Page 27 of How to Best a Marquess

Brooks entered and left twice. The large man tugged on his collar, then a few minutes later, the paneled door swung open and Ellie exited. Whatever they were doing inside had continued.

Damn it.

He was going to find out the truth.

Hugh knew the four-poster bed had already been delivered. He’d seen workmen carry it in piece by piece along with a rolled Oriental carpet. He still couldn’t understand why Ellie wanted a bed in the ladies’ gambling room.

He’d wanted to believe her excuse that a lady might need to rest, but then common sense had taken hold. That, and he’d seen Brooks and Ellie enter and leave the room together more than once.

He was truly a fool.

He might have no right where Ellie was concerned, but he refused to allow her to have a liaison with Brooks.

Not when she’d kissed Hugh with such passion. Not when she’d made those little mewling noises that had kept him up at night thinking of her.

How could she forget their shared kiss so easily? Christ, he’d thought of little else over the past two days.

Perhaps it was his vanity. He’d never cared about a lover leaving his bed for another. He’d never entertained them for more than a brief time before moving on.

But this was different.

Shewas different.

Hugh waited for Brooks to walk away before making his move. Ellie remained in the room.

Perfect.

Hugh pressed the latch, opened the door, and slipped inside. He found her bent over the roulette table, reading a sheaf of papers. She straightened when she spotted him.

“What are you doing in here?” she asked.

“I was looking for you. You weren’t in the office, the boxing room, or strolling the casino floor.”

“I wasn’t aware I was supposed to keep you apprised of my whereabouts,” Ellie said.

“I spotted you enter this room. I also saw Brooks enter and leave here. Twice.”

“So?”

“What’s going on between you two?”

“Careful,” she said, her voice a tantalizing whisper. “You sound jealous.”

He guffawed. It sounded strained to his own ears. “Jealous? I’ve never experienced the emotion.”

“Thank you for reminding me of your ways. Now, I’ve told you of my plans with this room. Brooks is merely helping me carrying out my vision.”

“Your vision? I hope by that you mean moving furnishings and heavy carpets.”

“Precisely.”

He glanced around the room, noting the furnishings and curtains. A settee and a table and chairs were situated around the perimeter of the room. A large Oriental carpet covered the hardwood floors. Blue silk drapes artfully framed the walls in a luxurious display. A bed was notably absent, but then he recalled Ellie telling him it was to be in a separate chamber.

“You chose the blue silk,” he said.

She shrugged one delicate shoulder. “I told you in the draper’s that I agreed with your suggestion. Now why are you really here? I find it hard to believe you burst inside this room to see if I have taken a lover. I think you are here to see how far I’ve come? To see what I still require?”

He should say yes. His motivations for seeking her out today should have to do with their rivalry. But it was furthest from the truth. He’d burst in here not to observe how much she’d accomplished, but to confirm she was not with another man. That there was nothing going on between her and Brooks.