Ruby's Gamble~De Wolfe Pack Connected World

by Lana Williams

  She searched the room for him, pausing here and there at familiar faces. The lottery was getting out of hand, in her opinion. If people spent their wages on hope rather than food and shelter each week, they left hungry mouths at home.

  A stranger stood apart from the crowd not far from her, tall and handsome. His detachment from the rest of the people caught her notice even more than his attractive appearance. Why come if he didn’t want to buy a ticket? His fine suit, the clipped cut of his dark brown hair, and the general tidiness of him contrasted with the other men in the room.

  He did not belong here.

  She walked closer, telling herself she was searching for Douglas. But something about the stranger drew her, and she wanted a closer look.

  The man was undeniably handsome. Watchful intelligence shone in his golden hazel eyes. His broad shoulders and deep chest made her think of a knight of old.

  With a sigh, she realized she might not be above dreaming, after all. He belonged at a ball or, even better, at the head table in a castle’s great hall with an impressive display of weaponry hanging above a fireplace large enough to roast an ox.

  Few of the other people in the room paid him any mind. How could they not stare at him in wonder and curiosity as she did?

  That golden gaze swung to her, and she halted midstride. Dark brows defined his face along with high cheekbones and sun-kissed skin that spoke of time outside. She couldn’t have looked away if she’d tried. Not when her entire body hummed with awareness.

  His gaze lowered, taking in her clothing, and the spell broke.

  She knew how she looked, even if she rarely bothered to glance in a mirror. Her simple gray gown had been mended in more places than she could count but served her well at the printing shop when spilled ink could ruin clothing. The shawl over her shoulders, a cherished gift from her mother, had once been a deep rose but had faded with time. Her dark hair held a hint of red in the sunlight but otherwise appeared a dull shade of brown. The thick mass was drawn into a simple knot at the base of her head. No doubt several strands had loosened from her brisk walk to the pub.

  Her features were even, her ordinary brown eyes wide, but her chin held a sharpness to it that had been the subject of teasing by her brother’s friends in her youth. She touched it even now, wishing she could ease its point.

  Nothing about her would make a man like him look twice.

  She sighed with regret. He was definitely not part of this world—her world, but for a long moment, as his gaze returned to her, she wished she belonged in his.

  Ruby forced herself to look away, too unsettled to hold the contact any longer. She continued forward to find Douglas, relieved when she didn’t see him in any of the queues. Did that mean he was here just to watch the proceedings? She didn’t believe that for a minute, not when his friend Will hawked tickets.

  At last, she spotted Douglas and eased through the crowd toward him, well aware the path would take her past the stranger. She kept her eyes on her brother, telling herself not to look at the man again. But the opportunity proved irresistible when he was so near. She glanced at him as she passed.

  And found him watching her as well. The realization caused her breath to catch.

  Suddenly, her foot caught on someone’s outstretched boot, pitching her forward. She reached out to regain her balance only to realize someone had caught her. Warm, strong fingers held her upper arms and pulled her upright. She turned to see the identity of her rescuer, heart hammering to find her knight had saved her.

  Rather—the stranger. What on earth was wrong with her?

  “Thank you,” she said, aware of the heat stinging her cheeks.

  “Are you hurt?” he asked.

  “No. Thank you again.” Before she could reconsider, she eased back from his touch, certain she wouldn’t soon forget the feel of him holding her.

  Her heart fluttered as she walked away, her hands trembling as if she’d held a dream briefly only to let it go. She drew a deep breath as she moved toward Douglas.

  “What was that all about?” Douglas asked, craning his head for a look at the man who’d helped her.

  “I tripped,” she said, unwilling to say anything more than the obvious. With one last glance at the stranger only to realize the crowd hid him, she faced her brother. “What are you doing here? I thought we agreed you weren’t going to buy any tickets.”

  He glanced away, his expression sheepish. “I only bought one.”

