Isabella’s stomach clenched.He’s speaking ofhis ability withthecoin, you imbecile. Nothing more.“Yes.” She cleared her throat as shefocused on the main card rather than choosing to meet his direct gaze again. “I daresay as much as I practice, I’ll never master your coin trick.”
“Practice and patience is all you need,” he said softly. “To master anything.”
This time she found it rather difficult to swallow.Fortunately, the cardshe picked upregistered in her mindat last. It was the King of Hearts. Shesuppressed asnort. How appropriate that particular one should be the card they’d have to bid on. She checked her hand and threw in a couple coins.“I wager two shillings.”
“Accepted.”
Isabella was rather surprised that he was willing to concede defeat so easily, but she wasn’t about to argue. She took the card and added it to the rest. However, when the play ended and it was time for them toturntheir highest facing cards upward, she was disheartened to see that he held the Ace of Spades.
“Let’s consider that a practice round,” he suggested, as he returned her coins to her. He gathered the cards and handed themoverto heras well. “You deal this time. It’s only fair.”
She rolled her eyes.“You’re just taking pity on me because I lost. Either that, or because I’m a woman.”
“I would neveroffer pitysolely based on your sex.” He paused. “Other things perhaps, butI fear that’s in my nature as part of the male species.”
Isabellafumbledwithher grip on the deck, but she recoveredquicklyenough and passedout the next set.Either way, she thought it was best not to acknowledge that last statement.“I’m relieved to hear it. Idaresay Ishould hate to win faced with the thought that you didn’t try yourutmostto bestme.”
He chuckled at that. “You sound rather confident of your abilities.”
She scrunched up her nose. “I wouldn’t be much of an opponent if I accepteddefeat lightly.”
“Indeed, my lady,” he murmured. “You’re turning out to be quite an adversary.”
Isabella wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or insulted by that remark, but she decided to let it pass as she put all her focus on the game. When her persistence paid off and she won the next round, she clapped her hands together with delight.
“Well done, Lady Isabella.”
With a particularly smug smile, she glanced up at Mr. Claymoore, and her heart somersaulted in her chest. He was running his thumb along the lower half of his chin. She might not have noticed such a simple action at any other time, but combined with those penetrating dark eyes, it captured her attention.
She handed the deck to him and said rather breathlessly, “It’s your turn to deal, I think.”
He reached out, but instead of taking the cards, his hand rested lightly over hers. A flurry of butterfly wings went into flight in her midsection as their eyes locked. Time slowed to a halt as she waited for him to say something,dosomething, in order to break the sudden spell thathad been cast over them.
“I meant what I said last night.”
Her pulse began to race. “Why are you telling me this now?”
“Because I thought you should know the truth. After everything that bastard Wistenberry did to you, I figured that you should at least be given the courtesy of a direct answer.”With devastating slowness, heremoved his hand from hers.
Isabella didn’t know what else to say except, “Thank you, Mr. Claymoore.”
A heavy tension surrounded them, so Isabella was thankful when Mrs. Hopper popped her head around thedoorframe. “Ah, there you are! I thought you should know that supper is ready, Lady Isabella.” She nodded to Ridge. “Your tray is already in your chambersas requested, Mr. Claymoore.”
Ridge rose to his feet and tucked the cards in his pocket.“Thank you, Mrs. Hopper.” Heturned and inclined his head towardIsabella. “Good evening, my lady.”
Heturned andleftall the coins on the table,so whenIsabellastood, she did the same. Besides, it wasn’t as if either one of them had won the game. In truth, she wondered if it wasn’t just beginning.
She joined Mrs. Hopper andasthey made their way downstairs. The older woman turned to her. “Perhaps it’s just me, but I feel as if I interrupted something just now.”
Isabella waved her hand. “Don’t be silly. We were just playing a simpleround of cards.”
But as they entered the kitchens, she highly doubted that there was anything“simple”about Mr. Claymoore.
***
The nextweekpassedbyrather uneventfully.Isabella rarely crossed paths with Mr. Claymoore, whocontinued to takehis suppertray in his rooms.During the day, he was out with Mr. Hopper checking things on the castle grounds, while Isabella generally spent her time trying to keep herself occupied. She hadinspectedjust aboutevery inch of themaster’s apartments andtakenlong walks along the lower bastions, but the continued solitude was starting to wearon her quiteheavily. She stared out at the sea often, wondering when this dreaded isolation would end.
Of course, Claudia and Mrs. Hopper were more than happy to join her when they could, but while the latter was generally somewhere in the kitchens, her maid was working on mending or laundry, so that left Isabella to her own devices.
