Surrender Amanda Quick

by Surrender (lit)

  Lucas habitually came to make his living.

  I say, stone vale, been wanting to speak

  to you." Ferdie Merivale got to his feet

  and hastened forward as he saw Lucas

  walk into the room.

  Lucas picked up a bottle of claret and

  poured himself a glass. He cocked a brow

  at the young man and wondered if he was

  about to be called out for his rescue efforts

  at the Green Pig. Then he thought of how

  he would explain such a situation to the

  lady who had gotten him into the mess in

  the first place. Oh, by the bye, Vicky, the

  young pup you insisted I rescue has decided

  to try to kill me tomorrow morning.

  At least Molly the farm girl was safely

  out of town and not likely to come back

  anytime soon.

  What is it, Merivale?"

  Ferdie flushed and ran a finger under

  the extremely high fold of his neckcloth.

  But his gaze was determined and direct.

  I wished to thank you, my lord."

  Lucas narrowed his eyes in muted

  surprise. Do you, indeed? For what?"

  For your interference the other night,"

  Merivale plowed on gamely. Don't believe

  I was properly appreciative at the time.

  Had a few glasses of claret before I got

  into the game, you know."

  Glasses or bottles?"

  Bottles," Ferdie admitted ruefully. At

  any rate, I had no way of knowing what

  sort of reputation Duddingstone had. I've

  since learned that respectable men don't

  sit down to cards with him."

  Intelligent men don't sit down to cards

  with him," Lucas corrected. I am glad

  you realize what he is. I will not bore

  you with a lecture on your responsibility

  to your name and estates, but I would urge

  you to think twice about risking more than

  you can afford to lose in a card game with

  anyone, respectable or otherwise."

  Merivale grinned. Are you quite certain

  you're not going to bore me with a lecture?

  Completely unnecessary, you know. I

  swear I have had three or four from

  my mother."

  Lucas grinned. Sorry. I fear I spent too

  long in the army. One gets accustomed

  to issuing warnings to green officers. And

  spare me your thanks, Merivale. To tell

  you the truth, I had no real intention of

  rescuing you that evening. I had other

  things on my mind at the time."

  Then why did you bother, sir?" Merivale

  asked.

  My, uh, companion took pity on you

  and suggested I do something. I obliged.

  That was all there was to it."

  I do not believe that for a moment, sir.

  You were kind enough to get me out of a

  situation in which I could have lost a great

  deal and I want you to know I am in your

  debt." Ferdie Merivale bowed slightly and

  went back to join his friends at the bar.

  Lucas shook his head in silent amaze

  ment. Victoria had been correct. Ferdie

  Merivale wasn't such a bad lot after all.

  If he continued to grow up at this pace,

  the young man might very well become a

  credit to his title and his family.

  None of that, however, made up for the

  fact that because he had been occupied

  with stuffing Merivale into a carriage,

  Victoria had nearly been run down. Every

  time he recalled the terrible scene, Lucas's

  insides went cold.

  Deliberately he shook off the chill. He

  had business to do tonight. He picked up

  the claret bottle and went across the room

  to see who was playing cards. He needed

  to augment his financial reserves. It cost

  a staggering amount to move in Victoria's

  social circles.

  The one truly irksome thing about this

  courtship was that the money he was

  spending on the social trappings he needed

  for camouflage was money that could

  not be sunk into the hungry lands of

  stone vale.

  Lucas consoled himself with the knowledge

  that one sometimes had to take risks

  in order to secure a greater profit.

  He soon found what he was looking

  for a game of whist where the play would

  be deep enough to suit his current financial

  needs. He was invited to sit down at

  once. Lucas did so, putting the bottle on

  the table.

  In reality, he would actually drink very

  little this evening. He had learned long

  ago that a clear head gave him a distinct

  advantage in a game where his opponents

  usually preferred to fortify themselves with

  endless bottles of claret and port. The

  bottle of claret sitting at his elbow was

  simply more camouflage.

  A long time later, after nearly four hours

  of steady play, Lucas finally decided he

  had enough to placate his tailor and his

  bootmaker as well as sufficient to keep his

  small staff satisfied for a few more weeks.

  He excused himself from the game and

  went to collect his hat and coat.

  He realized he was tired. The intensity

  and concentration he brought to his card

  playing often left him feeling exhausted.

  But he knew it was precisely that intensity

  and concentration that helped him win on

  a reliable basis.

  It was the fashion among the men

  of the ton to play wildly and without

  much thought or analysis. Gaming was

  just one more way of displaying one's

  wealth and style, a method of enhancing

  one's sense of power and masculinity and

  impressing one's companions with one's

  sangfroid.

