in an old church. She gave Susan a hand to help her down.
“Is this it?” Susan asked. “I rather expected to see all sorts of men outside and maybe even a few lightskirts standing about.”
Emma laughed. “We may have passed by this place a hundred times without even realizing what the building housed.”
“Let’s go inside.” Susan pulled Emma up the steps and then stopped. “Do we knock or just enter?”
“We must knock and let them know who we are.”
“Who we are?” Susan parroted.
“I can’t be Emma Drake dressed like I am. I shall be Edmond Tavers, and you are my guest, Miss Yardly.” Emma laughed at her friend’s surprised expression.
The large wood door opened, revealing a giant of a man with brown hair and shoulders that almost filled the doorway. “Cards, please.”
She should have expected this. All gentleman had cards at the ready. “I do believe we have forgotten them this evening.
The man stared down at them for a moment. “Who are you?”
Emma gave him their names and the three pounds to get in. The man checked a list and then moved away, allowing them entrance to what must have been the vestibule of the church.
“First time?” the man asked, staring at Emma.
“Yes,” she replied in her lowest voice.
“Through the wood doors. Hat on the table when you enter.”
“I beg your pardon?” Emma questioned, almost forgetting to lower her voice.
“New policy. All,” he paused, lips twitching, “men are required to remove their hats.”
Emma nodded, thankful that the man was now preoccupied with two men who sought entrance. She clasped Susan’s arm and led her toward the doors.
“You cannot take off your hat,” Susan whispered.
“I know.” Why hadn’t either of them thought about the fact that hats were always removed? Apprehension twitched down her spine. They could not back down now. “I can only hope no one mentions anything about it once we are inside the gaming room.”
Emma opened the ornately carved wood door, and they entered the sizeable raucous room. Stained glass windows displaying the holy family and angels watched over the gamblers who sold their souls to win some money. Where the altar must have been situated, now held a long table for cards. A few other gaming tables surrounded the room, with dice and card games and one for table roulette.
Suddenly Susan gasped and clutched Emma’s arm. “We need to leave right now,” she whispered in a nervous voice.
“What is wrong?” Emma hadn’t even spied Kingsley yet. Then she remembered he watched the floor from his office. He would never be able to identify her from there.
“My brother is here!”
“He will never notice you in that mask,” Emma replied calmly.
“Yes, he will. He always comments on how much he likes this gown on me, Emma.”
“Edmond, not Emma,” she whispered back. “And with all these people, he will never notice you.”
Except, as soon as she’d said those words, Gavin Lancaster rose from his seat and turned toward them. Susan observed him and abruptly left, racing out the double doors. Emma strode after her friend, who had gained quite a lead on her. By the time she reached the front door, Susan had already climbed into a hackney. Emma watched as they drove off.
“Too much excitement for your friend?” the man at the door asked.
“Yes, she happened to notice her husband and ran off before being caught with me.”
The man laughed coarsely. “Of course. Don’t forget to remove your hat when you go back inside.”
She nodded as Susan’s carriage drove down the street. Emma could either do the same and run away or turn around and have some amusement tonight. Gavin Lancaster was a test. If she could stroll past him without gaining his notice, then she would remain. Susan’s brother strode past with barely a glance at Emma.
There was no turning back now.
She entered the gaming room again. She’d come to gamble, and that’s what she intended to do tonight. Moving to a roulette table, she pulled out her money and placed her first bet.
“Can I get you a drink, young man?”
Emma looked over at the woman and barely caught herself from gasping. The same woman she’d seen on Kingsley’s lap nearly a year ago when Emma had come here with Louisa, who was looking for Harry. Only the woman had not just been sitting on his lap. The image of that woman with her dress down and her bountiful breasts displayed for him had burned into Emma’s mind. The woman had been sliding up and down on the