While walking home late one night, Harry had come upon a man being robbed by thugs. Good fellow that he was, he stopped to help. One of the robbers had a long sharp blade and almost sliced Harry’s palm in two. A surgeon stitched him up and saved the hand, but it was of little use to him. He couldn’t shuffle a deck, make a fist, or even hold one card. He had his hand but no movement or feeling in his thumb and fingers.
Harry hadn’t let that stop his gaming. He simply no longer played cards himself. He still haunted the gaming hells and found ways to wager with dice and other men’s high stakes games, which was a common pastime for some.
“How are you, my lord?” he said, rising and offering a bow.
Zane nodded. “Managing.” He pulled out a chair and sat. “How about you?”
“Managing quite well,” Harry said, with a congenial smirk, before adding, “I was sorry to hear about what happened to your family.”
“Thank you. Most everyone’s recovered from the shock.” A server walked over, and Zane pointed to hisfriend’s glass of red wine. “Want another?” he asked. Harry shook his head, so Zane motioned the man away.
He was winning his battle over his desire to have a drink and play cards in the evenings, and he would win the battle for Brina’s hand. It seemed as if everything in his life was changing. He knew it would be a struggle to adjust to being earl of the estate and head of his family. All he had to do was win one battle at a time.
“I was glad to hear you’d come by to see me. I had good intentions of getting in touch earlier.”
Harry shrugged. “I knew you would eventually. You’ve had quite a lot happen recently—wagers and titles. Tell me, how does it feel being an earl?”
“Different, and the same. I still put on my clothing the same way every morning but learning to accept people I’ve known all my life or for years, like you, bowing and calling me ‘my lord.’” He shook his head. “That, I’m still adjusting to.”
Harry snorted a good-natured laugh. “I bet that has caused you some consternation. I’m surprised you still want to be seen with me. It was quite clear your uncles didn’t want me hanging around when I went to your house.”
“My uncles mean well—but live by old rules and traditions they aren’t likely to give up.”
“I would assume they didn’t appreciate your terrorizing the Town with your out-of-control curricle a couple of days ago.”
“Out of control? You bloody—” Zane caught himself and smiled. “Englishman.”
Harry chuckled. “That’s the nicest name you’ve ever called me.”
“I promise not to make a habit of it. And you know, I am always in control of the horses. My uncles didn’tmind the speeding carriage so much. They were livid I had Mrs. Feld with me.”
His friend chuckled again, clearly embracing the fact he had riled Zane. “Was she frightened?”
“Not at all.” Thoughts of Brina always distracted him. He took a moment to remember the exhilaration in her eyes and eagerness in her kiss. No matter what he was doing or who he was talking to, he always felt as if she were with him. “She loved every minute of it.”
His friend eyed him skeptically. “That’s surprising considering—”
Harry stopped midsentence but Zane knew what he was going to say. Her enjoying the fast ride was surprising because of Brina’s reputation as the perfect widowed lady, the example every lady who had lost her husband should follow. He didn’t mind people thinking of her that way. He had too. Now, he knew there was another side to her as well.
Deciding to ignore Harry’s unspoken comment, Zane said, “I wanted to meet with you tonight because I need your help.”
Harry leaned forward, and in a low voice asked, “Does it have anything to do with the man who walked in shortly after you did and hasn’t taken his eyes off your back since you sat down?”
“No.” Zane felt a twist between his shoulder blades and his gut tightened. He looked around the room. “Every time I leave the house, someone follows me. I assume hoping to catch me take a drink, gamble, or visit a mistress. I’m sure they are being paid by whomever has wagered the most money. If I stopped one spy, another would simply appear in his place, so I don’t bother to confront them. Besides, I have nothing to hide.”
“There are probably many men following you and watching the clubs. Every pair of eyes in here lit up whenyou entered the room. The amounts being entered in books all over Town is astounding everyone.”
“Blast it—I never dreamed one little wager would turn into such madness.”
“Maybe because it wasn’t little.”
“Seemed so at the time,” he mumbled. “I only wanted to getherattention. Not notice from every gamester in England.”
“But that has happened now, and you are being watched. What do you need me to do?”
“I was hoping you’d say that. I may have mentioned my cousin Robert to you before.”
Harry shook his head and leaned farther back into his chair as he moved his wineglass closer. “You have too many cousins for me to remember the names of any of them.”
