Surrender (26 page)

Lucas inclined his head politely to both

women and made his escape from the

ballroom.

This was not his first such escape in the

past few days. Lucas grinned as he hailed a

carriage. He had been studiously avoiding

Victoria's increasingly pointed attempts to

speak to him in private.

Strategy.

He was certain he knew what the topic

of discussion would be when he finally

allowed his heiress to pin him down.

He was almost positive that what Victoria

was working herself up for was a request for

more of the sort of intellectual inquiry that

he had introduced her to that night in the

carriage after the visit to the Green Pig.

Lucas cautioned himself for the thousandth

time that he must not give in easily.

After all, he thought wryly as the carriage

halted at the steps of his Saint
 
James Street

club, he wanted the lady to continue to

respect him in the morning.

But there was another, far more serious

consideration. Vicky was his responsibility.

As her future lord and husband, it was his

duty to protect her. Once he had made

love to her, a new risk arose. There was

every possibility she would get pregnant.

He supposed he should look upon that

possibility as another useful tactic. Perhaps,

back at the beginning of this strange

courtship he might have done so. Now,

however, it occurred to Lucas that he

would far rather have Vicky come to

him of her own free will. He wanted

her to want him, he realized. He wanted

her to want him enough to take the risk

of surrendering completely. He wanted her

to marry him because she loved him, not

because she had to.

Lucas shook his head ruefully. Some

thing about the wooing of Victoria Hunt

ington was threatening to turn his clear

headed, cool-thinking soldier's brain into

romantic mush.

The club's gaming room was far different

in outer appearances than the gaming hell

where Lucas had taken Victoria. Here,

only gentlemen of respectable birth and

reputation were allowed. The atmosphere

around the green baize tables was far more

subdued and aristocratic in tone. But the

stakes were higher here in Saint
 
James than

in the stews, and the potential for disaster

enormous.

The potential for profit was correspond

ingly higher, too, however, and since the

games were far more likely to be honest in

this environment, such clubs were where

Lucas habitually came to make his living.

 
I say, stone vale, been wanting to speak

to you." Ferdie Merivale got to his feet

and hastened forward as he saw Lucas

walk into the room.

Lucas picked up a bottle of claret and

poured himself a glass. He cocked a brow

at the young man and wondered if he was

about to be called out for his rescue efforts

at the Green Pig. Then he thought of how

he would explain such a situation to the

lady who had gotten him into the mess in

the first place. Oh, by the bye, Vicky, the

young pup you insisted I rescue has decided

to try to kill me tomorrow morning.

At least Molly the farm girl was safely

out of town and not likely to come back

anytime soon.

 
What is it, Merivale?"

Ferdie flushed and ran a finger under

the extremely high fold of his neckcloth.

But his gaze was determined and direct.

 
I wished to thank you, my lord."

Lucas narrowed his eyes in muted

surprise.
 
Do you, indeed? For what?"

 
For your interference the other night,"

Merivale plowed on gamely.
 
Don't believe

I was properly appreciative at the time.

Had a few glasses of claret before I got

into the game, you know."

 
Glasses or bottles?"

 
Bottles," Ferdie admitted ruefully.
 
At

any rate, I had no way of knowing what

sort of reputation Duddingstone had. I've

since learned that respectable men don't

sit down to cards with him."

 
Intelligent men don't sit down to cards

with him," Lucas corrected.
 
I am glad

you realize what he is. I will not bore

you with a lecture on your responsibility

to your name and estates, but I would urge

you to think twice about risking more than

you can afford to lose in a card game with

anyone, respectable or otherwise."

Merivale grinned.
 
Are you quite certain

you're not going to bore me with a lecture?

Completely unnecessary, you know. I

swear I have had three or four from

my mother."

Lucas grinned.
 
Sorry. I fear I spent too

long in the army. One gets accustomed

to issuing warnings to green officers. And

spare me your thanks, Merivale. To tell

you the truth, I had no real intention of

rescuing you that evening. I had other

things on my mind at the time."

