I have read and enjoyed several Loretta Chase romances. The Carsington brothers series, The Last Hellion, Lord of Scoundrels, and Your Scandalous Ways. But I had never read her early Regencies, and had an interest in the reformed rake tale Knaves Wager, published by Avon in 1990, and reissued by Signet with The Sandalwood Princess in 2005. So when Miranda Neville offered to send me her copy, I was thrilled.
I had an absolute ball reading Knaves’ Wager. It opens in March 1814, as Mrs. Charles Davenant, a twenty-eight year old widow, is preparing to chaperone her niece, Cecily Davenant, through her first Season. Lilith Davenant is known for her perfect comportment and cool, imperturbable demeanor. With classical features and a slim, straight, and strong physique, she “bore such a stunning resemblance to a marble statue that it was a wonder she had a pulse.” Lilith has successfully paired off three older nieces already. Her husband, a charming but irresponsible gambler and drinker, died seven years ago, leaving her in debt to his partner in debauchery, the Marquess of Brandon. On the way to London, they come upon a carriage wreck, and rescue the gentleman pinioned by his curricle. Lilith orders her man to extricate him, and they all end up at a local inn for the night. She checks in on him (I know, I know) and he takes an immediate interest in her, and she just as immediate a dislike of him. They have this delightful exchange:
He smiled lazily. “And such eyes, Athena.”
“Indeed. One on either side of my nose. A matching set, quite common in the human countenance.”
“The Hellespont in a summer storm.”
“Blue. A common colour among the English.” She moved to the door.
“Really? They seem most uncommon to me. Perhaps you are right — but I cannot be certain until you come closer.”
“You are shortsighted…?” she asked as she opened the door. “Then it is no wonder you drive your curricle into a ditch. Perhaps in the future you will remember to don your spectacles.”
She heard a low crack of laughter as the door closed behind her.
When Lilith discovers who he is, of course, she hates him even more. Her accountant explains that the Marquess will not accept her attempts to repay him for her husband’s debts, and instead of being delighted, she redoubles her efforts. In the meantime, although Lilith has no wish to marry, she accepts the proposal of a baronet, Sir Thomas Bexley, a man with whom she shares “tastes and personalities”, in order to provide the funds to see her remaining nieces through their Seasons.
When the Marquess — Julian — arrives in London, he discovers that his nephew Robert is infatuated with his French mistress, Elise, and has promised to marry her. Of course, no such marriage can happen, but Robert cannot be talked out of it, so Brandon tries to reason with Elise. She offers him a wager: seduce Madame Davenport within eight weeks — “an absurdly generous amount of time” in Julian’s estimation– and she will release Robert from his agreement. Fail, and his family leaves her and Robert alone. Since Julian had “fully intended” to seduce Lilith, this is a wager he cannot resist.
The lengths to which Julian goes to effect this seduction surprised and delighted me. He pays off her servants to keep track of her comings and goings. He gets her driver drunk so she has to get a ride home from an affair with him. He even bribes a clerk to block an aisle so she would be forced to interact with him.
But, of course, Lilith is one tough cookie, cool as a cucumber, and always ready with a witty comeback. Julian unsettles her, makes her aware of her body and its desires in a way she has never been. But after two kisses, about which she is mortified, she sets a firm boundary and they settle into a wonderful friendship, which grows at each social event, as her betrothed spends all of his time arguing politics in smoky rooms. I was thrilled that the focus in this book was on the relationship, and not the sexual tension, or the sex. As Lilith opens up bit by bit, Julian finds himself, paradoxically, more and more interested in her, and liking her more and more.
Julian sees in Lilith the woman she hides, the sensuous and funny and interesting person. Indeed, as their relationship grows, she begins taking more care with her appearance, forgoing severe hairstyles for those that showcase her luxuriant red curls and corset free figure (I know, I know). Julian cannot for the life of him figure out why Lilith would marry stuffy old Bexley. Here’s an example of the kind of discussion they have that reveals her character:
“You are a coxcomb,” she said.
“If I were, I should not have been surprised at your knowledge of my dance partners. Yet I’m altogether amazed… and flattered. This is a far cry from invisibility.”
She returned his gaze, her face expressionless. “When I cross the street,” she said, “I look up to make certain no vehicles are bearing recklessly down upon me. I also look down, to make sure no noisome object lies in my path. I have found it necessary in recent weeks to observe similar precautions at social events.”
He laughed. “A reckless vehicle is apt enough—but the other? I am put in my place, just goddess. Your hair curls naturally, doesn’t it?”