  Huge losses were handled with casual

  disdain as if money meant nothing. But it

  was no secret that some men went home

  and put a pistol to their own heads after

  a disastrous night at the tables.

  Lucas much preferred winning and he

  took great care to do so. Indeed, a man

  who was good at strategy could prosper at

  the gaming tables.

  He was halfway to the door when he

  spotted Edgeworth watching him from the

  hearth. The other man's sullen dislike was

  palpable, but Lucas was not particularly

  concerned. The feeling was mutual. He

  had not minded in the least relieving

  Edgeworth of a sizable sum a fortnight

  ago. Lucas also had no intention of ever

  getting into another game with the man.

  Good evening, stone vale. Enjoying your

  outrageous little heiress?" Edgeworth spoke

  just loudly enough to catch Lucas's

  attention. A very interesting young lady,

  is she not?"

  Lucas contemplated Edgeworth's taunt

  ing expression and wondered if he could

  simply ignore the man. Probably not.

  Young Merivale and his friend had

  overheard the remark. They were already

  turning their heads to see how Lucas would

  respond.


  I do not discuss respectable women

  with your sort, Edgeworth," Lucas said

  mildly. Now that I think of it, I do not

  believe I would discuss women of any kind

  with you."

  Tis said the lady in question has no

  intention of ever marrying," Edgeworth

  continued, ignoring the clear warning in

  Lucas's voice. Since matrimony is not a

  possibility, may we assume you have other

  goals in mind for Miss Huntington? After

  all, the two of you are seen together so

  frequently one cannot help but speculate

  on the nature of your association."

  This was what came of having a

  reputation for being slow to anger, Lucas

  thought ruefully. The fact that he had made

  no accusation against Edgeworth the night

  of their infamous card game had obviously

  emboldened the man.

  Meditatively Lucas sipped the claret,

  aware of his audience. Merivale and his

  companion were frowning now, waiting

  to see how Lucas would handle what

  bordered on a thinly veiled insult to

  Victoria's virtue.

  One would be wise to resist the

  temptation to speculate too much on

  Miss Huntington's social activities," Lucas

  said. Unless, of course, one is prepared

  to present oneself at dawn in Clery Field

  accompanied by a pair of seconds."

  The small tableau of Edgeworth, Meri

  vale, and Merivale's friend went abruptly

  still.

  Edgeworth eyed Lucas through narrowed

  lids. Just what is that supposed to mean,

  stone vale?"

  Lucas smiled his thinnest, coldest smile.

  Precisely what it sounds like. I am, as you

  well know, prepared to let a little matter

  such as cheating at cards go unremarked. I

  am not, however, quite so sanguine when a

  slur is cast on an innocent young woman's

  name. I leave the decision up to you,

  Edgeworth."

  Edgeworth straightened away from the

  mantel, his face turning an angry shade

  of red. Damn you, stone vale. God damn

  you to hell, you bastard. Do you think your

  luck will hold out forever?" He turned on

  his heel and walked swiftly out of the

  room.

  Merivale and his companion watched

  with open mouths as Edgeworth departed.

  Lucas swallowed a far larger amount

  of claret than he'd had all evening.

  He considered himself fortunate that

  Edgeworth did not care to play any

  game in which the deck was not marked.

  Good God," Ferdie Merivale said,

  mopping his brow with a linen hand

  kerchief. Thought for a moment there I

  was going to get my first invitation to act

  as a second. I must say, you handled him

  very well, sir. Certainly cannot have Miss

  Huntington's name bandied about in such

  a manner."

  I should say not," Merivale's companion

  put in. Miss Huntington is a very decent

  sort of female. Danced with me at my first

  ball when I was damn sure I would make a

  complete ass of myself on the floor. After

  a couple of dances with her, I felt much

  more confident, and after being seen with

  her, I had no trouble getting other dances,

  I can tell you."

  She was extremely good to my sister,"

  Merivale added. Poor Lucinda was stricken

  with the most awful case of shyness when

  she made her debut a year ago. Frozen with

  fear, you might say. But Miss Huntington

  took her under her wing and showed her

  how to go on in Society. Mama was

  excessively grateful, I can tell you. As

  a friend of Miss Huntington's, Lucinda

  soon got some excellent invitations."

  Edgeworth backed right down, didn't

  he?" the other young man observed eagerly.

  But, then, lately I have heard rumors the

  man don't much care for a fair game of

  any kind."

