The Earl's Prize (Harlequin Historical) by Cornick Nicola

Author:Cornick, Nicola [Cornick, Nicola]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises
Published: 2009-05-06T04:00:00+00:00

Amy was barely in the carriage before she turned on her brother and all her pent-up feelings from the gambling session came pouring forth.

‘How you could have let me do such a thing, Richard! I must have been mad! It was quite dreadful! Oh! For you to stand by when Lady Juliana made that monstrous wager—’

Richard raised a placatory hand. ‘Amy, I don’t know why you are making such a fuss! Juliana Myfleet was only joking and Joss decided to call her bluff. I have no doubt that you will have the money tomorrow rather than Joss himself.’

‘Well, if that is the Earl of Tallant’s idea of a joke, I do not want to be the butt of it.’ Amy shivered and drew her cloak closer. ‘Your friends and their exploits are too sophisticated for me, Richard!’

‘You may be right,’ Richard said unexpectedly. ‘You should never have been playing cards with Lady Juliana, Amy, not an unmarried girl like you! Now if you were married of course, it would be different—’

‘Which just goes to show how foolish society can be,’ Amy said crossly. ‘If I was married it would not make a jot of difference.’

‘Except that you would have understood more of the jokes,’ Richard said.

‘I would still have no wish to gamble,’ Amy said mulishly. ‘It was the most dreadful experience.’

Richard shrugged. ‘No one forced you to do it, Amy! Could’ve knocked me down with a feather when I saw you at the table! After all your high-flown sentiments…’

Amy shuddered. She felt sick and empty now, to think of what she had done. ‘Richard, do not! I cannot bear it! It was so foolish of me—I wanted to show that odious Mrs Wren that she could not slight Papa and expect me to accept it so meekly! So I gave in to an impulse to play—’ She broke off.

‘And found that gambling fever can lurk in the blood of even the most innocent!’ Richard finished, with a grin. ‘And to think that I believed you were only there to oblige Amanda Spry!’

‘I was originally!’ Amy frowned. ‘And that is another thing. Amanda vanished into thin air and left me to my fate! Oh, of all the miserable things for a friend to do.’

Richard shook his head. ‘Seems to me that you are trying to blame everyone but yourself!’ he said acutely. ‘Besides, you won! I confess that I do not understand you, Amy—’

‘Nor I you.’ Amy huddled back against the seat. ‘What a dreadful evening. I cannot understand how anyone can enjoy gaming. It makes me feel sick in the stomach.’

‘Maybe you feel sick because you are shocked that you enjoyed yourself,’ Richard said, with the same uncomfortable percipience. ‘And before you deny it, Amy, think a little! Even if you did not enjoy the game itself, you liked administering a set-down to Mrs Wren. You enjoyed the winning!’

Amy did not contradict him. She stared out at the darkened streets. ‘What a disastrous evening. And now I apparently have

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