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Why had he not listened to his father more? Jay swallowed. “Understood.”
“Well,” Morris grunted. “I haven’t folded. I’ll see that raise. I still have a judgeship in the pot, a coveted one that many would pay quite a bit for and I’ll happily take everything. I’m not soft nor daft and I’ll also gladly ruin all of you provincials.”
And Jay’s wits charged back. Poker game, cards in hand, and a piece of dung wafting distractions at him. He knew this scenario and knew it well. He could conquer.
“Careful, talk like that won’t get you out of Delaware without a duel,” he quipped. He still had it. He was back in charge. Jay slid his, well, Middleton’s cards for a peek. Pair of Jacks with an ace. Not too shabby. The man got lucky on the draw.
“And who’s going to fight it? Miss Nunes, or should we say Miss Simon? She’s not exactly a native.” Morris had the nerve to lean towards Urs, invade her elbow space.
And the charm and presence were gone. He’d tear off each of Morris’ fingernails, one by one and then go to his toes, all while he was gagged and tied in the hottest corner of the attic.
“She’s a Nunes and she’s a lady. She could buy and sell all of us at this table and if she really wants to ruin you, she can, more than you can ruin her. Do you really think your morality matters in the banking world?” Jay managed to get the entire speech through his teeth.
Morris clucked his tongue. “Snubbing though, does something to a woman’s heart, does it not? And her head.”
Jay glanced at Urs. Her face was tilted towards Morris, but one would’ve thought he was discussing the weather. Not an eyelash twitched at the insults and the vague references to her mother. He’d really taught her well. She’d become better than him. Good thing too because he’d lost all semblance of gamesmanship.
“She won’t be snubbed here.”
Jay closed his eyes and smiled at his father’s voice. Urs was the general and he was the second, but his father made an excellent foot soldier.
Morris chuckled again. “Really J.T.? You can’t be serious. After what she and your son engaged in? I mean, no discretion whatsoever. She came right into a room of men and admitted it.”
His father wet his lips, his mouth dipping up and down as if he swallowed a laugh. “I believe she just figured out a way to prove certain things.” His voice was bored, but his eyes twinkled.
The tone must have irritated Morris. He leapt to his feet and whirled around to face J.T.
“No. She did not. She implied, personal, intimate, knowledge, like the common—”
Now this was unacceptable, his father, his house, his fiancée, well, his hopefully fiancée. Jay leapt to his feet in an instant. “Do you want to step outside?” The growl was back.
“Jay. Jay—” Alarm rang in Urs’ voice. She was on her feet as well.
Morris sneered first at her, before locking eyes again with Jay. “I can do just that, after I finish winning her money. I call, Miss Simon.” He flipped his cards, a pair of kings, a pair of fours and a queen.
Well, he was beat. Blast.
Urs’ chest rose as she breathed. With a swish of her skirts, she was in her seat again. “Nunes. And I will take that judgeship, a gift to the Middleton family as Hugo’s been such a good friend for all these years. Not the most ‘American idea,’ but if the appointment was being sold anyway, it might as well go to someone from Delaware with kind relations.” With a smile she revealed four nines. She was insane or good or insane and good, and damned lucky.
“Whore!” Morris pounded the table again.
Enough was enough. She’d won, it was over, and he was ready to find a way to finagle her into some place quiet and private or at least semiprivate after he did more groveling.
Jay moved around the table, so he could use his height and shoulders. “That’s it. That is it. You are in my house and you will not say that about—”
Urs grabbed his arm. “We don’t know if it’s your house or not. It could very well be mine.”
He blinked. Oh, he’d missed her. Morris needed a good thrashing, but damned if he couldn’t stop the grin spreading not only on his face, but through his entire body.
She tugged him again. He turned to her fully and noted the shining liquid in her eyes.
Her voice trembled. “Jay, you’re not going to fight him. You’ll kill him.”
She was worried about him. She cared more about him and his freedom than her own honor. Precious. She did love him. She absolutely loved him, and he was going to tease the daylights out of her.
He shot Morris another menacing scowl, for her benefit. “But he can’t say that about you. It isn’t—”
She cleared her throat. “If he wants to toss me into the category of ‘loose women,’ or what have you, I really don’t have much of an objection. I’m sure all my cohorts would have amusing stories. Besides, the actions that earn one that classification are rather enjoyable, especially...”
