Page 30 of A Cinderella to Redeem the Earl
Hill, a retired army colonel, was gazing at her as if he was a wolf who had just spotted an unattended sheep.
Damian gritted his teeth and replied pleasantly, ‘Mrs Lamb? She is no one in particular.’ At least no one he was prepared to admit to just yet. Fortunately Lamb was a common enough last name and no one was likely to associate a croupier at his parties with the well-connected Lambs of Bexley. ‘She is one of my staff who agreed to help out this evening in the absence of one of our regular croupiers.’
‘If I were you, I would makeherone of your regular croupiers. These parties of yours were getting a little mundane, old fellow. Quite dull. She has livened things up considerably.’
Mundane? Dull? What the devil was he talking about? Damian glanced around. Was the crowd thinner tonight than usual? Was thetonin need of more excitement?
Damn them for a bunch of spoiled wastrels.
‘She’s quite the beauty,’ Hill went on. ‘By the time I got to Monsieur Phillippe, all her dances were spoken for. All the young fellows are enchanted.’
He had noticed that much for himself. ‘Why is that, I wonder?’
‘I was asking myself that. She is not as intimidating as the other gals. She don’t scare them. But she don’t put up with any of their nonsense either. And there is an aura of mystery about her. A sense of secrets.’
Damian forced himself not to smile at the description. Mrs Lamb did indeed have secrets. And she had done well this evening. Much better than he had expected.
Perhaps he should strike while the iron was hot. Something to consider.
‘I thank you for your advice. Do you have other thoughts on how we might enliven the evening for our guests?’
He had, though. Making the club exclusive would be temptation enough, along with the provision of private rooms where guests could pursue their peccadilloes, no questions asked.
‘Higher stakes.’
Some men liked to live on the edge of disaster. But higher stakes meant higher risks for the house. That he would have to discuss with Pip.
Hill wandered off to join one of the other tables and Damian, as was his wont, wandered the room, checking on each of the tables in turn, except that he seemed to return to Mrs Lamb’s table more often than any of the others.
What was it that drew so many of the young men into her orbit? Thetondid indeed like novelty. It was part of the reason his club had taken off so quickly. There was nothing else like it.
But if they became bored, then that would not suit his purposes at all.
‘Do you know you have the most beautiful eyes?’ Mr Galt said, gazing adoringly at Mrs Lamb. ‘Won’t you remove your mask and let me see your face? I am sure you must be the loveliest woman here.’
Damian had to restrain himself from planting the fellow a facer. As it was he took a step closer, ready to usher the young man out.
The rules were clear. No one was to touch the lady croupiers.
Mrs Lamb smiled at him calmly. ‘I take no responsibility for the eyes the Lord gave me, Mr Galt. Or the curve of my lips, Lord Raif,’ she added, smiling at another of the young men. ‘And, no, I will not remove my mask simply to edify your curiosity.’
There was some good-natured laughter and a fair bit of jostling of the young men who had been so bold. The sort of laughter that suggested the others also were dying to see behind her mask, but were a smidgeon glad Galt had not been successful because they wanted to be the ones who convinced her to reveal herself.
‘Do you plan to make a wager, Mr Galt, or will you give your place to someone who will?’
Tonight would not be the night when she unmasked.
‘Wagers, please, ladies and gentlemen,’ Mrs Lamb said firmly.
Chips and sovereigns were pushed forward on the green baize. ‘Blast,’ said Lord James. ‘I am out of cash.’
He was one of the fellows she had danced with earlier.
Lord James pulled out a notebook, clearly intending to write a vowel.
‘Are you sure, you want to do that?’ she said, putting her hand on the scrap of paper. ‘You have lost rather a lot already.’
Damian frowned. The pile of winnings at her elbow was large, but included not one vowel? Unusual. How many more young men had she discouraged in this way?
