Page 69 of Suddenly a (The St. Clairs 5)

His gaze was steady as he looked at the man who’d been so cruel to Mia. “I can. I will. You won’t know the time or place when I’ll call them in.”

“I have other investments,” the viscount said stubbornly.

Hudson named the two companies, causing the viscount to visibly blanch. “Those companies do not seem healthy to me. I fear you’re going to quickly lose whatever money you—or Lady Morrison—sank into them.”

The dealer returned and opened the new deck, shuffling it. He apologized for the delay in the Vingt-et-un game.

“Are you going to play, Morrison?” Hudson asked. “Will you let me witness you slide further into debt?”

The viscount tugged on his cravat. “I’m feeling especially lucky tonight.” He glanced at the dealer. “Go ahead.”

The dealer shook the sleeping earl but could not wake him.

“We can play without him,” Hudson said.

Hudson and Morrison received their cards and placed their bets. He looked at what he and the dealer had and then asked for an additional card. Morrison asked for one card. Then another. Sweat beaded on his brow. The dealer called and the men turned over their cards. Hudson had nineteen. Morrison had twenty-three, the dealer seventeen. They continued for several rounds, Morrison digging deeper into debt as the earl awakened and joined in the game.

Then the viscount wagered an outrageous amount on a single hand. If he won, he would recoup all his losses for the night. By now, numerous players had quit their own games of faro and hazard and strolled to watch Morrison crash—or rise from the ashes as a phoenix.

With a flourish, the viscount turned his cards over. His hand beat Hudson’s and the sleepy earl’s, as well as two other players who had joined in during the past hour. Anticipation hung in the air as the crowd waited to see what the house held. When the dealer revealed his final card, a loud gasp filled the room. No one moved. No one spoke.

Finally, the losing viscount stood shakily. “I’m tired of this game.”

“You’re finished, Lord Morrison,” Hudson said. “You don’t know where or when I will come for you. But know this—I will be coming.”

He watched the viscount leave before collecting his own winnings. He gave the dealer a generous tip and left the gaming hell, returning to his carriage. It had been a long day and he was ready for it to be over. He might not even need to purchase the two companies Morrison was involved in. After tonight’s losses, Hudson doubted the viscount could recover, especially with no income coming in from Morris Park and all the work being done there.

When he reached home, he stopped for a brandy before going upstairs. It was late and he knew he shouldn’t wake Mia. He would, though. He couldn’t seem to get enough of his wife. He thought about her constantly when they weren’t together. Everything he did, he did with her in mind. Pleasing her—both in and out of bed—seemed to be his only goal in life. He enjoyed their conversations immensely. She was his equal in intelligence, if not his superior, with her vast knowledge of science and mathematics. His wife was also fast becoming his equal in bed. Their nightly experiments had become the center of his world.

Mia had become the center of his world.

As Hudson mounted the stairs, he stopped. No, it wasn’t possible. It couldn’t be. Yet he knew his mind had finally caught up to the truth held in his heart.

He had fallen in love with her.

He could only think of his present and imagine his future if she were in it. She made him laugh. She challenged him. She understood him. Hudson wanted to be a better man for her and because of her.

Should he tell her he loved her?

They had gone into this marriage with the thought it would be one of convenience, one void of passion and the usual marital expectations in the bedroom. That had quickly changed and he was glad for it every minute of each day. But love? If he said the words to her—if he told her he loved her—it would change their lives forever.

Hudson realized it didn’t matter. Mia had changed him. Telling her he loved her was the most natural thing in the world because it was true. He wanted no hidden words between them. No lies by omission. Then guilt filled him. He had almost told her of Cor’s will in the carriage that day as they traveled to Meadowbrook for their honeymoon. Something had stopped him, though. They were newlyweds and he feared knowing the terms of Cor’s will might hurt Mia. He realized he should have told her before now.

With resolve, he continued to their bedchamber. He would awaken her and tell her of the will. And that he loved her. He would spend all night showing her how much he did, with his body and his words.

He entered the dark chamber, untying his cravat and dragging it from his neck. He undressed quickly and slid underneath the bedclothes, reaching for Mia.

She wasn’t there.

Hudson sat up, puzzled. He had told her he would be late. Had she waited up for him downstairs and fallen asleep? Or decided to sleep elsewhere?

He rose and fumbled until he found a candle and lit it. He held it up, not seeing her asleep in the chair nearby. He searched the house and found no trace of her. The blood rushed loudly in his ears as panic set in. He raced back upstairs and flung open the wardrobe. Her clothes were gone.

Mia was gone.

*

Hudson hadn’t slept.He’d been up all night, trying to figure out what would have made Mia leave without a word. He’d discovered a copy of the signed contract, remembering he’d sent her to Davidson’s office. It struck him like a punch to his gut.

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