by Emma Brady
"He is, but he's sleeping now. I think he probably needs his rest."
"I won't be able to sleep, that's for sure."
"Me neither. That's why you found me in here, pretending to read."
The two girls held hands for a few more minutes, until Rachel decided they needed some kind of a distraction.
"Have you played cards before?"
"A little bit of whist with my aunt. She didn't care for it much, because she didn't like keeping track of the cards."
"Would you like me to teach you a few more games?"
Daphne sighed. "That would be lovely."
Rachel got the cards from Alex's deck. Holding them reminded her of the night she had played high card with Alex. There was a lump in her throat that she had to swallow.
"Can you tell me about Alex? You must know all of his secrets." Rachel suspected that might be the best way to take both of their minds off of what was going on.
"He doesn't like to keep secrets." Daphne sat across from Rachel at the small table made for playing these games.
"No secrets then, just details that I haven't learned about him yet."
Daphne frowned. "Sadly, I'm not sure I know my brother much better than you do anymore. I have been away for so long."
"You knew him as a child."
"Yes, but so much has changed about him. I had hoped to get to know him again when I returned to London, but it hasn't happened as of yet."
Rachel knew that Alex had been spending most of his time with her, but she thought that was because Daphne was enjoying the season. Now she wished she had encouraged them to spend more time together.
"What about his childhood? Was it as carefree as I imagined?" Rachel was trying to lighten the mood for them both.
Daphne laughed.
"When we were younger, my brother was never serious. Everything was a game to him. He used to drive his tutors mad with his silly antics."
It was easy for Rachel to imagine that. Alex was always quick to smile and easy to laugh. He enjoyed making jokes, especially if it made her blush. Yet, there was always another layer beneath his charm that reflected his guilt over his failing and his concern for his sister. That darkness was difficult to see but directed so many of his actions. Rachel wondered what he had been like before that piece of him existed.
"Did he have a lot of friends?" Rachel asked.
"No, he didn't have very many. Thomas became his best friend at school, but most of the other kids kept their distance. He didn't follow orders as they were given."
"That I can believe."
"Thomas was also a troublemaker, so I think that was the basis of their friendship."
"He was lucky to find a kindred spirit."
They continued to play as they talked and Rachel was trying to both teach Daphne the game and practice her own skills. Daphne proved to be a natural at it, creating some good hands. Perhaps it was something in the blood that made the Fullertons good at the game.
"Thomas was lonely and selfish back then. He had a lot of friends, but when he was injured, those people abandoned him."
“Not your brother?"
"Alex isn't the type to give up on someone."
Rachel thought about how many times she had pushed him away and he’d always come back for more. She had done everything she could to make him hate her, yet she knew he didn't. He continued to pursue her, and it couldn't be for just what they did in the bedroom. He was determined to win their wager and get her to fall in love with him. The motivation was what she was uncertain about.
"Have things gotten better between you two?" Now it was Daphne asking the questions.
"Better?"
"I know that you disliked each other in the beginning, but things seem different now. You both look at each other differently."
"We have been working on it."
"Good." Daphne looked at Rachel from over the cards in her hand. "I have enjoyed having you as my sister."
"So have I."
Daphne's face lit up, and she smiled for the first time since she had arrived home. She played a better hand and Rachel realized she was improving with each round. It made her feel more relaxed.
"Will this plan of yours work?" Daphne asked.
Rachel looked into those big imploring eyes and didn't want to lie to her.
"I think so. I hope so."
"Then I think I will take that hope to bed with me."
Rachel remained quiet as Daphne left and she had to admit she suddenly felt tired as well. She went upstairs to the room she shared with Alex. He was still asleep in the bed, and she couldn't look away from his battered face. She titled the lamp away so it wouldn't wake him but she stared at the injuries to that handsome face and bit back her tears. Sobbing would definitely wake him.
Rachel didn't bother to change into her nightgown. She didn't think she had the energy to unfasten the buttons herself, so she just crawled into the bed beside him fully clothed, laying her head on the pillow next to him. It smelled like brandy and sweat, with dirt smudges mixed with blood on the pillow. She would need to help clean him up in the morning, if he was up for it. She would need to sleep if she was going to have energy for tomorrow. She turned on to her side, facing away from him and closed her eyes. She felt movement beside her and Alex turned toward her, pulling her close and wrapping his arms around her. It was just instinct on his part; he was too deeply asleep to know what he was doing, but she was grateful for it.
