We settled on our chairs when Lady Catherine’s countenance brightened at the sight of two men who arrived. They checked their top hats and canes and were escorted to our table. Immediately, I recognized Lord Crawford and his son Alexander.
“Gentleman,” her ladyship drawled, “How good it is to see you.”
“Lady Catherine,” Lord Crawford replied first with a broad smile. “You are a picture of beauty this evening.”
“I accept your compliment; however, I believe there is another lady far lovelier.” Lady Catherine turned toward me approvingly. “As you can see, I have brought my companion, Miss Gleadhell.”
Once again, Alexander sprinted into action and bowed at the waist. It wasn’t often that I felt tongue-tied, but the situation paralyzed my mind. I glanced at Lord Crawford taking note of his appearance. He had a full head of gray hair, matching mustache, and handsome countenance. When my eyes shifted over to his son, Alexander, I felt keenly aware his interest was centered upon me exclusively. He was young, dashing, and clean-shaven. I questioned Lady Catherine’s motives for the evening. Perhaps she thought bringing another young man into my life would dispel any interest I held in Dudley.
Finally, my tongue loosened, and I greeted them in return. “It’s a pleasure to see you again,” I said, smiling modestly.
Lord Crawford sat next to her ladyship, while Alexander did not hesitate to make himself comfortable next to me.
“And how is your son, Lady Catherine? Off to London again?” He chuckled as if he were privy to Dudley’s habitual comings and goings.
“Yes, we had a spat, and he stormed off. No doubt he’s carousing in London with ladies, as usual,” she replied in disgust.
“So I gather there is no announcement yet of an engagement between Dudley and Lady Buford,” Alexander commented.
Her ladyship sighed and quickly glanced at me before answering.
“He is distracted,” she said.
I realized that she insinuated I was a distraction, but Lord Crawford and his son did not seem to notice.
The waiter approached the table and introduced himself. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I will be your waiter this evening,” he said with a French accent. “Would you like to start with a glass of wine perhaps?”
“Bring a bottle of your best champagne,” Lady Catherine ordered.
The waiter left and I tried to focus on the menu. Alexander leaned in towards me and spoke softly.
“The lamb is excellent,” he said. “I highly recommend it.” He pulled away and lay down his menu.
The waiter returned and filled each of the flutes with sparkling champagne. I had only tasted it once and looked forward to some spirits to calm my nerves. Lord Crawford picked up his glass and proposed a toast.
“To success and a prosperous evening,” he spoke.
I thought it an odd thing to say but lifted my glass in response.
“Prosperous indeed,” her ladyship agreed. “I’m afraid, Miss Gleadhell, you are about to become acquainted with one of my vices.” She took a sip and smiled mischievously.
“You may count on my discretion,” I replied.
Lord Crawford set his glass on the table and rubbed his hands together. “I feel lucky tonight, Lady Catherine.”
Alexander offered an explanation. He leaned in toward me once again, glanced around to make sure no one was listening, and spoke in a low voice.
“My father and Lady Catherine love to play Piquet,” he announced.
My eyes widened, knowing that it was often a card game for those who enjoyed wagering. “Really?” I could not imagine her ladyship as an avid gambler.
“After dinner, they shall drag us both away to some seedy club filled with cigar and cigarette smoke. We will be left to entertain ourselves as they gamble away their money.”
“Do you play as well?” I finally turned my head and looked at him. His eyes were a dark blue. “No, I merely watch with a beautiful young lady at my side,” he said. He reached underneath the table, placed his hand on my upper thigh, and gave it a squeeze.
When I felt his touch, I nearly jumped out of my chair. Instinctively, I shoved my hand under the table to push his off. “If you don’t mind,” I growled under my breath. “Your actions are most inappropriate.”
Lord Crawford chuckled and gave Lady Catherine a knowing smile. It seemed neither of them cared whether the young man behaved or not. It so disturbed me that I took another large sip of champagne.
“Are you ready to order?” the waiter asked, returning to the table and standing ready to take our requests.
