“Lady Jane.”Leo bursts into the room and approaches the white woman sitting at the desk, who is reviewing documents.She’s wearing red silk, with one or two less petticoats than me so the dress hugs her curves a little more.She’s more fashionable than me with my older, borrowed dresses.Her gray hair is done up and she’s wearing more makeup than is entirely proper.
There are two large white men in the room, who stand up as Leo approaches her, ready to do violence to him for nearing her.
“Basildon,” the woman greets him warmly and accepts his kisses to the cheek, motioning for the men to back down.
“Looks like business is doing quite well.”
“Despite you lot trying to close me down in Parliament, and then showing up on my door step the same day you try to pass laws on vice and gambling.”She shakes her head at him.
“Lady Jane, I would never vote for those monstrosities.”He puts his hand on his heart for sincerity.
“Hmm.”The elegant woman looks at me.“Who is this?”
“Indian royalty,” Leo says with a wink over his shoulder at me.“Her Royal Highness Meera Chopra, of the Cooch Behar royal family.And this is the infamous Lady Jane.”
“Bringing me royalty?You must want this place to succeed.”
“I may not be the best advertisement.You might want to hold off putting me in the brochure,” I say.
“You speak strangely.”
“I travel a lot, especially in America.”
“Ah, they are strange there.Welcome to my establishment.”
“If you’re not too busy, may I ask you some questions?”
She jerks her head back on a laugh.“You come to my den of sin and you want totalkto me?”
“It’s so impressive, what you’ve built here.”I wave my hand behind me to encompass her domain.
“Leo has brought so many of his friends here, and they’ve spent so much money, that if one of his friends wants to talk, we can do that.”
“Great.”I get out my notebook and start the interview, wishing my phone had come with me.I could use the recording app for all the fantastic information I’m getting recently.
Lady Jane is open with me.Her great-grandmother ran an aristocratic Faro house, back when they were in fashion in the 1790s.It was acceptable for women to play in private houses while men played at their private clubs.But people started to be more concerned with the morality of gambling, especially after the French Revolution and the growing middle class who disapproved of the vice.For women, it was increasingly associated with a loose sexuality, because how dare women have fun?And without men—unacceptable.
More laws against private gaming houses shut down a lot of the Faro Ladies, but Lady Jane’s family kept running a small gaming house after.When Lady Jane inherited it, she built it up to where it is now.
I could have listened to her talk all night, but she has to do actual work, so Leo tugs me away.He leads me back downstairs.“Did you enjoy the talk?”
“So much.”I smile at him.
“Good.Now maybe you can enjoy the gaming hell itself.”
Before I can ask what he means, he leads me to a table with gentle tugs and pushes until I’m in the seat.
“I don’t have any money,” I whisper to him, trying to stand back up.
Leo puts his hands on my shoulders to keep me at the table.“I shall fund you.I am sure you will be more responsible with it than I ever was.”
“I’m not going to lose your money.”I resist even though the dealer is starting to give us the stink-eye for delaying the game.
“You have an opportunity that no other scholar gets.To not only see the past, and hear it, but to taste, smell, and touch it.To experience it fully by living it, and gaming is very popular right now.So, enjoy it.”
“All right, but only a few hands so I can say I’ve played at this badass woman’s gaming hell.Then that’s it.”
Leo shoves money at me and I shove half back at him, ignoring his protests.Later, before the night ends, I’m going to make him promise to propose to Miss Chilcott.He needs to get engaged before everyone realizes what a fraud I am, hurting his reputation.
