Betting it All on the Earl Read online

  Betting it All on the Earl

  Emma Brady

  Published by Emma Brady, 2019.

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  BETTING IT ALL ON THE EARL

  First edition. July 28, 2019.

  Copyright © 2019 Emma Brady.

  Written by Emma Brady.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 1

  “Kitty, could you please smile? You are going to frighten the other guests.”

  Katherine Woolard, widow of the late Lord Woolard looked at her dear friend Patrick Helms and was surprised to see how carefree he appeared. He wore a brightly colored vest with his traveling suit and an easy smile on his lips. She felt brittle with tension. The smallest tap and she might break into a million pieces. This was than what she used to feel before going on stage.

  “I’m a widow, still mourning my husband. They don’t expect me to be cheerful.”

  “It’s been almost six months since Ephram died.” There was a catch in Patrick’s throat. “Most wives would be approaching half mourning by now. You chose to come to a party, now act like it’s a party.”

  Kitty didn’t choose this event, but it was the only thing left for them to do. Thanks to her husband and his bad habits, this was the only thing left to save them both. She was forced to come to this elegant country home, filled with cultured members of London society, to earn their keep.

  “Lady Woolard, I’m so glad you decided to still attend.” Lady Andrews approached them in the crowded parlor, extending her hand warmly. “I told my husband that I thought it was wonderful you were going to be playing in your late husband’s spot.”

  “He had been looking forward to this tournament before he passed. I thought it might be a good way to honor his memory.”

  “I had met him at other card games we hosted in London.”

  “He enjoyed playing. He often told me about how talented you and your husband were.” Kitty didn’t want to comment on whether her husband was any good at it.

  Lady Andrews laughed. “I’m afraid I won every time I played against him. I’m glad he harbored no ill will towards me.”

  “My husband understood the risks in playing. He never let the losses hinder his enjoyment.”

  Kitty wished it would on the nights he would come home late and with empty pockets. When his luck was good he was cheerful and generous, but when his luck turned things would get depressing in their house. It’s hard to hold a marriage together when you had to sell the furniture to pay the servants. Still, it would be unfair to blame Lady Andrews for Ephram’s decisions.

  “It is a pleasure to see you again, my lady.” Patrick had been quiet but now he gave the hostess a bow.

  “Mr. Helms, it’s always a pleasure to be in your company. My condolences on the loss of your friend.”

  “It was highly unexpected but at least he went in his sleep.”

  The lady reached out and squeezed his hand. “I know the two of you were close and made a very formidable team at the table. I hope you find as much luck with your new partner.”

  Then she looked at them with a warm and gracious smile. “I look forward to seeing you at the tables.”

  Lady Andrews had always been kind to Kitty when they met at parties or balls. She was a very beautiful woman, with her Spanish coloring and curvaceous figure. Women with that kind of advantage often used it to be cruel to others, but Lady Andrews never did. There was something about her and her mysterious past that Kitty understood.

  “I hope not to disappoint you.”

  Kitty gave the woman a smile, the first she had worn in a while and they parted ways. There were many other guests that needed to be greeted by the hostess.

  Kitty couldn’t help but notice the expensive decorations in every room of the house as the guests moved around in them. Growing up poor will make it a habit. Everything was done in dark woods and rich velvets, with various shades of red. That was Lady Andrews signature color.

  Kitty stood among the crowd, full of people she only knew in name, and tried not to fidget. She had to appear at ease or they would know she was lacked confidence. A player must always appear strong to opponents. That was one of the things Ephram used to say.

  “Thinking about going home?” Patrick whispered over her shoulder.

  “Turn into a coward? Never. Ephram would be appalled by the idea.”

  “Ironic considering her was too much of a coward to tell the truth to his own family.”

  “Are you talking about the money?”

  “In part.”

  Ephram Woolard had lived life as an influential third son of an earl. No one questioned his wealth or his habit of gambling, it was assumed that he was like every other man. It wasn’t until after his death that the solicitor revealed he had lost all of his money and was heavily in debt. That drastically effected his wife and best friend who relied on him for everything financially. It wasn’t his only secret, but it was the only one Kitty resented him for.

  “We can do this you know. We have spent months preparing for it.” Patrick took a glass of wine from one of the waiters circulating around the room and brought to his lips under the bushy white mustache. “Ephram taught me well and I taught you. We will be fine in the tournament.”

  Eight teams had traveled to the lavish country home of Viscount Andrews and his wife for a three-day house party and whist tournament. The grand prize was ten thousand pounds, enough money to live modestly for the rest of their lives. That meant they needed to win the rounds and interact with the players socially. Kitty was much better at one than the other.

  “How much longer do we need to stay down here and mingle with strangers?”