One by one, we ordered dinner. I did not wish to take Alexander’s advice after his inappropriate touch upon my leg. “I’ll have the Chateaubriand,” I said curtly, handing my menu back to the waiter. After taking a third sip of alcohol, I began to feel more relaxed and assured.
“Pardon me, Miss Gleadhell, if I have offended you,” Alexander said.
I turned my head and glowered at him. Lord Crawford and her ladyship were in an active private discussion, so I spoke honestly in return.
“As long as you do not touch me again, Mr. Crawford, we may have a pleasant evening in each other’s company.”
He picked up his flute, nodded his head, and took a sip. The gaze in his eyes told me that he wasn’t about to promise anything, so I decided that I would remain cold and aloof toward him the remainder of the evening.
The Wager of Life
Dinner had been tolerable. The excellent food and drink made me feel sublime. A warm tingly feeling in my stomach remained for quite some time, no doubt enhanced by the many glasses of champagne. Conversation continued superficially, and I portrayed my social graces as well as expected.
After dining, Lord Crawford hired a carriage that took us to a rather questionable locality in Manchester. The gas lighting illuminated the dingy neighborhoods that we passed through on the way to our destination. I frowned at the scenery, wondering where we were headed. Then it dawned on me that we were probably traveling to an illegal gaming house. The card game would not occur in a reputable establishment if wagering were the entertainment of the evening. Though I found it disturbing, I counted myself fortunate that I wasn’t about to see a fisted boxing match, wrestling, or cockfighting in some filthy warehouse in the slums.
We halted down a dark alleyway that made the hairs on the back of my neck rise. Lady Catherine displayed no concern exiting the carriage and taking me into a rather sleazy establishment in the dead of the night. The scent of urine in the alleyway made me gag. Nearby, I spotted a few men huddled together on the ground, obviously destitute. Perhaps they were victims of the sins of gambling and had lost everything. I remember how vehemently opposed the bishop’s beliefs were about gambling being the downfall of poor souls in London.
My heart pounded when we walked through the doors. The interior, to my surprise, appeared luxuriously decorated. A dense layer of gray smoke hung in the air, and I scrunched my nose trying not to inhale too deeply. The clientele in their stylish clothing appeared upper middle class or titled aristocrats. Men and women crowded the interior with drinks in their hands. Boisterous laughter and screams came from players around a roulette wheel. Others played cards, no doubt wagering large sums of money for entertainment.
A tall gentleman, appearing frightfully austere, approached.
“Lady Beaumont,” he said. “Will you and Mr. Crawford require a private room?”
“Yes, privacy this evening, Mr. Riley,” she replied.
“Very well,” he responded, pointing to the back of the establishment. “Your usual room is available.”
The gentleman gave me a lecherous glance that put me on the defensive. Why had her ladyship insisted that I come with her to this terrible place? I would have preferred to sit in my hotel room alone, rather than watch her play cards.
“At last,” Lord Crawford spoke.” I’m about to empty your purse, Lady Catherine.”
“We shall see about that,” she said, l
aughing as she led the way.
I hesitated to follow, but Alexander prodded me onward by grabbing my hand and pulling me along like a reluctant dog on a leash. The situation led me to wonder if Dudley had any idea what his mother did while he was away in London. I toyed with the idea of telling him straightaway upon our return so that I would not be subjected to this entertainment in the future.
We entered a dark and grim, sparsely decorated room. It contained a table with four chairs and a small settee. A decanter of liquor and crystal glasses set on a sideboard. When the door closed, Alexander pulled me into the corner shadows of the private chamber.
“Sit,” he demanded, pulling me downward gruffly. His demeanor had changed dramatically. My poor heart raced within my chest, and the palms of my hands began to sweat from anxiety. Her ladyship witnessed Alexander’s action and encouraged my obedience.
“Sit, Miss Gleadhell, and relax. It’s going to be a long night.”
Lord Crawford and Lady Catherine took a seat at the table. A deck of cards sat on top, which Lord Crawford quickly retrieved and began shuffling. I knew very little about Piquet, except that it took two people to play a hand. I turned toward Alexander and asked him to enlighten my ignorance.