"Rachel?" Alex mumbled her name in his sleep.
"Yes, it's me. Just sleep and we can speak in the morning."
She waited until she could feel his breathing fall into a deep rhythmic patter. As she lay tucked into is arms, Rachel allowed herself to fall asleep listening to him at rest.
CHAPTER 17
THE DAYS THAT ALEX had to spend in bed again almost drove him mad. Rachel and his sister did everything they could to help keep him occupied with conversation, but that wasn't what he needed. He needed to move, to find Deckland, to get rid of the man for good. He needed to get back what he had lost and conversation wasn't going to do that. Unfortunately, his body had been so badly beaten that he was forced to remain in bed until he healed.
Rachel had explained the plan she and her father had come up with. They would entice him into a card game, where they would take all his money and leave him without the funds to finish his new business deal. It was a solid idea, but Alex didn't like the fact that Rachel would be right in the center of it. Deckland might have some of his men nearby, and she could get hurt if he figured out the game was against him. Alex insisted that he be one of the players at the table with them. He wasn't in much shape to fight, but he would do what he had to keep Rachel safe.
"Are you certain you want to go through with this?" Thomas asked as he stood with his friend inside the Raven Club's main room.
"I can't let him get away with what he did. If I can’t have him arrested, then taking back what he stole will have to be enough."
"You don't actually need that money anymore."
"I don't want to rely on her funds for our entire marriage. I want to be able to tell my wife we are married her for more than that."
"How good of a player is the Raven?"
Alex had told Thomas about the plan for Deckland, but not the part that Rachel played in it.
"Better than me. I have only played her once and was lucky to win. Others have lost to her over and over again."
"Then why keep playing?"
"They like the challenge."
"Let's hope Deckland feels the same way."
Gerald had done a good job in preparing for this game. He selected a handful of very discreet players with various skill levels for the table. They were regular customers who had all played the Raven before in one game or another. They made it into an authentic game, one that Deckland would believe he might win.
Alex knew the moment Deckland entered the room because all the hair on the back of his neck stood up. Turning, he saw his enem
y standing across the room with a broad smile. He handed a servant his coat and hat, taking a glass of brandy that was offered by another. He held the glass but didn't sip from it. It was there to make him appear relaxed, but he was sharp as a tack. If he knew this was a ruse he didn't show it.
"You have suddenly tensed." Thomas said, a frown forming. "Is it him?"
Alex felt that same knot in his stomach that he had the first time he saw Deckland at the ball. He felt his skin break out into a sweat and every muscle in his body became alert. His first instinct was to cross the room and wrap his hand around the thief's neck, but he was in no shape for another fight tonight.
"Yes, he has arrived." Alex drank the last of his brandy in one gulp. "The game will be starting soon. I need you to stay close to the Raven and be ready in case Deckland decides to try something."
"What about you?"
"Deckland and I are going to finish this one way or another."
One of the footmen in the club escorted the players back to the private room. Alex kept his eyes on Deckland the entire time. They took their seats and waited in silence. Each of the men was trying to learn what they could about their opponents. The first rule of playing the game was to learn how to play the other men.
"Gentlemen."
Alex felt a shiver of excitement at the sound of her voice from the doorway. She stood there in her red satin evening gown. It was the same one she wore the night of their first kiss. He wondered if she wore it just for him. She ran her hands down the sides of her body while looking at him through the slits of her mask. The look she gave him told him that she remembered that evening as clearly as he did.
"I'm sorry to keep you waiting, but you know how ladies are."
Her voice was smooth like silk. It wasn't the same voice she used when she was Rachel. She was in character now, becoming the Raven completely. He couldn't take his eyes off of her and doubted he was the only one. He saw that Thomas had followed her in, keeping himself close to the back wall, cane in hand.
"I hope you are all ready to play. I am looking forward to this greatly."
The Raven took her seat at the head of the table and began shuffling the cards. Alex looked around at the other players. Most of them he knew and had played before. None of them were up to his skill level, much less the Raven’s. He had no idea if Deckland played well or not. In the brief time they’d known each other before, they had never played cards.
