Chapter 11
CHAPTER 11
A delaide hoped that Michael didn’t realize just how shaken she was.
She wished she could blame it on the atmosphere or Lord Gregory or their motivations for this entire charade.
But no. It was her proximity to Michael and the charged, passionate dance they had shared.
She barely knew how to dance, but he had led her around the floor with a firm possessiveness that had her nearly melting into him.
She was proud that she had maintained her focus on their tasks and had managed to catch Lord Gregory slipping out of the ballroom.
They were now following his path, Adelaide’s arm through Michael’s as they entered the card room once more, where the number of players had drastically increased.
“Another player, I see!” Lord Gregory said, having removed his mask and laid it beside him. He was the only player whose face was bared entirely, obviously uncaring if his identity was revealed.
“Just who could it be?” he said, but he winked at Michael, clearly well aware of his identity.
“Deal me in,” Michael said, taking a seat and gesturing for Adelaide to stand behind him.
She rolled her eyes behind her mask, hating the role of the supportive woman, but she supposed that, in this regard, Michael knew best what was expected.
She placed a hand on his shoulder, taking her turn as the possessive one as she leaned over and watched the cards being dealt into his hand.
Adelaide recognized the two lords were beginning a faro game, as were the other players in pairs. She had seen card playing often enough in the tavern and had even partaken herself when time allowed, although that hadn’t been frequently.
The tavern games were nothing like this, however. She sensed the tension growing in the air as the two lords faced off against one another.
As opposed to the ballroom beyond, candlelight cast a warm glow over the opulent drawing room, illuminating the intricate gilded details of the furniture and the rich tapestries that adorned the walls. Lord Gregory’s face was set in a mask of determination, if not fabric, as he deftly shuffled the deck of cards.
Michael’s sharp features were hardened in concentration as he picked up his cards, his fine silk cravat impeccable against his pristine waistcoat. The outcome of this game mattered for more than the usual reasons, for Adelaide knew that Michael would want to win to inspect the coin and paper Lord Gregory added to the stakes.
“Place your bets, gentlemen,” the dealer intoned, his voice smooth and practiced.
Adelaide and Michael watched carefully as Lord Gregory placed his coins on the table and the stakes were raised, even though he likely didn’t even realize in what regard.
The click of coins being stacked resonated through the room like a heartbeat, each movement calculated and deliberate. As the cards were revealed one by one, Adelaide’s heart raced alongside the unfolding drama before her.
“Three of spades,” Michael announced as he laid down his card, a small smirk playing on his lips. Lord Gregory’s eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face before he composed himself.
“Queen of hearts,” Lord Gregory countered confidently, laying down his card with a flourish. Adelaide held her breath, her eyes darting between the two men as they revealed the remaining cards in their hands. A hush fell over the room as the final card was turned over.
“Ace of diamonds,” Michael declared, a triumphant gleam in his eyes as he revealed the winning card. Lord Gregory’s shoulders sagged imperceptibly, a resigned smile tugging at his lips.
“Well played, old friend,” Lord Gregory conceded graciously, though a hint of disappointment colored his tone.
“Better luck next time, Gregory,” Michael replied with a nod, already raking in the pot of coins that had accumulated in the center of the table. Adelaide could practically taste his eagerness to examine them all.
As Michael deftly counted his winnings, Adelaide observed the subtle exchange of glances between the two lords, and she found herself thinking far too hard about the situation, wondering if Lord Gregory had any idea that Michael suspected him.
They played a few more rounds, and while Lord Gregory won one, Michael continued to come out ahead. He was either the luckiest man at the card table, or mischief was at play. Knowing how fickle luck could be, Adelaide suspected the latter.
“One last round?” Lord Gregory asked, but Michael was shaking his head.
“I think I will take my winnings and go,” he said, a hint of a smile playing on his lips as he gestured towards the growing pile of money before him. “I must spend something on my beautiful companion.”
