Page 4 of Master of Paradise
As the large group of men entered thesplendid Jacobean interior of Knole, there was general confusion inthe entrance hall and cloakroom. A sweet little Irish maid was inattendance inside the cloakroom to receive the guests eveningcapes, which were being removed by the head footman. Nicholas tookadvantage of the momentary confusion to slip into the cloakroom andsteal a quick kiss.
The mere sight of Nick Peacock's darklyhandsome face took her breath away, but when his powerful armsstole about her to lift her from her feet, she was covered withblushes and giggles. She uttered the exact opposite of what shereally wanted. "Stop it, sor! Master Nick, you'll get me the sack!"By the saints, if she ever got the chance to be with him, she'd lethim have his way, whatever he asked. What memories he'd provide forthe bleak nights of her old age!
Nick winked at her as his father entered. Heknew she would have been mad as fire if he'd ignored her. His grinwidened to show the flash of white teeth as he heard her gaspbehind him. His father had probably just felt her bottom, orworse.
The gaming room was actually the library. Amagnificent collection of books lined the paneled walls in twotiers; the upper tier housed in a gallery with ornate railings.Very few of the books were ever actually read. The maids thoughtbooks were for dusting.
The green baize gaming table received muchmore use by far than the reading tables. A welcoming fire blazed onthe hearth and was flanked by sideboards well stocked with bottles,snifters and decanters of the best wine and liquors fromhalf-a-dozen countries.
Ten players sat around the card table, thesix packs of cards were shuffled, cut and placed in the 'shoe' ordealing box that released one card at a time, face down. Theirhost, old Hugh Sackville, opted to play croupier, which meant hewould not participate in the play, except to assist the players inmaking and settling their bets, and to quote to them themathematical advisability of alternate plays.
The right to deal first was put up toauction, and the banker Francis Child bid highest. He announced theamount of his bank at stake. Each player made a small wager, thenNicholas called "Banco" so negligently, he almost sounded bored.Banco meant he had accepted the dealer's entire bank as awager.
Nicholas chose not to bet on the right orleft hand, but instead bet a cheval, which meant that he won onlyif the dealer beat both hands against him. When the coup was inNick's favor, Lord Harry couldn't keep the grin of delight from hisface. Now it was Nick's bank and he dealt out the three hands, tothe right, left and to himself with an indifference that belied hisskill at the game. His bank grew steadily and Prince Edward grewred in the face because he lost. This had never, ever happened tohim before as everyone in deference to his Royalty always let himwin. Tonight this did not happen; he had reckoned without NicholasPeacock.
The stakes were high and the drinking deep.The room was filled with the blue poll of cigar smoke. A player wasallowed to retain the deal until the total amount of his originalbank had been lost, but on the contrary, Nicholas had doubled andthen tripled his bank, and since there was no indication of hislosing his bank after two hour's play, he voluntarily retired.
Since the new dealer on his left was DroopyGeorge, the prince's attendant, Nicholas pocketed his money andthought he'd stretch his legs and take a breath of air. He slippedup the staircase to the second floor bathroom to wash his hands andas he walked along the hall to go back downstairs, a woman's voicecame to him from an open bedroom. Lady Elinor was a regal-lookingwoman, much younger than Lord Sackville.
As he looked in, he saw her sitting on theedge of the bed, her skirts drawn to one side to display a pair oftrim ankles and calves.
"Hello Nicky. I hope you let his highness wina few hands," she said huskily.
He swept her with his cool, aqua gaze. "Not abit of it. I'd consider it an insult if anyone let me win."
"Really?" she drawled. "I'd like to play withyou sometime." She cast him a sideways glance of invitation.
He cleared his throat politely, but made noanswer to her opening gambit. She arose from the bed and smoothedthe heavy satin negligee over her hips, allowing her hands tolinger upon her own body. "Hugh goes with the prince to Newmarketfor the races, so I shall be alone all next week." She pausedexpectantly.
Well, I'll be damned,Nickthought.
With one finger she touched the starchedwhite shirtfront that covered his hard chest and said huskily, "Ishall be very lonely."
Nicholas drew back a fraction, bowed formallyand murmured, "I shall inform Lady Pamela and urge her to visityou, Lady Sackville." As he made his escape he thought,Talkabout kiss and tell!It was a month past that he had succumedto a similar invitation from vivacious and irresistible GeorginaDevonshire, and since that night he'd received three blatantpropositions from married women. Cynically, he was annoyed to thinkhis name was being passed about by the social lionesses who weresuffering from night starvation.
When he returned to the card table, heoffered to take on the role of croupier since he was already thericher by almost a thousand guineas, and this would allow him tohelp and advise his father to make wise bets in his desire to cleanout the prince.
When the game broke up at 2 a.m. Harry'sexuberance could not be concealed. The amount of port wine andbrandy he had consumed were responsible in part, but in the main itwas due to Nick's uncanny luck at Baccarat that had rubbed off onhim tonight.
Lord Bora's son, Perry, beckoned Nicholasinto the entrance away from the others. "My pockets are to letNick, you don't suppose you could let me have a couple of hundreduntil next month's allowance, do you?"
Nick grinned and gave his friend what heasked for, although he knew from past experience the loan wouldnever be repaid.
"Thanks Nick, you're a gentleman, although,"he added petulantly, "it doesn't seem quite fair somehow that youalways win."
Nicholas refrained from pointing out thatPerry usually gained from these winnings. Instead he looked amusedand said, "Perhaps it's because I laugh at Fate and accept whatevershe sends my way."
In the stables, Nicholas knew better than tooffer to help his father mount. After three false starts, Harrymanaged to get his leg over the huge bay and before Knole wasbarely out of sight, he began to sing at the top of his lungs, andhe insisted Nicholas join in with him or be dubbed abloodysobersides.
When they came within a mile of home, Harrychallenged his son to a race. Nick tried to discourage him, knowingthere were two fences and a stone wall to be cleared, no small featfor a man of his age, even when completely sober. It was the wallthat undid him.
Nicholas dismounted in a flash, fearful ofwhat he would find on the far side of the stone wall. Harry wasn'tunconscious, but his leg lay at an odd angle to his body and thewind had been completely knocked out of him.
"I'll ride on and get help. For God's sakeFather, stay still. I'm afraid the leg's busted."
Harry actually chuckled. "The woman alwayspredicted I'd be brought home feet first!"
Nicholas and a groom carried him home on adoor, with a second groom leading the horses. Nick had alreadydispatched a man for old Dr. Hamilton. Since the night had turnedbitter cold, he knew he must get his father out of the bitingautumn winds that were swirling the fallen leaves in furiouscircles.
