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Author's Chapter Notes:
Thank you so much for all of your feedback!! Glad that you're enjoying it. On to the next chapter!
William Pratt was an awful card player. Cursed with an expressive face, the entire table knew which way his hand leaned before William had a chance to rearrange his features into a placid visage. Of course, they never told him this. William was comically unaware of his shortcomings, blaming the large amounts of money that he lost each week at the table a symptom of bad luck or drink. He had a point about the last part. They regularly plied him with liquor because it made him lay down even more money for his awful hands.

"You in, Pratt?" A man across from him named Marcus asked.

"I'm clean out of cash," William said, turning out the inside of his pocket. "I could do credit."

The men around the table nodded their acceptance excitedly. They very much liked the prospect of William Pratt reaching into the Pratt family's large girth of wealth.

"That's fine," Marcus said. "Provided you follow through with payment. But we don't have to worry about that, do we?"

"Presumptuous, don't you think?" William slurred. "You're already assuming I'll lose."

"Just going off past experience," Marcus answered with a slight grin. "But come on, Pratt, lay your bet. Perhaps your luck will turn."

It didn't.

William left the game with empty pockets and 300 pounds in debt. He swore to bring the money to the next night's game and stumbled out of the gentleman's club and made his way back home. His father was waiting for him when he burst into the Pratt estate.

"Let me guess, son, cards again?"

"Lucky first guess," William retorted.

"No, it's not considering that you are there nearly every night. How much did you lose tonight?"

"Who said I lost anything?"

William's father shook his head. "It's time you grew up, William. I looked the other way with your gallivanting and carousing before. You were young. But you are no longer a boy of 21, William. It is time that you took up your responsibilities."

"I am making business relationships," William drawled.

"I'm cutting you off," his father said in a hard voice. "Until you accept your responsibilities and show that you can do more than gamble and stick your head under women's skirts you will getting no money from this family."

That sobered William remarkably fast. His father turned and walked away, William watching his retreating back with a pinched expression.

Cut off.

He was cut off from all funds when he had an outstanding 300 pound debt. He knew these men, had seen them at their worst, and knew they were not to be crossed. They had the veneer of genteel but underneath they were as cruel as any other man swindled out of money. He had seen what happened to the others who didn't pay their debts.

His mind wandered back to his afternoon run-in with Buffy Summers and his mouth screwed into a frown. She had offered to pay him handsomely. What that exactly entailed, he was unsure, but he was sure he could persuade her to go higher. She was in love with the great poof, after all. He saw the desperation in her eyes as she asked for his help and was moderately sure he could name any price if it meant she was reunited with Liam Angelus.

He also knew Angelus well. It wouldn't take Angelus long to turn around once he learned that his wilting flower was in the clutches of one as lecherous as himself. It would take two weeks—three weeks at the absolute most. And so it was decided.

He would be paying Ms. Summers a visit.

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To say that Buffy was surprised when William Pratt showed up at her home would be an understatement. She was reading in the sitting room when Dawn bound into the room and said, "A carriage is approaching!"

She figured it was some business associate of her father's and couldn't see why this had put her sister into such a dither. When she told Dawn this her sister shook her head quickly and said, "No, we asked father! He isn't expecting anyone!"

That piqued her curiosity. Unannounced visitors were not commonplace at the Summers home and she followed Dawn to the window where both looked expectantly at the approaching carriage.

"I wonder who it is?" Dawn enthused, cheeks flushed with excitement.

"Well, we'll find out soon enough."

The carriage came to a stop in front of the gravel walkway to their home and Buffy's eyes widened when the door opened to reveal none other than William Pratt.

"That's the man from the fabric shop!" Dawn exclaimed.

"What is he doing here?" Buffy wondered aloud. Had he reconsidered?

"Girls, come to the foyer," Joyce said from behind them, gesturing for them to follow her. "We have a guest."

"Buffy met him when we were in town!" Dawn revealed happily, not noticing the glare that her sister sent her.

"You did, Buffy?" Joyce said. "Well, he could be here to see you!"

"Not necessarily," Buffy said evasively, although any other explanation seemed unlikely.

"Where did you meet him, again?"

Before Buffy could answer Dawn filled her mother on everything that happened at the fabric store. "She went up to him all on her own!"

"Buffy," he mother gasped.

"I met him previously," Buffy said quickly. "At the dance Friday night. I simply went over to say hello."

There was a knock on the door and Dawn quietly trilled, "Oh, that must be him! This is so exciting! We never have visitors like this!"

Buffy rolled her eyes, lips pressed into a firm line. Joyce stepped forward and opened the door, greeting William warmly as she stepped back and ushered him into the house. He glanced toward Buffy and gave her a small grin.

"Hello Buffy," he said. Before she could read too much into his gaze he turned toward Dawn and said, "And you must be Dawn."

Her sister glowed under his attention and gave a quick nod. "Yes, I'm Dawn."

"Pleasure to meet you. Mrs. Summers, your house is beautiful."

"Thank you," Joyce said. "This is you first visit, is it not?"

