“One. Two. Three!”
He shoved his hand in the box, not feeling anything at first, until his fingers closed around a small, metal object. “Aye!” He yelled in triumph as he pulled the key from the box, holding the key high above his head and waving it in victory.
At the same time Jensen howled in pain. Christopher glanced over and saw that he’d fisted a handful of stinging nettles.
Christopher grimaced, for a moment almost feeling sorry for the man, but then he remembered what a prick the man was and shrugged before turning to the dealer.
“Ye played a good game, Jensen.”
The man scowled. “No doubt it was rigged.”
“Congratulations, Lord Campbell. If you will follow me, you can claim your winnings.”
With one last look at Jensen, Christopher grinned. He’d taken one final gamble and it had paid off. Relief flooded over him. Not only did he get to keep Colthrop Hall, but he was also victorious.
Now to see what he’d won.
Chapter Eight
Whitney watched thegame play out down below, nearly biting her nails to the quick, hoping that the mystery stranger would win. She ignored the other women that were in the room also watching the various tables. Some looked just as harried as she was.
Her nerves were on edge every time the handsome man stepped up to the stack of boxes. Each time she willed him to pull the key, then felt her heart sink when he pulled some sort of challenge instead. Each one he met without issue, she noted proudly.
But each time the other man stepped up to the boxes, a cold sweat broke out on her brow. She vacillated between wringing her hands and biting her nails. Shooing away her mother’s hands when she tried to stop the actions.
“Whitney, dearest. Please cease. Your new husband will not want to see the nubs of your fingers.”
“Mama,” she said exasperated. “This is very nerve-wracking. I don’t know how you can just stand there so calmly and watch how my future is decided by this game.”
Her mother smiled. “It will all work out in the end. You need to trust the process.”
“That’s easy for you to say since it is not your life hanging in the balance,” Whitney grumbled, eyes transfixed as both men stepped up to the boxes for the last round.
Her heart was stuck in her throat, making it hard to swallow as she held her breath. This would determine which man would be her husband.
The person she’d be spending the rest of her life with. Was she ready for this? To live the rest of her days with a stranger?
She inhaled a shaky breath and blew it out slowly. She didn’t know. But since her parents had made the decision for her, she didn’t have a choice.
Her mother clasped her hand and pulled her close. “It’s time.”
This time, Whitney let her mother hold her as they watched the final game play out.
The raven-haired stranger clenched and unclenched his fist, making the muscles in his forearm contract. The other man, who also had his sleeves rolled up, just glared at his opponent.
They exchanged words, but from this distance Whitney couldn’t hear the conversation.
“Are you ready?” Her mother asked excitedly.
She wasn’t.
“Mama, I swear if I didn’t know better, I would think it was you that was gaining a husband,” Whitney said dryly.
Her mother squeezed her shoulders in a hug. “This is an exciting time, dearest. It will not take long for you to see it as such as well.
With a roll of her eyes, Whitney focused on the game below once again. The dealer was counting.
“One. Two. Three!”
