Rogues, Rakes & Jewels

She sighed. “Yes, you are right there. I am a rule breaker. There are so many of them that apply to women but not men. Very annoying.”

He laughed right out loud. “Yes, I can see that would annoy you. But I make no mystery of the fact that I enjoy a game that doesn’t follow the rules …” he returned, using his eyes to flirt outrageously with her.

“And I would also guess that you enjoy gaming now and then?” she said, returning his saucy look.

“Aye, if that is so, Ryker,” Jimmy stuck in enthusiastically, “then you have come to the right place. We have a great place for gaming right here in Yarmouth—the Silver Heart.”

“Well then, I must look in at this Silver Heart,” he answered her brother. When he turned back he noticed the sudden flutter of consternation that crossed Jewelene’s face. However, she quickly turned away and began conversing with her cousin Elizabeth, asking if they should get up a game of ‘Derby Run’ for their guests.

“Yes!” Jimmy agreed, looking like the youth he was. “Come on, Lizzie girl, ’tis all the crack!”

“Is it, but I am unsure …” answered Elizabeth.

“Don’t worry, dear … I’ll show you the way of it. We can play partners if you like and make Aunt Dora deal,” Jewelene offered.

“Oh, yes, I should like that—just until I acquire the knack of it, Jewels.” She smiled warmly at her cousin.

“By Jove, yes!” Robby agreed happily. “’Tis devilishly good fun, though I haven’t played it since Christmas with m’younger bro—” He suddenly went silent as he recalled that the marquis whom he was pretending to be did not have any brothers.

“Brothers?” Jewelene asked at once. “I understood you were an only child … only son?”

“Yes, so I am, m’cousins … close … call them young brothers …”

Robby’s face was scarlet as he turned to look helplessly at Ryker, who came immediately to his rescue by handing him a glass of sherry and turning to say, “Well, shall we get this game started?”

“Oh … oh, yes of course …”

Derby Run was a horse race run with cards. It was fast-paced, undeniably childish, and total fun. Bets had been placed, and hooting, rooting, and howling had commenced when Stanton entered and announced Lord Reginald Omsbury.

All heads turned as a man of average height and build entered. He was well dressed in a gray superfine. His black hair touched with gray was cut ‘a la Brutus’, and his dark eyes were set deep in a not unattractive face. He went forward first to Mrs. Debbs and took her hand, murmuring something low. Then he adroitly managed to ignore the remaining company with the exception of one on whom he focused. He made his way to Jewelene, bent over the hand she reluctantly offered to him from where she sat on the floor, and placed a far too warm kiss upon it.

“Jewelene, as always—enchanting.”

“And, my lord, as always, though gallant, far too bold,” she said sweetly. Behind her, her brother swallowed a laugh.

Without waiting for his reply she hurried on, “Allow me to make you known to our guests. You may recall meeting the dowager Lady Lyndhurst when she visited with us, not too long ago. Well, I am pleased to make her son the marquis”—she indicated the blushing Robby—“known to you, as well as his cousin, the Honorable Ryker Robendale. His Lordship Reginald Omsbury.”

Omsbury’s estates were situated on the Isle of Wight. However, he was well off, and until this past year he had spent most of his time in London, where he maintained a town house. It was his ardent desire to make Jewelene his wife that had kept him on the Isle. Though he had never met the marquis, he was well acquainted with his reputation. The stout young man blushing before him did not fit any of the stories he had heard about Lyndhurst, and he was surprised. He frowned but then dismissed the problem from his mind.

He returned his attention once again to Jewels and ignored her frowning brother. “Jewelene, grant me a moment of your time …”

“She don’t want to grant you a moment,” growled Jimmy.

Jewels cast her brother a warning glance even as she hoisted herself up from the floor and brushed her hands together. “Of course, my lord,” she said graciously. She turned to the interested party at her back. “If you will excuse me.”

She led his lordship out, across the hall, and into the library, careful to leave the door open. She then turned, hands on hips and eyes glaring. “Now, my lord, will you tell me why you chose to single me out so pointedly at this hour of the evening and in front of all my guests?”

“It has come to my attention—if I may be so blunt—that you mean to honor the notes your father incurred when he chose to buy the machinery for the mill he had acquired before his death—” he started to say.

“How dare you!” She was outraged. “What I choose to do or not do is my family’s business … no others’.”

He put up his hand. “Hear me out … Jewelene, do not allow your temper to rule your good sense. I wish to redeem those notes—shall we say, as a wedding present.”

“I don’t know how you came to have your information, but the man I am indebted to was a friend of my father’s and is a friend to me. He will not sell you those notes, and I will repay him myself.”

“He is heavily in debt himself and in no position to be gracious!” snapped Omsbury. “I told you, Jewelene. I am tired of being patient!” His hand reached out and took hold of her arm, pinching through the velvet. “It has taken me a while, but I have managed to obtain the mortgage notes your friend Ben Clay was forced into taking on with his bank this past year. He may have brought himself about, but now I hold the notes over his head … at a considerably higher interest rate.”

She yanked out of his grip. “Fiend. Think you can frighten me with such a threat? Think you can frighten a man like Ben? Think we don’t know how to counter a creature such as yourself? If so, think again.”