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Rose’s table proceeded slowly and carefully.Were they playing that way because of her?Two others at the second table went out within fifteen minutes, leaving Liverpool and Sandhurst.
Rather than play at Pelham and Downey’s pace, Rose started betting with one-thousand-pound tokens.She cleaned Lord Downey out two hands later and had a good portion of Pelham’s money too.
What she didn’t know—for sure—was whether she was getting assistance from the dealer.The ace in front of her, but hidden from Pelham, was a good deal and she pushed her five-thousand token as a bet.This was the third hand of a new deck and so far, no tens had turned up between them.Maybe Pelham knew that too and would temper his bet.
A ten turned up for her, but also for the dealer.She pushed another five-thousand token.Pelham took another card, then pushed his remaining tokens.
As she turned her winning card, she saw Matthew pull in a sigh of relief.Pelham congratulated her.“I can’t wait to tell my duchess what a sly hand you are atvingt-et-un.You are a natural,” he said, with a reference to her natural hand—the ace and ten.
Matthew had made his way around the table and helped her from her seat.“I would kick up a fuss, but somehow I think that’s what you want me to do,” he whispered.
“I would never.In public?Maybe when we get home.”
“That was a master class invingt-et-un.Were you cheating?”he asked.
“Not unless Madame DuPuis told the dealer to help me.I couldn’t tell.Could you?”
“How did you find out?And where did you get the money?”he asked, as he put a glass of ratafia in her hand before leading her to the second-floor landing where they stood in the corner.
“Lady Chester,” Rose said with a broad smile.“My friend.”
“I had plans, Rose.Plans that would have benefitted you personally.”
“With the loss of my diamonds and no promises from Cyril?Besides, my agreement with Madame DuPuis was that the end result would be the same.Whatever you were scheming can still be accomplished.”
“Alice doesn’t know what I am scheming.”
“Why?”
“Sandhurst has many problems, all of which need to be curtailed.That’s all I am doing.And you can’t really be upset about the diamonds.On more than one occasion you’ve wanted to give them to him.”
“They were mine to give, Matthew.That is the whole point.”
“Would you have said yes, if I had asked for them?”
“I don’t know.”
A servant happened by, and Matthew asked if the other game was still progressing.“No, Mr.Hardy, they just finished up.”
“Who won?”
“Sandhurst.”
“Well, there is a God,” Matthew said.
“Or a Madame DuPuis who made sure that happened.You do realize every person in the game was robbed on some level?”
“You are behind on your gossip if you are not aware that the games here are routinely skewered for one advantage or another.Everyone just believes it is skewered to their benefit or else they cannot possibly believe that they would be the one taken advantage of.Name one of those men who doesn’t take risks in his life.They weighed the possibility of the incredible prize and decided it was worth the gamble.
“So, why did you keep me out of the contest?”he asked.His eyes shined but like black coals with a light in the middle.She loved everything about this man—from his uncivilized ways, to his forceful presence and his towering will.But damnation, must he always believe his way was the only way?
“Well, because you deserved your comeuppance and it was my game against Cyril, not yours.”
A cool breeze wafted by, carrying some of the stench from the Thames.“Let’s go inside.I would rather smell cigar smoke,” he said.
“Matthew,” she said, placing her hand on his arm.“Let me do this without interference or judgment.I can beat him, and I will.”
* * * * *