Lord Gregory’s eyes flitted up toward her. “A wise decision,” Lord Gregory agreed, his eyes traveling up and down her body, causing a poor taste to fill her mouth – unlike how she felt when Michael admired her. “I fear my luck has run dry for the evening.”
With practiced ease, Michael deftly gathered the remaining coins into a small velvet pouch, the weight of his victory palpable in the air. Adelaide couldn’t help her surge of pride that, at least as far as anyone else knew, he was hers for the evening as he thanked the dealer and bid farewell to Lord Gregory.
“I must say, Michael, I do not recall you having such a talent for faro,” Lord Gregory remarked. “I shall be more vigilant next time we meet at the card table.”
Michael chuckled, a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes. “It was a good game, Gregory. But remember, luck favors the bold.”
Michael reached out and tucked Adelaide’s arm into his elbow as though it belonged there. He was about to steer her out of the room when Lord Gregory called out to them.
“Before you go,” he said, “I must say, Michael, your companion looks awfully familiar. What did you say your name was?”
“I thought we were supposed to maintain the secrecy of our identity,” Adelaide said, not wanting to be caught in a lie, nor did she want to give her name on the off chance that Jack had mentioned her. “Masquerade and all that.”
“All the more intriguing,” Lord Gregory said, practically licking his lips.
Michael didn’t miss his interest and stepped forward, almost blocking her from Lord Gregory’s view.
“She might not be sharing her identity, nor will she be shared in any other way, understood, Gregory?”
“Of course,” Lord Gregory said, waving his hand forward. “Forgive me, and goodnight.”
Adelaide squeezed Michael’s arm as they walked to the door.
When they had left the room, she looked up at Michael with a playful glint in her eye. “I must say, Michael, you were impressively ruthless at the table tonight.”
Michael grinned at her, his gaze softening. “Only when necessary, Addi. And you know what was truly at play.”
“I do,” she said. “Do you think Lord Gregory allowed you to win?”
“I do, actually,” he said as they started back through the ballroom, Michael pulling his mask low to avoid anyone speaking to him. “I played well, but not that well, and no one is that lucky. I imagine he was trying to get his counterfeit into circulation.”
“How badly are you itching to look into that bag of coins?”
“Am I that obvious?”
“Only because I feel the same way you do,” she said, catching a strange, wistful look across his face.
“I didn’t like the way he was looking at you,” Michael said, his face hardening, so unlike the usual jovial air he wore. “How often was he at The Red Lion when you worked there?”
“He was a frequent visitor,” she said. “He certainly had reason to recognize me, although I was out of context enough that it seemed to have saved me. He never did try anything with me, likely because I was Jack’s sister.”
“Well, I would prefer you are not alone with him anymore.”
She raised an eyebrow, although she wondered if he could tell in the dim light as they weaved back through the ballroom to the front entrance, leaving the party altogether by unspoken agreement.
“I do not believe that is up to you, now.”
Michael’s jaw tensed, but he didn’t argue with her as he took her cloak from the footman and tied it around her shoulders.
“I suppose it isn’t,” he said. “Although I would prefer that my daughter’s mother remain safe and healthy.”
She hated that uneasy feeling and wondered whether he cared for her because she was the mother of his child or because of who she was herself, but she supposed she would never truly know. He had desired her before she became pregnant, but he had only offered marriage after he had known that she was with child.
If he hadn’t found out about the baby — which came with no expectations on Adelaide’s part — then she would likely have never seen him again.
“How did you travel here?” he asked as they left the house, and he called for his carriage.
“I took a hack,” she said and could practically feel him chastising her through his stare.
“Would you allow me to give you a ride home?”
“Will we have a chance to look at the notes together?”
“Of course.”
“Then, yes.”
He nodded, a small glimpse of pain in his eyes that she wondered about, but it passed as he held out his hand and helped her up the stairs of his carriage.
