Page 64 of Master of Paradise
"Boys, stop it," Amanda demanded. "You areboth uncivilized, yes and immature."
They both stopped and looked at thesixteen-year-old who was accusing them of immaturity. They saw thatindeed Amanda looked a woman in her high-necked gown ofturquoise.
She stood serenely before them with thecandlelight shining on her upswept mass of hair, and catching theglitter of a very pretty pair of earrings. "Duke, pour yourself adrink, and while you're at it, get one for me. Nicholas has beendetained on business, so I'm filling in for him."
They gaped at her as she swallowed half aglass of bourbon and went to greet Beau Hampden, who had hisyounger brother Clay in tow. Beau gallantly bent over her hand andmurmured sincerely, "You look even more beautiful than you did lastevening, Amanda."
She tapped him with her fan and said, "Youare a silver-tongued devil, Beau Hampden, like your father beforeyou."
Clay gaped with open mouth at the vision thatstood before him. Where was the Mandy Jackson who had sneaked offwith him to tree coons at the last party?
"Beau, be a darlin' and help yourself to thebourbon and I'll have one too. Clay, don't make inroads on myhusband's brandy like you do when you get near your father's," sheadmonished as if addressing a naughty boy. She compared the Hampdenbrothers and was at a loss. Beau was so attractive, he was amaiden's dream with his flowing blond mustaches and his elegantlycut clothes. Clay, as his name suggested, resembled a lump of mudbeside his elder sibling, yet the boy was open and honest in anendearing way.
Amanda realized that the bourbon must havesharpened her perceptions as she looked at the Vickers brothers.They were big, raw-boned country boys, who resembled their big,raw-boned mother. They were at their shallow best with a drink intheir hands and a piece of horseflesh between their legs.Theyare already half cut. I warrant even I have a better head forholding liquor than this terrible twosome.
Stuart Beverly and Ty Caldwell arrivedtogether. Stuart looked rather alarmed when he saw Amanda splashingbourbon into glasses and including herself.
"Where's Nicholas?"
"That's what I'd like to know." She smiledenigmatically. "Come on, let's get down to some cards."
Start looked truly alarmed now. "Miss Amanda,you can't play poker."
"'Course I can. Clay taught me."
"That isn't what I mean. If Nicholas knew youwere drinking and gambling with us ol' boys, he'd be furious."
"Good! I'd rather deal with his fury than hisindifference." Her voice was too loud, and she knew she'd had waytoo much to drink by the way the room spun when she closed hereyes.
Stuart Beverly stood up. "I think I'd betterget Samuel."
"Stuart Beverly, you are nothing but amomma's boy, forever prating about decorum and appearances. This ismy house and y'all are my guests. By all means get Samuel. It'stime he brought in those shrimp and oysters they've been shuckingall afternoon."
Samuel, fully aware of everything going on inthe room, wheeled in a serving cart piled high with delicacies. Hecast Amanda a warning glance that she chose to deliberatelyignore.
She was determined to win a saddle forherself, as the only one she owned was the hated side-saddle. Itdid not prove difficult to talk Duke Vickers into putting up hisbest saddle, since he believed Mandy couldn't beat him atcards.
When it was her turn to deal, King blinkedowlishly. "By damn, you dealt those from the bottom of thedeck!"
"Hellfire, you've had so much bourbon youcan't see straight," she replied.
Beau looked amused and Clay kept mum,refusing to accuse his good friend, but Stuart Beverly saidquietly, "Miss Amanda, you were cheating."
She flared, "If you'd said those damn wordsto Duke here, he'd shoot you!"
Ty Caldwell said, "If Stuart says you werecheating, you were cheating."
Amanda laughed. "Hells Bells, of course I wascheating. Such a fuss over nothing. How else can I win againstexperienced players like y'all?"
Nicholas arrived home at the same time thatBrandon brought Jennifer home. They came through the front doortogether, and all three hurried to the library to see what theuproar was all about.
Amanda's brother and sister stopped dead onthe threshold, aghast to find Mandy embrangled in a shouting matchwith a roomful of males.
Nicholas's shrewd gaze swept over theoccupants of the room, while Jennifer gasped, "Amanda, how dare youshow us up with such a shameful exhibition?"
Mandy looked her straight in the eye. "P...Pelican piss!"
Jennifer gasped her horror and ran from theroom with her face flaming.
