Darleston!’
Darleston nodded for him to throw again. He threw a twelve and shot a triumphant glare at the Earl.
Carstares and Carrington exchanged startled glances. ‘Did you see what…?’ began George.
‘Let’s wait and be sure,’ murmured Carrington, placing a restraining hand on his companion’s arm. They continued to watch the game carefully.
Now the game began to run in Ffolliot’s direction. Lady Luck, it would seem, had relented towards Mr Ffolliot. Carstares and Lord Carrington drifted over to the table. Laying his hand on Ffolliot’s arm, the latter said coldly, ‘Mr Ffolliot, did I not hear you informLord Darleston that you had no dice with you when he offered to let you change the dice?’
‘That’s right,’ said Ffolliot, shrugging off the hand. ‘What of it Carrington? I’m happy enough with the dice now! All a misunderstanding, eh, Darleston?’
Darleston looked in annoyance at George and Carrington, but what he saw in their faces made him hold his tongue. Again the whole room was focused on that small table.
Carrington was speaking again, ‘I have little doubt that you are only too happy with these dice, since they came out of your pocket! Strange how the luck turned so quickly after you retrieved the dice from the floor, wouldn’t you say? Carstares and I saw you make the exchange! Shall we break them for you?’
Ffolliot grabbed the dice. He was shaking, but tried to bluster. ‘How…how dare you? I…I don’t care for your tone, Carrington. Darleston has made no complaint!’
An expectant silence had pervaded the whole room. The assembled company looked with scorn at Ffolliot and with great interest at Darleston for his reaction.
His blazing eyes seemed to burn holes in Ffolliot’s face, but his voice was as urbane as ever. ‘I think this concludes our little game, Mr Ffolliot. You will hear from me in the next day or so to arrange the terms of payment for your debt.’
The host, Lord Bellingham, came forward to say icily, ‘I am afraid I must ask you to leave, Mr Ffolliot, unless you are prepared to have those dice broken!’ He waited a moment, but Ffolliot did not respond. Still clutching his dice, he stood up unsteadily and walked to the door. Men turned aside from him, disgusted.Bellingham gestured to a footman. ‘See that he leaves!’
Darleston rose to his feet, saying calmly, ‘How very unpleasant. Ah, Bellingham! I do beg your pardon for this little contretemps! I shall also take my leave. Please accept my apologies.’
‘Nonsense, Darleston, no need for you to leave!’ said Bellingham. ‘I’m sure Carstares or Carrington will join us for a game of cards! Why leave just because of that infernal little mountebank?’
Darleston resumed his seat, saying obligingly, ‘Of course, Bellingham.’
When Darleston reached Grosvenor Square again it was four in the morning. He let himself into the house and found a candle burning on a small table. He picked it up and went upstairs to his bed-chamber where he proceeded to undress himself. Despite the acid comments of Fordham on the subject, Darleston insisted that he was perfectly capable of putting himself to bed at night.
The evening’s events had done little to alleviate his temper, and the comment dropped by Carrington on the way home, that he very much doubted Ffolliot’s ability to meet the debt he had contracted, had infuriated him. If it hadn’t been for the loaded dice Darleston would have quietly cancelled the debt. Unfortunately the public exposure of Ffolliot’s dishonesty made that impossible.
Ffolliot’s suggestion that he himself had been using loaded dice also continued to rankle. Well, if Ffolliot couldn’t pay the debt in one way, he should pay it in another! At this point the problem of Lady Caroline drifted back into his brandy-fogged mind. ‘BlastCaroline!’ he said aloud. ‘The only way to be safe from her is to marry someone else. But who?’
He pulled the nightshirt laid out for
Darleston nodded for him to throw again. He threw a twelve and shot a triumphant glare at the Earl.
Carstares and Carrington exchanged startled glances. ‘Did you see what…?’ began George.
‘Let’s wait and be sure,’ murmured Carrington, placing a restraining hand on his companion’s arm. They continued to watch the game carefully.
Now the game began to run in Ffolliot’s direction. Lady Luck, it would seem, had relented towards Mr Ffolliot. Carstares and Lord Carrington drifted over to the table. Laying his hand on Ffolliot’s arm, the latter said coldly, ‘Mr Ffolliot, did I not hear you informLord Darleston that you had no dice with you when he offered to let you change the dice?’
‘That’s right,’ said Ffolliot, shrugging off the hand. ‘What of it Carrington? I’m happy enough with the dice now! All a misunderstanding, eh, Darleston?’
Darleston looked in annoyance at George and Carrington, but what he saw in their faces made him hold his tongue. Again the whole room was focused on that small table.
Carrington was speaking again, ‘I have little doubt that you are only too happy with these dice, since they came out of your pocket! Strange how the luck turned so quickly after you retrieved the dice from the floor, wouldn’t you say? Carstares and I saw you make the exchange! Shall we break them for you?’
Ffolliot grabbed the dice. He was shaking, but tried to bluster. ‘How…how dare you? I…I don’t care for your tone, Carrington. Darleston has made no complaint!’
An expectant silence had pervaded the whole room. The assembled company looked with scorn at Ffolliot and with great interest at Darleston for his reaction.
His blazing eyes seemed to burn holes in Ffolliot’s face, but his voice was as urbane as ever. ‘I think this concludes our little game, Mr Ffolliot. You will hear from me in the next day or so to arrange the terms of payment for your debt.’
The host, Lord Bellingham, came forward to say icily, ‘I am afraid I must ask you to leave, Mr Ffolliot, unless you are prepared to have those dice broken!’ He waited a moment, but Ffolliot did not respond. Still clutching his dice, he stood up unsteadily and walked to the door. Men turned aside from him, disgusted.Bellingham gestured to a footman. ‘See that he leaves!’
Darleston rose to his feet, saying calmly, ‘How very unpleasant. Ah, Bellingham! I do beg your pardon for this little contretemps! I shall also take my leave. Please accept my apologies.’
‘Nonsense, Darleston, no need for you to leave!’ said Bellingham. ‘I’m sure Carstares or Carrington will join us for a game of cards! Why leave just because of that infernal little mountebank?’
Darleston resumed his seat, saying obligingly, ‘Of course, Bellingham.’
When Darleston reached Grosvenor Square again it was four in the morning. He let himself into the house and found a candle burning on a small table. He picked it up and went upstairs to his bed-chamber where he proceeded to undress himself. Despite the acid comments of Fordham on the subject, Darleston insisted that he was perfectly capable of putting himself to bed at night.
The evening’s events had done little to alleviate his temper, and the comment dropped by Carrington on the way home, that he very much doubted Ffolliot’s ability to meet the debt he had contracted, had infuriated him. If it hadn’t been for the loaded dice Darleston would have quietly cancelled the debt. Unfortunately the public exposure of Ffolliot’s dishonesty made that impossible.
Ffolliot’s suggestion that he himself had been using loaded dice also continued to rankle. Well, if Ffolliot couldn’t pay the debt in one way, he should pay it in another! At this point the problem of Lady Caroline drifted back into his brandy-fogged mind. ‘BlastCaroline!’ he said aloud. ‘The only way to be safe from her is to marry someone else. But who?’
He pulled the nightshirt laid out for
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