  His admission brought a sigh to her lips. “You know the odds of winning are slim to none.” She glared at Will, wondering how he’d convinced Douglas to buy one. “You can’t think the odds are in your favor.”

  A stubbornness tightened Douglas’ expression. “Will says I have a good chance to win.”

  “The lottery is being run to make a profit. They do all they can to reduce the amount of the prizes.” Several days ago, she’d asked Will how the expenses were determined, but he’d angrily told her to mind her own business.

  Douglas glanced away. She knew he didn’t want to hear the harsh truth, but she wanted him to look at the numbers the way she did—black and white with no shades of gray.

  “If only we had more money, maybe we could help Pa,” he said softly, the longing in his voice tugging her heart.

  How many times had she thought the same thing? That was why she’d fought for the printing shop owner to give her a chance. The position paid higher wages than her last job. Was working in a filthy printing shop ideal employment? No. But she hoped it would lead to bigger things.

  She gave herself a mental shake. How many times did she have to remind herself that dreaming was only for those who could afford it? She could not. All she could do was make today as good as possible. As profitable as possible.

  “Hand it over,” she said and held out her hand.

  Douglas frowned. “The ticket?”

  “The rest of your wages.”

  “I said I only bought one ticket, didn’t I?”

  “Should I believe you won’t purchase more?” she asked.

  He narrowed his eyes. “Yes, you should. I won’t waste the rest of my wages on a chance.”

  “Even if Will tries to convince you otherwise?” She knew her brother’s friend would do everything in his power to persuade Douglas to spend all he had on tickets since he sold them.

  “I don’t do everything he says, you know.”

  “I sincerely hope not. You’ve got a good job as a clerk for one of the best employers in England. Don’t jeopardize that.”

  “Oh no.” Douglas’ attention caught on something over her shoulder, and Ruby turned to see the stranger approaching Will. “Speak of the devil.”

  To her surprise, the man seemed to be questioning Will. Based on Will’s glower, he didn’t care for it.

  “Do you know—” Before Ruby could finish her question, loud shouts filled the room, and Will shoved the man. Hard.

  Then Will leaped down from the crate and threw a punch. The flurry of movement that ensued made it impossible to see what was happening. Fists flew as several joined in the brawl.

  “Can you see what’s happening?” Douglas asked as he shifted back and forth.

  Ruby rose onto her toes to get a better look and realized the stranger was in the thick of the fight with Will. The crowd parted for a moment, and she caught glimpses of her knight landing several punches and holding his own. But more men entered the fray, and he disappeared.

  “Why doesn’t someone stop them?” she asked, even as she pushed her way forward, Douglas directly behind her.

  Chapter Two

  Gideon dodged a blow then threw a punch, his fist landing with a solid thud against his opponent’s jaw. His knuckles stung with the impact. The man’s head flew back, and his body followed. But another took his place just as quickly.

  While Gideon had expected his simple questions to be evaded, he hadn’t anticipated such a heated response. He’d asked one of the ticket sellers to tell him who tallied th
e expenses. The man had snarled that it was none of his business. Gideon pressed further to find out who was in charge of the lottery. The answer had been a shove along with an order to leave.

  Instead, Gideon had asked the next two men in line if they knew how the prize amounts were calculated. Of course, they didn’t, but he’d intended to bring the question to their minds as well. They both backed away, tucking their money into their pockets.

  That had only made the ticket seller angrier. The flat-nosed man Gideon had noticed earlier joined in, and all hell had broken loose. He was sorely outnumbered, and the chances of success had decreased dramatically. Now he was on the receiving end of too many blows. Logic suggested he leave as quickly as possible though he no longer thought that possible. He turned to talk to the man in charge, but a fist sent him reeling back. He lost his balance and blackness descended.

  Ruby had nearly reached the fighting men when her knight fell backward. A gasp caught in her throat as the crowd parted, giving her a terrible view of him striking his head on a table as he went down.