They sat on one side of the squab together, Adelaide marveling, as she always did in one of these carriages, at the luxury of a single vehicle when some people didn’t even live in homes nearly half as comfortable.
Michael left room between them as he dumped out the bag’s contents on the carriage seat.
It was a mixture of coins and paper money, and it was probably a poor decision to look at it in the carriage with the lack of light.
Michael reached into his pocket and pulled out a tinder box, striking a flame.
“Careful,” Adelaide warned, worried that the paper money or squab itself might start on fire.
“I will be,” he murmured, the glow of the fire casting warm light onto his face, reminding Adelaide of just how handsome he was, how the planes of his face were near perfection, and she couldn’t help but remember the exquisite roughness of the stubble on his chin beneath her fingers.
They peered down at the mix of currency, Adelaide picking up a crown piece and turning it over in her hand before bringing it up to her mouth and biting on it gently.
“Is it soft?”
“Doesn’t seem to be,” she murmured. “It seems a bit hard for a true coin, but I’m worried for my teeth if I bite it too firmly.”
She ran her hand around the coin’s edge, and Michael furrowed his brow as he watched. He had no idea how to spot a counterfeit coin, although he was aware that paper counterfeit was easier to identify.
“Ironically, we would check for fake coins at the tavern,” she said with a slight laugh. “We usually didn’t see enough paper to worry, however.”
“Well, then, we make a fine pair, for that, I do know,” he said. “What do you think of the coin?”
“There is a ridge around the edge,” she said. “It is just hard to tell whether or not it is a regular pattern. I think to be sure we would have to weigh them. We can also try to drop them on a hard surface to see the sound they make but there aren’t any within the carriage.”
“No, there are not,” he agreed. “As for the paper,” he lifted one up between them. “I would say this one looks legitimate. I do not see any smudges, and the weight of the paper seems appropriate.”
“Compare it to this one,” Adelaide suggested, holding up another bill. Sure enough, the paper felt different when she leaned over and rubbed the one Michael held between her fingers.
She met his eyes, surprised to find how close they had moved toward one another in the small space of the carriage.
“There’s a smudge, too,” he practically whispered, as though scared that she would pull away if he spoke too loudly. “It has to be a counterfeit.”
“So, he truly is circulating the money through venues such as party card tables,” Adelaide said. “Unbelievable.”
“He has audacity, that’s for sure,” Michael agreed. “Now I have to see if I can trace the notes to where they are printed.”
“How will you do that?”
“I can ask around to a few trusted printers and see if they can help. I assume it will lead us to Rawlins. Perhaps there is a watermark or other such mark, or they might recognize the work.”
“Be careful, though, Michael,” she warned. “Just being caught with counterfeit could have harsh penalties. It was why we were always so careful at the tavern.”
“I will be,” he promised, “although I am less likely to be prosecuted, as much as I hate to admit that.”
“It is rather unfair,” she sighed.
The carriage was already slowing as they neared their destination, and Adelaide found herself wishing the time would slow down, that she could spend even more of it with Michael.
“Will you tell me what you discover?” she asked.
“Of course,” he said. “I will send a note around.”
“And if you find a printer’s shop to investigate, you will tell me?”
“I will,” he said, “although you know what I will say.”
“That you do not want to see me come to any harm. Yes, I know,” she said. “But I think we will all face the least danger by ending this as soon as possible.”
He nodded his agreement, a strange look on his face as he stared at her.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing,” he said, shaking his head and looking away from her. “Thank you for coming tonight.”
“Thank you for bringing me,” she said. “And for helping me with this.”
“Anything for you, Adelaide.”
They shared a charged stare, and for a moment, Adelaide wondered if he would lean in and kiss her. She was just as curious about how she would respond.
But with a shake of his head, he took himself out of it and opened the carriage door.
“Goodnight, Adelaide,” he said softly, more meaning in those two words than in any kiss he could have bestowed upon her.
“Goodnight, Michael.”