It wouldn’t matter how good or poor of a dealer Frances may be. She just needed to be distracting enough. It was also a perfect ploy, which he was certain had been Tessa’s idea as she could be devious. No doubt gentlemen gladly wagered on poor cards because they were enjoying the company of a beautiful woman.
He shook his head and wandered into the library and poured himself a glass of brandy.
His cousin may demand a certain clientele at Athena’s Salon, but she also understood the weaknesses of males, and the very reason she hired Frances to be her dealer. No doubt they would all be bloody rich by the end of the year.
Not that he would begrudge his cousin such. Seth only feared that one, or more, of those gentlemen would decide they wished to court Frances, which would never do.
Though Frances enjoyed her evenings as a dealer, and in truth, could not remember laughing so much since she left Laswell, she was also exhausted.
Athena’s Salon doors opened at eight in the evening and most guests did not leave until nearly two in the morning. Given it was autumn, there was not nearly as much to do in London as there would be during the Season so many people came here for their entertainment.
Once they were all gone, she enjoyed a brandy with Tessa, His Grace and Lady Bethany. Though exhausted at the end of the night, Frances knew that she’d not be able to sleep right away because she’d also been tense and concentrating on the cards so as not to make a mistake. By the time Frances did finally fall asleep, it was nearing five in the morning.
While she slept, the servants saw to cleaning the ground floor and preparing it for the next evening of guests.
She also should have anticipated that Seth would call in the afternoon, but she had not been at home to him. That had not been her intention originally, but each time he called, she had barely dressed for the day and was having her first meal in her set of rooms. The same occurred each day after she had been attending to her position at Athena’s Salon.
Next week would be better, she told herself. Once she got used to these new hours, she would sleep earlier and thus rise before the afternoon and prepared to visit with Seth.
However, for the next three nights there would be no guests on the ground floor and she would be able to rest. Except for tonight, because Frances was invited to dine at Seth’s home, by way of his sister, Lady Blythe. Tessa promised that she and her husband would accompany her so that she did not need to travel to Mayfair alone, but when the servant announced that Lord Seth had arrived, she grew alarmed and confused.
“Why are you here?” she asked as she came down the stairs.
“My cousin is not feeling up to dinner this evening so she and His Grace will be remaining in.”
Tessa had been perfectly well when she left at three in the morning, though it was possible that she became ill afterwards, but also unlikely.
“Shall we?” he offered his arm.
“I cannot ride alone with you in a carriage,” Frances argued. “Let me fetch a maid.”
“Is that really necessary, Franny?” Seth asked.
“It is not your reputation that will suffer. It is already sullied enough if the rumors that reached my ears that first year were correct. However, mine remains pristine and I would like to keep it that way.”
It wasn’t so much that she feared that someone may see, it was being alone with him in a dark, narrow conveyance that worried her. It was far too intimate a setting. Frances wasn’t certain she needed to be more worried about what Seth may do when they were alone, but what she may do or how she may respond. Until her revenge was complete, Frances needed to tread carefully. Yet, that did not mean that she didn’t long for Seth to have his arms around her and his lips on hers.
“I will be but a moment,” she said before hurrying back up the stairs.
As much as she had hated to admit even to herself, she had missed Seth these past four days. He had just returned to her life after a five-year absence, yet, she had looked just as forward to seeing him tonight as she had when waiting for his return to the cottage, which did not bode well for her heart.
When she couldn’t find her maid, or any servant, Frances went in search of Bethany who was reading in her set of rooms.
“Where are the servants?”
“They have the evening off,” Bethany answered.
“All of them?” She’d never heard of such a thing.
“Yes. They work long hours when we host the salon, which is why Tessa and I have agreed to give each of them the night off each Sunday so they can rest.”
Now what was she to do? “What are you doing this evening?”
“Nothing. Why?”
“Please accompany me to the home of Lord Seth and Lady Blythe.” She then explained her dilemma of no chaperone for the carriage.
“I have no plans of leaving these very chambers,” Bethany insisted, which further aggravated Frances because it was Bethany who had insisted that she go to the theatre, then the masquerade ball, then the lecture. Now she had decided to remain in.