  She shoved aside those in her path. It didn’t seem to matter to Will that the man was already down. He continued to pummel him anyway.

  “Stop.” She grabbed Will’s arm only to recoil when he drew back to strike her. “Stop it right now.”

  Douglas reached over her shoulder to hold Will’s arm. “Will. Enough.”

  The angry glaze in Will’s eyes faded, and he glanced about as though only now realizing what had happened.

  Ruby knelt beside the unconscious stranger sprawled on the floor. Bruises along his jaw and cheekbone already marked his face. She gently turned his head to find blood oozing from a cut on the back.

  “Damn, Will.” Douglas shook his head as he glanced at the crowd gathering around them. “Do you realize who this is?”

  Will blinked and leaned closer. “Who?”

  “Gideon de Wolfe.” A murmur went through those nearby, and the dismay in Douglas’ tone had Ruby glancing at her brother.

  “Your employer?” she asked, horrified at the thought.

  “One of them,” Douglas said.

  She studied the handsome stranger once more. Few might know this particular member of the family, but all here knew the de Wolfe name.

  Marcus de Wolfe, the Earl of Warenton, owned De Wolfe Shipping Enterprises. Ruby had heard of Gideon de Wolfe, the earl’s cousin, but had never seen him. If she’d been thinking clearly, she might’ve guessed his identity by his strong build, attractiveness, and the way he held himself apart.

  Will took a step back, his worried gaze swinging to the other man who’d been in the thick of the fight. The man ran his hand over his eyes then stared again at Mr. de Wolfe as if hoping his eyes deceived him.

  Then he turned to gesture for the onlookers to step back. “Surely some of you need another drink from downstairs. We’ll hold the drawing soon. Jack has additional tickets for sale if you want them.”

  A dozen of the people left the room, but others continued to watch, whispering to each other.

  “Now what do we do?” the other ticket seller asked.

  “We’ll haul him to the river and dump his body,” Will suggested. “No one need ever know.”

  “Have you gone daft?” Ruby’s thoughts spun as she tried to think of a way to convince him otherwise. “What would your mother say? Not to mention the number of witnesses in this room.”

  Will’s gaze dropped to the floor, his bravado falling away.

  Ruby laid her hand on the man’s chest, relieved to find a steady heartbeat. “He lives. Let’s do all we can to continue that. Can someone find a cloth for his head?”

  Douglas frowned. “But when he wakes—”

  “Yes?” Ruby glared at him.

  “He’ll make certain none of us ever work at the docks again,” another man standing nearby said.

  Ruby studied the man’s pale face, wondering if that were true, praying it wasn’t. Douglas couldn’t lose his job. “He might not remember what happened. He did strike his head, after all.”

  “But what if he does?” Will shook his head. “I prefer my idea.”

  Ruby scowled. “We are not going to make the situation worse by tossing him in the river. We’ll do the right thing and help him.”

  “Who is going to do that?” Douglas asked, though by his concerned expression he’d already guessed her answer.

  “We are.” Ruby held her brother’s gaze certain he’d agree.

  “Why don’t we just put him in a hansom cab and send him home?” Douglas’ suggestion filled her with hope.

  “Where is he staying?”

  “I don’t know.” Douglas knelt beside her. “He only arrived yesterday.”

  “What started the fight anyway?” Ruby asked as someone handed her a cloth. She pressed it against the back of his head where the cut still bled.

  Will took his cap off and ran a hand through his hair. “He asked too many questions. How was I supposed to know who he was?”

  “Were his questions so terrible that you couldn’t answer them?” Did Mr. de Wolfe have the same questions as she did? The possibility made her even more determined to save him.

  Will glanced at his companion as if looking for him to respond in his stead.

  “What he asked was none of his business,” the other man supplied.

  Ruby realized what he wasn’t saying. They didn’t want to answer any questions, no doubt because ticket sales would plummet if the truth spread.

