His blue eyes met hers and grew dark. “What would we wager?”
Frances arched a brow. “Whatever we wish.”
He slowly smiled. “I accept your challenge.”
Butterflies erupted in her stomach as nerves took hold, but she must not allow herself to make a mistake now.
“As soon as everyone is done in here and has vacated the room we can begin.”
Seth nodded and stepped aside as the dealers delivered the tallies from each table to Frances and handed the money bags to Tessa. She looked over each sheet and smiled before giving them to her employer. “You did well tonight.”
“We all did well tonight,” Bethany corrected.
“Now, shall we begin?” Seth asked as soon as everyone was gone except for his cousin, Lady Bethany, and Frances.
She turned to her employers. “This will be a private game.”
Tessa frowned before humor lit in her eyes.
“What of a dealer?” Bethany asked. “If you are to play Vingt-et-Un, you need a dealer to play against the house.”
Frances stared into Seth’s eyes. “We shall take turns as the dealer as we are only interested in beating the other, not Athena’s Salon.” It was how they had played at the cottage, when he taught her the rules of the game.
Bethany gaped at her while the corner of Tessa’s mouth twitched. “Are you in agreement cousin?”
He searched Frances’ eyes, then smiled. “I am.”
“Then we shall adjourn to allow you to play.”
“We cannot leave them alone,” Bethany hissed.
“We are simply going to stand by the door to keep others out and observe from a distance.” Tessa pulled her friend away from the table.
Frances would prefer that nobody observed the game, but as it was unlikely her employers would grant her request, she took Seth to the table farthest from the entrance in hopes that their conversation could not be overheard.
He held a chair for her, then took his own on the other side. Even though she sat in the dealer’s chair, that would only be her role for half of the games.
Seth removed the purse from inside his suitcoat and withdrew the funds and placed them on the table.
“One moment.” Frances hurried upstairs to retrieve enough funds to match the amount he had placed on the table. It was no small amount, and this would be the greatest risk that she ever took, but if all went as planned, her life may be richer for it in the end. Or, she would have a financial setback and remain lonely.
No, she must not think that way.
Frances blew out a sigh and picked up the cards. “Would you like me to shuffle, or would you like that honor?”
“You may.”
Tessa appeared at their side and placed a glass of brandy beside each of them and then retreated to stand in the entry beside Bethany. They were soon joined by His Grace, who pulled up enough chairs for the three of them to sit, wait and watch from a distance.
Frances would rather they were gone but could not very well order her employers to leave.
As she shuffled the cards, Frances settled her mind and her nerves. It was time that Seth learned why he was here.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Her fingers were quick and deft as Frances shuffled the cards. Of course, given her position as a dealer, she had hours of practice.
“I learned from you, you know,” she said after a moment.
