That was when he caught sight of a brunette leaning near the kitchen door. For a split second, he thought it was Isabella and his heart began to pound in his chest, but then he realized, it was actually Eliza. Disappointment stabbed him like a poker. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“I need to talk to you.” She pushed off the wall.
“What time is it? Six?”
“I don’t know.” Eliza shrugged. “It’s early enough that Mildred wouldn’t know that I’d left.”
He chuckled. “She’s keeping you out of trouble then?”
Eliza rolled her eyes. “I would ju
st like to say that I was doing fine without a guardian, but yes, she seems to take her job seriously.”
“Good. That will make it easier to hide Isabella’s deception.”
Eliza cleared her throat. “That’s the very topic I came to discuss.”
“Hiding Isabella’s activities at the club?”
“Not exactly.” Eliza nibbled her lip and for a moment, she looked a lot like Isabella. “My sister is honest to a fault. She’s not really capable of deception.”
“I see.” He didn’t.
That wasn’t true. He did. He watched her constantly from his spot behind the curtain. She never lied or even deceived to win hands the way some dealers did. It was all knowledge of the cards. But he didn’t understand the point Eliza was attempting to make.
“She thinks that she’ll never marry because she can’t tell her husband about all of this,” Eliza waved her hands. “And she can’t keep it a secret either.”
“Ridiculous.”
“I agree. But that’s Isabella.” Eliza let out a long breath. “I would like to see my sister settled, which was why I was wondering if any of your associates are considering marriage.”
That made him choke on his spit. “What?”
“That baron, for example. The one that’s always cursing. No good family would put up with it.” Eliza gave him a knowing smile “Isabella might be a good option for a man like him. She’s educated. Cultured, kind and attractive. She’d make an excellent wife.”
The very idea of Blasphemy touching her made his blood boil. “Out of the question.”
“Why?” She cocked her head. “They know of her past and will keep her secret. If you ask me it’s a perfect solution.”
He spluttered as he attempted to answer. Perfect? Watching his business partner and friend touch Isabella? Knowing that he’d take her home and make love to her? “He’s morally corrupt.”
That made Eliza’s eyebrows fly up. “No more than you.”
Christ. She had him there. “Blasphemy has no plans to marry.”
“Another one, then,” Eliza waved her hand. “You pick.”
He ran his fingers down his face. “How much more do I need to do for your family?”
“Not for my family. For Isabella.”
His mouth tightened. A knowing look sparkled in Eliza’s eyes and he wondered if she were just goading him. To what end, he wasn’t certain. But two could play this game. “Like Menace?” he asked slyly.
Her face flushed and Bash relaxed. He’d found her soft spot. There was something sizzling between Eliza and Menace. Her nose lifted in the air. “That rake?”
“They’re all rakes, Eliza. Including me.”
Her chin dropped back down. “We’ve tossed our cards in with rakes, I guess.”