Page 36 of The Pleasures of Passion
Uncle Toby merely raised an eyebrow at that. “I came a couple of weeks ago to meet with some tradesmen who use my export business. Foolishly, I agreed to stay with my grouch of an elder brother while I was here. I’ve begun to regret it, I assure you.”
“Don’t you have an appointment somewhere that’s supposed to go well into the evening?” Papa grumbled.
“I do, but I still have a few minutes to visit with my niece.”
Papa scowled at him. “So you’ll change your plans forherbut not for me. Even though I told you how badly we need a fourth for our game tonight.”
Irritation flashed in Uncle Toby’s eyes. “I told you, Oswald, I am not playing cards with that group of rapscallions you call friends. I don’t trust half of them, and the other half are so deeply in debt that their vowels are worth practically nothing.”
“That’s not true,” Papa said hotly. “Why, Quinn Raines is the director of Raines Bank, a perfectly respectable fellow.”
A banker? Who dealt with currency? Surely that was a clue to their culprit.
“I know him,” Niall said. “He’s a member of my club. Seems a decent enough chap.”
“You see?” Papa told her uncle. “The earl himself approves of my friends.”
Uncle Toby merely snorted.
“Well, I haven’t met the others, I expect,” Niall said, “but I’d be happy to do so. Since you need a fourth tonight anyway—”
“Of course!” Papa cried. “By all means, come and join us at the Star and Garter. We’ll have a jolly time.”
She had to admit she was impressed. Niall had made that seem so natural that no one would have thought anything of his offer, least of all her father.
Though her uncle was now frowning at Niall. “Are you much of a gambler then, sir?”
“Of course he is,” Papa said dismissively. “He’s in a club, ain’t he?”
Niall glanced from her father to her uncle. “I enjoy the occasional game of whist as much as the next fellow.”
That didn’t seem to satisfy Uncle Toby. “So you did a lot of it while you were on the Continent, did you?”
Papa tapped his cane on the floor. “Do you mean to keep me standing on my bad leg all day, peppering my future son-in-law with questions, brother? I thought you were in a hurry to leave.”
Her uncle flashed him a strained smile. “I tell you what—why don’t you take your daughter’s fiancé upstairs to the drawing room, and I’ll send her along presently. That’ll give her a chance to tell me about her young man, while you ask him all the pertinent questions of a prospective father-in-law.”
Although he’d probably meant the words to instruct Papa in what he should do on his daughter’s behalf, that apparently went right over Papa’s head, for he broke into a smile. “Excellent idea. I can break out the brandy.” He clapped Niall on the shoulder. “Let’s celebrate, sir, and leave my dour brother to my daughter for the present.”
That made her a trifle nervous, but Niall pressed her hand and released her, which she took to mean that he wanted time alone with Papa.
As soon as the two men had moved out of earshot, Uncle Toby bent close. “The Earl of Margrave, eh? It seems my little niece has come up in the world. Smitten by your beauty, I suppose.”
Careful, now. Remember that anything you say will go straight to Papa.
She didn’t even know if Uncle Toby was involved in the counterfeiting, although that seemed unlikely. Not only had he been a well-respected business owner for years, but he’d generally been the one to get Papa out of his scrapes, to loan him money and advise him to stop his gambling. She just couldn’t see Uncle Toby being part of a counterfeiting ring.
Still, best to be cautious and keep playing her role. “His lordship does dote on me,” she said lightly.
“Justyou? Or you and your late husband’s estate?”
His concern for her welfare touched her. Especially given that Papa didn’t care one whit about it. “What do you mean?”
He surveyed her closely. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I hear Margrave is strapped for funds after his long exile.” Worry tightened his lips into a thin line. “Take care, my dear. I wouldn’t wish to see you hurt by taking up with a fellow with pockets to let, no matter his station. And a gambler to boot. Given your father’s tendencies, well . . .”
“It’s fine,” she said, torn between the desire to reassure him and the need to further her and Niall’s scheme. “Lord Margrave isn’t so reckless as all that.”
“Are you sure? I would hate to see your marriage end up the way it did last time. Your father says you weren’t entirely happy with your former husband.”
