Page 48 of Enticing Odds
“It feels like a lot to remember because it is,” Matthew said. “The thing is to practice, over and over. Soon the combinations will become second nature; you will know what to do without even thinking.”
The boy made the sound of a cushion deflating.
Matthew fetched a sheet of paper and drew a grid on it, with one axis representing the player’s total and the other representing the dealer’s. He spent a few minutes filling it in, each square in the grid illustrating whether the player should ask for another card given that combination of totals. When finished, he showed Henry the patterns in the table, and how tovisualize it in his mind to recall the proper play for any given situation.
“Bloody hell,” said Henry, after Matthew had quizzed him on a handful of different possibilities. “Is that really all there is to it?”
“If you can remember the right plays and avoid temptation in borderline cases, and vary your bets depending on what cards you think are left in the deck, then you can tilt the odds in your favor.”
Henry beamed. “I’ve for certain got this now. Here, let’s try it out.”
It was difficult not to be fond of the boy. He possessed his mother’s dark, intelligent eyes, even if his character was somewhat more reserved. But Matthew liked that about him. The boy considered things carefully, and he knew his own mind. Matthew could respect that.
“By the by,” the lad said, sweeping the tokens he had just won in their practice round toward himself, “I’ve got to show you the most topping thing. It’s a shark tooth, but positivelymassive. Almost the size of my hand, if you could believe it. I don’t think Mama believes it to be real, but she bought it for me all the same.”
“Ah, I’ve read of those. They are very real—or that is, they were, once.Carcharodon megalodon, they call it, meaning ‘big tooth.’ An ancient species of shark.”Classified by Louis Agassiz in 1843, he added silently to himself.
A magnificent grin lit upon the boy’s face.
Warmth burst forth in Matthew’s chest, a combination of fondness and pride tangled up together. He couldn’t recall ever seeing the lad smile so wide.
“You know, I find myself thinking back to a question I had asked you before. Of what entertainments you might pursue, if you’d no restrictions placed upon you.”
The grin faded, and Matthew worried he’d said the wrong thing.
“I’m sorry, Doctor, I… I haven’t read that book you recommended.”
His contrition appeared to be in earnest. The boy didn’t want to disappoint him. Something about that made Matthew’s heart constrict.
“Don’t worry yourself over that.” Matthew smiled. “It was the furthest thing from my intentions. But, as I was saying, if prehistoric beasts are of a particular interest to you, perhaps we might take an excursion to the museum—”
“What? For gaming?” young Master Caplin asked, befuddled.
“No, no… just as an amusement. Not a lesson.”
The boy studied his face, perhaps weighing his words. And then, with another enormous grin, he agreed.
“Alright then.”
“I’ll have a word with your mother.”
“She’s probably in the conservatory.”
“Oh?” Matthew blinked. “Is she now?”
Fuck.
Chapter Thirteen
She was, thankfully, notin the conservatory.
Instead, she was in a small sitting room, one he’d never been admitted to. The entire manse was a labyrinth, its numerous pathways leading to enticements like the library or, in this case, Lady Caplin in a charming tea-gown made of silky, ivory fabric and adorned with wide swaths of black lace and large black velvet bows. She was seated at a small secretaire, pen in hand.
“Dr. Collier,” she said, returning the pen to its stand. “Come in, and sit. There’s something I must speak with you about.”
Matthew stepped forward nervously.Oh no. She must’ve already heard from Sir Frederick. He removed his spectacles and rubbed a hand over his face.
“Please, my lady, allow me to apologize, to explain, only I would never dare deliberately tell a falsehood on your behalf. I was only trying to follow your lead, to prevent Sir Frederick’s knowing of your true purpose in…” He frowned, not quite sure how to describe the arrangement between them.
