A Gentlemen's Agreement (Slave of the Aristocracy)
Page 17
“Very well. Ante up.”
The professor dealt five cards to himself and Lord Snow.
Lord Snow fanned his cards one at a time as he looked at them. His face didn’t change expression, but Irene had the impression that he was pleased. It was the way he held them. Carefully. Possessively.
Both men had about equal piles of chips in front of them. “Let’s make this interesting,” the professor said. “I’m all in.” Even though he hadn’t looked at his cards, yet, he pushed his entire lot into the pot.
That was the kind of dramatic, foolish gesture that gentlemen loved.
Lord Snow did the same. “I’ll see and call.”
“How many cards would you like?” the professor asked.
“I’ll stand pat.”
“My, my. You must have something nice. I require two cards, myself.” The professor discarded two cards and drew two replacements from the deck.
“Having rashly neglected to save some chips for the second round of betting, what do you say to making the pot really interesting?”
“Sure. What do you propose?”
“I greatly admire your slave with the golden collar. She is quite lovely. Could I convince you to risk her on the strength of your hand?”
Irene’s blood ran cold and she froze in position.
The professor smiled cheerfully at her.
“I’m sorry, but I couldn’t. Really.” Lord Snow shook his head sadly.
“I understand,” the professor said. “She is a lovely slave.”
“How about one of the others?”
The other slaves looked horrified.
The professor laughed at them. “Maybe some other time. Tonight, only the one has my eye. A slave who merits a dog collar is special.”
“I regret that I can’t.” But Lord Snow looked at his cards longingly.
“Such a pity. But if you won’t risk all on a single hand, then our game will have to be over. I just thought that, since you drew no cards, that you had confidence in the hand that fate dealt.”
Lord Snow raised an eyebrow. “What would you have that you could risk of equal value?”
The professor shrugged his shoulders modestly. “If you risk all, then I will risk all. I have five devices for female chastisement of my own design in my studio. That’s my complete inventory. They are worth about a hundred-thousand plaqs. I would be willing to stake them all on my hand. My entire work for the last decade. If you won them, you’d not only have devices that would delight and amaze your guests, but I’d also have to begin designing and building new devices from scratch. I dare say, you’d be able to replace your slave at the next auction whereas I’d likely be old and bedridden before I were able to replace what I lost.”
Lord Snow stared at the cards in his hand.
Irene glanced at the other slaves in the room. They were all terrified that Lord Snow would win a whole collection of fiendish torture devices to add to his pleasure room. They couldn’t imagine him having a device and never trying it out on them.
“Very well, then,” Lord Snow said. “If you are willing to risk your life’s work, then surely I can risk a single slave.”
“Done,” the professor said. “What do you have?”
“Full house, kings high.” Lord Snow laid his cards on the table. “Only a straight flush or four of a kind can beat it, so if you don’t have either of those hands, I will look forward to receiving delivery of your devices.”
“Both a straight flush and four of a kind are rare hands,” the professor said. “I have neither one nor the other.”
Peach groaned softly.
“But you are incorrect on one particular.” The professor shook his head slyly.
Lord Snow raised an eyebrow. “And what is that?”
“There is a third hand that can beat a full house, kings high.”
The blood drained from Lord Snow’s face. “No.” He could barely articulate the word.
“Yes,” the professor said and laid down his own full house, aces high.
Lord Snow stared at the professor’s cards in shock. Then he raised his eyes to Irene and said, “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”
Irene felt like she was going to faint. She was now the property of the county’s most feared sadist.
The professor rose from the table and said, “Thank you for a most enjoyable evening, Lord Snow. We can settle the tab for my chips at your convenience. If you don’t mind, I’ll take my new property home with me, now.”
Lord Snow didn’t answer. He was too stricken to speak. He kept staring at the cards lying on the table.
The professor stepped to Irene and offered his hand. “Come, dear. Let me show you to your new home. I have a most delightful bed for you to nestle in tonight. Though, I must say, I’m going to enjoy it far more than you are. It does lack something in comfort.”
The portly sadist escorted his new slave from Lord Snow’s manor out to his car.
END OF BOOK TWO