  Kitty felt trapped in the lavishly decorated room. The portraits on the wall felt like they were judging her and even the music from the single piano in the corner was too loud for her ears.

  “At least another hour. We want to make sure all the players get a good look at us.”

  “I feel like everyone is looking at us.”

  “That’s simply because you are beautiful.”

  She felt her cheeks getting red and looked away. The older man chuckled. Both he and Ephram always found it amusing that compliments embarrassed her. Not that she hadn’t been receiving them since childhood, but Kitty never trusted them. She never saw herself as being beautiful.

  “How did you handle the attention on the stage?” Patrick tipped her under the chin. “I know how much the audience adored you.”

  “That wasn’t me, it was the character I played.”

  “Pretend you are playing the part of a confident and beautiful lady. You were made for the part.”

  “Easy for a man who always had parts without lines to say.”

  Patrick had found Kitty while touring with a small company outside of Bath. Kitty was in a tough spot, with no one to turn to and he offered her a new life. They had been inseparable since then.

  Something caught her attention from the corner of her eye. A man across the room was staring at her. Not with idle curiosity, but with an intensity that made her nerves prickle.

  He was a tall man, with broad shoulders and auburn hair, staring at her without any attempt to be subtle. Kitty looked away more than once but each time she turned back he was still staring at her. The woman next to him talked to a small gro
up of people and didn’t notice she no longer held his attention.

  They didn’t appear to be a married couple, but must be partners in the tournament. The woman could only be seen from the back, but her gown showed she had expensive taste and knew how to show it. Kitty didn’t think she would be ready to face them in the first round of the tournament.

  Patrick didn’t notice the mysterious man and was happily waving at other gentlemen he knew in attendance. That meant most of the men in the room.

  “Patrick, I think someone here might recognize me.” Kitty hissed at him.

  “You mean from before you were married?” Patrick said, squinting at where Kitty pointed Unfortunately the man had vanished so there was nothing to see.

  “Yes.”

  ”Kitty, that was years ago. If we were going to bump into one of your former admirers it would have been in that first year, when Ephram showed you off to all of London.”

  Kitty had been terrified each night they went out that someone would remember her face and make a scene. That never happened. Wearing a title was better than wearing a costume for hiding her identity. She had relaxed and had stopped worrying, but she might need to be more vigilant about her reputation.

  Her appearance hadn’t changed greatly in the last four years, since her days on the stage, aside from a little more fullness to her petite frame. Not having to go to bed hungry will do that for a person. She still had the same tight blond girls that Ephram said he loved and the same sky-blue eyes he often complimented. She tried to remain as close to the girl he had first adored as she could, as thanks for him rescuing her from her former life.

  “Still, we should keep a careful eye on the other guests.” Kitty knew she would be.

  Chapter 2

  Henry wasn’t the type to hide in a hallway, hoping to catch a woman alone. He had never been interested enough in one to even cross the room. Something about that mysterious woman had caught his attention. The black dress had told him she was still in mourning, but he didn’t know her by name. Due to his sister’s desire to meet as many players as possible, but being unable to keep a conversation short, they never met the woman or her elderly gentleman. So here he was, hoping to catch her on the way to her room. From the shadows he could remain hidden as she approached from the stairs.

  The lamps cast light across her features and he felt hiss pulse quicken. Her skin was pale, with high cheek bones and a tiny pointed nose. Her eyes were cast down so he couldn’t be sure of the color, but his guess was blue. It was she hair that originally caught his eye. A mass of chestnut curls, pulled away from her face but allowed to fall down her back. Most women in society wore their hair up as a sign of propriety. She chose to rebel against that expectation.

  He must have done something to catch her notice because she stopped. Standing in front of her door, key in hand, he saw her freeze like an animal in the woods. In the silence he watched her listen for any sound. Then he watched her head turn slowly, searching in the shadows for who else might be there. Before he was caught outright, Henry decided to step forward and show himself.

  “Hello.” He spoke softly.

  She didn’t appear frightened as she let her eyes move up from his feet to the top of his head. Those sharp blue-eyes were meticulous, noting carefully each detail of his appearance. Thankfully his valet was highly competent.

  “I don’t believe we met downstairs.” Henry extended his hand to her, half expecting she would refuse but she didn’t. “I’m Lord Chadwick, but my friends call me Henry.”

  “Lord Chadwick.” Those pink little lips of hers spit the words at him. “I’m not in the habit of introducing myself to strangers lurking in the hallways.”

  She did have a point.

  “I wasn’t lurking. I am returning from my sister’s room, a few doors down.”

  Now those soft blue eyes narrowed on him. “Is that your partner for the weekend?”

  Sharp enough to gather intelligence on the competition. He liked that.

  “Yes, it was her idea actually. She can be very competitive.”

  “Are you any good?”

