Chapter 7
From a distance, Colt kept an eye on his friend.
After a few games at the EO table, a maid escorted her from the room.
Then straight away, Mrs Gardner forged a path towards Ellis and Montgomery, those scoundrels he knew would be behind all this.
After a whispered word, she disappeared in Georgina’s wake. His mouth dried up.
Nothing good would come of interfering with these people, he knew.
Yet Georgina would only heed so much advice.
When she had taken an idea in her head, he knew well how difficult she was to distract from it.
Typically, the subject featured nothing sinister or serious—-usually questions like where she would flee to at the end of the season, or if she would go against the current mode by supporting a new tailor. Nothing of significance.
At the outset, her involvement in this affair had not stirred much apprehension for Colt.
However, witnessing the depth of her determination now left him genuinely concerned about the unfolding situation.
Arthur’s need awoke a zeal within Georgina that Colt had not seen in a long time.
He’d assumed she had found peace from those memories that haunted her.
On the contrary, they had merely lain idle.
It concerned him most that she appeared to be on a mission to avenge wrongs committed against Henry.
Colt presently retreated to the front gaming room in search of Leggy. Colt located him seated on a sofa beside a heavily draped window, emitting a cloud of smoke from a cigar he held between his long fingers. Across from him sat Lady Mortimer, sipping from a glass of red wine.
Colt heaved a sigh. He knew Lady Mortimer from occasional social gatherings, and he did not favour her company.
He enjoyed passing the time with people who shared his tastes, who enjoyed pleasure and delighted in the chase.
From what he could gather, Lady Mortimer usually occupied herself with philanthropic work and other high-brow pursuits.
However, her presence at a gaming hell suggested she was quite eccentric, which he reluctantly admitted offered a certain fascination.
He approached them, resigned to whatever would happen while he waited for George.
“Any success in the back, Colt?” Leggy quizzed, making space beside him on the sofa.
Colt sat, nodding in greeting to Lady Mortimer, who smiled. “Did not play, Leggy. Just poked my head in to see what was afoot. Are you not watching the snails, my lady? Thought that would be riveting for you.” He could not resist goading Lady Mortimer.
“Never fear, my lord. I have a ringside seat reserved, so I shall not miss a single slither later,” she replied smoothly.
Colt laughed.
“Lord Coulthurst, I thought you said Georgina was here?” the shrill voice of Lady Prudence Ravenscroft interrupted.
“Georgina?” Lady Mortimer repeated.
“Miss Pace,” answered Leggy, helpfully. “Definitely here earlier. Saw her with my own eyes.”
“Here again?” Lady Mortimer’s brow furrowed.
Prudence planted her hands on her hips. “I don’t care where she has been. I want to know where she is now.”
Colt shrugged. Georgina had attracted a lot of attention to herself. “I am afraid I cannot answer you, Lady Ravenscroft. She wandered off some time ago.”
“I need to speak to her.” Prudence now tapped her foot on the floor.
“I would not mind having a word as well,” Lady Mortimer added.
Colt threw his arms up in the air. “I’m not her damned secretary!”
Leggy grinned. “Don’t need a secretary. Here she is.”
Sure enough, Georgina had re-entered the room, a stormy look about her. Her fair cheeks were a dark shade of pink, and her blue eyes flashed brightly. She strode over to Colt while somehow managing to stay as far from Lady Ravenscroft as possible.
“Georgina,” Prudence breathed.
Colt pondered how someone could interpret a situation so poorly. Prudence clearly had no insight into Georgina’s mood.
Lady Mortimer gave a subtle nod of greeting but did not make any push to engage Georgina in a conversation. Neither did Leggy. Colt made a mental note to commend him on his astuteness later. There was a first time for everything.
“The whole world has been looking for you, George. I hope your quest with Mrs Gardner was fruitful?” Colt asked, moving his arm so that Georgina could perch beside him on the arm of the sofa.
To his astonishment, Georgina whipped her head up and looked squarely at Lady Mortimer, perhaps checking to see whether the Countess was listening. As it happened, she was paying close attention to the exchange, and Georgina’s cheeks coloured further. What was going on between those two?
Colt suspected Prudence had also witnessed this exchange given the stiffening of her body and souring of her expression. “Georgina, why haven’t you called since you got back to London?”
Colt’s throat tightened. This could go one of two ways. Prudence would receive a withering set down or Georgina would make time for an assignation. Either option could result in a public scene.
Surprisingly, Georgina simply returned a bland smile. “Apologies. I found myself quite absorbed in making new friends.” As she spoke these last words, Georgina’s eyes were on Lady Mortimer.
The Countess met Georgina’s gaze. “Just making friends? In addition, you seemed quite determined to gamble away your fortune, Miss Pace,” Lady Mortimer interjected.
“Along with my soul, my lady.”
By the King’s own corset, what could all this mean?
Since when was Lady Mortimer a friend—or foe—of Georgina’s?
Meanwhile, poor Prudence shifted her weight from one foot to the other.
Georgina had responded to her advances with neither flirtation nor contempt, rather with indifference. An effective strategy.
