A Little Bit Sinful(44)

“Ah yes, how are you enjoying your latest foray into polite society?”

“It’s entertaining,” Justin said. They ate in silence for a few moments before Justin spoke again. “In particular the rumors about my lineage.”

Roe looked up over the table. “Oh, now that sounds interesting.” He tried another bite, and this one went down much easier.

“Yes, evidently my mother was French royalty. I overheard as much at a ball the other night.”

“It could be true.” Roe shrugged. “Don’t suppose we know.”

“It seems highly unlikely.” Justin took a bite of his own stew and chewed thoughtfully. “And well, all the pertinent players are already dead.”

“Unless she’s still alive.”

“My mother?” Justin certainly lived as if that were true. He’d been looking for her for years and until he uncovered her identity and found out for certain that she was dead, he would believe her alive. But he would not tell Roe that. “It’s doubtful.”

They ate in silence for a few moments before Justin spoke again. “I discovered that George Wilbanks frequents Rafferty’s.”

Roe whistled. “Are you still investigating him?” He held up a hand. “I won’t ask, but I suspect it involves a certain fair-haired chit.”

Justin grinned in spite of himself. “Rafferty’s is not a place for genteel women.”

“Did he take said genteel woman there?”

“No.” But Justin had. Guilt knotted in his stomach. What the devil had he been thinking to take Chrissy to such a place? Even safely ensconced in a carriage, what if she had been seen? He was the worst sort of ass. Still he hadn’t known another way to show her George’s true nature.

“Why don’t you simply court the girl yourself and be done with it? Marry her and have little blonde, blue-eyed devils.”

If only it were that simple. “You know I cannot do that. Clarissa deserves more than to be the wife of someone the likes of me.”

“She could do a lot worse too, as you’ve discovered with the Wilbanks fellow. He might inherit a title, but with you she’d never want for anything. You have more money than God,” Roe said.

“True.” But he could never marry Clarissa, as appealing as that notion sounded. “How is the playing going?”

“Excellent,” Roe said, allowing him to change the subject. He leaned forward, narrowing his eyes. “I’ve heard a rumor though. About a new player at Rodale’s. Any truth to it?”

Justin nodded. “Ah yes, a young man. But he plays in the back room rather than the main floor.”

“Is he any good?”

Justin nodded. “He hasn’t lost yet.” Ever since Clipps had brought the young man to Justin’s attention, they’d been watching him carefully. So far he’d shown no signs of cheating. “Scrawny fellow, but he seems to be on the up and up.”

“I want to play him,” Roe said.

Justin shook his head. “You know that isn’t going to happen. There are men on the main floor that would be none too pleased if I allowed someone from the back room to play among them. They are not interested in mixing with the servants and commoners.”

Roe pointed his spoon at his brother. “You could make it happen. What is the use of having a brother who owns a gaming hell if he can’t break the rules for me? It would be by special invitation from the Duke of Chanceworth.”

“I’ll consider it. But not now.” Now his thoughts were filled of Chrissy and her lovely blue eyes brimming with tears as she’d begged him to drive her away from that filthy place.

…

It was nearly midnight when Justin heard the knock at his front door. He never required his staff to work late in the evening so he walked to the door himself. Besides any late night visitors he got were either women or men wanting to make a deal regarding their debts, neither of which his servants could manage.

He opened the door and there stood a woman, though her face was covered by a darkened cloak.

“Can I help you?”

She looked up then and he could see her eyes peeking through the darkness of her hood. Blue eyes.

“Chrissy?” He jerked her inside. “What the devil are you doing here? Are you deliberately trying to get me to ruin your reputation?”

“Of course not. I made certain no one saw me and in this no one can see who I am.” She flipped the hood off her face. Pink stained her cheeks from the cool night air. God she looked so beautiful.