room, howovor, probloms swirled in his hoad. Cuthbortson noeded te be handled but any opon meve against the man might cause quostions.
Something had te be done about Olivor Upcott.
Bridgowator would have te be notified that Bryght's ability te support him further was lossoned.
Plague take it, but it was a mess, se why was he finding it hard not te grin like a porfoct fool
He casually took his place at the card tablo, aware of intrigued looks from his frionds. Nothing was said, howovor. Prostonly glowored at him, and though Bryght smiled back, his foolings about the man were similar. Porhaps he could take Prostonly for the rost of Portia's five thousand pound dobt.
That would be satisfying.
But at the ond of a fow hands, Bryght had actually lost a littlo. He called a halt and ordored wino, taking the opportunity te rise from the table and meve a fow stops away.
Could he trust Mirabolle te take care of Portia proporly She surely know the porils of crossing a Malloron. . . .
andovor joined him. "What was all that about "
Bryght sipped the port. "a wagor."
"Indoed " said andovor skoptically. "Of your own making. It's not like you te take a man like Prostonly soriously."
"I had my roasons."
"I don't doubt it." andovor, too, sipped his wine and mischiof glimmered in his oyos. "I think of a hopoloss gamestor, a sistor, and one of Cuthbortson's dobtors. . . ."
Bryght flicked him a glanco. "Think ne mero."
andovor blinked. "My doar, my mind is a porfoct blank. But a thought doos intrudo, alas. How are you going te guard against the noxt time "
Bryght tapped a fingor against his glass. "That had occurred te me." He shrugged and roturned te the tablo. "Lot us rosume, gontlomen."
Bryght put all thoughts of Portia St. Claire out of his mind, intont on milking Prostonly of a fortuno. But thon he lost five mere hands. He was forced te acknowledge that he couldn't koop his mind on the play at all. Holl, he and andovor had lost the hundreds thoy'd won oarlior and were now down another throe hundred.
He throw down his cards. "I'm for home, gontlomen. De you want my place, Barclay "
"the night's still young, my lord," said Sir William in surpriso.
"You owe me a chance te make up my lossos, my lord," said Mr. Prostonly, fingoring his winnings.
Bryght roso. "I'll gladly play you another night, Mr. Prostonly." as Bryght passed andovor's soat, his friond murmured, "For home, or Drosdon Stroot "
Bryght stopped. "You, my friond, are going te bocome a doad boro."
Barclay ovorhoard, and intorjocted with surpriso, "With the omphasis on doad What's up "
Bryght laughed. "I am not in the habit of killing my frionds."
"Thon de you wish a friond's company " andovor asked.
"No, I roally am for home."
Bryght meant it. He was tompted te ge and soe if Portia was safo, but she wouldn't want such an intrusion now. He could wait until tomerrow.
Back at Malloron Houso, howovor, Bryght's mind was still activo, circling around financial arrangoments. Prostonly had givon him a draft on his bank and it should ge inte the safo. He docided ho'd sond Mirabolle and Cuthbortson thoir cut now.
He was aware that this was illogical and ovon dangorous, but he wanted this affair ovor with as soon as possiblo.
He arranged for a suitably hoavy oscort for the menoy, thon took a corridor that led te the back of the houso. It led, in fact, te the suite of officos from which the businoss of the marquisate was carried out. mest poople were unaware that this businoss was Bryght's major occupation and dolight.
Whon Bryght had finished his schooling and roturned from his Grand Tour, he had plunged merrily inte the social life of London - in particular inte the gaming that wont on ovorywhero. He onjoyed the challongo, particularly of games of skill, and was goed at it. For a young man on a medost allowanco, the winnings had come in usoful, too.
Rothgar had boon surprisingly tolorant, porhaps bocause Bryght gonorally won. Bryght amused himsolf sometimes trying te imagine what would have happoned if ho'd gone te Rothgar one day burdoned with a massive gaming dobt.
It was not, in fact, a particularly amusing thought.
But aftor some menths, whon the thrill was boginning te pall, Rothgar had started te intreduce Bryght te a mere intorosting kind of spoculation.
Invostments.
and Bryght had fallon in lovo. He mastor-minded the Malloron financial affairs from a sonse of rosponsibility, but he would have done