“Of course,” Brooks agreed readily, too swiftly for Tristan’s liking, but there was no turning back now.
“Secondly,” Tristan continued, his tone growing colder with each demand, “you shall not besmirch Emmeline’s reputation with the taint of this night.Our arrangement will stay a secret.You will not breath a word of it to anyone save for Emmeline.She deserves to know the truth and you will give it to her.”
“Upon my honor,” Brooks swore, though the hollow sound of it did little to assuage Tristan’s concerns.
“Lastly,” he said, leaning forward, his eyes narrowing as if to impart the gravity of his final term, “she will be treated with the utmost respect and care.Should you fail in this, I will bring the full weight of the Thorne family down on you.”
“Understood,” Brooks murmured, his head bowed low in acquiescence.
“One more thing.You will not place anymore wagers.”
Brooks nodded his agreement.
Tristan felt the weight of his decision settle upon him, heavy and inescapable.As the silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken truths and hidden fears, Tristan’s thoughts turned to Emmeline.He realized he knew little of her beyond her name and the fleeting glimpses society afforded.Yet, the thought of her becoming collateral in her father’s recklessness ignited a fierce protectiveness within him.
He leaned across the table, his movements deliberate, the lines of his body taut with resolve.The surrounding air seemed charged, filled with the scent of smoky embers and the soft clink of coin, yet he scarcely took notice.All that mattered now was Emmeline—her safety, her future.
“Remember, Brooks,” he said, his voice low but carrying an edge sharper than any blade, “I shall hold you to your word.”
Tristan’s declaration hung heavy in the smoke-laden air, and for a moment, there was naught but silence.Then, the pandemonium of whispers erupted like a dam breached by a scandalous revelation.A nearby light skirt dropped her fan, the ivory clattering against the floorboards, her mouth agape.A gentleman’s monocle popped free, dangling precariously from its ribbon as he blinked in disbelief.Lords and scoundrels alike stared agape.
“Did he just?—”
“Emmeline Brooks, wagered on a hand of cards?”
“Most extraordinary!”
“Unprecedented!”
“Scandalous.”
Tristan’s jaw clenched at the cacophony of astonishment that reverberated off the gilt-edged walls.He turned slowly, his green eyes sweeping the crowd with a predator’s precision.He could feel their stares, hungry for gossip, but he would not allow Emmeline’s name to be sullied by their wagging tongues.
“Enough!”His voice cut through the murmurs like a saber’s slash.The room fell into a hushed attention, every eye fixed upon him.“I’ll hear no more of this,” Tristan continued, his tone laced with an authority that demanded obedience.“Not a word of tonight’s events shall pass your lips once you step beyond these doors.Is that understood?”
A collective murmur of assent undulated through the crowd, though Tristan could sense the reluctance beneath their acquiescence.They were vultures all, eager to feast upon the misfortunes of others.
“Emmeline Brooks is a lady,” he declared with a fierce protectiveness that surprised even himself.“She had no hand in her father’s despicable actions this night, and I will brook no disrespect toward her.She is now under the protection of myself and my family, including the Duke of Thorne.Anyone who dares to speak ill will answer to me and face the full force of the Thorne and Bedford dukdoms.”
A mix of nods and hastily muttered agreements followed his statement.Tristan’s gaze lingered for a long moment, then with a curt nod, he turned on his heel, his leg protesting mildly as he walked with purposeful strides toward the exit.He pushed through the throng of onlookers, his every step an echo of the vow he had just spoken—a protectorate forged not by affection but by a gambler’s desperate folly.
He would honor this bet, not for proprieties sake or the thrill of possession, but to shield an innocent young woman, Miss Emmeline Brooks, from the consequences of this sordid affair.He would stand by her side, come what may, even if it meant laying his own desires to rest.For in the end, the roll of dice and the turn of cards held no power over the human heart.And Tristan, whether or not he willed it, was now inexorably bound to the fate of another, with every fiber of his being silently swearing to protect her.
