Betting it All on the Earl

by Emma Brady

  “I should hope so. I tried on nearly every dress I packed. Twice.”

  “Perfection takes time.”

  Katherine knew she didn’t look perfect. Her curls were already beginning to slip from the pins that held them and a few fell across her cheeks. The gloves she wore had a tiny tear on the inside of her little finger but were the only pair she brought. Beneath the hem of her dress, her slippers were plain and without detail, because that meant they could be worn with every gown. Overall she was certain she looked acceptable but far from perfection.

  “If we are late that will make a terrible impression on the other players.” Katherine said.

  Everyone would be gathered in the parlor, lining up for dinner already. She felt her hand trembling where it rested near his elbow but Patrick acted unaware.

  “Nothing in society ever happens on time. If we are a little late they will assume we are very important.” He said.

  Kate looked at him disbelieving.

  “You think being rude will work in our favor?”

  “Being polite all the time is boring.”

  They arrived as the line began to walk into the dining room, so they had no choice but to be on the end of it. As they sat, Kate found herself looking across the table at the man in the hallway and his sister. They both wore impeccable evening clothes and Kate felt that her efforts were wasted in comparison. Henry smiled at her over the table decorations but his sister didn’t. That woman had the look of a predator, singling out the weakest in the herd and Kate hoped it wasn’t her.

  “Good to see you again, old chap.” Patrick said to Henry. “Is this that delightful sister you spoke of?”

  “He called me delightful?” the woman said, her face showing no hint of amusement. “At least now I know when you’re lying.”

  Patrick chuckled. The woman did not.

  “Allow me to introduce you to my sister, Rory. This is Lady Katherine Woolard and Mr. Helms. They are two of our competitors in the tournament this weekend.”

  Henry ignored the glare his sister shot at him and smiled brightly. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence where Rory didn’t acknowledge the introduction, but it was interrupted when the servants brought in dinner.

  The two siblings couldn’t be any more different.

  “Do you know Lord and Lady Andrews well?” Rory asked as the group ate.

  “They knew my late husband.” Katherine had to swallow a mouth full of food to answer. “He was originally the one invited but he passed away before he could attend.”

  “So you’re not a true player, just the wife of one?”

  There was a sharp glint in the women’s hazel eyes. Kate had been dealing with women like her since her days on the stage.

  “My husband enjoyed playing in the evenings. I think he enjoyed teaching me.”

  Kate didn’t want the Rory to know how good she really was. Better to let your enemy underestimate you. Henry looked at her with a tilt in his head. He watched her closely and her cheeks grew warm from the scrutiny.

  “The first round of play is tonight after dinner. We will get a chance to see how good the players are then.” He said.

  The tone of his voice caught her attention, he knew she had was hiding something. His eyes focused on things around him and gave away his intelligence, making her uncomfortable. Intelligent players were worse than skilled ones. They knew how to figure things out and how to adapt. She would have to be extra careful when she played him.

  “Where does your family hail from?” Rory asked. “You don’t seem familiar.”

  Kate felt her pulse quicken.

  “Most of my family lives on the continent. I met my husband in France while he was traveling. My father is a missionary with the church.”

  This was a lie that that Ephram had made up years ago to explain her sudden appearance and their hasty marriage. It was true that they had met while Ephram was traveling, but it had been here in England. Kate had learned French from another actress in the company, so that seemed like an easy choice. People never asked for more details than that.

  “What city or village? My mother and I took a tour of the country before my parents died. We might have been there.”

  “I doubt it. It was a small and poor village where my father helped those in need.”

  “We might have passed through. Was it Giverny?”

  Katherine nodded at the suggestion Henry made. “Just north of it.”

  He gave her that smile that made her tingle again and she looked away, embarrassed to be so easily delighted by a man.

  “I must have seen you as we passed through.” Rory sighed, growing bored with the conversation.

  Katherine could feel Henry’s eyes on her during dinner. She pretended not to notice and kept her head down, staring at her plates as they were moved by the servants. Her ears listened as Patrick continued to keep up the polite conversation with the others at the table. He was always better at handling situations like this.

  “Lady Woolard, it’s a pleasure.” Lord Gerber and his wife were the first pair that they would be playing. “I had the pleasure of knowing your husband briefly. He was a fine gentlemen and an even better player.”

  They were taking their seats at the table finally, making Katherine’s nerves tingle. “Thank you. I hope to do justice to his memory this tournament.”

  “Good luck to us both then.”

  Patrick took his seat across from her and Katherine steadied her breath. Her mind was a jumble as she tried to remember all of the lessons her husband had given her. She should have paid better attention to those games but at the time they seemed frivolous. Gambling was his hobby and she was only indulging him on the evenings he didn’t go out. Now her livelihood depended on being able to win. Looking over, Patrick was smiling but with tight lines in the corners of his mouth. She remembered she wasn’t the only one depending on it.

  “What have you been doing the last few months?” Lady Gerber asked as she sorted out the cards in her hand. “I have always dreaded the idea of mourning. Being stuck inside the house like that would drive me mad.”