“How is the game played?” He eagerly gave me an education, which I quickly concluded too complicated for my understanding.
“The deck contains thirty-six cards, aces through sixes, and each hand is played in five parts—blanks and discards, ruffs, sequences, sets, and tricks. It takes one hundred points to win.”
When they began, Alexander rose and walked over to the sideboard. I noticed him pour two glasses of liquor. My eyes shifted over to Lady Catherine, who seemed engrossed in her entertainment. Alexander returned and handed me a glass.
“What is it?” I asked, looking at it suspiciously.
“Cognac,” he said. “You might find it a bit unpleasant, but after a while, it will pour down your throat smooth as silk.”
Since my nerves were frayed, I seized it hoping that it would ease the pounding of my heart. I worried far too much over a simple card game. Perhaps I should forget about the surroundings and enjoy the outing as best I could. My thoughts proved irrational, because deep inside my stomach lingered an ominous feeling of dread.
I sipped the liquid, and a bitter taste assaulted my tongue. It burned as it slid down my throat. Within a few moments, I experienced the effects of the high alcohol content. A few more sips and I relaxed into a puddle of bliss.
“I told you,” he said with a sly smile. “Go slowly, or you’ll begin to feel tipsy.” He smirked as if he were about to watch me make a fool of myself. I eased my body back into the settee to get comfortable. With the alcohol and the stifling warm room, my brow beaded with sweat.
A single lamp dangled from the ceiling over the table where Lord Crawford and her ladyship enjoyed their game. I noticed a second door at the back of the room and wondered where it led.
Lady Catherine laughed at her wins and moaned her losses for what seemed like hours. Alexander kept feeding me liquor, which I drank out of boredom. It gave me no surprise when I began to feel the room spin about in circles. I brought my hand to my head as if I were trying to still my dizzy brain.
“Are you all right?” Alexander asked.
He acted amused rather than concerned. I tried to focus on his face, but my blurred vision could barely make out his features.
“Now, you have done it!” Lady Catherine loudly complained. “I’ve lost every pound in my purse.”
Her loud voice pulled me from my stupor, and I lifted my head to watch and listen. Perhaps now we would return to the hotel.
“I told you that I felt lucky this evening,” Lord Crawford grinned. He pulled a stack of pounds in his direction with both hands.
“But I’m not finished playing,” she replied, sounding like a crying child being sent to bed early.
“Well, we could play for those jewels around your neck,” he said. His eyes examined her diamonds with greed.
“I don’t think so,” she laughed, slapping his hand away as he reached forward to touch her neckline.
“Well, what else are you willing to wager?” Lord Crawford glanced over at me. “How about your companion, Miss Gleadhell?”
I shook my head trying to get some sense of reality back into my mind. Did I hear him right? Were they going to play for me?
“Come on Lady Catherine. One more hand. If you win, I will give you all of my winnings tonight. But if I win, Miss Gleadhell stays with us.”
“What?” I yelped like a puppy. I wanted to jump to my feet in protest, but to my horror, I could not move. I looked at the glass in my hand and over at Alexander. Weak and in a mental fog, the outrageous suggestion gave me the fright of my life.
“I need to leave,” I said, trying to stand up. My legs gave way, and Alexander caught me.
“Sit down, Miss Gleadhell, while I play this last hand,” Lady Catherine ordered in a loud voice. “By your current state of drunkenness, it is you who will wake with a headache in the morning.”
I struggled to keep my head up and discovered that Alexander had propped me against his chest by putting his arm around me. He pulled me close, and his fingers found their way to my bosom. “Pretty little tit,” he mumbled. A second later, his hand grasped my breast and squeezed it so hard that I whimpered in pain.
“Stop… stop…” I protested, but my mouth felt like it had been stuffed with cotton. Suddenly, the door flung open letting in a burst of fresh air. I lifted my eyes and gasped as I saw Dudley standing in the threshold. He did a quick perusal of the room’s occupants and scowled.
“Dudley!” Startled, Lady Catherine jumped to her feet.
