Penny looked at Lord Grayson with a small smile and a cool eye. Lord Burke said, “Good Lord, Grayson, if you are anymore starched and polished you will be as frozen as a statue.”
Lord Grayson had the good grace to laugh, not appearing at all affected by his friend’s comment. He asked for Lily’s card and then stared down at it balefully. “Ashworth for supper and Burke for the first,” he said smoothly. “I see I am late to the party.” He filled in his name for the second.
“Cheer up, Lord Grayson,” Penny said. “It is the usual Bergram crush, there will be no end of ladies who would be willing to thrill over your smooth compliments. Now, come Lily, let us go in.”
The rest ofLily’s card had been filled in with alacrity. She did not depend on her looks to have found herself popular. She was well aware that there was still a deal of interest in her as a lady with an unusual skill for piquet. More than one of the gentlemen who led her recounted what he’d heard of Lady Blakeley’s dinner and Lady Montague’s card party and then wished to have her confirm, or preferably elaborate on, the two engagements.
She did not give them much quarter, but rather turned the conversation to more usual subjects. In truth, she could not think much beyond the usual pleasantries. As each dance unfolded, she grew closer to the dance before supper.
Lord Burke had not been one to press her on her card games with Lord Ashworth. Rather, he had been amusing and kind and Lily thought that was what she could have expected. Both Cassandra and Penny had given him a ringing endorsement. Both ladies could be trusted to form well-considered opinions. Considering her ill-advised condemnation of Lord Ashworth, Lily thought she might learn something from the habit.
Lord Grayson had been charming and exceedingly complimentary. Though, as she had done when she met him last, she could not take him entirely seriously. Her hair, if she were honest about it, was dark and sufficiently curled. It was not the hair of a goddess that Lord Grayson claimed it. Even if she had not thought for herself that his compliments were overblown, she had taken note of Penny’s comment to him. She had also taken note that her friend had led her away before Lord Grayson had the opportunity to enter his name on Penny’s card. Lily was certain that it was less her effect upon Lord Grayson than his own habit that caused him to run on in such a ridiculous fashion.
Now, Lord Ashworth led her to the floor. She allowed herself to give in to his confident hand, though she found her tongue tied in knots. They could not speak of what had occurred in Lady Carradine’s house, there were too many ears about. And yet, what could they say that did not talk of it?
They found themselves talking around it.
“I suppose you will look for a new house for your bets?” Lord Ashworth asked.
“That must be up to my aunt,” Lily said.
“There are not so many that would be suitable for a lady,” Lord Ashworth said. “I can only think of Almack’s and even then, the patronesses would not approve of one so young closeting themselves in the card room. But then, I imagine it is no great matter to give up the amusement. Considering all that has transpired.”
Lily chose not to point out that no Almack’s invitation had been forthcoming. Her family had not the connections for such a thing. Rather, she said, “I suppose it can be no great matter for you to find the club has closed. I understand there are many such clubs open to gentlemen where you might amuse yourself.”
Lord Ashworth’s face had grown very serious. “It has never been only an amusement for me. Few are aware, but I count on you to say nothing of it—my family’s estates came to the brink of ruin not so long ago and gambling has brought them back to a firmer footing. I have always considered cards a serious business.”
Lily was shocked. She had not imagined the lord could have any sort of problems in that direction. Of course, there were those highly placed who seemed always on the brink of ruin, though they would never admit it. Funnily enough, those that teetered on the edge of disaster generally did so as a result of gambling. She had never heard of an instance in which gambling was thecureto ruin.
She was further surprised he would own his troubles. She certainly had never thought to admit her own difficulties. Hiding how she’d afforded a season, and hiding her ever present worry over money, had been one of the chief aims of her life.
But the lordhadjust admitted his own circumstances. Perhaps it was the moment in any game when it was time to reveal one’s cards.
“I am not unaware of those sorts of difficulties,” she said slowly. “My grandfather came within an inch of ruining us forever. My father has spent a lifetime dragging the estate back from the brink.”
She noted Lord Ashworth steal a glance at her dress. He said, “I would not have guessed…”
Lily took a deep breath. “This dress, many other dresses, and various accoutrements, were gifted to me by some very kind ladies, one of whom is here tonight. Aside from clothes, you can guess where the funds came to afford a season.”
Lord Ashworth did not initially appear to comprehend. Then he said quietly, “Gambling.”
“Just so.”
Lily did not know what the lord would think of her now, but she could not deny that there was a certain relief in being honest. She had just shown who she was and there was a freedom in it.
“I believe I understand,” he said, just as the dance ended.
At dinner, theyspoke more about their circumstances. Lord Ashworth was primarily concerned with two estates under his aegis—one in Devon and another in Somerset.
He did not describe the estates, and Lily had no imaginings of the house in Devon, but the estate in Somerset was well known. It went back to medieval times and even bore the markings of a long-filled in moat. She had, in fact, seen sketches of it in a book on the glorious houses of England that had been in her father’s library. Dembly Castle was built of grey stone, a behemoth on a hill dominating its countryside as it had for hundreds of years. She suspected it of housing as many as twenty footmen and the stables likely cost more to maintain than her father’s entire holding.
It gave her pause to consider what must be required to bring an estate of that magnitude back to a firmer footing.
Lily, now that she had laid down her cards, decided there was nothing left to hide. She spoke of her childhood—the feeling she’d always had of walking on crackling thin ice and waiting for it to give way, of her father’s always harried expression, of her mother’s care of the kitchen garden lest the rabbits steal the family dinner, or her ever-present worry for her sisters. She spoke of gathering together, pound by pound, the amount for a season. She even revealed that she claimed a sore leg to account for heading to the card room rather than the ballroom. She spoke of the kindness of Cassandra, Lady Lockwood, and Penny Darlington.
“That first evening we spoke,” Lily said, “you advised that my father ought to hire a more skilled steward.”
“And you rightly hinted that it was not my business to direct another on such matters.”
