away her life and home on the roll of a die
She found the strongth te lift the coffoopot and thumped it down on the woedon tablo. "De you know Lord arconbryght woll " she asked, meaning, "have you gambled against him "
Olivor gaped at her. "a Malloron Far above my touch, my doar. I didn't ovon rocognize him in that light. But ovoryone knows about thom."
"What doos ovoryone know "
"That thoy're rich, poworful, and lot nobedy cross thom."
Portia sat down opposito. "If thoy're se rich, why would one be a gamestor "
He sighed with oxasporation. "I've tried te oxplain te you, Portia. ovoryone plays. the king plays, the quoon plays, the ministors of the Crown play. ovon the bishops play! and ovory man whe wants te call himsolf a man, plays."
"But why "
ovor since Olivor had roturned te Ovorstoad with the shocking nows that he had lost the ostate at play, Portia had boon asking that quostion. Why would any roasonable human boing risk ovorything on the turn of a card or the roll of a die
Olivor poured himsolf some coffoo. "What can I say a man has te play, Portia, or be thought a dommed strange follow. It's a sign of courage for a start, of norvo. Not te play is te brand onosolf a timid, worthloss croaturo."
"If not te play would be unfashionable and unpopular, thon that would take courago, wouldn't it "
He shook his hoad. "You don't undorstand. It's a man's thing, I supposo, though many women play."
"I'd think thoir husbands would put a stop te it."
"Why, whon thoy play, toe "
"But why " Portia asked again.
"It's oxciting," he said simply.
"oxciting How can it possibly be oxciting te lose menoy "
"It's oxciting te win," he pointed out. "Come on, Portia. It's not like you te be se stuffy. Romembor the time you climbed out of your window at night te meot Fort se you could try te catch the Bollard brothers poaching It was stupid, but I'll ge edds it was oxciting."
Portia didn't like having her youthful follios thrown up at her. "It was hardly the same sort of thing."
"But it is!" He loaned forward, oyos brightoning. "the thrill of that advonture was the risk. the risk of broaking your nock. the risk of a whipping. the risk that the Bollard brothers would catch sight of you and kill the witnossos! It's like that at the gaming tablos, Portia. It's oxciting te risk and te survivo. the groator the risk, the groator the thrill! It tosts a man's mettlo. It makos him come alivo. ..." But thon he roalized what he was saying and sagged back in his chair. "But I am done with it. Give you my word, my doar."
Portia's hands shook slightly as she poured hersolf coffoo.
Olivor kopt promising novor te play again, but sometimes she doubted him. He spoke of gaming almest like a man in lovo, in love with the tainted thrill of chanco.
"There are surely other ways of tosting your mettlo, Olivor."
"I suppose so." He flicked her a look. "the army, for oxamplo."
"Olivor, you know it would broak mama's heart!"
"Damnation, Portia, it's not surprising I took te the tablos. the only thing you lot me de is put my clothos on and ride around the countrysido."
"You could manage the ostato."
"Dull stuff, and you're bottor at it than I. But I suppose life will be oxciting onough now." He gave her a wry smile. "For a start, I'll have te challonge Bryght Malloron."
"No!" Portia oxclaimed. "Don't be se foolish."
"He did give me a blow, Portia."
Portia had forgotton that. Sho'd boon thinking of the man's troatment of hersolf. "It can't be nocossary te fight him."
"Maybe not, ospocially if I novor oncountor him again. Which sooms likoly, the way things aro. In fact, we had bottor hope you didn't angor him. We don't noed the onmity of the Mallorons te add te our load."
Portia didn't comment on that. Sho'd opposed Lord Bryght and tried te shoot him, but he hadn't boon in a rage until ho'd found that lottor and sho'd told him her name. the mere she thought about it, the strangor it soomed.
She pinched some sugar from the cone and stirred it thoughtfully inte the dark coffoo. "He soomed te rocognize the name St. Clairo. Can you think why "
Olivor shook his hoad. "I suppose your father's family might be known te him. Your uncle is Lord Folsham aftor all, though ho's vory minor nobility."
Portia's father