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Deana took a deep breath and handed the cards to Devon to shuffle. Rockwell then cut the cards. Her hands trembled a little as she dealt the cards. To her surprise, Rockwell called to a servant for wine and poured them each a glass. Deana took a welcome sip of the port and waited for Lord Devon to play the first trick.
Devon and Isabella won the first score, and Deana wondered if she had been hasty in agreeing to the game. Despite her vast experience at cards, she did not often play games with partnerships. Cards had become more of a vocation than a form of amusement for her, and it had been some time since last she had played whist. Lord Rockwell, however, appeared well versed in the game. In the next round, he won enough tricks to gain them two points. Then Rockwell and Deana, feeling more relaxed after finishing her port, secured a third point. Devon and Isabella won a point from the following hand to put themselves just one point behind Rockwell and Deana.
“This could go on all night!” Isabella lamented.
“Technically impossible as the partnership to first reach five points wins,” Rockwell explained.
They played two more hands, and split the wins with one point per pair.
“I think I should like to stretch my legs with a walk about the room,” Deana said.
“A grand idea!” Devon exclaimed.
“I am more in need of another glass of port,” Isabella said with a languid wave of her fan. “Halsten, would you be so kind?”
Rockwell seemed to hesitate between satisfying Isabella’s request or joining Deana and Devon.
“Your servant,” he said to Isabella.
Of course, Deana sighed to herself and took Lord Devon’s arm.
“I must say,” Devon began when they were out of earshot of anyone. “Halsten has all the luck. How did he come by such a fetching maiden as yourself?”
“I am hardly a maiden,” Deana replied. “I’ve six and twenty years to my name.”
“Remarkable. You look not a day over eight and ten.”
“You’ve no need to flatter me, Lord Devon. I’ve no wish to be eight and ten years of age again.”
“Nor I. The years since then have been for too advantageous. But tell me more of yourself, Miss Sherwood. I know so little and confess to being greatly intrigued in your person.”
“As I remarked to Lady Isabella at dinner last night, I am most uninteresting. There is very little to tell.”
“A woman of mystery! I am further captivated!”
Observing his boyish grin, Deana could see how he could charm many a woman.
Devon leaned in toward her and lowered his voice. “You belong in the East Wing.”
“You can make such a statement while professing to know me little?”
?
?I have known enough women in my lifetime and have cultivated an ability to sense which ones are the more adventurous sort.”
She gave him a dubious look, aware of Rockwell’s unhappy gaze upon them.
“You shall see that I am right when we are in the East Wing.”
“Are you so certain of wining, Lord Devon?”
“I am certain I have not wanted anything more at the moment.”
His stare bored into her, disconcerting her greatly, and she suggested they not keep Rockwell and Lady Isabella waiting too much longer.
“Time to even the score,” Devon said upon sitting.
They executed exactly that and tied the score with four points per partnership. As the dealer in the next hand, Deana turned over a six of hearts for the trump card. Her heartbeat quickened. Hearts were not her favorite suit. For no rhyme or reason, she never had much luck with hearts. By this time, she was having second thoughts about whether or not she would do well with losing.
