He smiled.
Lord Warrington grasped another card, his jaw tightening. The card he set out was the one that Henry picked up – and in that moment, he knew the victory was his.
Setting out his cards carefully, he looked over them, one after the other to make certain that he was correct, only for a loud cry to erupt from Lord Warrington.
Lord Warrington’s cards were fluttering to the floor. The man’s head was in his hands, and he let out a low groan as Lord Stoneleigh rose from the table.
“You have won, Lord Thornbridge!”
A broad grin spread across his friend’s face as Henry heard Lady Emma’s swift intake of breath, his hand reaching up to settle over hers as the significance of the moment caught him. He had done what he had hoped for. His fortune was returned to him, and he had done it through an entirely honest means. He had not fallen into the same habits as Lord Warrington, had not been cruel nor underhanded. Instead, he had made certain that every effort was made to end the game, before the man lost everything. It had been Lord Warrington’s doing entirely, the choice to continue to this end result. He had been the one to decide what he was to play and how long he was to play for. Henry felt no guilt whatsoever; Lord Warrington had brought this entirely upon himself.
Rising from the table, Henry noted that Lord Stoneleigh gathered up the document, and carefully tucked it into his pocket. Trusting his friend to deal with that, Henry turned to look into Lady Emma’s eyes, desperate to catch her into his arms, only to realize that there was a crowd around them, hearing the hubbub of their exclamations for what was the first time. Such had been his focus on the game that he had been deaf to it all, until this moment. Unable to wait a moment longer, he caught her hand and pulled her after him, moving swiftly through the crowd and out of the room – praying silently that Lady Fullerton would not follow them.
Stepping into another entirely vacant room, he pulled the door tight behind them, and then tugged her quickly into his arms. Lady Emma let out a half gasp, half laugh, as her arms wrapped around him, burying her face into his neck as he inhaled the scent of lilac, finding himself overwhelmed with all that she was and all that she could be to him.
“You have succeeded.” Pulling back gently, Lady Emma looked up into his face, her own eyes sparkling with joyous tears as her hands wrapped gently around his neck, her fingers delving into his hair. “You have succeeded in all of this. Nothing has escaped you. You have acted with justice and mercy. I could not think more highly of you, Thornbridge.”
“And I do not think that I would have been able to achieve all of this without you. I was a fool to have kept this from you for so long, Emma. A fool.” Recalling how he had been so determined to push her away, how he had told himself that he would be able to forget her, to set her aside, and to focus solely on recovering his fortune, Henry squeezed his eyes closed in both embarrassment and regret. “Everything changed the moment that I told you the truth. I felt my heart already healed, my sadness already gone, and my confusion blown away… and all because of you.”
Lady Emma laughed softly, and before he could do or say anything further, pushed herself up on tiptoe and pressed her mouth to his. The warmth of her lips on his own made Henry start with surprise, only for the most delicious heat to spread through him. He kissed her as though he were a drowning man, and she was the only one able to provide him with life and breath. It was as though they melded into each other, his arms tight about her waist and her hands tangling through his hair. He did not want to let her go, did not ever want to have to separate himself from her again. Aside from her, he required nothing else in this world – and at this thought, he found there to be only one thing in his mind: a question of when he was to go about ensuring that his future was one where she remained by his side, and he beside her.
A small sigh broke from her lips as their kiss ended. There were stars in her gaze, her cheeks were a gentle pink and her mouth softly puckered. The beauty of her was so overwhelming that, on instinct, Henry made to drop his head to kiss her again, only for a knock to come at the door. Without hesitation, it opened, and Lady Fullerton stepped directly into the room.
“I am afraid I cannot allow you any more than a few minutes,” she said, clearly aware of what had taken place. Henry’s embarrassment shot straight through him as he dropped his hands quickly from Lady Emma’s waist, but Lady Emma herself only giggled. “I am very glad that you have found success, however,” Lady Fullerton continued as she beckoned Lady Emma to come and stand beside her. “I assume that you will be coming to speak to Lord Stanbury very soon.”
Lady Emma laughed, nudging her cousin although her color remained high.
“There is no need for you to ask Lord Thornbridge such a thing!” Glancing back towards him, she smiled, her eyes shining. “You have already witnessed for yourself that he is a most honorable man.”
“Yes, I suppose that is true.” Tilting her head, Lady Fullerton put both hands to her waist. “You have certainly proven yourself to a good many people this evening, Lord Thornbridge. Everyone saw how you offered Lord Warrington the opportunity to end the game, on more than one occasion. That was admirable indeed.”
“It was the right thing for me to do, even though I will admit that I had no real wish to do it!”
The two ladies laughed as Henry grinned, relieved that Lady Fullerton was not about to be too severe.
“I will have to take my cousin away now, however.” Grasping Lady Emma’s hand, Lady Fullerton turned towards the door. “Your mother will be looking for you, Emma, and I am certain that Lord Thornbridge will call upon you very soon.”
“You can be assured of that.”
He shared a smile with Lady Emma as the door opened and she was led from the room by her cousin. As it closed, Henry allowed himself to lean back against the wall, close his eyes and let a breath of overwhelming relief. He had succeeded. Poverty was no longer awaiting him. Yes, it was not the entirety of his fortune, but what Lord Warrington had written in that document, as far as he knew, would have matched what he himself had set out on the table, and that would be more than sufficient for him to recover. It might take a little time, certainly, but there would be no need to economize with any great severity.
The door opened again, and Henry straightened, half expecting Lady Fullerton or Lady Emma to return. It was neither, however. Instead, Lord Stoneleigh strode into the room, his hand holding the document as he shook it vigorously in his direction.
“Have you seen this?”
Blinking, Henry frowned.
“What about it?”
“It is the document which Lord Warrington signed,” Lord Stoneleigh explained, speaking quickly. “The one where he gave you his promise to match the amount you set on the table.”
“Yes, I realize that.” Having very little understanding of what Lord Stoneleigh was trying to explain, Henry spread out both hands. “Is there something wrong?”
His heart jerked, suddenly afraid that Lord Warrington had duped him in some way, for what would be the second time.
“No, nothing is wrong.” Again, Lord Stoneleigh thrust the document in his direction. “In fact, it is quite the opposite – Lord Warrington has given youdoublethe amount which you had put on the table.”
It was as though all of the air had been sucked out of the room.
