Richard’s second card was another two, of diamonds this time.
When he saw his third card—a two of hearts—he couldn’t hold himself back. “Now wait just one minute, you little minx—”
Violet burst into laughter, Lady Blackwood along with her.
Across from him, Blackwood said dryly, “I do believe we’ve been fleeced, Carlisle.”
Lady Blackwood dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief. “It took the two of you long enough to figure it out.” She flipped over her cards, showing them the three aces Violet had given her.
“Bloody hell. How did you learn to deal like that? Wait… never mind.” Richard shot her an exasperated look. “Your infamous brother Harry, I take?”
“He’s a fount of useful information,” Violet said cheerfully.
“I’ll say. With such skills, the lad could finance his entire education at Cambridge,” Blackwood said.
“Harry wouldn’t cheat for money.” Violet performed an impressive, and rather cheeky, one-handed shuffle. “For him, it’s a scientific exercise. And, he says, a way to keep his senses sharp.”
Richard raised his brows. “And for you?”
“I do it forfun,” the little baggage said impudently.
“That is what I adore about you, Miss Kent,” Lady Blackwood said, smiling. “You view the world through your own unique lens. One unclouded by mindless convention. It allows you to see opportunities that others miss.”
Violet went very still; her lush lashes swept upward.
Frowning, Richard said, “Is something wrong?”
“I hope my words didn’t offend, my dear,” Lady Blackwood said hastily. “I meant them as the highest compliment.”
“Oh no, I’m not offended. You just made me think of something… that’s all.”
Vi smiled and returned to dealing the cards. Properly this time.
But Richard saw the excited tremble of her hands and wondered what it meant.
After the game, he cornered her by the sideboard, where a cold collation had been laid out. She was busily filling her plate with some of everything. Lord help him, but he even found her appetite adorable.
“What’s going on?” he said without preamble.
“I’ll tell you—but only if you give me your word to keep it a secret.”
Devil and damn. He had a bad feeling about this. “All right.”
“Well, this question has been running round and round in my head: what was Monique doing in the library that night?”
“Your guess is as good as mine.”
“Mine might be better, actually. You see, ever since I was a girl, I’ve been trying to emulate Madame Monique. She’s been my idol forages, and I’ve trained myself to act like her, think like her. And it occurred to me that to solve the mystery of her death, we need to retrace her steps and see the world throughherlens—and I think I’m the one to do it.”
“To do what, exactly?”
“I’m going to take a look at Monique’s bedchamber tonight.”
“The hell you are.” Seeing her stiffen, he added swiftly, “Your brother already searched it. He told you to stay out of there.”
“And I always do what people tell me to.” She rolled her eyes. “My intuition istellingme that there are clues in her room, Richard—clues that I’ll pick up because I can think like Monique. Even Jeanne, her maid, remarked upon it.”
There was no mistaking the stubborn glint in her eyes. In the past, he might have tried to stop her… but he was learning that locking horns with her was futile. It wouldn’t win him any points in the courtship arena—andshe’d go ahead and do what she intended anyway. Only a Bedlamite would attempt the same strategy and expect different results.
