A Little Bit Sinful. Adrienne Basso

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СКАЧАТЬ you would prefer to switch to hazard, Lord Faber?” the earl asked with a smile.

      “Ha! Hazard’s a game for young fools,” Lord Faber replied. “Makes no sense at all to throw away good coin on a pair of dice.”

      Play continued. The earl won the majority of the next dozen hands, his pile of winning coins nearly double the size of any of the other players. Dawson was his usual congenial self, dealing the cards with good humor as he tried to keep the game light-hearted and friendly. Sir Charles continued drinking at a steady pace while Lord Faber pressed his luck with mediocre hands, inching the play to a higher pitch as he tried to recoup some of his losses.

      Nerves on edge, Sebastian pushed his whiskey glass out of easy reach, not wanting to tempt himself. For this plan to work he needed to be sober and clearheaded. Accusations hurled by a man too deep in his cups were never taken seriously.

      Sebastian would have preferred to confront the earl in a gaming hell, where the clientele was seedy and desperate, but that could have easily put his plan in jeopardy. Accusations of cheating in the hells were a common occurrence. With the rare exception, the recipients of these charges were less concerned about their honor and more focused on being allowed to continue in the game. Things rarely escalated to a duel.

      “The bet is to you, Hetfield,” Dawson said.

      The earl had a six and five displayed and a third card turned facedown. He hesitated. Sebastian marveled at his outward calm, for he knew the concealed card made the earl’s hand unbeatable.

      Taking a deep breath, Sebastian smiled at the earl with the most serene expression he could muster. Hetfield returned the grin and tossed in another coin. Excellent.

      “Another twenty-one?” Lord Faber exclaimed bitterly when the hands were revealed. “You really do have the devil’s own luck tonight, Hetfield.”

      Finally! Lord Faber’s annoyance could not have been timed more perfectly. Emotions raging, Sebastian cleared his throat.

      “Strange, the last time I checked there were four kings in a deck. How is it exactly that you were able to play a fifth, Lord Hetfield?” Sebastian asked, his tone carrying an edge of accusation.

      “A fifth?” Sir Charles spoke in a slow, slurred voice. “Are you sure?”

      “I am,” Sebastian replied forcefully, knowing it was indeed the truth, since he had been the one to maneuver the card into the earl’s hand.

      “That’s preposterous!” the earl cried.

      “No, wait, I think Benton might be on to something,” Sir Charles said. “I believe I did see the king of spades earlier in the game too.”

      “Hell, Charles, you’re too foxed to see much of anything!” the earl exclaimed.

      “Rubbish!”

      Sebastian held his smile. Sir Charles’s exclamation of indignity would have been a bit more effective if he hadn’t followed it by downing the rest of the brandy in his glass. Still, that was one player on his side. Two more to go.

      “Did you notice anything amiss, my lord?” Sebastian asked, turning to the gentleman on his left.

      Lord Faber coughed nervously, his thick, stubby fingers pressed against his mouth. “Now that you mention it, I might have seen the king of spades in the first round of play.”

      “You did,” Sebastian insisted.

      “What are you suggesting, Benton?” the earl asked, his voice sharp.

      “I am suggesting nothing,” Sebastian drawled. “I am simply stating a fact. ‘Tis impossible for you to have played that particular card legitimately.”

      A gasp was heard, followed quickly by the low, muttering drone of voices. It spread through the card room like wildfire. Good. Let them all talk. An accusation of cheating was never lightly dismissed, even among the most hardened gamesters.

      The tension in the room grew palpable and a remarkable stillness settled over everything. Play ceased at the nearest tables as the occupants turned their attention to the drama unfolding. Though it set him further on edge, Sebastian welcomed their interest. The more men who saw the exchange, the harder it would be for Hetfield to walk away.

      “There is of course only one way for a true gentleman to settle the matter.” Sebastian set his hands on the table, then pushed himself to his feet. “Name your second, Hetfield.”

      “What?” The earl jerked awkwardly to his feet, toppling his chair.

      “I believe I have made myself perfectly clear. Are you going to defend yourself or not?”

      A faint hint of emotion flashed in the earl’s eyes. Fear? Recognition? Had he finally figured out that Sebastian was Evangeline’s son, the woman he had scorned so cruelly all those years ago? The woman who had taken her own life because of the earl’s disgraceful behavior.

      Two spots of red burned in the earl’s cheeks, yet his voice was calm when he spoke. “This is simply preposterous. You are, of course, mistaken, Lord Benton. I refuse to dignify this ludicrous bit of nonsense with a response.”

      “Yes, quite right, my lord.” Dawson stuck his index finger inside the top of his cravat and tugged nervously on it. “I am certain there was only one king of spades. This was all a misunderstanding that’s best forgotten by everyone. No harm done, eh, Benton?”

      Sebastian whirled upon his friend, seized by a strong impulse to grab him by the throat and shake him until his teeth rattled. “Stay out of it, Dawson,” he ground out between clenched lips. “This is between me and the earl.”

      But his friend would not be silenced. Dawson moved closer and set his fingertips against Sebastian’s chest as if trying to keep him from lunging at the earl. “Christ’s blood, Benton, let it go,” he whispered. “I doubt the earl was cheating, but even if he was, what does it matter? The wagers were not overly extravagant. Only Faber has lost a significant amount of coin and I am certain if you drop the matter he will follow your lead. Damn it all, if you keep pressing like this, things will turn very ugly, indeed.”

      Sebastian cast a dark glower at his friend. It had been a selfish mistake to allow Dawson to play. The man had too much integrity and common sense. Sebastian had wanted the security of having an ally at his back, but he had miscalculated badly. He had not told Dawson he intended to draw the earl into a duel, because he knew his friend would object to such a blatant act.

      But he had reasoned that Dawson would take his side if something did occur. Integrity was so damn inconvenient! Sebastian tensed, the blood pumping furiously through his veins. Friend or no, he would not allow anyone to deny him his revenge.

      “Either stand with me or stand aside,” Sebastian said forcefully.

      Dawson’s head jerked back in surprise, his eyes filling with a curious mixture of confusion and hurt. “I swear, Benton, if I didn’t know you better I’d think you were trying to provoke Hetfield into a duel.”

      Sebastian shrugged off that all too true comment and faced Lord Faber and Sir Charles. The two glanced uneasily around the card room. “Perhaps it would be best to let the matter go,” Sir Charles suggested.

      Struggling, СКАЧАТЬ