Alexander stood and let me slump into the settee. When Dudley stepped inside the room in an angry rush, Alexander moved behind him and swiftly closed the door.
“Lord Beaumont, how good of you to join us,” Lord Crawford said. He remained seated. “I was about to have one more game of Piquet with your mother. Miss Gleadhell is the bet. Would you like to join the game?”
Dudley glanced at me with unease, and my eyes pleaded for rescue.
“There will be no hand over Miss Gleadhell,” he answered firmly. “I’m taking her out of here.” He turned around and took a step in my direction, but Alexander slipped his hand into his inside pocket and pulled out a derringer.
“She’s going nowhere,” he announced boldly, “until the hand is played.”
I gasped at the weapon, and Dudley halted and surveyed the gun pointed at his face.
“Lord Crawford, is that necessary?” Lady Catherine asked with little concern in her voice.
“Well, that depends on whether we finish this last hand or not. As I said, I am feeling lucky. If I win, your little lady friend comes with me this evening, but if your son does, I may let him have her. It all depends on my mood.” His voice deepened to a threatening tone.
“Oh, let’s forget this charade,” Lady Catherine announced. “Just take her, like you’ve taken the others. I have no use for her any longer. She has turned into an annoying twit.”
Lady Catherine threw her cards down on the table. “Come Dudley, let us leave her behind.”
“No one is taking Mary anywhere,” he growled, gritting his teeth.
Alexander positioned the gun straight at Dudley’s face, while Lord Crawford bellowed his orders. “It would be wise if you sat at the table, Lord Beaumont, and I will deal the hand.”
“You should sit, too,” Alexander ordered, jiggling the barrel of the gun in Lady Catherine’s direction. She quickly complied without objection and plopped back on the chair.
Dudley glanced at me and sat down. I felt tears sting my eyes as the cards were dealt. The man I hoped would be my hero, resolutely picked his hand. The game ensued, and the time dragged on like eternity. Dudley appeared to be no stranger to the game, which I found surprising. Lord Crawford’s face remained somber throughout, and Lady Catherine sat watching with no
particular emotion whatsoever. Alexander remained with gun in hand, pointed at Dudley’s head.
“One hundred,” the baron said in a relieved voice. “I believe that I have won the game.” He pushed back his chair and rose.
Alexander, however, had other ideas. He swiftly grabbed me by the hand and pulled me to my feet. A second later, he restrained me with his arm in a choking hold wrapped around my neck. The gun in his hand pointed at my head.
“Dudley!” I screamed in terror, hoping someone on the other side of the door would hear my cries.
“Let them have her,” Lady Catherine said coldly. “She’s not worth dying to save.”
“Dudley, please,” I cried, grabbing at Alexander’s arm, trying to free myself. “I beg you, don’t let them take me.” He looked at me forlornly, as if nothing could be done. His eyes fixed on the gun that could swiftly end my life.
“Shut up,” Lord Crawford yelled at me. He walked over to the other door and pushed it open. “Bring her.”
Alexander dragged me toward the door, which I could see led to the alley outdoors. With his gun pointed at my head, I struggled against his pull. I glanced at Lady Catherine, who flashed a cheeky smile, celebrating my imminent disappearance.
“Dudley, please!” I frantically cried.
While Lord Crawford’s back was toward the open door watching me helplessly wrestle with Alexander, I suddenly witnessed a constable appear out of the dark and wallop Lord Crawford on the head with a nightstick. He fell to the floor unconscious.
At the same moment, Dudley, used the surprising intrusion to his advantage. He grabbed the gun in Alexander’s hand and pulled it away from my head. Afterward, he punched him harshly in the kidney, causing him to yelp in pain. At that point, he released me, and I staggered away. Dudley took the opportunity to knock him in the jaw, sending him backward against the wall and falling to the floor. Then to my utter horror, he gave Alexander another kick in the part of the body where I knew brought great pain to a man. A second later, he rolled on the floor, groaning in agony.
Every ounce of strength drained from my body, and I weakened and slumped. Dudley caught me on the way down. “You’re safe now, Mary. No one will hurt you.”
Whitefield Hall: Novella Page 8