With a flush mounting her countenance, Prudence retaliated. “What soul?”
This remark garnered the attention she clearly desired. All eyes fell upon Prudence.
“Now, there is no need for insults,” Lady Mortimer scolded, her voice measured. “For all her devil-may-care reputation, I suspect Miss Pace secretly harbours a sensitive side.”
“I will happily show you all my sensitive spots, my lady,” Georgina countered.
“For my part, I’m quite sensitive to all things dairy,” Leggy volunteered.
Colt choked on a sip of wine.
“Mr Leggett … ” Prudence began, with a note of exasperation in her tone.
“Yes. It’s dashed inconvenient. One of life’s pleasures I shall never be able to fully enjoy.” He sighed.
Before Leggy had a chance to expound on his digestive track record with cheese, Georgina intervened. “Colt, we’re leaving.”
He could not protest. He was eager to take his leave and particularly wanted to quiz George about her curious behaviour with Lady Mortimer.
The pair murmured a few words of goodnight to those nearby. Colt took Georgina’s arm and led her out, past a crimson-faced Lady Ravenscroft.
Once they were in the safety of the carriage on the way back to Half Moon Street, Georgina required no encouragement to unburden herself of all that had transpired during her private conversation with Mrs Gardner.
Georgina explained that she had first offered to pay off Sir -Arthur’s losses—including interest—only to be rebuked.
Naturally, she threatened Mrs Gardner with physical repercussions if she did not dissolve the debt forthwith.
This tactic had been quite promising, Georgina insisted, as Mrs Gardner had quaked beneath the intimidation.
Until Mrs Gardner’s reinforcements—those two oafs, Lord Ellis and Mr Montgomery—turned up.
Georgina, finding herself outnumbered, had been obliged to disengage.
Not that she did not fancy her chances against them, for two more feeble-looking gentlemen she had rarely encountered, but she had no desire for a complete dust-up.
Colt listened quietly to this impassioned diatribe, concerned that Georgina had fallen into trouble beyond her means of self--preservation.
Ellis and Montgomery were dangerous, and while they might not have looked menacing, their reach extended well beyond Solitaires.
Mrs Gardner was surely just one pawn in their game.
“What do you mean to do now, then?” Colt asked.
“I shall break in and steal his vowels, thus sending Mrs Gardner a message and releasing Arthur from his debt.”
He choked on an incredulous laugh. “Are you serious?”
She nodded.
“For goodness’s sake, George! You’ll end up imprisoned. What will Sarah think of all this?” He gripped her wrist.
“Well, nothing. She cannot know about any of this. It would worry her too much.”
He released her wrist and ran a hand through his hair. She clearly did not mind saddling him with worry. Why could she not have left him in blissful ignorance?
“What about going to the authorities? Exposing her for who she is?”
“She has Arthur’s notes. They will implicate him in any court proceedings, which will notify his father of what he did and surely ruin his plan to propose to Lady Maggie.
” Georgina clenched her hands into fists at her knees, her face fierce.
“And then, once Mrs Gardner has served her punishment, which will invariably be lenient—half the magistrates patronise these types of houses, you know—she will be back to her old ways within a month.”
She had thought this through, Colt understood. But she denied him some details.
“And is part of your strategy to seduce Lady Mortimer? In the hope of undermining the enterprise from within?”
George flashed him a fiery look. “In what way is she involved?”
Colt shrugged. “Another great mystery, my dear, but she’s certainly attached to Solitaires, isn’t she? Which does not match her prim persona. Personally, I would steer clear of them all.”
“I cannot.”
“At least take precautions, George.”
“What sort of precautions?”
“If you must invade her privacy, choose a night where she will have few to no guests and is expected to close early, such as when there is a large ton party. Make sure everyone sees you at said party, so you have an established alibi in case she accuses you. Slip away before the party finishes and ensure no one sees you leave.”
This earned him a laugh. “Do you have a secret criminal life, Colt? You surprise me.”
“No. I simply don’t want to see your pretty neck in the noose.”
They remained quiet for a few moments as the carriage tilted them from side to side in the darkness.
“It may be simpler to furnish Arthur with the monetary support until he comes of age and can repay his loan himself,” Colt offered.
“I have a sense Arthur is not going to settle for anything less than his actual notes. His honour will prevent him from being satisfied with a substitute. Anyway, should we allow Mrs Gardner to continue to take advantage of vulnerable ladies, gentlemen and electora simply because their hearts are kind and trusting? Or because they are in their cups, or sick, or too young to know better?” Georgina’s voice was strained, as if holding back tears. “No. Then she will win.”
Colt had suspected that Georgina’s sudden passion stemmed from more than a need to assist Arthur. Her speech now confirmed this.
“You can’t save everyone, George.” The carriage had stopped. He covered her hand with his for a moment. “What happened to …” he faltered, then decided he must spell it out. “What happened to Henry was not your fault.”
“Henry’s situation is an entirely different matter. But I am very much to blame for it.” Through the darkness, he heard her swallow hard. She snatched her hand out from under his. “Goodnight, Colt.” She jumped down from the carriage and hurried up the steps to her house.