  But her immediate concern was for Mr. de Wolfe. She leaned over and gently patted his cheek, hoping to rouse him. The eyes, blessed with long, dark lashes, remained firmly closed. Another wave of worry rushed through her.

  “Let’s get him some fresh air.” She could barely draw a breath in the closeness of the room. How could they expect him to come to his senses here?

  “Take him outside, you mean?” Douglas asked.

  “Do you have a better idea?”

  Her brother shook his head, his reluctance to become further involved obvious.

  Ignoring him, she kept the cloth in hand as she directed him and Will to each support an arm, lifting Mr. de Wolfe to his feet. His head dropped forward in an alarming manner, but still he didn’t wake. She found two others to take his feet and the four managed to lift him. After a few misguided steps, the crowd parted and they carried him out of the room and down the stairs with Ruby following closely behind.

  John stood behind the bar, cloth in hand, mouth agape at the sight as they hauled the unconscious man through the pub and out the door.

  The men set him on the pavement, and Douglas looked at Ruby. “Now what?”

  “I still think we should toss him in the river,” Will said. “Ain’t nothing good going to come of this. Mark my words.”

  “No,” Ruby said emphatically. “Douglas and I will take him home.”

  Her brother stared at her as if she’d gone mad. Maybe she had. The idea of bringing a man home was crazy, let alone a de Wolfe. But she wasn’t about to leave him in the hands of Will or any of his companions for fear they’d do as Will suggested.

  “When he wakes, we’ll explain how the situation got out of hand. And that we all did what we could to make it right.” She held the gaze of each of the men who stood nearby. “Are we in agreement?”

  The other men nodded but Will said nothing. He touched the corner of his eye darkened by a bruise, his expression grim.

  “How do you suggest we get him home?” Douglas asked.

  Ruby glared at Will. “Surely you can pay for cab fare since we’re taking care of your mess.”

  With a scowl, Will spun away but hurried toward the cab stand around the corner.

  Ruby checked the wound on the back of Mr. de Wolfe’s head again. The dim light coming from the pub’s windows revealed that the cut still seeped but hadn’t worsened. The cab arrived shortly, and they lifted him onto the bench seat. Will paid the fare then she and Douglas held the unconscious man in place.

/>   Within a quarter-hour, they arrived at their lodging house, faced with the prospect of getting him upstairs to their rooms without waking their father.

  Ruby grew more worried by the minute. Mr. de Wolfe hadn’t stirred during any of the moving about. Did that mean his injury was worse than she’d thought?

  With Ruby under one arm and Douglas under the other, they managed to half-drag, half-carry the large man up the stairs, both breathing heavy from the effort. Douglas braced him while Ruby unlocked the door and peeked inside to make sure their father wasn’t sitting up, waiting for them. The rooms were quiet, Father’s bedroom door closed.

  She helped Douglas bring the unconscious man inside and lay him on the small sofa with a cloth-covered pillow cradling his head. His feet hung over the end, but nothing could be done about that.

  She drew a deep breath to calm her racing heart as she walked to her father’s door and looked in. He slept upright propped with pillows. His wheezy breathing served as a reminder of the risk she’d taken by aiding Mr. de Wolfe. What if the man woke and blamed them for his injuries? He might fire Douglas and make certain no one else hired him either, casting them into dire straits.

  Yet part of her was convinced he wouldn’t. She shook her head. Such a notion was naïve of her, but what choice did they have? Doing the right thing was its own reward, something taught to her from childhood. She had to hope doing so this time didn’t cause more harm than good.

  “You’re back?” Father asked as his eyes fluttered open.

  She stepped into the room and closed the door, her breath hitching at the rasp in his voice. “Yes, Douglas and I are both home.”

  “Did you catch him in time?”

  “He was only there to help Will. He didn’t buy any tickets,” she lied as she touched his forehead, checking for the fever that often came in the night. To her relief, his skin felt cool.