deemed impossible.
"You are mistaken, Jasper," Dominic said, taking a sip of his whiskey. "In the right hands, any woman can be turned into a diamond. It is not about the woman; it is about the sculptor who touches her."
Jasper put down the cards. His eyes narrowed. "Easy to say, Your Grace. But Eleanor Moore? One would need to be a magician to polish that girl."
Dominic leaned forward. The blue fire in his eyes flared. "Care to make a wager?"
The table went silent. Dominic’s wagers were legendary, and he never lost.
"I'm listening," Jasper said.
"One month," Dominic said, slamming his glass onto the table. "Give me one month. Until the biggest event of the season, the Queen’s Ball. By then, I will mold that little wallflower into such a creature that not only will she receive dance offers..."
Dominic smiled. It was a wolf's smile.
"...She will receive a marriage proposal from that Lord Julian she adores, or even from Prince Frederick himself."
Felix laughed out loud. "Impossible! Julian is chasing Lady Clara. And the Prince only dances with the elite."
"Are you in?" Dominic asked, looking at Jasper.
Jasper grinned. "For what stakes?"
"If I win," Dominic said, "your prized Arabian stallion, Wind, becomes mine."
Jasper swallowed. He loved that horse. But Eleanor getting a proposal from the Prince? That was impossible. It was easy money.
"Agreed," Jasper said. "But if you lose, Dom... If that girl leaves that ball without a ring on her finger..."
"Yes?"
"You will have to display my famous 'Nude Statue' collection in the gardens of the Duke’s manor."
That would be a scandal. But Dominic didn't even contemplate losing.
He extended his hand. "Deal."
They shook on it.
Dominic leaned back and finished his whiskey. The piece of coal had fallen into his palm. Now, it was time to burn it.
