“What? You cannot do that; surely that is against the rules?” Cecily exclaimed as Charlotte laid the queen of hearts at the centre of the table.
“It is not,” the Dowager Duchess said as she walked by.
Charlotte flushed.How does she always seem to sneak up on me like that?She was sitting in one of the ballrooms at one of the many card tables that had been set up for that morning’s event. They were playing a game none of them had ever heard of,The Dowager, and one that Charlotte suspected was invented by Dominic’s grandmother.
“None of this makes any sense. At least not to me,” Cecily grumbled.
“I do not think you are the only one, Cecily,” Dominic murmured.
A few tables away, a young man shouted in frustration and flipped the entire table onto its side. Every head in the hall whipped towards him as he stood, his face purple with rage until he saw the Dowager Duchess striding towards him.
“Well, I think we can safely say that you are disqualified. Please pack your things and leave.” The Dowager Duchess waved a dismissive hand. “I have no wish to give my money to someone with the intellect and patience of a rampaging bull.”
“But…”
“Do not make me repeat myself. Get out of my sight. This is supposed to be entertaining, and you have upset some of the young ladies.” The Dowager Duchess gestured to several shocked faces around them. “Now leave.”
The man opened his mouth to say something else, clearly thought better of it, and left without another word.
“Fool.” Dominic shook his head and turned back to face the rest of the table. “The game is frustrating, but there is no need for such displays. Grandmother would consider it rather low brow.”
“Though I cannot say I blame him entirely. We have been at this for hours, and I swear, just when I think I have understood the blasted game, all the rules seem to change.”
“I think it makes perfect sense.” Lady Andrea Cowper, daughter of the Earl of Stratton, said as she gently touched the bridge of her nose before playing the King of Spades.
Charlotte surveyed the other woman with interest. It was true, Lady Andrea did seem to have an instinctive understanding of the game and had won several hands though she was not sure if that was because the woman actually understood the game or if she was simply failing with confidence.
She looked at the cards in her hand and the cards on the table, trying to puzzle out the rules. On a whim, she decided to discard the two of diamonds.
“A bold move,” the Dowager Duchess murmured, her eyes meeting Charlotte’s.
“Indeed,” Lady Andrea agreed.
“Is it?” Dominic asked.
Charlotte nodded, an idea forming in her head. Cecily discarded the ace of clubs a moment later, or rather she tried to until her grandmother called out, “Disallowed.”
“What? Why?!” Cecily scowled at her grandmother. “This game makes no sense.”
“It makes perfect sense; you are just too silly to see it,” the Dowager Duchess repeated. “Honestly, I fear for my bloodline. The only people who seem to understand are those outside of the family. Though I suppose, I cannot be blamed entirely. After all, your grandfather and other relatives all have a part to play.”
Cecily harumphed while Dominic tried to hide his snigger. Even Charlotte could not resist a small smile as she watched the exchange. A moment later, the smile faded when Lady Andrea played run of cards and was declared the winner.
“And that is a fifth hand to Lady Andrea.” The Dowager Duchess’s voice was full of approval. “Excellent work my dear, let us call that three hundred-twenty-three points.”
Lady Andrea beamed. “Thank you, Your Grace.”
“And minus three-hundred-eighty-one points for you, Gertrude. Honestly, what were you thinking, trying to play the queen that way?” the Dowager Duchess called to a young woman at one of the tables near them.
Charlotte wrote a note on a piece of paper, frowning slightly as pieces of the puzzle clicked into place.
“Do you truly understand the game, Lady Andrea?” Cecily asked.
“What do you think?” Lady Andrea gave them all a smug smile.
“That you are either very lucky or very clever,” Dominic murmured.
“Perhaps she is both,” Charlotte chimed in, surveying the calculating eyes of the woman.