"Regrettably, yes. I don't get to this part of town frequent enough." He glanced toward Buffy. "Perhaps that is due for a change."

Buffy's stomach dropped.

"May I ask the reason for your visit?" Joyce asked kindly.

"I'm here to see your daughter, actually. We had a wonderful conversation when we ran into each other in town yesterday. I happened to be in the area and thought I would stop by and visit for a bit."

Joyce looked between William and her daughter, sensing something between the two and choosing to capitalize on it before her daughter could make up some excuse to send the boy away. She had a habit of forsaking just about every other man in favor of that daft Liam Angelus.

"Buffy, why don't you show William the gardens? It's a beautiful day and the roses have just begun to bloom."

Buffy nodded reluctantly and William stepped forward and offered her his arm. She hesitated but then thread her arm through his. As they walked out she remarked, "Offering me your arm. Don't you think you're laying it on a bit thick, Mr. Pratt?"

"Not at all. This is how one acts in polite society."

Buffy grinned. "Look at you, considering yourself a part of polite society."

He couldn't help but chuckle at that. They exited the house and walked toward the gardens. Both were silent for a stretch of time before Buffy glanced up at him and asked, "So, what are you really doing here?"

"I've thought more about your little proposition," he said.

"You have?"

He nodded. "And I've decided that I'll do it."

Buffy stopped walking, turning toward him with wide eyes. "You will?"

"But, I have two stipulations." She nodded for him to continue. "I want 300 pounds."

Her eyes widened. When she said she would pay him handsomely before she was thinking maybe 100 pounds, 150 at the absolute most. "You're kidding."

"Pet, you cannot put a price on love."

She narrowed her eyes and bit out, "Fine, 300 pounds it is. What's your other stipulation?"

He smiled wide then and she had a feeling she would not like what she heard.

"When we are in public, you are to do everything that I say."

She laughed, unwilling to believe that this man could be serious. It was preposterous. She told him so and he arched one blonde eye brow and said, "Those are my parameters, kitten. Take them or leave them."

"You expect me to let you have free reign of me? I think not!"

He smirked. "I don't plan on violating you in any way. Unless you ask nicely, of course." She glared at him. "I simply mean that there may be times when I know better how to pique your wayward lover's jealousy than you do."

"You think you know better?"

"Experience, love, there is no match to mine."

Her mouth remained closed. She couldn't refute that point.

"Fine," she answered. "I will adhere to your ridiculous stipulations."

William chuckled at her tone and said, "You really are a lively one, Buffy Summers. This could end up being fun."

"I don't care if it's fun or not as long as it ends with Liam crawling back to me on his hands and knees," Buffy remarked, eyes brightening at the mental image. "Oh, this will drive him mad!"

"So, when can I expect my handsome pay, pet?"

"Are you worried I will not pay?" she asked.

"Not at all."

"You will get it when I deem the time appropriate," she said, gauging his reaction. She noticed his jaw tighten and ascertained that he was not pleased with the arrangement.

"I don't think I like that."

"Well, then what do you propose?"

"You have one week to pay me," he answered. The men at the club should allot him a week to fill his debt. "Added stipulation on the stipulation, pet."

"One week?" She worried whether she had enough in her reserves to answer to his demands. "Perhaps you'd reconsider? Two weeks, maybe?"

"The way you're talking it sounds like the handsome payment was bait and nothing else."

"Nonsense," she said, lying through her teeth. "Of course I intended on paying you."

And she had. She just figured in more time to collect said money. Perhaps some would come in the form of weddings gifts when her and Liam made their love official. That could hardly be done in one week.

"Fine, I suppose two weeks couldn't hurt," he said. He would tell the boys that he was waiting for a business deal to go through. None of them had to know that there was no real business to speak of. Who knows, perhaps by then his father would have forgotten all about this silly nonsense of him taking responsibility and replenished his funds.

"Wonderful, so it's settled," Buffy said happily. She patted his arm with as much affection as she could muster. "So, shall we continue our tour of the gardens?"

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The couple returned to the house some time later, cheeks flushed from the stroll around the gardens. Joyce greeted them with a subdued smile, noting the way her daughter was tucked into William's side.

"Did you enjoy our gardens?" she asked.

"The best I've ever seen," William answered. He looked down at Buffy and added, "Thank you for serving as my guide."

"It was no trouble at all," she answered. "We could hardly have you wandering around on your own. The field hands would talk."

William smirked. "Well, it was a pleasure seeing all of you again."

He unthread Buffy's arm from his and relished the way her eyes widened as he dropped a soft kiss to the top of her hand. He could tell that she was using every bit of strength not to rip her hand from his.

"I hope to see you all soon," he said, making his exit as the other two women bid him farewell. Buffy stayed in the back, suspiciously quiet.

"Well, I have to say that he is nothing like I imagined," Joyce said after his departure. "From the stories you hear, you'd think he was an absolute terror! He was so polite. Oh, and so handsome-but that was no surprise! Do you think he'll be visiting here often, sweetheart?"

Buffy thought of the 300 pounds she was now obliged to pay and said, "He better."


Chapter End Notes:
Thoughts? I'd love to hear 'em!



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