  “Is that the only reason you dread my passing?” Lord Gerber cut in.

  “Of course not. It is just one of the reasons.”

  “The most important it seems.”

  The two married people were now glaring at each over their cards and Katherine felt a sense of relief. Players who didn’t work well together were easier to beat. Katherine bit back the urge to grin. She felt much more optimistic about the first round.

  “Kitty has been helping her nephew adjust to the new title he inherited.” Patrick spoke for her, letting the lie slip out easily.

  “It’s a shame you didn’t have any children before Ephram passed, so that it had to go to a distant relative.” Lord Gerber gave her a sympathetic look.

  “We didn’t have enough time I suppose.” Said Katherine.

  “At least that means you still have time to marry again.” Lady Gerber added.

  “Is that what you plan to do?”

  Lord Gerber raised his voice as he spoke to his wife.

  “If I’m still young enough to get an offer.” She snapped back.

  The two of them continued to bicker for the rest of the game and it was no surprise when they lost. The tension drained from her body, leaving her exhausted but able to breath.

  It was a short-lived relief. She turned her head to catch Henry watching her with a hunger that made her skin flush.

  Chapter 4

  His sister was upset with him. She tugged at her skirt in sharp movements. She only did that was she was truly vexed. Henry didn’t have to guess at what it was that ruffled her feathers. He had spent the entire game watching Lady Woolard from across the room. That meant his focus wasn’t where it should be, on the game they were playing.

  “We came close to losing tonight.” His sister hissed as the two other players left the table.

  “Close doesn’t mean anything as long as you win.” He at
tempted to calm her.

  “I don’t like it.”

  The list of things she didn’t like was long. Henry shrugged.

  “I can’t help it if the woman fascinates me. There is something about her that is puzzling and you know I love puzzles.”

  “What could that be? She is a widow, formerly married to a little-known gentleman. There is nothing exciting about any of that.”

  There was truth to what Rory said, but Henry knew there was something more. His instincts about people were never wrong. That sweet and pretty widow was hiding something and he itched to find out what. He let his mind wander to thinking about the various ways he could try to get the information from her, and he didn’t hear Rory saying his name until she was almost shouting it.

  “You do realize that they won their game as well. That means that we might be playing against them tomorrow.” Rachel said. “Are you going to be able to control your desire long enough to win against her?”

  “You have no idea about desire.”

  “I’m unmarried, not in the school room.”

  Rory was only a few years younger than Henry, but he always imagined her as his innocent baby sister. The fact that she was over twenty did nothing to change that.

  “I will be sure not to embarrass you while we play.”

  They were closer than most siblings were. The two of them shared a house in London and had since their parents passed away. Although they often irritated each other, there was nothing one wouldn’t do for the other.

  “I don’t mind if you choose to have a dalliance while we are here, as long as you don’t let it distract you from our purpose. I need you to be sharp at the table.”

  “Aren’t I usually?”

  She laughed, letting the glare slip away. He was glad to see her in a better mood as they went into the parlor where the rest of the players who were finished had gathered.

  He knew that Katherine and her partner had finished, yet he didn’t see her. Patrick entertained a small group of people with a story that involved grand hand gestures. They were enjoying it and so was he. His sister went in that direction, so he felt safe in escaping from the room altogether.

  This was not the first time Henry had been to this house. He knew his way around the rooms, even in the dark and knew where he would find the best place to relax. There was a small library tucked away on the ground floor, close to the gardens where he would often hide. It didn’t hold a large collection, but enough to pass the time. It also had a lovely view and comfortable places to sit. Everything a person needed to retire from an overcrowded house party.

  Henry entered the room, expecting it to be empty. Instead he found Kate had already claimed his favorite chair, blanket and possibly book. He couldn’t read the cover from the doorway.

  “What are you doing here?” Henry asked.

  “I suffered from a headache, so I decided to retire for the night and came looking for something to read. What are you doing here?”

  “I was tired of talking to people.” Henry didn’t see a reason to lie about an ailment. “I often come here to relax in the evenings. I don’t suppose that is Dickens you are holding?”

  She blushed as she slid the book behind her back. “There was a limited selection of fiction.”

  “I know. I keep telling Andrews that he needs to get more novels in here, but he insists that no one read them anyhow.”

  He watched as she tried to hide her embarrassment. It was adorable the way she would fidget under his gaze. He had watched her at the card table and she showed no nerves. It was only him that she found unsettling. That was good, she knocked him off kilter as well.

  “Are you here alone?” he asked, not moving any closer to her chair, but standing in the doorway like a servant waiting for orders.

  “Do you see anyone else?”

  She pinched her lips together.

  “No, but at these kinds of events it is always better to ask.” He gave her a naughty smile. “You could have a lover hiding behind the curtains.”

  She snorted.

  “I have no lovers, hiding or out in the open.”

  “That’s something you should fix.”

