She had been much too enthusiastic to regret it. Or perhaps it was the enthusiasm she regretted. Fearing he was being as silly as Destry without even spirits as an excuse, Jess pushed the speculation out of his head.
“Riding? Tomorrow morning? Yes,” the marquis said eagerly. “Join me! Come along with me!”
Jess cringed at his friend’s overly animated invitation.
“Thank you, my lord,” the beauty said, her eyes on the carpet. “But despite my sister’s inquiry on my behalf, I do believe we are committed to breakfast with Miss Wilson tomorrow morning.”
“Then come join us now,” Destry insisted, bowing this time instead of going behind her and pushing her. Thank God.
His little Venus, the one who knew no fear, hesitated. “But we are beginners. We would not want to play too deep and we fear that will bore the rest of you. I think we should say good night.”
Yes, she had seen it all. He left his spot near the wall and crossed to her, Destry, and Cecilia.
He bowed to the sisters. “Indeed, we have played deep enough for one evening and very unusual play it was. Come, let us introduce you to gaming in a more relaxed manner.”
The Earl of Belmont made to leave. Introducing young ladies to some innocent gaming was, apparently, not the way he wanted to spend the rest of the evening. But a slight shake of Mrs. Kendrick’s head sent him back to his seat.
Exactly. If they left there would be no one to chaperone the two young women.
Des seated Cecilia, pushing her chair so close to the table that Jess doubted the woman could draw breath.
Beatrice was left to her own devices. Jess came around the table and pulled out a chair for her. Instead of sitting, she turned to him. She gave him a look tinged with desperation.
“He’s had too much to drink, my lord. I brought Ceci here to spend time with him, to see how charming he can be. This is a disaster in the making.”
“Beatrice, I learned from observing my siblings that when it comes to affairs of the heart, it is wisest to let the lovers find their own course.”
“But the marquis is your friend, my lord. Don’t you see that this will spoil everything?”
Though he was not sure if “everything” meant anything more than her sister’s happiness, Jess nodded. “Yes. It’s pure torture to watch Destry make a fool of himself.”
“My lord, do something or I will never let you smother me with kisses.” She tugged at his sleeve as if she did not have his full attention. She did.
“It’s ravish you with kisses, Beatrice. I want to ravish you with kisses. Smothering is something else entirely, and not nearly as comfortable.”
She looked down, but he heard her laugh. She did not respond in any other way, but pushed him toward the game table.
“Do something about Destry. Please!”
Lost in their flirtation, Jess missed Destry’s next misstep.
“I thought the markers represented coins, my lord,” Cecilia said with a touch of primness.
“They can, but they can represent any item that one is willing to wager. A token perhaps?”
What Destry wanted was a kiss. Did anyone doubt that?
“A penny.” Belmont spoke firmly. “You will play for a penny.”
“Yes,” Jess agreed as Belmont raised his eyebrows, which was as close to censure as the earl came.
With a gracious bow, the earl and Nora Kendrick stood and relinquished their place to Jess. The couple moved to another table to play some two-handed game that Jess was sure would necessitate heads close together and soft words.
“I thought that we could try something that did not involve counting,” Destry insisted. “Miss Brent has told me that counting is not her strong suit.”
“I am not a dunce, my lord.” Cecilia’s tone conveyed more insult than amusement. “I can count to twenty and on a good day even as high as fifty.”
“What shall we play?” Beatrice asked, her air of desperation revealing itself in a too-bright smile.
Under most circumstances, Jess would have suggested simply wagering on the cut of the cards, but something that easy would only be taken as an insult to Cecilia’s intelligence. Besides, it was terminally boring unless the stakes were high.
“One of my favorites is to wager on the cut of the cards,” Destry said, though Jess knew that for a lie. “Each of us puts a marker in the middle.” They all did so. Cecilia’s abrupt movements all but shouted, “I do not want to be here!”