Page 9 of A Spinster's Unexpected Marriage
“Miss Martha Newton,” Lord Hampshire stated, as every gentleman turned again to look at James. “Now then, Lord Granton. Shall we play?”
James nodded, sinking back down into his chair. The game began and every single gentleman in the room came to stand and watch the goings-on. Determination began to seep into James’ veins. He watched his opponent carefully as Lord Hampshire studied the cards in his hand, looking for any sign on his face that would give something,anything, away, but Lord Hampshire’s expression remained impassive.
The cards were dealt and, after a moment, Lord Hampshire asked for another. Lord Mayhew gave it to him, only for Lord Hampshire to ask for another. A murmur rang around the room but Lord Hampshire sighed, smiled and sat back in his chair and lifted an eyebrow in his direction. “I am contented, Lord Granton. It is your turn.”
Looking back at his cards, James took in a long, slow breath. His cards were good but yet, he still could get closer to twenty-one. “One.”
Lord Mayhew nodded and gave him one. James turned it over and offered a small, satisfied smile to the cards in his hand.Twenty. That is more than satisfactory. It would take a miracle for Lord Hampshire to hit twenty-one exactly.
“I am contented.” Looking up, he spread out his cards on the table, hearing the exclamations from the gentlemen around him.
“Twenty,” Lord Mayhew confirmed, his voice loud so that everyone could hear him. “Lord Hampshire?”
Lord Hampshire’s frown made James’ hopes of winning suddenly roar to life.
“Alas,” the gentleman sighed, making James’ heart lurch with a great and expectant hope. “It appears that I have… ” He set out the cards, a broad grin replacing the frown. “I have twenty-one.”
The roar from the other gentlemen in the room was so loud, it was deafening. James stared at the cards, taking in the four of hearts, the six of clubs, the ten of diamonds and the Ace of spades that Lord Hampshire had laid out.
By those four cards, his fate was sealed.
He had lost.
Chapter Six
Martha let out a heavy sigh and surveyed herself in the looking glass. “This is all very well, Mama, but I do not see how a new gown and your finest pearls will make any gentleman consider me.”
“We are not trying to force a gentleman to consider you,” her mother countered, quickly, setting a hand on Martha’s shoulder. “It is so that, whoever your father manages to find, when they come to survey you, they will see just how truly beautiful you are.”
This, despite her own sense of frustration, made Martha smile and she settled a hand on top of her mother’s. “You are very kind to me, Mama.”
“I speak only as I find,” Lady Hampshire countered, dropping a light kiss onto Martha’s cheek. “You look very well, my dear. That light green gown brings out the colour of your eyes all the more.”
Martha’s smile grew. “Thank you, Mama. I am glad that they are so in kind with yours.”
“I had to give you something of mine, did I not?” her mother laughed, standing straight again. “You have your father’s red hair, do you not?”
“Though yours is not brown nor fair,” Martha pointed out, knowing how much her mother refused to call her own hair red, even though it was now liberally streaked with grey.
“No, indeed. It is grey now,” her mother laughed, making Martha chuckle as she rose from her chair, ready to make her way to the drawing room where they would wait for the carriage. “Come now, let us hope that this evening soiree will go well.” She smiled at Martha. “Mayhap your new acquaintance Miss Stockton will be there.”
“I hope she will be,” Martha agreed.
“I am looking forward to it,” Lady Hampshire sighed, contentedly. “It is quite something to have been invited!”
Martha considered this for a moment as they walked, reflecting on the fact that Lord and Lady Suttonhadinvited them to their soiree. These last few weeks, the invitations had been few and far between, though her mother had not seen anything troubling in that. Rather, she had been grateful for the invitations theyhadbeen given and her sense of gratitude had been a gentle lesson to Martha.
“Ah, there you both are.” Lord Hampshire rushed towards both Martha and his wife as they came into the drawing room, his eyes bright with a light which Martha could not understand. They were merely going to a soiree and there was nothing to be expected from that, was there? She would be doing as she had done at every single event she had attended thus far; standing to the side or to the back of the room and alongside her mother, watching all those who walked by. Though, she considered, as her mother had suggested, Miss Stockton might be present and that would bring Martha a little more joy.
“Good evening, Papa,” Martha replied, glancing to her mother who looked just as confused as she felt. “It is good to see you.”
Her father chuckled and, much to Martha’s astonishment, embraced her. “Ah, yes, I am well aware I have been absent of late.”
“You were absent from breaking your fastandfrom dinner,” Lady Hampshire reminded him, her voice a little tremulous as though she was deeply concerned about her husband’s joviality. “And last evening, you did not tell us where you were to go.”
Lord Hampshire’s smile faded a little. “Yes, I am aware that I did not tell you, my dear, but that is because I did not want to upset you in any way. I was sure that you would beg of me not to do it, not to attend and therefore, I had no other choice but to keep it a secret from you.”
“Then youwereplaying cards?” Martha asked, before she could stop herself. Her mother snatched in a breath and Martha flushed quickly, aware of her father’s raised eyebrows. “I – I heard from Miss Stockton that her father was present, Lord Denley and given that you were absent, I thought… well, that is, I presumed that you had gone there.”
