To that, Edward chuckled. “That is where you are wrong, Mr. Mortimer. It is exactly like me. It is only now that I have finally decided to act like it.”
Mr. Mortimer was Edward’s right-hand man… at least as far as his gaming establishment was concerned. Although Edward owned and operated the gaming hell under his own name and influence, he could not very well dedicate every waking hour to seeing it function. The wealth that flowed through the doors was vast, the turnover of customers was never-ending, and such businesses as that one were not those that someone of Edward’s standing ought to be seen spending too much time at.
Thus, he relied on Mr. Mortimer.
The man was a savant where numbers were concerned, and since he had come into Edward’s employee, the money made had nearly doubled. He ran a tight ship, he was not known in theton, which allowed him to go unnoticed, and he had Edward’s confidence completely.
“I wanted to speak with you, Your Grace.” Mr. Mortimer was middle-aged, of average height, with the type of face that one would not look twice at in a crowd. All perfect attributes for a man in his position. “If you have a moment?”
Technically, Edward had many moments. All night, in fact. As was often the case, he spent at least three nights of the week at his gaming establishment, working until the early hours of the morning to ensure that business flowed and nothing untoward happened.
However, much had changed in Edward’s life recently, and while he ought to have spent the night, he found that he did not want to. What he wanted to do… well, that was personal, and above Mr. Mortimer’s paygrade.
“Make it quick,” he said as he eyed the closed door.
“It’s these rumors, Your Grace,” Mr. Mortimer said. “They are getting worse. This last week, we’ve seen the clientele…” He clicked his tongue, which he had a habit of doing. “It’s not that they have lessened. We have been getting similar numbers through the doors.”
“So, what is the problem?”
“It is the types of clientele, Your Grace. Less of your peers, more ruffians and scoundrels than we like. Their money is still good, even if it’s not as much. But it’s the atmosphere they bring. I had to break up three fights just last night.”
Edward groaned. The news was not unexpected, but that did not mean it was welcome.
When Edward had first bought his gaming hell, he made a solemn promise to himself. While the ownership of such establishments was frowned upon by his peers, they were not discouraged entirely, and so long as they were known to be of reputable reputation, the type of place that stood above that which was common, then he had nothing to worry about.
To go unnoticed and ignored by those of thetonwas the primary goal.
For so many years too, such a state had existed peacefully and effortlessly at Edward’s establishment. While many judged him, a blind eye was turned because making money was what mattered most, and Edward was able to keep lips tight so that few dared to speak ill of what he did.
Lately, things had started to change.
He did not know why or how, but whispers were starting to spread, those which told others to stay away. It was said that Edward used his gaming hell to blackmail his peers, to take advantage of them and abuse his power for his own nefarious purposes. And it was warned that one would be a fool to step through his doors.
Consequently, less members of the peerage had been seen these last few weeks. Worse still, low-born commoners had started to appear as if encouraged to do so. They fought. They drank. They gave this place a bad name. And slowly, so very surely, they dragged Edward’s reputation into the mud.
I need to find who is starting these rumors, and why.
“Keep doing as you are,” Edward told Mr. Mortimer. “I am looking into it.”
“But –”
“There is nothing I can do now,” he cut the man off. “And it is not as if we are going to close our doors tonight. No…” He looked pointedly at his number two. “Someone is responsible for this recent change, and I will find out who. Until then, we do as we have been. Just…” He chuckled and shook his head. “Be subtle about it.”
Mr. Mortimer scoffed. “As subtle as a gale through a nunnery.”
Edward wanted to look further into the woes that had fallen on his gaming hell. He wanted to stick around, maybe speak to some of the new clientele to see if they could tell him who had convinced them to start going there.
What he wanted more, however, and the reason that he was so eager to leave, was to see his wife.
Without waiting for Mr. Mortimer to try and convince him to stay, Edward bid the man farewell and hurried from his office, the gaming hell, and made his way back home. If he was lucky, he would arrived just as supper was finishing, giving him plenty of time to spend the evening with she who had captured his attention so thoroughly these last few days.
Truly, I cannot believe how well this marriage is working out.
It was a wonder that Edward’s marriage to Celestine had started so perfectly. Oh yes, he had known there would be certain aspects that he relished… a little too much, to be fair. And while the physical side of the relationship was one that he thoughtabout constantly, as well as taking advantage of as much as he could, what surprised him most of all was everything else.
It was just so easy.
Celestine was everything a good wife ought to be, and more than that. She did not nag. She did not complain. She did not sulk about and insist on his attention whenever he was home. She was exactly what she promised, and that was why Edward was so thrilled with how things had gone so far.
