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Chapter 25 – The Betting Book.

AN* - To my reviewers, I love you all.






White’s had been a washout. Both men found that they were not in the mood to drink once they had entered the hallowed halls. A bottle of brandy was placed between them as soon as they arrived, but only a few drinks had passed their lips. Each had been caught up with their own thoughts and there was a dark mood over the table.

More than one acquaintance nodded as they passed by, but William and Clem kept a broody silence between them. Neither man wanted to start a conversation which could be heard by half the ton, and as such end up as the latest on-dit of the season.

One young man, obviously foxed, passed their table and greeted them.

“Whitmore and Telford,” the young fop slurred. “Come to see the betting book?”

Both William and Clem lifted their heads towards the interloper.

“Betting book?” William asked, his voice threatening.

The young man was too drunk to notice the threat in William’s voice and carried on. “Why of course, Whitmore. There’s a nice bet in there about your up coming nuptials.”

William rose hastily to his feet, followed closely by Clem.

“Explain yourself boy,” William spat at him in a rage. Clem held on to William’s arm to stop him planting the young idiot a facer.

“Take a look for yourself, My Lord” the young man sneered. “It would appear that there is a large bet on the wedding not taking place.”

For a small second the young man looked thoughtful and turned his eyes towards the ceiling before bringing them back to encompass the two men before him.

“Thought about putting something on myself considering how well you know the Lady Drusilla.” The young man turned on his heel and walked away with a slight stagger to his step.

Clem held tightly to William to stop him following.

“Not now, Will” Clem whispered to him. “Let’s see the damned book”

Clem made a gesture to one of the waiters close to hand. As he man drew close Clem warned his friend “Whatever is there Will, you don’t react.”

William nodded slightly as Clem bade the waiter for the book.

The betting book at White’s was legendary. Fortunes had won or lost based on bets entered in the book. Most were innocuous and revolved around horses or games of cards. However once in a while a wit would use the book to further their own plans, and many a Dukedom or Earldom had been left without an heir due to duels won and lost when a man’s honour had been questioned.

Clem watched the waiter bring the book. He glanced around and noticed more than one member of the club was watching them both intently. There must be something bad in the book concerning William. He dreaded to think what it was or how his volatile friend would react.

Taking the book from the waiter, he bade William sit down.

“We don’t want any of the tabbies in here to know anything.”

William knew good advice when he heard it, yet a feeling of dread passed over him. He tried to keep his countenance steady as Clem turned the pages of the book to see what it said. Near the end of the book Clem found his prize.


Lord W’s in a bit of a pickle
Truly in love with a woman so fickle
But what will happen should Lady E discover
Her money’s been spent on a slut of a lover

Both men stared at the number of bets placed against him marrying Buffy. My God, if any of them knew about the events of this evening then they would be on to a sure thing

William’s face went white then red. Clem knew by looking at him that he was ready to tear the head from anyone who spoke to them. It was time to leave.

“Put the book down on the table slowly, Will” Clem hissed at him. “Don’ let anyone see how close they are to winning anything.”

The book slowly fell from William’s hands to the table. He had to get out of there.

“Time to go,Clem.”

Nodding his agreement, Clem rose and accompanied William out of White’s.

As both men strode down the steps to the pavement, they could hear raucous laughter behind them.

“Christ, Clem” exclaimed William. “What the hell am I going to do?”

“Why that’s simple Will. You get the chit to go ahead with the marriage”

William looked at him as if he had grown another head.

“Need to get her to talk to me first, Clem”

“We’ll see to that in the morning. Let’s get home and sober before tomorrow”

And with that they made their way home.



Back in the Craven mansion Buffy put William out of her mind and tended to her mother. Lady Joyce was indeed quite ill and Giles had been sent with a message for the family physician. Buffy had made her mother as comfortable as possible and had left instructions that they not to be disturbed unless it was the physician.

Lady Joyce was retching into a basin. Buffy noticed the spots of blood in the vomit, but chose wisely not to comment. She loved her gentle, wise mother very much and did not wish to hurt her, but everyone knew that blood in the vomit was a sign of consumption.

Waiting impatiently at her mother’s side, Buffy started to recall the events of the evening.

How could he have done that to her? He must really be in love with the woman to call her name at such a moment. She had been so sure that when they played their little games he thought only of her, well she had been proved wrong tonight.

Everything inside her told her to walk away from this marriage. If she told her father that she had changed her mind surely he would listen. She realised that as long as she married someone her father would be happy. Maybe she would turn her attention to Lord Telford. After all he had been most attentive to her and her mother this evening and she believed him to be kind.

William was not kind. William was thoughtless, insensitive and greedy for her money.

The thought of avenging her honour by marrying his best friend was a really good idea. She batted it around her head for a few moments and realised that she could not go through with a marriage to Clem. She fully intended to have her own money and Clem was too gentle to hurt.

No, she would marry William but she would lay down the terms of the marriage contract.

If she had known of the existence of the White’s Betting Book she may have taken a different course of action. However she made her plans in ignorance of the fact that all she had to say to ruin William was, NO.

Tomorrow, she decided. Tomorrow she would lay down her terms.





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