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Amelia let out a sigh of relief. The mask would cover almost half her face. All that would be visible was her mouth and chin. Since almost no one in London knew her, the only person she was concerned about recognizing her was Mr. Lyons, since she knew he was s
till a member in good standing at the club.
Even he, however, had not seen her in a clear light, so all he would remember of her was her hair color and height.
She slipped the mask on and turned to Driscoll. “Do I look mysterious enough?”
He grinned and her heart took a leap. “Yes, my dear. Very mysterious.” He leaned in closer. “And lovely. It will be no burden to stand near your table tonight.”
Thankfully the mask hid most of the blush that rose to her face.
“Mr. Granger told me not to shuffle the cards until the players are seated.”
“Yes. He is correct. I should have told you that. It makes the players feel like everything is above board if they can see that. Which, by the way, is the rule here. We don’t cheat in any way, and we do not permit players to cheat either. If someone is caught cheating, he is banned from the club.”
Amelia nodded, still mesmerized at how Driscoll looked in his formal clothes. Would he try to kiss her again tonight? A fluttering started in her stomach when she thought about it.
Now with him standing so close and the fragrance of his bath soap drifting toward her, she had the urge to throw herself into his arms and inhale his scent, feel his strong arms around her, taste his lips again.
Driscoll waved over two other staff members whose duties were done. Mr. Donald Johnson and Mr. Arthur Richards had been introduced to her earlier and both men seemed to be friendly enough. Mr. Johnson was in security and Mr. Richards was a ‘runner’. He kept the guests happy by seeing that they had drinks and food if they desired and took care of submitting IOUs to the banker.
Mr. John Melrose ran the bank. He accepted the winnings from the tables, recounted the money turned in by each dealer, recorded it against each employee, then placed it into a safe after giving Driscoll the tally for the evening.
From what Amelia saw, The Rose Room was a very well-run, honest establishment. The brothers had done quite well for themselves.
The three men sat in front of her, and with a nod from Driscoll, she shuffled the cards and began to deal.
Despite her nervousness, she did quite well and did not fumble at all during the half hour they played. When the last hand finished, Driscoll leaned back in his chair and regarded her. “You are going to be quite a hit, Miss Pence.”
Mr. Richards grinned. “I agree. Beautiful, smart, and competent.” He looked at Driscoll. “You brothers have all the luck.”
It wasn’t Mr. Richards’ words that had her blushing. It was the look Driscoll cast in her direction. Hunger, desire, and pride.
“Doors open,” someone called from the front of the room. Mr. Johnson and Mr. Richards left her table with encouraging words as several men entered the room.
“I will be against the wall over there,” Driscoll said as he stood. “If you need anything, anything at all, just nod in my direction.”
Amelia touched her mask to make sure it was in place and took a deep breath. For reassurance, she looked over at Driscoll who smiled and winked at her.
In less than five minutes she had a full table. Obviously, the only woman in the room was a draw. She started out shaky, but soon got into the game and after a while was actually enjoying herself.
“Why would a beautiful woman like you work in a gaming club?” The man who had occupied her table for over an hour leered at her. He’d been commenting since he’d sat down and had refused to give up his seat to the many requests from the men waiting for a place behind the players.
He’d also had the runner bring him drinks at a steady pace, and his playing had gotten sloppy as he continued to imbibe.
She didn’t stop her dealing but shrugged. “It’s a job.”
“I could think of another job I could offer you that wouldn’t require you being on your feet all night.” Another player chimed in, nudging the man who asked the question.
“That’s right. Better to be on your back, eh?”
“Gentlemen, I believe it’s time to surrender your seats to other players.” Driscoll had appeared out of nowhere, his hands on the shoulders of the two men who had been speaking with her.
The first man looked over his shoulder at Driscoll. “What? We’re just having a little fun with the chit.”
Driscoll placed his hands on the elbows of the two men and moved them up. “Time to go lads.”
The second man tried to wiggle his elbow from Driscoll’s grip. “Now wait a minute. I want to stay here.”
