doing my part to make certain you don’t become one. Wellsley is credited to be a decent enough shot.”
Wellsley rubbed the underside of his chin with his knuckles. “Decent enough?” he asked. “Is that the best you can say about me, Ferrin? Damned by faint praise. That’s what that is. I’d do better by you, you know.”
Ferrin removed his fingers from Allworthy. He regarded his partner at cards from beneath his hooded glance. “That’s because I’m better than a decent shot.”
“What? Well, there is that.”
“Indeed.” Ferrin waved idly in Bennet Allworthy’s direction. “Play the heart and have done with it.”
For the space of a heartbeat three of the four players were aware of nothing so much as the music from the adjoining ballroom, the drone of too many guests crowded into the space, the flirtatious laughter of a few as new liaisons were made and old partners were dismissed. It was only in the card room that others seemed to sense a shift in the atmosphere. Voices dropped pitch to a whisper; glances shifted uncertainly toward the center table. No one made a play. For a moment, no one save the Earl of Ferrin breathed.
Mr. Bennet Allworthy dropped the ten of hearts on the table.
As simply as that, the natural order was restored. Ferrin collected the trick as if nothing untoward had taken place. Indeed, from his perspective, nothing had, except perhaps that for a few moments he had not been bored. He led trump, resuming play. It required only another minute to finish the set. He and Wellsley thoroughly trounced the Allworthy cousins. When it was done, no one suggested another go at whist. The cousins excused themselves and exited for the refreshment table in the ballroom, making rather too much of their parched throats by clearing them loudly and often.
“I shouldn’t wonder if they don’t trip over themselves in their haste to be gone,” Wellsley said. He shuffled the cards absently. “You were rather hard on Bennet, don’t you think? Playing trump out of turn might have been an honest mistake.”
Ferrin shrugged. “If you thought that was so, you could have come to his defense.”
“And pass on an opportunity to shoot someone?” He unbuttoned his frock coat and patted the pistol tucked into his breeches. “Not bloody likely.”
“A pistol, Wellsley?”
“Part of the costume.”
“What part? I don’t recognize your intent. Save for that much abused hat you are wearing, you are dressed as you always are.”
“I’m a highwayman. You did not notice the disreputable twist of my neckcloth?”
“Disreputable? I do not think it can properly be called that when your valet has merely failed to tie the mathematical.” Ferrin’s coolly colored glance dropped to the pistol. “Never say it is primed.”
“Do you take me for a fool?” Wellsley immediately thought better of his question and held up one hand, palm out. “Pray, do not answer that. It’s lowering enough that you did not take me for a highwayman. Mayhap I should have forsaken the highway for the high seas as you have. A pirate would have been just the thing. Which do you suppose the ladies find more dashing?”
“You are welcome to put that poser to them this evening.”
“Don’t tempt me, Ferrin. I might.”
Ferrin merely grunted softly.
Wellsley cocked his head toward the ballroom. “You find all of this tiresome.” It was not a question.
“It is obvious, then. Bother that. You will warn me, will you not, if some member of my family wanders in this direction? They will take exception to my ennui, and I cannot watch the doorway easily from here.”
“Indeed. You will get a crick in your neck.”
Ferrin laid the flat of his hand against his nape and massaged the corded muscles. “I already possess the crick. I am hoping not to break the thing.”
“Poor Ferrin. Your family is such a trial to you.”
“Can you doubt it?”
Wellsley regarded his friend a moment longer before he spoke. The eyes that held his study were glacial, yet there was a hint of something that might have been amusement. “As a matter of fact,” he said, “sometimes I can. It occurs on occasion that you could be naught but a fraud.”
“Careful. I will not hesitate to run you through.” Ferrin’s hand dropped to his cutlass. “My sword trumps your unprimed popper.”
Heads turned in their direction as Wellsley gave a bark of laughter. “Just so.” He continued to shuffle the cards. “How did you know Bennet had a heart remaining in his hand?”
“Because he told his cousin.”
“Told William? Are you quite certain, Ferrin? I didn’t hear such an exchange.”
“Because while you were contemplating my scowl, Bennet was tapping his cards on the table. One for hearts. Two for diamonds. Three for—”
“I get the gist of it.”
“See? Perfectly discernible to even the meanest intelligence when one is not preoccupied.”
“Did you just insult me?”
Now there was no mistaking the amusement in Ferrin’s ice-blue glance. “If you are uncertain, then there is no harm done.”
Grinning, Wellsley handed over the cards. “Do not be so sure. I am of a mind to get a little of my own back.”
“By all means. You must do as you see fit.” Ferrin began to deal the cards, setting up two dummy hands just to keep things interesting. When he was done, he fanned open his cards and examined them.
“What is to be done about the Allworthy cousins?” asked Wellsley.
“What do you mean, what is to be done?”
“They are cardsharps, Ferrin.”
“They are dullards, and they are not so deep in the pockets that they can do much damage at the clubs.”
“I am not sure the amount of the wagering matters. I was thinking that someone less forgiving than you will surely call the pair of them out. Do you want that on your conscience?”
Ferrin was uncertain how the consequence of the cousins’ cheating had become his concern. “What would you have me do? Spread the tale of what was done here so they will become pariahs in the card rooms?”
“That would do nicely, yes. Save them from themselves.”
“At considerable damage to their reputations. One or the other of them will call me out, and we shall be precisely at the juncture you are bent on avoiding, save I will be the one facing a pistol at twenty paces. If that is your plan for revenge, you are deuced good at it. I will choose my words more carefully when I am speaking of the meanest intelligence.”
“Thank you, but I have
