Then Came You (The Gamblers #1)(43)

“Who hasn’t? What a life he’s led! Craven knows all the richest, most powerful men in Europe. He’s a legend. The most important man in England…aside from the king, of course.”

Lily smiled. “I wouldn’t exactly say that. Were Derek here, he’d most likely tell you that in the whole scheme of things, he’s merely a piss in the sea. He does run quite a nice gaming establishment, though.”

“At school the fellows and I all talked about the time when we’ll finally be able to go to Craven’s and play the tables and see the women there. It won’t be for years, of course. But someday what high times we’ll have…” Henry broke off with a wistful sigh.

“Why someday?” Lily asked softly. “Why not now?”

He gave her a startled look. “I wouldn’t be allowed past the front door. At my age—”

“Of course, a boy of twelve has never seen the inside of the place,” Lily conceded. “Derek has rules about such things. But he’ll do anything I ask. If you were with me, you could go inside, see the gaming rooms for yourself, dine on French cuisine, and meet a house wench or two.” She grinned mischievously. “You could even shake Derek’s hand for luck—he claims it rubs off on you.”

“You’re teasing,” Henry said suspiciously, but his blue eyes were bright with impossible hope.

“Am I? Come with me to London and find out. We couldn’t let your brother know, of course. You’d have to stow away in my carriage.” Lily winked at him. “Let’s go to Craven’s, Henry. I promise you an adventure.”

“Alex would kill me.”

“Oh, he’d be angry. I wouldn’t doubt it for a minute.”

“But he wouldn’t thrash me,” Henry said reflectively. “Not after all the breechings I got at that rotten school.”

“Then what do you have to fear?”

Henry gave her a grin of incredulous delight. “Nothing!”

“Alors, come aboard,” Lily said with a laugh. She lowered her voice. “Don’t let the driver or anyone else see you, Henry. You have no idea how disappointed I would be if you were caught.”

She was gone. Alex stared out the library window, watching the carriage round the bend of the drive. He waited for a feeling of relief that didn’t come. Instead there was emptiness. He prowled through the mansion like a caged tiger, wanting to break free of something…something…if only he knew what it was. The house was unnaturally quiet. The way it had been for years, before she arrived. Now there would be no more arguments, no more troublemaking, no ridiculous antics. He expected to feel better any minute now.

His conscience prodded him to go to Penelope. He knew his display of drunken rage had frightened her. Mounting the stairs, Alex vowed that from now on he would be the soul of patience. He would do all within his power to please Penelope. A vision of his future with her stretched before him—long, civilized, predictable years. A bleak smile curved his lips. Anyone would agree that marrying Penelope was the right thing.

As he neared her room, he heard the sound of heart-broken weeping, and a voice so vibrantly passionate that for a split-second he thought it was Lily. But the tones were softer and higher than Lily’s. “I love him, Mother,” Penelope sobbed. “I’ll love Zachary forever. If only I were brave like Lily! Then nothing would have stopped me from going to him.”

“There, there,” came Totty’s soothing voice. “Don’t say such things. Be sensible, darling. As Lord Raiford’s wife, your future—and that of your family—will be secured forever. Your father and I know what’s best for you. And so does Lord Raiford.”

Penelope’s sobbing continued unabated, though she managed to gasp, “I don’t th-think so.”

“I’m right about these matters,” Totty continued. “This is all your sister’s doing. I love Wilhemina dearly—you know that—but she’s never satisfied until she’s made everyone miserable. We owe Lord Raiford an apology. That well-bred, even-tempered man…I can scarcely believe the state Lily has put him in! We should never have allowed her to stay.”

“She was right about everything,” Penelope choked. “She knew how Zachary and I love each other…oh, if only I weren’t such a c-coward…”

Alex walked away, his fists clenched. A self-mocking smile crossed his face. He would have liked to blame Lily, as Totty did, but he couldn’t. The fault was all his, springing from his shattered self-control, the reawakened appetite for something he could never have.

During the ride to London, Henry seemed to consider it necessary to recount every kind and selfless thing Alex had ever done for him, dating back to his infancy. As a captive audience, Lily had no choice but to listen. She endured it with what she considered to be remarkable forbearance. As he lounged on the carriage seat opposite her, Henry described the time when he had been caught up a tree and Alex climbed up to rescue him, and the way Alex had taught him to swim in the lake, not to mention the countless afternoons when they had played soldiers together, and Alex had helped him learn his numbers…

“Henry,” Lily finally interrupted. She smiled and spoke through gritted teeth. “I have the impression you’re trying to convince me of something. Is it that your brother isn’t nearly the heartless brute he seems to be?”