Beauty Tempts the Beast (Sins for All Seasons #6) - Lorraine Heath Page 0,72

actions.

Now the curtains at the windows were drawn, the fur blanket was tucked about her, the foot warmer had been reheated, her toes were cozy, and Benedict sat opposite her, his long legs stretched out, his booted feet on either side of hers. When he’d positioned them like that, she’d lifted the blanket and draped it over his calves so he could enjoy the warmth with her.

“I don’t know what I ever saw in him.” When silence was his answer, she added, “Lord Chadbourne. I don’t know why I thought I loved him.”

“Thought? You didn’t know you loved him?”

“At the time I was convinced I did. I’ve reminisced about him often, longed for him on occasion, but my memories of him were far too kind. I didn’t much like the man I beat tonight. Did I cheat to do so?”

“A little.”

She’d known he’d answer honestly, even if his response cast him in the role of villain. But she couldn’t envision that he’d ever been the villain, not even when he was a lad of eight and nicked a timepiece.

As much as she craved the darkness, she wished a lantern was burning so she could see his features clearly, judge his expressions, and gaze into his eyes. She was rather certain she’d see a tiny smile of satisfaction. “Whenever you indicated I should fold, the winning hand always would have beaten what I was holding. You’re able to keep track of the cards that are played.”

“To an extent. The ones that are shown, at least. Then I can make other assumptions based upon how quickly hands are folded. It’s not an infallible method, but it does increase the chances of winning more often than losing.”

“What makes Danny a special dealer?”

“His ability to keep track of the cards and his mastery of sleight of hand. He doesn’t always deal the top card, but rather the one below it. Although when I gave him a few quid for his assistance tonight, he claimed only to have dealt from the top.”

“Do you believe him?”

“He had no reason to lie. Aiden told him to do what needed to be done to ensure the outcome we wanted. However, I suspect he was manipulating the order in which he added the cards to the bottom of the deck. Does it make you feel less victorious to know you might have had some assistance?”

“No.” She didn’t hesitate with her answer. “I was just glad to see the earl lose. I didn’t care how it happened. Which I suppose says more about me than him.” She grew silent, thought about how the night had gone. “The other three gents at the table. Do you know them? I’d like to see their losses returned to them from my winnings.” After Aiden had taken back his stake—as he referred to the chips he’d originally given her—she walked away with a little over twelve hundred pounds. A rather astonishing amount for a couple of hours’ entertainment. She could hardly countenance that people allotted so much money to wagering.

“Aiden can sort it and let you know how much he’ll need to cover it. He won’t let them know any possible cheating was involved. He’ll probably tell them it has to do with the lady’s remarkable generosity.”

“I suppose any rumors of cheating in his establishment wouldn’t go over well.”

“It would not. For the most part, he runs an honest establishment. But on rare occasions when a certain outcome is needed, he’s not averse to doing what must be done to attain it. You don’t have to give any of your take back to the other gents. As I mentioned earlier, anyone who spends any time at a card table eventually loses. It’s understood, expected, accepted.”

“I’ll feel better about it. Their clothing indicated they were laborers of some sort. I suspect Chadbourne’s boots cost more than they earn collectively in a year.” A time existed when she wouldn’t have known that, hadn’t known how hard people worked for so little pay. She’d cared only about gowns, new dance steps, and the latest gossip. She’d cared about her appearance: her hair, the glow of her skin, her frocks, her hats, her shoes, her gloves. She most certainly never would have gone out in public in a frock with little worn spots here and there or a glove with a tiny hole on the palm side slightly below the spot where her middle finger was attached.

“Why did you do it?” she asked softly. “Why have them send