  That forthright question made him laugh, though her expression remained serious. It was refreshing to find a woman who didn’t try to be coy around a man.

  “I’m told I am. I don’t think all the ladies would lie.”

  He pulled the corners of his mouth up into a smile but she didn’t match the motion. She wasn’t offended but she wasn’t amused either.

  “If your sister wants to win and chose you to be her partner you must be good.”

  “I suppose we will see when we play against each other.”

  She still hadn’t given her name, but Henry had learned a great deal about her. She was petite, even for a woman but she held her posture upright enough to appear taller. Her face was youthful, with those big blue eyes watching everything around her with a maturity that was in contrast to her appearance.

  “Who is your partner?” he asked.

  He suspected it was the much older gentlemen standing at her side earlier. A father or uncle perhaps. There had been nothing romantic in their body language together.

  “A friend of my husband’s.” she said tartly.

  That might be the reason she wore the black of mourning still. “Late husband?”

  “Sadly yes.”

  Henry had known a few widows before and often they looked anything but sad about the situation. This woman reflected genuine pain in her expression and he felt a tug of regret about asking.

  “I’m sorry for your loss.”

  “If you will excuse me.” She turned, as if to enter her room and easily dismissed him.

  Henry wanted to say something to apologize again, but felt it might only make things worse. He acted like the gentleman, waiting quietly as she disappeared into her room.

  “She’s a mysterious one.” A voice behind him said.

  Her partner stood in hallway, glass of brandy in hand and a smile on his face beneath his white mustache.

  “I shouldn’t have surprised her like that.” Henry said.

  “Kitty doesn’t like to let anything surprise her.” The man said, still smiling affectionately at where she had disappeared behind the door. “Her late husband tried constantly but seldom succeeded in it.”

  Henry stepped towards the man and introduced himself, so that the other man would do the same. Mr. Helms was not a name that Henry was familiar with and it surprised him that he was without a title.

  “My partner is Lady Katherine Woolard, her late husband was a dear friend of mine.” The man paused to clear his throat. “He passed away less than a year ago. He was originally my partner for this tournament, but she has decided to play in his stead.”

  The loss for her was still fresh and might explain her mood a great deal. If this was something being done to honor her husband’s memory she would be very protective of it. Perhaps his sister was right to view her as a formidable opponent.

  “Walk with me?” Patrick nodded down the direction of the hall. “I’m worried I might not make it to the right room and Kitty would be worried if I became lost.”

  Henry looked over his shoulder and his sister’s door was still closed. There might not be in harm in it if she didn’t know. He nodded and fell in step beside the man.

  “I have heard of you and your sister.” Patrick said, sipping his brandy between words. “When Ephram and I used to play in London both of you were mentioned as being the best pair to play at house parties. Shame ladies aren’t able to play whist in more places.”

  “Rory gets angry about that easily, so best not to mention it to her.” Henry chuckled.

  “Are you playing for the prize purse? In need of the funds?”

  Henry was taken back by the questions at first. He had never been asked so boldly if he was broke.

  “No, we are playing for the fun of it like the rest of the players. This is hardly a party for those in dire straights.”

  “That’s good. Keeps th
e game in good fun that way.”

  A lull in the conversation gave him a moment to look at his companion more closely. The man couldn’t have been more than fifty, but he had white hair and mustache. He was dressed in a good traveling suit but it looked well-worn. Henry could see where it had been mended, indicating the man wasn’t as well off as the rest of the guests.

  “How is it we haven’t met before?” Henry asked.

  “Ephram preferred playing in the gentlemen clubs.”

  “Yes, but if he was married he must have attended other social functions. My sister has been out for two seasons, so I was also there.”

  “I never went to those sorts of things, but you might have met Ephram and Kitty a time or two.”

  Harrold shook his head. He would have remembered if he met Katherine before. “I would have enjoyed meeting her husband. He sounds like an enjoyable fellow.”

  The old man got the same sad expression Katherine had been wearing.

  “Ephram was a wonderful man. “

  For the second time in only a short period Henry was left with the feeling he had said the wrong thing. Hastily he tried to correct it.

  “Will I see you both at dinner? I would like to introduce you to my sister.”

  “Yes, I believe we will be down for that.” His eyes were misty and he blinked away the tears. “I look forward to seeing you.”

  Henry waited until the man was in his room and the door was shut before turning around. That’s when he saw the crack in Katherine’s door. He couldn’t see her but knew she was there watching him through the crack. He gave her a wave as he headed downstairs.

  Chapter 3

  Katherine was nervous about the evening and that made it nearly impossible to get dressed for dinner. It took her so long that she worried she might miss it. She found Patrick waiting for her outside in the hallway with a jovial smile on his lips. The man never got his feathers ruffled like she did.

  “You look lovely, Kitty.” He said, offering her his arm.