Ten Ways to Ruin

She heard the man chuckle as she walked toward the inner doors. A whisky sounded perfectly wonderful right now, even if she had to go to a gaming hell to procure it. She smiled as she opened the door and noticed the table with all the hats lined up like soldiers.

“Good evening, ma’am,” the woman in a red silk dress said as Emma entered the room. “I’m Meg. Is this your first time here?”

“Not quite.”

Meg frowned slightly. “Pardon my saying, but you look vaguely familiar.”

“You were fucking the owner the first time I saw you.” Emma smiled at Meg’s shocked face. There was something about getting ejected from Almack’s that felt wholly liberating.

“You’re the duchess’s sister,” Meg stammered.

“I am. Would you be a dear and bring me a whisky?”

“Of course.”

Emma moved toward the roulette table to relax with a drink and some gambling. As she passed the card tables, she nodded to a few people she knew. Most of the men look uncommonly shocked by her appearance. By the time she sat down, Meg was there with her drink.

“If you need anything else, just let me know, ma’am.” Meg gave her a quick curtsy and then sauntered away.

She placed her bet and then sipped her whisky. After a few sips, her anger toward the owner of Hell faded. For once in her life, she controlled her destiny. Perhaps she didn’t need a list to enjoy life, the desire to do what she wanted satisfied her immensely.

SIMON GLANCED AT HIS reflection in the mirror as he pulled on his jacket. With all the innocents at Almack’s tonight, the lonely widows would be at the Jaspers’ party. And he would be there to pick the best and get his mind off one particular innocent at Almack’s. After brushing a stray black hair off his lapel, he moved to the door.

He opened it to find Riley with his fist up as if he were about to knock. Nothing peculiar about that, except the smug smile on the man’s face. “May I help you, Riley?”

“Thought you might want to know that Miss Drake is currently sitting at the roulette table drinking whiskey...only one so far tonight and winning a tidy sum again.”

“Goddammit! What the bloody hell is she doing here again? Please tell me she is not wearing some lad’s clothing again.”

Riley seemed unable to contain his laugh. “No, she is dressed in a beautiful white gown made more for an evening at Almack’s than Hell.”

“I’m going to kill Hood for letting her inside again.”

“I let her in.”

Simon stared up at Riley until he shrugged.

“Just thought you would prefer her inside than standing outside where anyone might see her.”

Simon strode down the stairs to his office so he could survey the room with no one else watching him. His fists tightened when he saw her sitting at the roulette table. What was wrong with her? Did she intentionally try to vex him?

While he’d promised Louisa he would stay away from Emma, he could do no such thing when she was in his gaming room unaccompanied. He would watch over her if only for her sake.

Walking down to the gaming room, he breathed in deeply to calm his anger. Emma was an innocent who didn’t know better. Although why, when clearly dressed for Almack’s, wasn’t she there? A curiosity, indeed.

He strolled to the bar, keeping her in his sight the entire time. After noting that her glass was almost empty, he picked up two glasses of whisky and headed toward her.

“I have never seen anyone as lucky as you when playing roulette.” He placed the whisky in front of her. “If I didn’t know better, I would think you have some system of cheating.”

Her movements stilled, but she didn’t look over at him. “I thought you were still at Worth Hall.”

“Like you, I returned early. I couldn’t let my business falter by being away too long.” He sat on the stool next to her. “How much are you up tonight?”

“Only about twenty.”

“That makes fifty you’ve pilfered from me now,” he noted, still wondering how she could have won so much in such a short amount of time.

“Hardly pilfered, Mr. Kingsley.”