Page 48 of The Duke of Daring (The Untouchables)
“Where are we off to next?” Greene asked pleasantly.
For some reason, Lucy wished they would go their own way. She was just feeling grumpy over her losses and was eager to turn her night around.
“Let’s go to Turner’s,” Charles suggested as they descended the front steps.
Beaumont scrunched up his nose. “I was thinking Polton’s.”
Charles’s face reddened. “I can’t, ah, go to Polton’s.” He glanced away as his voice trailed off.
Dartford slapped Charles’s shoulder. “No problem. Turner’s it is.” He nodded toward Beaumont, who nodded in response.
Lucy had no idea where Turner’s was located so she waited for Dartford to guide her. They hung back and walked at the back of the pack.
“It’s not far,” Dartford said softly. “Don’t worry, your luck will turn around.”
“And if it doesn’t?” She didn’t have to work very hard to make her voice sound hard and gruff.
He clapped her shoulder in much the same way as he’d done with Charles, but she imagined it must have felt different. His hand lingered just a second too long, his fingers caressing her as he let go.
A shiver danced up her spine, and her inclination for them to be alone returned with greater force. She almost asked him if they could go to Polton’s anyway.
When they arrived at Turner’s, Charles didn’t go inside with the others. He waited for Dartford and asked him for a quick word. The way he looked at Lucy gave the clear impression that she was not invited to listen. Dartford frowned but couldn’t object without drawing unwanted attention, so she went inside without him. She knew he’d follow as quickly as possible given how much he didn’t like leaving her alone.
Not that shewasalone. Greene approached her as soon as the footman admitted her into the hall.
“Smitty, shall we hit the hazard table?”
She shook her head. “I don’t play hazard, but don’t let me stop you.”
“Not at all. I’m keen to follow your lead.” He smiled warmly, and nothing about his demeanor should’ve bothered Lucy. Still, something about the way he looked at her made her slightly uneasy. Oh, she was being ridiculous. She was just feeling testy after losing so much money.
“Faro, then,” she said, deepening her voice. She ambled to the table, walking as laboriously as possible to disguise her femininity. She worked very hard to keep up the façade, but she had to admit it was beginning to wear on her. Her back, particularly the space between her shoulders, always ached the day after she played Smitty. All her muscles felt tired as she worked to stand and walk in very specific ways. Between that and the facial hair situation, she wouldn’t miss her Smitty disguise. She would miss being Smitty, however.
As she placed her bets on the faro table, Andrew joined her. She longed to ask him what Charles wanted—was it money again? She saw that Charles had come inside too and had gone to the hazard table, so he must not be out of funds.
Lucy was relieved when she won the first two turns, but then she lost every single one after. She turned from the table in disgust, her hands shaking.
Dartford hadn’t wagered. He came over to her, noted her agitated state, and simply said, “Let’s go.”
She was more than ready. Without a word, she strode toward the door.
Greene’s voice followed her. “Are you leaving?”
She spun on her heel, anger and disappointment seething through her. “I know when to stop. I wish you better luck.”
Greene looked as if he might say something more, but Dartford gripped his bicep as he walked by. “Good night.”
Dartford was right behind her as they exited the hell. She quickly descended to the street and turned toward St. James’s. She didn’t have to think about lengthening her stride, because she was in a hurry to put this night behind her.
“Wait,” Dartford called, but he easily caught up with her. “Slow down.”
She threw him a dark glare. “You can keep up.”
He snagged her elbow and drew her to stop. “I’m not the villain here.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, uncaring if she looked like a man or a woman or a monkey. “I suppose you’re going to tell me there is no villain.”
“Actually, I think you were targeted to lose. Charles noticed that the dealer was cheating at the first hell. That’s what he wanted to tell me outside. Charles often suspects cheating to explain his losses, but in this case, I think he was right.”
