Between a Rake and a Hard Place by Mia Marlowe

Author:Mia Marlowe [Marlowe, Mia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2013-10-29T05:00:00+00:00

Sixteen

Our English lords have been accused of being “games mad.” While it is true that gambling to excess has become the hallmark of a gentleman of title and property, the wagers themselves give us insight into upcoming developments in Polite Society.

For example, currently the odds at White’s and Boodles’ are weighted sharply in a certain German princess’s favor in the Hymen Race Terrific. However, we note with interest that a relative of Lady S. has wagered that the English miss will triumph over the sister of Prince Leopold. It is also telling to note that a certain baronet believes she will not.

Who will be proved correct? Only time—and pressure is mounting on that front, we assure you—will tell.

From Le Dernier Mot,

The Final Word on News That Everyone

Who Is Anyone Should Know

The gypsy camp was cleaner than Serena expected and far more pleasantly aromatic. Pots of stew filled with some unidentifiable meat, which she suspected probably wandered there from her father’s flocks, bubbled before every caravan wagon. Cardamom and sage and other spices she couldn’t identify wafted in the air.

The gypsy men greeted them as they first rode into camp. The young ones were so darkly handsome, if they’d only been outfitted by Brummell they’d have turned every feminine head at Almack’s. The older men were hawkishly featured with only a little silver streaking their hair, but all of them were built with wiry strength. As she expected, they had a string of ponies for sale that they were eager for Jonah to see.

The women pretended not to understand her until they heard the jingle of coins in her reticule. Then she was ushered to a wagon decorated with garish orange stripes and introduced to a woman named Nadya.

“A thousand welcomes, my lady.” The woman’s dark curly hair hung below her multicolored kerchief to her waist. Several strands of golden chains with coins affixed to them looped her neck. Serena had heard that Roma women wore their wealth. If that necklace were truly gold, then Nadya was undoubtedly the queen of this tribe. The woman opened the door to her wagon and bade Serena enter. “Come. We make the tea.”

Because the interior of the wagon was well organized and surprisingly bright considering the only source of light was the window built into the door, Serena found it cozy rather than merely small. Rows of drawers had been built into one side, and a fold-down bunk was propped up on the other. A table, sturdily nailed to the floor and topped with a brightly colored cloth, hugged the far end of the wagon. Nadya waved a be-ringed hand toward one of the two chairs. The tea things, complete with a steaming kettle, were already laid out.

“How did you know I was coming?” Serena asked in surprise. There was a spherical object covered with a silk scarf on one of the shelves. Had the woman watched her approach in a crystal ball?

Nadya followed the line of her gaze, laughed, and shook her head, setting her loop earrings glimmering.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.