Lord Ashford's Wager by Marjorie Farrell Page A

abigail with her. And she insisted I tell you she was here.”
    “Oh, God,” groaned Tony. “I can’t see her like this.”
    The gatesman put out his hand.
    “All right, all right. Bring me the water and towel, and I’ll see her for a minute or two.”
    The water wasn’t clean, nor was the towel, but then nothing was in this dreadful place. Tony did the best he could and smoothed his hair and brushed off his trousers and shirt and then followed the gatesman out to the visitors’ room.
    Joanna had been pacing the small room while her abigail sat stiffly in a chair with her handkerchief held to her nose. Although the smell of the prison was fainter here, it had permeated the walls enough to make both women feel queasy.
    When she heard footsteps, Joanna turned and watched Tony and his guard walk down the corridor. She had never seen Tony look so bad, not even when Ned was dying. His clothes were wrinkled and dirty, he was unshaven, and his eyes looked as if he had been up for three days straight. His usually light athletic step had become heavy. Another day or two, thought Joanna in horror, and he would be shuffling.
    He stopped at the door and the gatesman almost had to push him in.
    “I’ll give you some privacy, my lord, but remember, I am right outside the door,” the guard said, and closed it behind him.
    “Joanna, you shouldn’t be here!” Tony protested in a hoarse voice.
    Joanna had decided that a matter-of-fact approach rather than sympathy would save them both from embarrassment.
    “Of course I would come, Tony. You are one of my oldest friends.”
    “Please sit down, then, Joanna.”
    Joanna sat and signaled to her abigail with her eyes. Sally rose and stood by the barred window, giving them the illusion of privacy.
    Tony stood for a moment or two, and then seated himself into the chair opposite.
    “What are you doing here, Jo? I can’t believe your parents would have allowed it.”
    “They don’t know I am here,” she admitted. “They think I am out shopping. But I couldn’t stand the rumors. I wanted to talk to you myself and see if there was anything I could do.”
    “And what are the rumors? No, don’t tell me,” Tony continued. “I can guess. The heartless and desperate young suitor of an older woman kills her in a moment of anger when she refuses him money to pay his debts.”
    “Something like that,” Joanna said. “But how anyone could believe it…”
    “Oh, I don’t know, Jo. It is so close to the truth, why wouldn’t they?” Tony responded wearily.
    “But you didn’t kill her, Tony.”
    “No,” he replied, looking directly into her eyes. “No, I didn’t kill her. But somehow I feel I may as well have been the one to put my hands around her neck. I feel responsible, Jo. I was desperate. I did borrow from her and she did at first refuse to give me more money. The butler heard that much before going to bed. But what he didn’t hear was the rest of our conversation. I convinced her that I was sincere in my determination to stop gaming, and that I cared for her. By the time I left, we were unofficially betrothed. And she had given me the money that incriminated me.”
    “Did you love her, Tony?” Joanna asked, without really thinking. She had to know.
    “We were good friends, Joanna. Like you and I. There was an instant sympathy between us. But Claudia knew how I felt about her. And I knew how she felt about me. She loved me, Jo. But I swear I was honest with her, and was sure that our marriage had every chance of becoming a very happy one, despite my motivation.”
    “To save Ashford?”
    “Yes. What other way was there? And I thought it was not such a bad thing I was doing after all. I mean, most of the marriages we know are founded on less than friendship. And I think Claudia hoped I would eventually come to love her.”
    “And would you?”
    “I will never know now, will I?”
    “We must get you out of here,” Joanna declared.
    Tony gave her a bleak smile.