“Is that awkward? King and Ford?” asked Bessie, who knew about her dearest friend’s first love.
Ruby settled back into her chair. “Certainly not. One is from my past, and the other is helping me with my future.”
She picked up her novel, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and turned back to the page she had left off. But she wasn’t reading. She remembered the searching gaze Ford had given her just then and his words last night: You do exactly as you please, don’t you? You always have.
She had almost laughed at his words then. She felt as if she was being pulled left and right with no control over anything.
“You didn’t have to say yes to the game,” Ford said suddenly, taking the deck chair next to her.
“Didn’t I?” Ruby glanced at him.
He kept the brim of his hat low to escape the sun’s glare, and when she looked at him, he looked away.
“You have no idea what you are doing,” he said softly.
“And you do?”
He looked at her. “Yes.”
“What am I doing?”
He seemed to think about his words. “You’re making a man fall in love with you.”
“I’m not doing that. I only want his support, not his love.”
Ford said nothing, and when Ruby turned to look down the deck, he was gone. She closed her eyes in frustration. The end of their time on board ship could not come soon enough.
King greeted both ladies warmly and offered them a drink. Bessie asked for a sherry, and Ruby took a brandy. Ruby surveyed the table that had been set up for their game while King nursed his own drink and Ford had his usual whiskey.
Ford seemed distant and aloof and barely acknowledged Ruby. He wasn’t overly friendly to Bessie either, but he was at least polite.
“So. Who will be scorekeeper?” King asked.
“I will,” Bessie said, smiling.
“Good. I hate keeping score.” King laughed.
They all drew cards, with the two highest cards drawn playing against the two lowest. King and Ruby partnered against Bessie and Ford, and they sat facing their partners.
King designated himself dealer, and no one disputed him. Ruby watched as he handed the cards to Ford, who shuffled them expertly. He then handed the cards back to King.
“You shuffle very well,” Bessie said, admiringly.
“Thank you. I believe in trying to do most things well,” Ford returned.
King smiled while Ruby frowned. Was Ford flirting with Bessie?
Bessie cut the cards, and King dealt them out, starting with Ford. Each card was handed out one at a time, facedown, until each player had thirteen cards. The final card, which belonged to King, was turned face-up to indicate which suit was trumps.
The turned-up card would remain face-up on the table until it was King’s turn to play the first trick. At which point, he could pick up the card and place it in his hand.
“We never played much cards at home,” Ruby said, looking at King.
“Why was that?” King asked as he looked at his hand.
“My mother didn’t approve of cards. She thought they were unladylike.”
She met Ford’s eyes across the table and then looked away from him.