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Matthew’s stomach gripped.He’d imagined the ruination of Sandhurst.And Welliver.And look where he was today?Wondering what was really going to happen?How was Sandhurst going to react?And avoiding Welliver, who was across the room, whisky in hand.He couldn’t have scripted such an odd outcome.
A new set of cards was placed on the table.Rose and Sandhurst both got their game tokens totaling twenty-five thousand.
The first cards were dealt and turned.Rose was coy as she slid another token worth five thousand pounds.She couldn’t do it twice.Matthew had watched her previous play and knew she was keeping a general count of the cards.Was she being aggressive to intimidate Cyril?Or was she trying to cause him upset, so he played recklessly in return?
Rose turned a nineteen; Cyril twenty.
She took a deep breath and licked her lips.Cyril’s eyes glazed with delight.More cards were played, and Rose slowly recovered from her first blunder, regaining some confidence.Matthew saw her first tell when she tapped the back of her card twice.She bet another five thousand.The dealer dropped her second card.Another ten.Her natural was doubled.
From there, Rose went on the unluckiest losing streak Matthew had ever witnessed.She tensed, her breathing visible as her chest heaved.
Cyril had taken all her tokens within thirty minutes.
She didn’t look up at Matthew.Didn’t silently request support.Didn’t react when she lost her last bet, and all her tokens were swept away by the dealer.She placed her hands at the edge of the table to steady herself.
“Thank you, Your Grace.I must say it has been a deep pleasure.Deep and satisfying,” Cyril said.
Matthew was ready to punch the ass in the face.
Rose reached for Matthew, finally glancing up and looking a bit lost.She gripped his hand tightly.
“I’ll take those diamonds now, Madame DuPuis.And my money.”
“Sandhurst, I need to speak with you privately.And you, Mr.Paley,” she said to the dealer.
Matthew was alerted by the distinct sound of anger in Alice’s voice.Paley had also been the dealer at Sandhurst’s table during the first round.
“What’s the meaning of this?”Sandhurst demanded.
“We need do this privately, Your Grace.Or here in public,” Alice said.“Mr.Hardy, you and your wife probably should attend us as well.”
“I will not!I want the diamonds I won.And I want my money.”
She leaned toward Sandhurst.“I can embarrass you in front of your peers.Or we can discuss this as adults.”
“I won!”he said, through gritted teeth.A few in the crowd glanced toward him.
She leaned toward Sandhurst.“Well, that is just it, Your Grace.You didn’t win, thanks to Mr.Paley’s help.Now, follow me or we finish this on the floor.Where everyone hears.”Several of the onlookers had already moved away to other interests, but there were enough nobles nearby who could make life very uncomfortable for Sandhurst.
“This way.”Madame DuPuis didn’t pause.The entourage followed her to a room off the main floor.Two of the guards led the way, another two flanked Cyril, and parted the room like the waters of the Red Sea.Looking behind them, Matthew saw others followed.He and Rose were just the spectators now, not the players.
Sandhurst had puffed up and as soon as the door was closed, he said, “You will not deprive me of my winnings.You all saw that I won.”
“Your Grace, I was watching you and Paley coordinate your efforts from the middle of the first game.”
“Well, I never!”he said.
“You did.Do you think a skilled woman like me, whose profession is gambling, cannot spot a cheat?How much did he pay you, Mr.Paley?”
So how did Alice do it?She had provided assurances that Matthew would win.If Paley was working for Sandhurst rather than her, what was her plan?
“Nothing, ma’am.”He was the only person in the room who had taken a seat and his hands gripped the arm rests.His head bobbed back and forth from Alice to Sandhurst.
“Think about that, Mr.Paley.”
“Um, he hasn’t paid me yet, ma’am.”
“Shut up, you fool.”Spittle shot from Sandhurst’s mouth.