  I believe, sir," Merivale said slowly,

  that Edgeworth is a bit annoyed with

  you because of that little scene at the card

  table a while back. Everyone knows you're

  much too good a player to drop an entire

  deck on the floor by accident. After you

  called for a new deck and began to win,

  people started wondering at Edgeworth's

  incredible luck in the past. He's finding

  it harder and harder to get into a game

  these days. Wouldn't be surprised if there's

  some talk of kicking him out of his clubs

  soon."

  Interesting." Lucas nodded briefly at the

  two young men. If you will excuse me, I

  must be going."

  A moment later Lucas walked down

  the front steps of the club and hailed

  the nearest carriage. Inside, he sprawled

  back against the seat and exhaled deeply.

  He needed to think.

  Idly he rubbed his jaw and stared out

  into the night. This game he was playing

  with Victoria was getting increasingly risky.

  Aside from the very real physical dangers

  of their midnight adventures, there was

  now a genuine risk to her reputation.

  Killing Edgeworth in a duel would not

  be enough to silence the gossip, once it

  had started.

  He could not allow Victoria to get hurt,

  Lucas told himself grimly. The thing had

  reached a very serious stage. They were

  courting an increasing risk of discovery

  with every midnight outing, and every

  time they were seen together at parties

  or in the park, tongues wagged.

  Lucas knew Victoria well enough now

  to realize that even if he refused to escort

  her on any more midnight adventures,

  she would probably find some way of

  going about on her own. She had grown

  extremely confident in her flimsy masculine

  disguise.

  There was another possibility, too, Lucas

  reflected. If he stopped providing escort,

  she might very well find another man who

  would. And that was the most intolerable

  thought.

  Lucas absently massaged his leg while

  he examined his own logic. It was clear

  that the dangerous courtship had to end

  and soon. The only solution was to marry

  Victoria as quickly as possible.

  His nerves would not tolerate too much

  more of this wild, reckless, midnight

  wooing.

  Two days later Lucas folded his arms

  across his chest and sent an amused scowl

  at Victoria, who was shifting restlessly again

  in the neighboring seat. She pretended not

  to notice his admonishing look as she

  readjusted her skirts.

  Next to Victoria sat Cleo Nettleship,

  paying rapt attention to the speaker, a

  certain Sir Elihu Winthrop, who was

  delivering a stimulating lecture entitled

  An Enumeration of the Principles of the

  Cultivation of Buckwheat."

  Luca
s, at least, was finding the subject

  stimulating. He was already making plans

  to put some of stone vale's fields into

  buckwheat. The stuff made excellent

  fodder for cattle and sheep and, according

  to Winthrop, was frequently consumed

  by humans over on the continent. Of

  course, everyone knew that people on

  the continent would eat virtually anything.

  Still, there were periodic shortages of wheat

  throughout England and buckwheat might

  provide a good emergency grain for his

  people.

  Victoria began to tap her foot im

  patiently. Lucas knew he should probably

  not be too hard on her. She obviously had

  other things on her mind this afternoon

  and he was quite certain he knew what

  was making her so fidgety.

  Lucas hid a quick smile of satisfaction.

  He had absolutely no intention of making

  it easy on the lady. Now that he had her

  hooked, she was going to have to work a

  little more at getting herself landed.

  For a moment he allowed himself a few

  glittering memories of her sweet passion

  and then, when he realized what it was

  doing to the region of his groin, he gave his

  full attention back to the speaker. Winthrop

  was now deep into a discussion of various

  methods of manuring buckwheat.

  Most educational," Lady Nettleship

  declared at the end of the lecture.

  Although I confess I have a much

  stronger interest in lectures on exotic

  plants. Still, one should certainly be

  aware of the newest techniques employed

  in domestic agriculture. Did you enjoy it,

  Lucas?"

  Very much. Thank you again for letting

  me know the lecture was going to be held

  today."

  Anytime, anytime. Are you ready to

  leave, Victoria?"

  Yes, Aunt Cleo. Quite ready." Victoria

  was on her feet, collecting her bonnet and

  reticule.

  Well, we mustn't rush out of here. I

  see one or two people I should speak to

  first." Cleo glanced around the room with

  enthusiasm. I will be right back."

  Victoria shot Lucas a meaningful look

  from beneath her lashes as they started

  toward the doors of the lecture hall.

  He looked down at her, enjoying the

  sight of her in a charming little yellow

  spencer jacket worn over a white muslin

  walking dress. She looked very lovely, he

  thought with a sense of possessive pride.

  He ushered her politely toward the exit,

  nodding at several of the society's members

  with whom he was becoming friends.

  The departure from the hall took some

  time as several people stopped to talk.