‘Will you be joining us for cards tonight, Millcroft?’
Seb suppressed the triumphant relief at being asked. Penhurst would have no respect for him if he appeared too eager. ‘Perhaps. Will it be worth my while?’ The last time, they had played hazard for an eye-watering pot of money.
‘Were the stakes not high enough for you?’
‘I like a quick and healthy return. The healthier the better.’
‘Seb is a tremendous risk-taker. Did you know, in Sydney he owned his own gaming house?’ Gem smiled up at him adoringly, knowing full well she was baiting his hook with a juicy, fat worm, but completely unaware that it was destined for her friend’s cheek. ‘Quite a scandalous one by all accounts.’
Penhurst’s eyebrows lifted. ‘Hardly a gentleman’s investment.’
‘Gentlemen are thin on the ground in Sydney. Those that are there tend to stick close to the Governor in case they are tainted by the rest of the population. I preferred to spend my time with men who thought like me...and of course, as the owner, even if I lost a hand or two, I never really lost, if you get my meaning.’ He tapped his nose. ‘The house always wins. Not to mention, they paid over the odds for myinferiorport and brandy. As an investment, a gaming hell proved to be very fruitful. I’m already in negotiations with several establishments here in the capital. As I said—I enjoy a quick return.’
‘Here, such things would be frowned upon.’ But the viscount wasn’t frowning. Far from it in fact. He had sidled up to Seb like a confidant.
‘By whom? The lofty peers who cling to the old ideas of commerce? Those blinkered fools who pay ridiculous taxes and believe the future lies in land, in farming and in crops? I dare say Mayfair is filled with nobles whose coffers diminish year by year while they lament the old days, when wheat and rents were all it took to rake in the coin.’ Seb allowed himself a wry smile as he shook his head. ‘The world is changing, my lord. The new money—thesmart money—is not shackled by such prejudices and I can assure you they are positively raking it in. Enterprise and imaginative investment are the future. You mark my words. While the old guard are tightening their belts and burning tallow instead of beeswax, I shall be sat in my well-lit gaming house counting my money. If that means I am no gentleman, I am surprisingly comfortable with that.’
‘You speak a lot of sense, Millcroft. A lot of sense. But what made you leave the Antipodes? It sounds like you were doing well.’
‘I was. I was trotting along quite nicely. But Sydney is a small city and the opportunities to grow my investment were limited. Here, the potential to grow is more than a hundredfold. I make no apology for being ambitious.’
‘And nor should you. Your entrepreneurial attitude does you credit. I should be very interested to learn about your plans. Why don’t we continue this conversation away from the masses over a glass of our host’s finest brandy and a spirited game of hazard?’
Seb enjoyed the rush of euphoria at his success. ‘An excellent idea.’ Out of the corner of his eye he spied Westbridge crossing the crowded ballroom towards them at the same moment he felt Gem release her hold on his arm just as the orchestra was preparing to play the second waltz. Like a fool, Gem stood anticipating the Duke’s arrival like the prodigal son. The euphoria instantly turned to bitter disappointment. It was bad enough watching her pine for the fool, but he was damned if he was going to watch her entwined in his arms. With a wry smile he didn’t feel, Seb turned back to Penhurst. ‘I’ve had about as much of this ballroom as I can stomach for one evening. In the absence of a decent hell, thank heavens for hazard.’
