‘Where is your fighting spirit now?’
‘Perhaps if I were wealthy,’ she said, ‘but I should not be able to honour such a bet, for I have no property.’ She looked up at him. ‘Tell me, have you ever made such a reckless wager?’
‘I just told you of it,’ Freddie said and laughed. ‘But that was when I was much younger and more inclined to wildness. However, I did not much care for the place and I later won something I liked better.’
‘Are you usually fortunate at the tables?’
‘Oh, yes,’ he said carelessly as he drove them through the busy streets. ‘Observe that gentleman in the rather odd purple coat there to your left—but do not let him see that you are staring. I won ten thousand guineas from him the other evening. I offered to throw the dice for double or quits, but he would not take it.’
‘I dare say he could not afford it, sir.’
‘Oh, yes,’ Freddie said. ‘The fellow has more blunt than he knows what to do with. His uncle recently left him a hugeestate—half a million, they say—though he will probably run through it before he has done.’
‘Then he is very foolish. I think that gambling for high stakes may be the cause of much suffering amongst the families of those who are addicted, but also unlucky.’
‘You are perfectly right, Miss Holbrook,’ Freddie said and looked serious for a moment. ‘A great friend of mine was ruined that way, and there was nothing I could do about it. Had he gambled only with me, I might have saved him, but he went to low dives where the stakes are sometimes too high. Only the most reckless would play in places like that, I think.’
‘You do not?’
‘No, no, I am a mild gambler, Miss Holbrook. I usually prefer wagers that are not always for money.’
‘Then my forfeit was not to have been monetary?’
‘No, indeed.’ He arched his brows at her. ‘But you will not coax it from me, Miss Holbrook. I am determined that I shall win next time. Have you made up your mind what you would have of me?’
‘I think…’ Caroline was about to say that she wanted nothing when they were accosted by one of the young bucks walking in the park. He came up to them, sweeping his hat off and smiling at her.
‘You look particularly lovely today, Miss Holbrook,’ he said. ‘But it was Sir Frederick I particularly wanted to address. Have you heard about the mill, sir? It is to take place on the Heath next Tuesday and they say that Gentleman George will win this time. Are you to attend?’
‘I imagine I may,’ Freddie said and frowned at him. ‘However, this is a matter for discussion at another time, Blakeny.’
The younger man looked at him and then flushed. ‘Oh, Isee what you mean, Rathbone. But I’m sure Miss Holbrook isn’t offended over a small thing like that.’
‘No, indeed,’ Caroline said, but Freddie merely frowned and flicked the reins, moving on. ‘I truly did not mind, sir.’ She glanced at him sideways and saw that he was frowning. ‘Why are you annoyed?’
‘It was not the subject for a young lady’s ears. That young idiot should have known better than to speak of it in your presence.’
‘Oh, pooh,’ Caroline said, and on impulse, ‘I should like to see a fight—will you take me to watch it, please?’
‘No, indeed I shall not,’ Freddie said. ‘The scene of a bare-knuckle fight is not the place for a young girl. It is out of the question.’
‘But you must,’ Caroline said because she was piqued by his attitude. Why did gentlemen always think a lady was too delicate for such things? She had seen her brothers scrap when they were young and had been none the worse for her experience. ‘You promised me a forfeit and that is what I want…to come with you to watch the fight.’
Freddie turned his head to look at her in disbelief. Did she know what she was asking? ‘You cannot mean it, Miss Holbrook? It would be most improper and your aunt would have a fit if she heard of it.’
‘Well, she need
‘Perhaps if I were wealthy,’ she said, ‘but I should not be able to honour such a bet, for I have no property.’ She looked up at him. ‘Tell me, have you ever made such a reckless wager?’
‘I just told you of it,’ Freddie said and laughed. ‘But that was when I was much younger and more inclined to wildness. However, I did not much care for the place and I later won something I liked better.’
‘Are you usually fortunate at the tables?’
‘Oh, yes,’ he said carelessly as he drove them through the busy streets. ‘Observe that gentleman in the rather odd purple coat there to your left—but do not let him see that you are staring. I won ten thousand guineas from him the other evening. I offered to throw the dice for double or quits, but he would not take it.’
‘I dare say he could not afford it, sir.’
‘Oh, yes,’ Freddie said. ‘The fellow has more blunt than he knows what to do with. His uncle recently left him a hugeestate—half a million, they say—though he will probably run through it before he has done.’
‘Then he is very foolish. I think that gambling for high stakes may be the cause of much suffering amongst the families of those who are addicted, but also unlucky.’
‘You are perfectly right, Miss Holbrook,’ Freddie said and looked serious for a moment. ‘A great friend of mine was ruined that way, and there was nothing I could do about it. Had he gambled only with me, I might have saved him, but he went to low dives where the stakes are sometimes too high. Only the most reckless would play in places like that, I think.’
‘You do not?’
‘No, no, I am a mild gambler, Miss Holbrook. I usually prefer wagers that are not always for money.’
‘Then my forfeit was not to have been monetary?’
‘No, indeed.’ He arched his brows at her. ‘But you will not coax it from me, Miss Holbrook. I am determined that I shall win next time. Have you made up your mind what you would have of me?’
‘I think…’ Caroline was about to say that she wanted nothing when they were accosted by one of the young bucks walking in the park. He came up to them, sweeping his hat off and smiling at her.
‘You look particularly lovely today, Miss Holbrook,’ he said. ‘But it was Sir Frederick I particularly wanted to address. Have you heard about the mill, sir? It is to take place on the Heath next Tuesday and they say that Gentleman George will win this time. Are you to attend?’
‘I imagine I may,’ Freddie said and frowned at him. ‘However, this is a matter for discussion at another time, Blakeny.’
The younger man looked at him and then flushed. ‘Oh, Isee what you mean, Rathbone. But I’m sure Miss Holbrook isn’t offended over a small thing like that.’
‘No, indeed,’ Caroline said, but Freddie merely frowned and flicked the reins, moving on. ‘I truly did not mind, sir.’ She glanced at him sideways and saw that he was frowning. ‘Why are you annoyed?’
‘It was not the subject for a young lady’s ears. That young idiot should have known better than to speak of it in your presence.’
‘Oh, pooh,’ Caroline said, and on impulse, ‘I should like to see a fight—will you take me to watch it, please?’
‘No, indeed I shall not,’ Freddie said. ‘The scene of a bare-knuckle fight is not the place for a young girl. It is out of the question.’
‘But you must,’ Caroline said because she was piqued by his attitude. Why did gentlemen always think a lady was too delicate for such things? She had seen her brothers scrap when they were young and had been none the worse for her experience. ‘You promised me a forfeit and that is what I want…to come with you to watch the fight.’
Freddie turned his head to look at her in disbelief. Did she know what she was asking? ‘You cannot mean it, Miss Holbrook? It would be most improper and your aunt would have a fit if she heard of it.’
‘Well, she need
Similar Books