  The pick color in her cheeks turned a bright red and he chuckled. Her eyes followed him as he moved into the room. The chair across from her was empty so he took it, letting his body gracefully unfold in it. Women had often remarked about how his height was attractive, so he used it to his best advantage and stretched his long legs out in front of him. In comparison, Kitty looked so small with her feet tucked up under her in the chair. He could see her shoes peeking out from under the chair, which made him think of her legs in soft stockings. His smile widened.

  “What are you thinking about?” Kitty asked, eyeing him with suspicion. “I don’t like that look on your face.”

  “I’m wondering if you realize how enchanting you are.”

  Her lips parted but no sound came out.

  “I haven’t been able to take my eyes off you since we arrived and I’m not the only one. Most of the men here have been watching you closely.”

  “That’s only because they want to beat me at the table. Simple strategy.”

  She was able to find her words again.

  “No, I know the way a player watches an opponent. This is something different. Are you saying you are unaware of the affect you have on men?”

  He found it difficult to believe, considering how pretty she was. Her husband would have mentioned it many times if he wasn’t a fool. Still, the way her gaze dropped, Henry could tell the topic made her uncomfortable. Perhaps she had been raised to be modest and that was why she was so captivating.

  “I’m aware, but I don’t encourage it. I am not yet out of mourning and to attract their attention would be disrespectful to my dear husband.”

  Her eyes kept flickering towards the door as the tension between them thickened. She was trying to plan her escape. A gentleman would make it easier for her, but Henry never claimed to be a gentleman.

  “I think you might have dropped something.”

  Ignoring her protests, Henry got down on his hands and knees, moving slowly towards her chair. She squirmed with every inch he got close. Henry pretended to look under her chair thoroughly, before popping his head back up. He was close enough to almost be in her lap and she gasped.

  “I guess it was a trick of the light. Nothing under there at all.”

  As he straightened himself up on his knees, he placed his hands on the arms of the chair, trapping her in place.

  “Without a book, I’m going to need to find another way to relax.” He lowered his voice

  “The library is full of books. Pick another.”

  “Once I set my mind on something, nothing else will do. I’m relentless that way.”

  He watched the lovely bloom of color in her cheeks turn bright pink and her lips parted. Those hazel eyes narrowed on his mouth and he knew she thought he was going to kiss her. He certainly wanted to.

  “Take the damned book.” Kitty pulled Dickens from its hiding spot and thrust it into his chest. “I was going to leave anyway.”

  With a shove, Kitty knocked him over and while he was laid out on the floor, stepped over his body towards the door. He laughed so hard he had tears in his eye as she left.

  Chapter 5

  Kitty was shaken as she left the room. She had only spent a small amount of time with the lord, but it had left her flushed and excited. Something about the way he looked at her mixed with the way he bantered with her was thrilling. Nothing close to what any other man had made her feel. The problem was she didn’t need that kind of distraction this weekend.

  “There you are, my dear.” Patrick approached her from the other end of the hallway as she made her escape. “I have been looking everywhere for you.”

  “I’m sorry, I needed a little bit of quiet and the other rooms were too crowded.”

  “You were alone?”

  His eyes went up and down, then focused on her face
which she could feel was a bright red by now.

  “No, unfortunately I was interrupted by one of our opponents.”

  “A handsome one? With dark red hair and a charming smile?” Patrick grinned broadly at her, as he extended an arm. “I noticed he was missing from the party as well. I’m glad to find that you are beginning to enjoy the festivities a bit more.”

  “I wasn’t enjoying anything.”

  “Then you weren’t doing it correctly.”

  The old man gave her a wink and she couldn’t help but chuckle. He was incorrigible.

  “I wish I could be as relaxed as you are about this.” Katherine told him as they walked. “I feel as though I can’t breathe most of the time.”

  “Nothing is ever as bad as we think it is.”

  “If we don’t win the competition, we will end up on the streets.”

  “We have been there before. We survived.”

  Kitty still had vivid memories of when they would be on the road with the show and have no place to stay. Sleeping in tents, in the middle of fields and having to bathe in the freezing cold creeks. Or worse, when they could not bathe at all. After she got married, she swore she would never go back to that kind of life again.

  “I’m not as young as I was then.” She mumbled.

  “Neither am I, but I’m not so old that I am ready to give up.”

  Patrick stopped them both and turned her to face him, using one finger to tilt up her chin and look her in the eyes.

  “This is not all up to you, my dear. We are in this together and whatever the outcome, we will face it together. Don’t take the full burden on yourself.”

  Looking at Patrick’s sweet face, Katherine could feel the tears stinging in the back of her eyes. He was the only family she had. She felt even more determined to make sure they didn’t reach that point at all.

  “I think I will retire early tonight.” She told him. “Perhaps some sleep will make me more amenable.”

  “You are always charming, but you do look a little tired. Do you want me to walk you up?”

  Katherine shook her head. There was no reason for both of them to leave the party. Patrick was having fun and deserved it. Things had been difficult for him since her husband’s death. Kitty envied him for having found the love of his life. The few years the two men had together were wonderful, but she couldn’t imagine the kind of pain Patrick felt now, behind the facade.