 
Then why did you bother, sir?" Merivale

asked.

 
My, uh, companion took pity on you

and suggested I do something. I obliged.

That was all there was to it."

 
I do not believe that for a moment, sir.

You were kind enough to get me out of a

situation in which I could have lost a great

deal and I want you to know I am in your

debt." Ferdie Merivale bowed slightly and

went back to join his friends at the bar.

Lucas shook his head in silent amaze

ment. Victoria had been correct. Ferdie

Merivale wasn't such a bad lot after all.

If he continued to grow up at this pace,

the young man might very well become a

credit to his title and his family.

None of that, however, made up for the

fact that because he had been occupied

with stuffing Merivale into a carriage,

Victoria had nearly been run down. Every

time he recalled the terrible scene, Lucas's

insides went cold.

Deliberately he shook off the chill. He

had business to do tonight. He picked up

the claret bottle and went across the room

to see who was playing cards. He needed

to augment his financial reserves. It cost

a staggering amount to move in Victoria's

social circles.

The one truly irksome thing about this

courtship was that the money he was

spending on the social trappings he needed

for camouflage was money that could

not be sunk into the hungry lands of

stone vale.

Lucas consoled himself with the knowledge

that one sometimes had to take risks

in order to secure a greater profit.

He soon found what he was looking

for a game of whist where the play would

be deep enough to suit his current financial

needs. He was invited to sit down at

once. Lucas did so, putting the bottle on

the table.

In reality, he would actually drink very

little this evening. He had learned long

ago that a clear head gave him a distinct

advantage in a game where his opponents

usually preferred to fortify themselves with

endless bottles of claret and port. The

bottle of claret sitting at his elbow was

simply more camouflage.

A long time later, after nearly four hours

of steady play, Lucas finally decided he

had enough to placate his tailor and his

bootmaker as well as sufficient to keep his

small staff satisfied for a few more weeks.

He excused himself from the game and

went to collect his hat and coat.

He realized he was tired. The intensity

and concentration he brought to his card

playing often left him feeling exhausted.

But he knew it was precisely that intensity

and concentration that helped him win on

a reliable basis.

It was the fashion among the men

of the ton to play wildly and without

much thought or analysis. Gaming was

just one more way of displaying one's

 
wealth and style, a method of enhancing

one's sense of power and masculinity and

impressing one's companions with one's

sangfroid.

Huge losses were handled with casual

disdain as if money meant nothing. But it

was no secret that some men went home

and put a pistol to their own heads after

a disastrous night at the tables.

Lucas much preferred winning and he

took great care to do so. Indeed, a man

who was good at strategy could prosper at

the gaming tables.

He was halfway to the door when he

spotted Edgeworth watching him from the

hearth. The other man's sullen dislike was

palpable, but Lucas was not particularly

concerned. The feeling was mutual. He

had not minded in the least relieving

Edgeworth of a sizable sum a fortnight

ago. Lucas also had no intention of ever

getting into another game with the man.

 
Good evening, stone vale. Enjoying your

outrageous little heiress?" Edgeworth spoke

just loudly enough to catch Lucas's

attention.
 
A very interesting young lady,

is she not?"

Lucas contemplated Edgeworth's taunt

ing expression and wondered if he could

simply ignore the man. Probably not.

Young Merivale and his friend had

overheard the remark. They were already

turning their heads to see how Lucas would

respond.

 
I do not discuss respectable women

with your sort, Edgeworth," Lucas said

mildly.
 
Now that I think of it, I do not

believe I would discuss women of any kind

with you."

 
Tis said the lady in question has no

intention of ever marrying," Edgeworth

continued, ignoring the clear warning in

Lucas's voice.
 
Since matrimony is not a

possibility, may we assume you have other

goals in mind for Miss Huntington? After

all, the two of you are seen together so

frequently one cannot help but speculate

on the nature of your association."

This was what came of having a

reputation for being slow to anger, Lucas