Hardly a Husband (Free Fellows League 3)

Griff was clearly surprised. "You are?"

Jarrod nodded.

"I'm sure my sister-in-law will be delighted," Griff said. "But are you sure you want to go there?"

"Quite sure," Jarrod said. "She did invite me. I think it's time I accept her invitation."

"Every hostess in London invites you to her parties," Griff reminded him. "And unless our League business requires it or it's one of Alyssa's gatherings, you rarely attend any of them."

"I'm making an exception for Lady Garrison," Jarrod replied.

"A major exception," Griff said. "And what I want to know is why?"

Jarrod smiled. "Let's just say that it's time I stayed on your duchess's good side by accepting her sister's invitation."

Colin glanced skyward and shook his head at Jarrod's patently transparent prevarication. "Let's just say that it probably has something to do with the wager entered into the betting books this afternoon." Although Colin rarely wagered except with h

is closest friends, his father was an inveterate gambler and Colin had made it a matter of habit to check the betting books at White's in the morning and in the afternoon almost every day to see if his father had wagered on anything recorded on the pages.

"Damnation!" Jarrod swore. "He certainly didn't waste any time recording it. I only had coffee with him this morning."

"It was on the books by early afternoon," Colin told him. "Has anyone else taken the wager?"

"Of course," Colin answered. "A wager that large is bound to attract attention."

"Your father's?" Jarrod asked.

"Thankfully no," Colin replied, refilling his coffee cup and taking a sip of the brew. "But there are several others who can't afford to lose that amount."

"Who?" Jarrod demanded.

"Carville, Jackson, Munford, and several others."

"For or against?"

"Those I mentioned are betting on you," Colin told him. "The others are wagering against it."

"I haven't looked at the books lately," Jonathan said. "So tell us, who wagered what?"

"Yes." Courtland was fairly chomping at the bit for details. "Who did what?"

"Lord Dunbridge recorded a wager he made with Jarrod," Colin answered.

Griff scowled. Dunbridge wasn't one of their contemporaries. And as far as he knew, Jarrod was barely acquainted with the man. "What sort of wager would you have with a dandy like Lord Dunbridge?"

"A thousand-pound wager," Colin answered.

"Jupiter!" Barclay exclaimed.

"Must be a sure thing," Courtland added.

"Far from it, I'd say," Colin replied. "Lord Dunbridge wagered a thousand pounds that he would marry a certain young lady at the end of the season."

"At least he had the good manners not to mention her by name," Jarrod said.

"Oh, but he did," Colin told him. "I had the good manners not to mention her by name, but Dunbridge wrote it out for all to see."

"I don't believe it!" Jarrod was outraged at that breach of etiquette. One might mention a mistress or a widow or a woman of dubious character in wagers of this nature, but never an unmarried young lady of good family.