“Yes,” she said, uncomfortable to find the talk redirected so speedily to her person.
“I thought so. You’ve never had to suffer the indignities of curl papers or scorching tongs.”
“Not those, no.”
“But others? What were they? Steel corsets when you were but a babe?”
“We will not speak of such garments, if you please,” she said in her best grande dame manner. “I meant applications of lemon juice, three times a day, day after day, week in and week out.”
“Ah, freckles” he said. “Ghastly things.”
“Well, they were.”
“Don’t be silly, I’m sure you were adorable with your freckles.”
“I was not remotely adorable. I was too tall and too skinny, and my hair was too red, and I had forty-seven freckles upon my nose alone.”
“Then I wonder they never stood you in a field to frighten away the birds. You might have made yourself useful,” he said in tones of reproof. “Still, it is a relief to know you, too, had a misspent youth.”
She bit her lip, but the vision of a gawky, adolescent Lilith standing haplessly in a field of newly seeded corn was too much for her, and what began as a titter swelled into laughter.
“Mrs. Davenant,” he said sternly, “a misspent youth is nothing to be giggling about.”
“A scarecrow,” she said, still smiling. “Isn’t it odd that I’m one now? Flapping my arms to frighten off any wicked gentlemen birds from my nieces.”
“Protecting the tender young crop.”
“Yes.”
“Someone must, I suppose.”
“Yes.” Her smile faded. The mischief was gone from his eyes, and compassion had taken its place.
“That is why,” he said almost inaudibly.
She pretended not to hear, though she knew what he meant and what she had, unwittingly, revealed to his too-keen perceptions.
Thomas will be wondering what’s become of me,” she said coolly enough, though her voice sounded shrill to her ears.
So often, I read that this or that book has “witty banter” or “intelligent dialogue” and cannot agree. If you like that sort of thing, this is a book chock full of it.
In the meantime, a secondary romance brews between Robert and Cecily which is so sweet and funny that it was possibly worth its own book. Cecily, who comes off as a silly chit, is actually much more discerning and mature than she appears.
Hanging over the book is the wager, and the question of when and whether Julian’s feelings become more than an attempt to win a bet. I’m now a pretty seasoned romance reader, and even to me, it was not easy to tell where the rake Julian ended and the real Julian began. Things have to come to a head eventually — both sexually, and in terms of the wager — and boy do they ever.
If you don’t want to be spoiled, stop reading here. Suffice to say I found this a beautifully written, mature, funny and emotional read, that, admittedly, breaks no new ground on the reformed rake and repressed widow love story, but does it so well you don’t even care.
SPOILER AHEAD:
Lilith, after finding out about the wager, receives Julian at her home in order to cut him. I think her last line to him is one of my favorites in all of romance:
And at last he was shown into the drawing room. He was not surprised to find her alone. He was surprised to discover she was not dressed to go out. She wore a plain brown frock, and her hair was braided tight about her head. Deep shadows ringed her eyes. As he moved eagerly across the room to her, he saw as well that she’d been weeping. A chill of anxiety ran through him.
“My love,” he said, holding out his hands.
She retreated a step. Her white face set into taut lines and her posture stiffened.
“You will not touch me,” she said. “You will not say another word. I meet you this once only to tell you our acquaintance is at an end. Henceforth, I do not know you.”
The chill clawed at his heart now. “Lilith.”
She turned and pulled the bell-rope. “Cawble will show you out. Good day, my lord.”
“Lilith! What is this?” He reached for her hands, but she moved back another step and folded them tightly before her.
“This is how you lose a wager, my lord,” she said.
He felt the blood rushing to his face.
“Good God,” he breathed. “You must…”
The door opened, and Cawble appeared. “Madam?”
“His lordship is leaving, Cawble.”
END SPOILER
There are a few complaints I could offer: the mistress, Elise, for example, as well as Bexley, are pretty “conveniently” characterized. But I was so pleased with the restraint of this novel, not just in the sexuality, but the things that motivated the characters (no, she wasn’t abused to within an inch of her life to explain her lack of warmth; no death of a beloved sibling/lover/comrade in arms to explain his rakishness, etc.) that I tended to overlook them.
Julian does lose the wager, of course, for reasons that will be familiar to readers of Jennifer Crusie’s Bet Me. Their reconciliation is absolutely lovely and very much in keeping with the tone of their relationship (“We’ve descended into melodrama”, says Julian at one point during their betrothal scene). Now when people say, as they so often do, “I just love Loretta Chase’s early Regencies”, I can smile and nod along in total happy agreement.
