believe," Northam said, pulling the cards toward him. "You haven't been attending the play tonight, South."
Frowning at the mention of his name, South looked up distractedly. "Haven't been to the theatre for a fortnight. What's that to do with anything?" His expression became one of annoyance when his friends exchanged telling looks and brief chuckles that he knew were at his expense. He was aware of heads turning in their direction from other corners of the gentlemen's club. "What did I say?"
Mr. Marchman shook his head. "It is of no consequence as long as you continue to entertain us in this fashion."
Eastlyn nodded. "It's just as West indicates. You are vastly entertaining tonight."
Northam's amusement was slightly less than the others by virtue of the fact that South was his partner in the card game. He felt compelled to point this out to everyone as there was a hefty wager at stake on the outcome. If South did not become more agreeable and attentive, they would both be out an entire quid. He tapped the edges of the cards he had collected into place. "I was speaking of the card play," he told Southerton. "You apparently were not."
"Still at Drury Lane?" Marchman asked. His green eyes narrowed faintly as he looked askance at Southerton. "No sign of new bruises. Nor any cuts. You have not been in the company of Miss Parr of late, have you?"
"Or at least he has not offended her," Eastlyn said.
South lifted his chin in Northam's direction, indicating he should lead his next card. He did not respond to the gentle gibes of West and East. They were correct in their assumptions, after a fashion. The truth was that he had seen a great deal of India Parr of late but that she was unaware of it. Her ignorance was all that kept her from taking offense, and saved South from physically having to defend himself.
It was Southerton's own uncharacteristic quiet that silenced the others. This time they did not exchange a single glance but went back to their play, mutually agreed to follow their friend's lead no matter where it took them. In the case of Northam there was a price to be paid in the form of a pound sterling. He paid his debt alongside South, gathered the cards, and motioned to a footman for a round of drinks to be brought to their table.
"And where is your wife this evening?" Eastlyn asked. "The dowager countess has her again?"
North shook his head, some of his displeasure visible in the set of his mouth. Though he could not say why it should be so, he would have preferred his wife were in the company of his mother rather than where he knew her to be. "She's sitting with Lady Battenburn. The baroness sent a servant around saying she was not feeling at all the thing, and Elizabeth elected to go to her."
"Then it is fortunate for you that we're in town to provide a diversion."
"Yes," North said wryly. "Isn't it?" The truth was that Northam had hoped to conclude his assignment with the colonel quickly and still get his wife to the country before October was out. Success on all fronts was eluding him. He glanced at Southerton. Judging by the expression on that worthy, the fates were being similarly unkind.
Mr. Marchman was of the opinion there was no amusement to be gained from Eastlyn's line of inquiry. He changed the subject. "I have it on good authority that Rutherford has exiled himself to the other side of the Atlantic."
"More debts called in?" asked East.
"So it was intimated."
North drew the recently placed snifter of brandy in front of him toward his mouth."Interesting, that. The first I heard of the man's considerable debt was this summer past at the Battenburn estate. The country gala. South was still there when Madame Fortuna revealed it to Lady Battenburn's guests."
"Saw it in her cards, did she?" Marchman said.
It was South who answered. "I would never malign the fortune teller's reputation, but I would not be surprised if she wasn't privy to certain information provided by our host and hostess. If you
Frowning at the mention of his name, South looked up distractedly. "Haven't been to the theatre for a fortnight. What's that to do with anything?" His expression became one of annoyance when his friends exchanged telling looks and brief chuckles that he knew were at his expense. He was aware of heads turning in their direction from other corners of the gentlemen's club. "What did I say?"
Mr. Marchman shook his head. "It is of no consequence as long as you continue to entertain us in this fashion."
Eastlyn nodded. "It's just as West indicates. You are vastly entertaining tonight."
Northam's amusement was slightly less than the others by virtue of the fact that South was his partner in the card game. He felt compelled to point this out to everyone as there was a hefty wager at stake on the outcome. If South did not become more agreeable and attentive, they would both be out an entire quid. He tapped the edges of the cards he had collected into place. "I was speaking of the card play," he told Southerton. "You apparently were not."
"Still at Drury Lane?" Marchman asked. His green eyes narrowed faintly as he looked askance at Southerton. "No sign of new bruises. Nor any cuts. You have not been in the company of Miss Parr of late, have you?"
"Or at least he has not offended her," Eastlyn said.
South lifted his chin in Northam's direction, indicating he should lead his next card. He did not respond to the gentle gibes of West and East. They were correct in their assumptions, after a fashion. The truth was that he had seen a great deal of India Parr of late but that she was unaware of it. Her ignorance was all that kept her from taking offense, and saved South from physically having to defend himself.
It was Southerton's own uncharacteristic quiet that silenced the others. This time they did not exchange a single glance but went back to their play, mutually agreed to follow their friend's lead no matter where it took them. In the case of Northam there was a price to be paid in the form of a pound sterling. He paid his debt alongside South, gathered the cards, and motioned to a footman for a round of drinks to be brought to their table.
"And where is your wife this evening?" Eastlyn asked. "The dowager countess has her again?"
North shook his head, some of his displeasure visible in the set of his mouth. Though he could not say why it should be so, he would have preferred his wife were in the company of his mother rather than where he knew her to be. "She's sitting with Lady Battenburn. The baroness sent a servant around saying she was not feeling at all the thing, and Elizabeth elected to go to her."
"Then it is fortunate for you that we're in town to provide a diversion."
"Yes," North said wryly. "Isn't it?" The truth was that Northam had hoped to conclude his assignment with the colonel quickly and still get his wife to the country before October was out. Success on all fronts was eluding him. He glanced at Southerton. Judging by the expression on that worthy, the fates were being similarly unkind.
Mr. Marchman was of the opinion there was no amusement to be gained from Eastlyn's line of inquiry. He changed the subject. "I have it on good authority that Rutherford has exiled himself to the other side of the Atlantic."
"More debts called in?" asked East.
"So it was intimated."
North drew the recently placed snifter of brandy in front of him toward his mouth."Interesting, that. The first I heard of the man's considerable debt was this summer past at the Battenburn estate. The country gala. South was still there when Madame Fortuna revealed it to Lady Battenburn's guests."
"Saw it in her cards, did she?" Marchman said.
It was South who answered. "I would never malign the fortune teller's reputation, but I would not be surprised if she wasn't privy to certain information provided by our host and hostess. If you
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