Henry took in a breath, telling himself firmly that he would have to give Lord Warrington a fair opportunity to step away, to stop playing before he lost a good deal more. It would be wrong for him not to do so, for it was the gentlemanly, the honorable thing to offer, and yet he had no desire to do anything of the kind.
“It looks like it is only the three of us still.” As he gestured toward Lord Stoneleigh, then to Lord Warrington, he caught his friend’s sharp gaze pinning itself to Lord Warrington. “Perhaps we should stop there and take what we each have won, so that the game can come to an end.”
“No.” Lord Warrington shook his head firmly and then took a moment to regain himself, blinking furiously. “I have never given up a game in my life.”
“This could be your first time to do so,” Lord Stoneleigh replied quietly, but Lord Warrington only scowled all the harder.
“No, I will not.” Slamming one pudgy fist down on the table and making the cards jump, Lord Warrington pointed to Henry. “Deal.”
There was no flicker of recognition in Warrington’s eyes, and for that, Henry let out a slow breath of relief. The last thing he wanted was for this man to realize who he was playing against, and what was happening. However, he also wanted Lord Warrington to look back on this night and realize that he had been given the chance to end the game; that Henry had acted in a fair and decisive manner, even whenWarringtonhad not.
The game continued. Lord Warrington won the next round easily – with Henry blaming his growing nervousness for his failure – but as the game continued, Warrington began to lose more and more. His face grew redder still, and his eyes narrowed, as though, by staring harder at the table, he would be able to change his luck. Henry’s confidence grew, hope shining as he saw that everything Colbridge had predicted was coming true. Lord Warrington was unable to keep his head, struggling to follow the game when he was in so much in his cups.
“Another drink and we shall end the game. What say you?”
It was the second time Henry had offered for the game to come to a close, but still Lord Warrington frowned. Henry had already gained a sizeable amount from the man over the last few rounds - it was nowhere near the amount which had been stolen from him, but it was, again, right for him to make certain that Lord Warrington had a chance to step away.
“Another round.”
Lord Warrington’s voice was low, his words slurred as he swayed slightly in his seat.
“I choose to play no longer.” Lord Stoneleigh put up both hands, then sat back in his chair. “If the offer is to end the game, then I shall step back from it.”
“And perhaps this is a good chance to do the same, Lord Warrington.”
Arching an eyebrow, Henry watched as the man’s face darkened to purple.
“As I have already said, I have never left a game. If I must, I will write you a vowel.”
“Are you certain?” Quickly, Henry sent a glance toward Lord Stoneleigh. “If we were to continue playing, I had thought to raise our stakes a little. However, given that your luck has been a little less of late, might I suggest that we consider for a moment.”
The challenge appeared to be exactly the catalyst that Lord Warrington needed. Even though his eyelids drooped heavily over his eyes and his frown grew heavier, he glared at Henry through dark, narrowed slits.
“And what exactly were you planning on putting on the table?”
Henry took a breath, and then named an amount which was almost every single penny that he had left of his fortune. It was a risk, certainly, but given how poorly Lord Warrington had been playing, he did not think it was too great a danger. A breath twisted in his chest as Lord Warrington considered, only to release it as a cruel smile spread across the man’s face. Evidently, Lord Warrington did not like being challenged, and he was prepared to meet Henry’s challenge head on.
“Whatever you place on the table, I will be able to match, if not double it.”
The confidence in the man’s voice made Henry’s heart lift with a sudden thrill of anticipation. Sharing another glance with Lord Stoneleigh, Henry took in slow breaths. This was precisely the moment he had been waiting for, and to know that it was set before him, he prayed that everything would go aright.
“I have a document here already,” he said, hoping that the man would not question why Henry had already written a document. “It will promise me a certain amount – an amount which you yourself will write in. It will be a legal document, however. You will not be able to hold your debts away from me for any length of time.”
Lord Warrington snorted, as though Henry had said something quite ridiculous, and then named an amount that made Henry’s eyes flare wide. It was not the entirety of his fortune to be returned, but it certainly was a great deal of it.
“Are you quite certain?”
Spreading out the document onto the table, he looked over at Lord Warrington, giving him one final moment to retract what he had said. Instead, the man leaned across the table, grabbed up the document, and then sat back down heavily. His head bowed for a moment and Henry began to fear that he would lose consciousness, given the amount of liquor he had consumed. But at the very next second, he was barking for a quill so that he might sign the document himself.
“That shall be yours if I lose,” Lord Warrington threw the document back in Henry’s direction, and he picked it up without even so much as glancing at it. “I am sure that my luck is on the turn, however. I need not worry. That will mean nothing.”
The document was set out, as well as all that Henry himself would owe, should he lose. The two men began to play, and Henry felt a terrible tension all around his frame, his chest tight and his breathing a little quickened. So much hung on this one game. Surely he could not lose now!
A hand suddenly settled on his shoulder as he looked down at his cards. Henry did not need to look up to know that it was none other than Lady Emma. Her presence near him was a great comfort, and it calmed his heart, telling him that all would be well. It gave him confidence in, not only himself, but the future that was promised. Whether he won or lost, he would hold fast to Lady Emma, and she would hold tight to him. This money meant very little, he considered, for what amount could love be bought with? There was not enough coin in the world to ever purchase what she offered him.
Setting his shoulders, Henry looked at his cards carefully, then set one out on the table. Lord Warrington, seeing this, seemed to merely pluck one card at random, half throwing it onto the table. Picking up a second card, Henry added it to his pile and then studied it carefully, before setting back down one he did not require. Lord Warrington grunted, his fingers going from one card to the next as he held them in his hand. Clearing his throat, Henry glanced pointedly at the stack of cards in the middle of the table, silently reminding Lord Warrington that he had not picked one card up.
Lady Emma’s fingers squeezed tightly on his shoulder as Lord Warrington scowled, spat something incomprehensible, and practically threw out another card. Without hesitation, Henry reached for the one that had been discarded, then set out another one on the table.
