“No,” Lady Davina insisted. “I spoke like this,” she added in a feigned masculine growl.
I managed to bite back my laugh. Michael wasn’t so successful. Lady Davina huffed as she yanked her wig off in a fit of irritation and flung it onto Michael’s desk in a spray of white powder.
Michael apologized between what could only be described as giggles. “Augie, pay her from house funds. We’ll sort it out with Beaumont later.”
The man nodded, plucked a key from his pocket, and slipped into the hall.
“You’re going to pay me?”
“Of course. You won. You claim you played fair. None of my dunners saw anything questionable. Though it is something of a concern, frankly, that they didn’t notice your gender. But I’d pay any gentleman in such a situation. Why would I not pay you?”
“Because I’m a woman...”
“Honestly, I adore it when anyone beats Beaumont. That it was a lady, and a titled one at that, makes it all the better. If I thought it wouldn’t cause more problems, I’d have you in all the time.”
“You do not care?” she asked.
“I care in as much that your reputation is at stake. And that I’ve caused your brother enough problems to last a lifetime already. But… Shall I tell you a secret?”
She nodded and stepped forward eagerly.
“Cee is an exceptional hazard player as well.”
Her eyes widened, excited. “Cee came here too? When?”
I watched as the realization washed over my brother. His eyes widened and his lips parted as he tried to work out an appropriate explanation for why her sister-in-law spent time in the club. The actual explanation was far too scandalous for a lady, after all.
“Rycliffe—your brother—he taught her to play here,” I supplied. I owed Michael tonight. And it would be a shame if Xander was forced to call Michael out before he got to meet his child.
Augie slipped back inside before Lady Davina could ask follow-up questions. Her gaze held none of the intrigue frombefore my explanation, so it was possible she believed it. Or at least wouldn’t examine the details too closely. Her brother had almost certainly passed well before Michael built the club if my math was correct.
“Here,” Augie said, thrusting a bank draft at her.
“This is too much,” she protested. “I only won three.”
“I like watching Beaumont lose,” Augie replied. “Now, I need to get home to Anna and Emma.”
“Right, and we need to get her home as well,” Michael added.
“I’mrighthere. And Mr. Summers always sorts these things out,” Lady Davina said.
“It’s already sorted,” Michael protested.
“But… When I have a problem on one of my adventures, he fixes it.” It was a fact to her, that much was clear. Whenever she got into mischief, Kit was there to solve it. I had to catch my lower lip between my teeth. Apparently she had no idea what to do when the mischief sorted itself.
Michael caught the bridge of his nose between two fingers. “Augie? Would you have time to stop by Hasket House and alert Rosehill to the situation before you go home?”
He agreed, gestured toward the door with a thumb, and made his way from the room.
“Rycliffe Place,” Lady Davina called after him, correcting my brother.
I caught the edge of Augie’s nod before he shut the door behind him. It was only when the latch clicked that I recognized my missed opportunity.Icould have been the one to alert Xander.Icould have been the hero. But I was too distracted by the absurd situation.
“All right. Let me see if I can find a maid to act as chaperone,” Michael said, then followed his friend out.
“I do not need a chaperone,” Lady Davina said to the closed door. “I do not need a chaperone,” she repeated to me. I ratherthought trapping me in here with her was more improper than the lack of chaperonage. But I’d had more glasses of scotch than I could count, hadn’t slept a wink, and couldn’t bring myself to care overmuch. After all, her presence in this building, in such attire… If anyone found out, her reputation was in ruins whether she was in a closed office with me or not.
“Let him fuss. He still feels poorly about what happened between Jules and your brother.”
