Chapter 6
Mrs Gardner presided over an EO table, where she laughed uproariously and kept her guests distracted with animated chatter. Annoyance surged within Georgina, such that she withdrew from the shadows at the back of the room and approached the table.
“My good woman, please excuse the interruption. I could not stay away.” Georgina extended her hand, but Mrs Gardner ignored the gesture and hauled her into an unceremonious embrace.
“My dear Miss Pace,” Mrs Gardner purred. “Two visits in as many days? I am so obliged to you. Your presence here is doing so much for my credit.”
This notion sickened Georgina. She swallowed the sour taste in her mouth. “You were very kind to grant me unfettered admittance last night.” She took a spot at the table, accepted a drink from Mrs Gardner, and promptly placed a bet.
“Are you here with Elizabeth?”
“Lady Mortimer?” Georgina wondered if Mrs Gardner intended to distract her from the game by mentioning the enigmatic lady.
Briefly, the ploy worked, as Georgina thought about how she would relish the chance to see Lady Mortimer again and even challenge her to a few drinks.
But she had a greater purpose for being here this evening and had to keep her eye on the target. “No.”
“She is around here somewhere. I saw her a little while ago.”
Georgina plunged her free hand into her pocket and located her round fob watch. Holding the heavy, cold silver calmed and refocused her.
After several rounds of EO, winning one and losing two, Georgina had observed nothing particularly underhanded in the operations of the spinning wheel.
She supposed the house might conceal a magnetic mechanism beneath, which could move the ball to a preferred number when spinning.
Though she dearly wished for evidence to deliver to Bow Street, she would stop short of clambering beneath the tables.
Mrs Gardner had remained at her side throughout. Georgina finally drained the contents of her glass and turned to her.
“Might I steal a private word with you?”
Mrs Gardner drummed her long fingernails on the wooden table, making an unnerving clicking sound. “Well, of course you may. I shall have you escorted to my private parlour, and I will join you presently.”
A maid—the same blushing woman from the previous evening—led Georgina from the back saloon, out into the musty-smelling hallway, and into another room.
The maid paused a beat too long in the doorway, likely hoping Georgina would pay her attention again.
Eventually, with a sigh, she instructed Georgina to wait.
Muted sounds from the festivities down the hall created a low hum. A candelabra flickered softly, casting a warm glow on trinkets that adorned every corner of the overcrowded space. The furnishings were cluttered together in a way that was unusual yet oddly pleasing to the eye.
A yellow, thick-satin sofa sat opposite a plush floral print -armchair in pink hues.
The vibrant colours of a large Persian rug drew -Georgina’s eye to the floor, where a low Queen Anne coffee table nestled in the center of the room.
A stunning blue-and-orange Qianglong vase sat upon a gilded table on one side of the settee.
Objects from around the world crammed the mantlepiece above the fireplace.
The décor suggested that Mrs Gardner either enjoyed a well-travelled life, or someone brought her the items from far and wide.
Had it not been for the circumstances of this meeting, Georgina may have liked to inquire after this interesting collection of artifacts and their owner.
However, Mrs Gardner’s want of proper conduct meant a closer acquaintance with her would be both inappropriate and undesirable. It was almost a shame.
She wondered how many guests were allowed into this private space.
Absently, Georgina wiped a finger along the stained wood of the shelf to reveal a fine layer of dust. How unpleasant.
She rubbed her hands together to get rid of the residue.
That was when the door behind her creaked, and she turned around.
Mrs Gardner sailed into the room and guided Georgina towards the sofa, then sat across from her. “Dear Miss Pace. I cannot express how delighted I am that you have decided to become a regular at my humble parties. I declare, you shall secure my success as a hostess.”
Georgina swallowed the small amount of bile this speech had stimulated. “You are most fortunate to have found such an excellent house. Such convenient and discreet locations in the heart of the ton are difficult to come by.”
“A dear friend leased the house for me, Miss Pace.”
Georgina folded one leg over her knee and draped an arm over it. “You must be very lucky in your friendships.”
Mrs Gardner offered a tight-lipped smile, but no warmth reached her eyes. “Pray tell me, how might I be of service to you?”
