Hiding from our parents might be the best thing you can do today, Richard.
He looked most unwell. Victoria took comfort in knowing that Gideon wouldn’t dare say anything untoward to his brother; he’d also lived the reckless life of a young buck before travelling to Rome and winning Serafina’s heart. No doubt Richard would have plenty of dirty secrets to offer up to their parents if Gideon was foolish enough to open his mouth.
Opening the newspaper, she casually turned the pages until she reached the social columns. To the right of the theatre reviews was this week’s restaurant feature. Her gaze ran over the piece.
The Graceful Swan
Situated on Eagle Street, this establishment offers the finest of meats and delicacies. Dear valued reader, your humble servant of a reviewer dined recently at the Graceful Swan and found the food to be of a respectable, dare I say, decent quality. Of particular note was the roast lamb which came with a generous lashing of rich gravy and spiced potatoes. Worth visiting if you are passing through this part of London.
Victoria’s mouth watered at the mere mention of spiced potatoes. If there was one thing Lady Victoria Kembal loved, it was food which lifted the senses. She would worship at the shrine of the god of curry if she were able.
Lifting her gaze, she once more met the bloodshot eyes of her brother. She winced, imagining the world of pain he must be in right now, then politely enquired, “How did the gaming tables go last night? Are your pockets a little light this morning?”
“Victoria,” admonished Gideon. Serafina snorted a laugh.
Along with sex, young women weren’t meant to know about the gambling habits of the male of the species. Only the willfully ignorant would have failed to note that when it came to cards, Lord Richard Kembal had more than his fair share of bad luck. There were always plenty of days left in the month after his allowance had slipped through his fingers.
“If you have a problem with me mentioning his gambling losses, then perhaps you should ask Papa to bellow a little lower when he is discussing Richard’s finances,” replied Victoria.
The table fell silent as two footmen bearing trays appeared in the breakfast room. A small cup of hot coffee was set in frontof Victoria, while Richard was presented with a large plate piled high with bacon, kippers, and roast potatoes.
Gideon instantly dismissed the servants, with a ‘thank you, that will be all’. As soon as the door closed, he rounded on Richard. “How much did you lose?”
Richard picked up his fork and pointed it at the mountain of food on his plate. “About that much, and then some.”
It didn’t take a genius to figure out that all of his monthly allowance would have been spent last night, and he was more than likely in debt to a close friend for a good deal more.
“Così tanto?” muttered Serafina.
Gideon nodded. “Yes, that much my love.”
Serafina’s eyes grew wide, and she softly tutted her disapproval.
From what Victoria had gathered, in the past, her eldest brother had often bailed Richard out of his financial predicaments, but since his marriage, Gideon had stopped. He now had a wife to spend his money on. And she was far prettier than Richard.
“Yes, well that is the lot of the gentleman, you win some you lose some,” said Richard, not looking up from his plate.
Victoria went back to reading the newspaper.
“Any decent reviews inthe Morning Herald, Victoria?”
Lifting her head, she found Richard smiling at her. “Perhaps you and I could go out for dinner this evening. Ifhehas found a good place to eat, I could act as your chaperone.”
She wasn’t stupid—any offer for them to dine together this evening would no doubt come with a private request for her to hand over a sizeable portion of her pin money to him. If their parents had any idea as to how much money Richard owed his sister, they would have a conniption.
But she was keeping that secret to herself. Saving it for the day when she might need to call upon Richard to help her out with something important.
It’s not as if I am spending my money on anything else at present.
Victoria kept her focus fully on Richard, refusing to look in Gideon and Serafina’s direction, all the while praying that the Marquis of Holwell wouldn’t finally put two and two together and figure out why their sibling was offering to take her out to dinner. A gentleman should never stoop to taking money from a lady, even if she was his younger sister.
The scandal over the Duke and Duchess of Mowbray’s recent marital issues had presented the younger females of the Kembal family with their own particular set of problems. While Lady Anne had lingered in Rome, Victoria and Coco had been sent to the family’s country estate, Mowbray Park, for their protection and had missed most of the formal balls and parties of the summer. When they and the duchess finally did return to London, their mother’s ongoing estrangement from society meant Victoria had only her regular trips to cafes and restaurants to look forward to for social engagement.
The youngest of the Kembal offspring, Lady Coco Kembal, was a different matter. She didn’t care a jot about the matrons of thetonand had taken to sneaking out of the house late at night to go rambling through the rough streets of London with her friends. While Richard regularly made his appearance at the breakfast table half foxed, Coco remained hidden under the bedclothes in her room, not stirring until well after midday. Anyone who did attempt to rouse her was greeted with a locked door.
The offer of being escorted out on the town was too much for Victoria to resist. Clearing her throat, she turned to her new sister-in-law. “Would you and Gideon like to join Richard andme for dinner this evening? We could make a fun foursome of it.”
Serafina smiled sweetly at her husband. “It would be lovely, but Gideon and I are leaving town today. We are off to the country. To Mowbray Park. London is lovely, but we are looking forward to spending some time alone. Just the two of us. Gideon is going to show me some of his favorite places around the estate.”
