Page 13 of The Heir's Fortune
In the end, it was Gideon who spoke first. “You are very quiet tonight, Lady Madeline. Is something troubling you?”
Madeline was taken aback by his question for she had not expected him to be attentive nor to inquire as to her feelings even if he had noticed, but she quickly composed herself and responded simply with, “No. I am quite well, thank you. Shall we begin?”
At Gideon’s nod of agreement, they began to play against Cassandra and Lord Covington. Madeline was not surprised to find that Gideon’s skills in the game were quite adept. While he was not the type of man to spend a great deal of time gambling, he was observant and quick-thinking, so she could at least take comfort that he would be a capable partner for the game. Madeline had learned whist from her father, as she had most card games, for he enjoyed gambling more than anything else inthe world. She wasn’t sure how much Gideon knew about that, however.
It quickly became evident that the two sides were well matched, each one successfully thwarting the other’s designs until it was time for them to draw their hands for the last round.
As they did so, Gideon tensed beside her, and she could not help but sense a certain level of tension between them as they tried to outwit each other. While they had been acquainted for nearly her entire life, never before had she found herself in such an intimate setting with him, especially one which required them to not only interact but to do so in such proximity. His presence was strangely soothing yet thrilling.
The game came down to a single trick, and when Gideon threw down his final card, Madeline’s heart raced as she waited for the outcome – who would be victorious?
In the end, it was Cassandra and Lord Covington, and Madeline groaned aloud as she threw back her head.
When she returned upright, Cassandra was laughing, while Gideon and his mother looked rather ill-at-ease, and Madeline realized that she had been rather overzealous.
She cleared her throat and stood, relinquishing her seat at the card table.
“My apologies,” she said, stepping backward. “That was well played.”
“There is absolutely nothing to apologize for,” Cassandra said, shaking her head. “Mother and Father, I believe you will face us now.”
Gideon traded seats with his father, but Madeline decided that she’d had enough of cards for one evening. She appreciated how much this family accepted her, but the more time she spent with them, the more she was reminded that she was still an outsider and alone in the world but for a father who wanted to be rid of her.
“I believe I am going to say goodnight,” she said, prepared to leave when the duke raised his head and looked at her, his eyes clear and piercing.
“You remind me of my grandmother.”
“Your grandmother?” she repeated in surprise, uncertain of whether or not she should be glad of the comparison.
“Yes,” he said. “She was daring and outspoken and my grandfather loved her dearly.”
With that, he took the seat his son had vacated and began to shuffle the cards methodically – in very much the same way as Gideon himself.
Madeline took a step back, the evening reminding her that while Cassandra was her good friend, Madeline was not a true part of this family.
Nor any family, truly. All she had was a father who saw her as a burden and would prefer that someone else look after her.
She knew she would have to marry eventually – she didn’t have many other options – but she had given up on finding love.
Her friends were happy, yes.
She just had to come to accept that it would not be the same fairy tale story for her.
CHAPTER 5
Madeline didn’t sleep well that night, which wasn’t unusual. She often went to bed far later than anyone else, wandering the halls and speaking to the ghosts who accompanied her.
She liked the dark, the silence that awaited, and if she truly couldn’t sleep, she would visit the library until she found a book that would lull her to dreams – which meant that her true favorites, the gothic novels, would have to wait until later in the day, for they would surely mean that she would be up all night until she finished them.
When her maid entered and threw back the thick crimson curtain, Madeline buried her head under her pillow, trying to tell the girl to leave her be, until she remembered – today was the day.
The day they were going to find the treasure.
Well, attempt to find it. She wasn’t completely optimistic about their chances.
She and Cassandra had devised a plan. While the men thought that they would be searching for the treasure on their own, Madeline and Cassandra were going to be followingbehind. They deserved to be present for the discovery as much as the men did.
They had both decided to dress in dark green so that they would blend in with their surroundings and when they met at the breakfast table along with the men, Cassandra refused to meet her eye. Madeline knew it was because she was worried that in doing so, she would give them away. They had come too far for that.