“It is a rather sensitive matter, Mrs Gardner, but I am optimistic we shall contrive a satisfactory outcome.”
“This sounds most intriguing.”
Georgina sat forward on the edge of the sofa, her hands now between her knees, fingertips pressed together. “I understand you have lately become acquainted with a friend of mine, Mr Arthur Coombes.”
A curtain dropped over Mrs Gardner’s eyes, yet her stony smile remained in place. She said nothing.
“He is a dear friend of mine, and I am quite protective of him.” The deliberate serenity of Georgina’s expression, meanwhile, contrasted with the crisp tone of her voice.
“Naturally.” Mrs Gardner’s fingers fidgeted with the hand-kerchief she crushed in her hand.
“He is a charming and enthusiastic young man. When he visited here to enjoy your marvellous hospitality, he may have been a trifle dipped, playing beyond his means at your tables.”
“A pleasing young man is our Mr Coombes,” Mrs Gardner said.
Mrs Gardner had not become the proprietor of a successful gaming den by chance. She must possess some measure of intelligence to have established herself so well. Georgina decided a forthright approach might be most suitable.
“I will get straight to the point. I came here tonight with a business proposal. I should like to purchase Mr Coombes’s vowels from you. Together with a nominal amount to cover any interest owed since you accrued the debt, naturally.”
Mrs Gardner rose from the seat and turned her back, making it difficult for Georgina to interpret her reactions. She stood near the fireplace and tugged on the bellpull.
Georgina crossed her arms, wondering who she might be summoning. An attendant, perhaps? Or a bruiser? She hoped Colt had remained in the vicinity. She might have needed his assistance, after all.
“My dear Miss Pace, I wish I could oblige you, but I fear I cannot.” When Mrs Gardner turned around, her hands were clasped in front of her chest. “When I enter a debt of honour with someone, the terms are absolute. Others cannot exchange or negotiate with them. Suppose I was to sell you Mr Coombes’s IOUs.
You might then use them to extort even more money from the poor fellow.
One can never be too careful, you understand. ”
Georgina clenched her teeth so tightly her jaw throbbed. Her brother’s face came to mind, fortifying her. “What an appalling suggestion. We do not all possess corrupt motives, madam.”
Mrs Gardner flashed a sweet smile, this time with those hideous teeth. “The agreement is between Mr Coombes and myself only.”
Georgina rose, anger swirling in her chest. Mrs Gardner was every bit as calculating as she had originally supposed. “Very well. I shall return with Mr Coombes and assist him to discharge his own debts.”
Mrs Gardner sighed. “Alas, that cannot happen, Miss Pace.”
“I am sure it can.”
“No, I’m afraid not.”
Georgina wished that she herself had come with a bruiser. “Do go on,” she prompted, her tone sharp. It seemed Mrs Gardner had contrived a way to force poor Arthur into a corner, like some manipulative alley cat bullying a kitten.
“Did Mr Coombes not explain to you the terms of our agreement? No, of course he did not, poor fellow. He may not have perfectly understood when I explained the terms to him. We agreed his dear Papa would be rather disappointed to learn of his gaming, and he was most anxious to avoid being sent back to the country to kick his heels until he comes of age …”
Georgina suppressed a gasp. The blackmailing shrew.
“So, he agreed it was best to wait until he reaches his majority, when he might pay the debt in full, including all interest accrued for that period. It grieves me that I cannot assist you, Miss Pace.” Mrs Gardner stepped forward and extended a hand to Georgina.
“I am sorry for your wasted visit. I hope you stay to enjoy supper and play a few games of faro.”
So that was how she amassed her wealth: by locking people into contracts beyond their understanding, which benefited only this gambling house and would leave the other party struggling to meet the terms. Rage shook through Georgina, though she did not let it express across her features.
She stood up but ignored the proffered hand. “Let me speak plainly.”
“I thought we had done so. I certainly have.”
Georgina took a step towards her. “You will return my friend’s IOUs and stop extending such predatory agreements. Or you will suffer some very, very unpleasant consequences.”