“I was thinking we might stop in at Lady Carradine’s club. We are not far off.”
Chapter Eight
Lily opened hereyes. From the brightness behind the curtains, she guessed she had slept very late. She was not surprised by it. She and her aunt had not returned from Lady Carradine’s club until nearly dawn.
What an evening! It had all been so new to her.
They had arrived to a large stone house, whitewashed and sporting a large portico. Mrs. Hemming had shown her how the front door was left unlocked and how one was to let oneself in. There was a cloakroom and a man there to take their coats. Then, they proceeded down a long corridor with a drawing room on one side and a library on the other. Various servants milled about and Lily thought their eyes were more trained on her and Mrs. Hemming than on any task they had been sent to accomplish. They reached large double doors at the end of the corridor and a man seemed to appear from nowhere to let them in.
They entered a cavernous room, tastefully decorated. Its plastered walls were painted an elegant cream, its carpets thick under her feet. Lily suspected it had once been a ballroom, such was its size and dimensions, but now it contained tables of people playing at cards. In the center, was a larger table with a dealer.
Mrs. Hemming stared at the center table and said quietly, “That is new.”
Before Lily could inquire about it, Lady Carradine bustled over to greet them. “Dear Mrs. Hemming,” the lady said, “how good of you to come to my little club. And, you bring a guest!”
“This is my niece, Lady Carradine. Miss Lily Farnsworth. I thought she might be amused to come and look about. She is very good at piquet, by the by.”
A man who had been standing to Lily’s left sidled over to them. “Cousin, you must introduce me to these two lovely young ladies.”
Mrs. Hemming, never one to be conquered by flattery and having no illusion about her looks or her age, ignored the idea that she and her niece must be equal in years. Instead, she said, “Did you say cousin, sir?”
“Indeed,” the man said. “My dear cousin, Lady Carradine, and I have gone into business together and so you shall see me here often.”
“Mr. Shine,” Lady Carradine said, her lips rather tight, “may I present Mrs. Hemming and Miss Farnsworth.”
Mr. Shine bowed low.
Mrs. Hemming said, “May I ask, what is that large table? What are they doing?”
“Vingt-et-un,” Mr. Shine said smoothly.
Lily’s aunt seemed surprised by it. Lady Carradine said, “My cousin has convinced me that my patrons would find entertainment in the game.”
“Oh, not for me,” Mrs. Hemming said. “Those sorts of games rely too much from the heavens choosing to rain down luck upon one’s head.”
Mr. Shine seemed momentarily put out, but he recovered himself and said, “Did I hear rightly that somebody is skilled at piquet?”
“Oh, my niece is very good, Mr. Shine,” Mrs. Hemming said. “I must warn you about that. Though really, I cannot say why I should warn you, now that I think of it. I do not suppose anybody has ever warned me that they were very good at whist. I should think it rather bad form if they did.”
“I consider myself warned,” Mr. Shine said, appearing eager to end Mrs. Hemming’s debate with herself. “Now, Miss Farnsworth, perhaps we can get up a little game together to pass the time?”
Lily had looked hopefully at her aunt.
Lady Carradine had motioned to an older woman dressed in a somber attire. “Mrs. Melton would be happy to sit at the table with Miss Farnsworth.”
Lily assumed Mrs. Melton to be one of those ladies employed to maintain propriety by acting as companion to any lady choosing to play against a gentleman.
Mrs. Hemming said, “Mrs. Melton, very reliable woman. Well, Lily, if you wish it, I see no harm. I see Lady Edith over there without a whist partner, perhaps I will join her. As long as you do not mind it.”
Lily did not mind it at all.
Hours later, she had left with forty pounds. She’d not found Mr. Shine a particularly skilled player—Lily had played against far better in Surrey. She had even suggested they quit after the first play, when he had only lost five pounds. Though she liked to gamble, she did not like to take advantage and he was not a very worthy opponent.
He did not see himself as unworthy, though. He seemed to think himself very skilled and only the victim of terrible luck.
Mrs. Melton watched him like a hawk, and not a very friendly or amused hawk. Aside from what Lily presumed was her general opinion of men, that they must be monitored at all times, she also did not seem to have much faith in this particular man’s skill at cards. Shetsk-tskedat his every loss.
Mr. Shine was only pushed to quit when Mrs. Hemming came to collect Lily, otherwise he might have gone on all night, facing down Mrs. Melton and hoping to be granted a reversal from his terrible luck.
