Rydell leaned back against his chair. “Your stepson has some intriguing proclivities. Not unusual in a young man who has lost the guidance of a father. He is exploring his world and its possibilities. He is also rather injudicious about when and where he indulges those.”
She set a cup and saucer near his plate. “This sounds as if you are changing the subject.”
He reached for the milk, pouring a few drops into the tea. “Not at all. His proclivities include a fondness for odd wagers as well as other... unusual activities.”
Judith froze, then slowly replaced the teapot on the tray. “He has betrayed Margaret?”
Rydell cleared his throat as he stirred his tea. “Not... in the sense you mean. He does not bed other women.”
“Then what do you—”
“He likes to watch. Others.”
Judith felt bile rise in her throat. “Does this affect his finances?”
“Not to any great degree, although he does pay for—”
“Perhaps we should focus on his debts.”
Rydell hid a smile with a sip of tea. “His shipping investments in that Triangle Trade company happened because he bet the owner that he could guess the number of ships currently set and ready for loading, without visiting the docks themselves.”
Judith paused in adding sugar to her tea. She blinked, trying to register what she had just heard. “That is... madness.”
“Indeed. And, yes, I introduced them, as they both had expressed a desire to play roulette, which is—as you might infer from the name of the establishment—our primary gaming option. We recently brought over two more wheels from Paris. As the afternoon progressed, they began to bet against each other as well as against the wheel. Edmund suggested the shipsbet. The owner, who recognized Edmund for the fool he is, had been down on the docks earlier that afternoon. He took the bet, with the wager being Edmund’s sizeable investment in three of his ships.”
Judith set the sugar bowl down with a clink, staring at Rydell. “And if the owner had lost?”
“Proceeds from two cargos current waiting for unloading.”
She closed her eyes. “And Edmund did not hear the hint in that?”
Rydell shook his head. “With the amount of ale in his gut, I doubt he would have heard cannon fire.”
“Have all his bets been that outrageously spectacular?”
Rydell shrugged one shoulder. “Not all. He started with smaller wagers, for which he could easily pay. But he escalated quickly. The more he won, the more he bet—”
“And the more he lost.”
Rydell gave a quick nod. “Indeed. And he would take no advice from me, Sir Rory, or any of the more experienced gamblers. He owes money to two other hells. And many of his substantial bets were placed at White’s. Horses. Society affairs. Who would speak first on a given day at Parliament. He once bet on how low a top hat set on an earl’s forehead. How long a particular gambler could balance a pint of ale on his head. They are on the wager book there, if you would like to—” He stopped, then took a bite of one of the pastries. “If you would like to ask one of the other members to check for you. I am fairly sure Edmund would not tell you the truth about it, and I can see you do not entirely trust me. Perhaps Lord Blackwell.”
Judith folded her hands in her lap, staring at the array of food before her, suddenly not nearly as hungry as she had been when she sat down. Anxiety about meeting Rydell had kept her from luncheon, but the treats before her now appeared tasteless.What a devilish web!Rydell was correct; she did not completelytrust him on this. But she heard enough truth in his statements—statements she could check with other sources—that she knew Edmund’s own deceit still had not been cleared away. Nor had the question that had launched this inquiry been answered. Still gazing down at the tea service, she whispered, “Why do you think—”
“Because he thought it would keep me from calling in his debts.”
Her head snapped up, eyebrows arched.
Rydell swallowed a bite. “You were going to ask about why Edmund had introduced us, were you not?”
Judith nodded.
“You have money from your husband’s estate?”
The irony did not escape her, and she grimaced. “Not as much as I did. I surrendered a great deal back to the estate to help with his... obligations.”
“Ah. So he achieved his aim, only in a different direction than he had intended.”
“I do not think he realized how I would react to his situation.”