"Remember, this is meant to be fun. Anyone who ruins that for me will be asked to leave." She pointed at one of her father's burly security men. "They are polite but firm."
Alex forced himself to focus on the game as they began to play. He found it difficult with his most hated enemy in one seat and a beacon of temptation in another. Under the best circumstances this would be difficult, but he had the added pressure of knowing that Rachel did this all for him.
As they played, Alex was relieved to see that Deckland was thrown off by his presence. He could feel the man's eyes on him during each hand. Alex pretended not to notice him and kept his eyes focused on the Raven. She was the only one who knew how high the stakes really were in this game. One by one, the other players fell out, losing their money to the Raven. It became just the three of them, and Alex felt tension strumming through him.
"I believe we should take a break before continuing to play," said the Raven. "I'm parched and would like to freshen up. Would you like to end the game now or continue after the break?"
Looking at the money in front of each of them, they looked evenly matched. Deckland could take the hefty sum and go home, but Alex knew he wouldn't do that. He was too invested in ruining Alex to make the smart choice. He would leave until he had every coin Alex brought with him, just like the last time they were together.
The Raven made her exit and took her security with her, but the men remained seated. The two of them sat there alone in the silence. A servant came in to offer them drinks, but both of them declined. They were in too deep to risk losing their focus.
"I'm surprised your wife allowed you to come here tonight." Deckland was the first to speak. "Especially since you are gambling with her money."
"While you play with my funds." Alex growled back at him.
"I spent that money a long time ago. You're hardly the only one foolish enough to trust me."
"Now you admit that you stole from me?"
Deckland waved his hand around the empty room they were in. "There is no reason for me to deny it if it is just the two of us. We both know what happened."
"You lying, thieving bastard!" Alex started to get up from his chair, but the bruises made it impossible to move quickly. By the time he was standing, Deckland had his fist in the air.
"Are we really going to do this again?" Deckland hissed. "It didn't go in your favor last time."
"You took everything from me."
"And I'm about to do it again. Do you want to walk away with what you have?"
Deckland was taunting him, knowing that Alex would never give up at this point. Letting out a string of curse words, Alex fell back into his chair. The door opened and the Raven returned. This time no one else accompanied her. She turned her head to look at each of them one at a time.
"Did I miss something?" One delicate eyebrow arched above her mask.
"Just settling a few things between us." Deckland said, smoothing his hand down his shirt before taking his seat. "Nothing that will disturb your game. We wouldn't dream of such a thing."
She looked at Alex, waiting to see if he wanted to call it off or keep going. Without hesitation, he nodded. He wasn't going to stop now.
As part of their plan, Alex was going to have to lose all of his money, leaving only Deckland and the Raven to play against each other. That part was remarkably difficult, considering how competitive he was by nature. It took nearly an hour for him to lose everything. He saw how Deckland was smiling as he left his seat. The rest was going to have to be up to Rachel.
Thomas was in the main room, keeping company with Mitchum. The latter man looked vastly different, wearing a set of evening clothes and a fresh trim on his beard. His red hair was sliced back and he even wore white gloves to complete the look. Alex wouldn't have recognized him if not for the crooked smile he had.
"What brings you here tonight?” Alex asked as he joined them.
"I got some extra information that I thought you two might be interested in. It seems that before he went to America, Mr. Deckland went to South Africa for a bit. He swindled some folk out of their money as well, and I hear there is a substantial reward for his capture."
"The word ‘reward’ made your ears perk up?"
"Like a well-trained hunting dog."
"Then as soon as we done with him, he is all yours." Alex had no problem with Mitchum dragging the liar back to jail in the wilds of Africa. Perhaps that was where he might learn his lesson and atone for his sins.
"Perhaps we should have offered a reward." Thomas said. "Could have found him much sooner."
"I didn't have the money for a reward."
“No, but I did."
"I wouldn't have accepted it even if you had offered. It was my fault that he fooled me."
"Now your wife is in there fooling him."
Alex choked on the drink he had in his mouth. "You know that Rachel is the Raven? We were keeping it a secret."
"She walked past me earlier this evening and I recognized the scent. Sometimes not being able to see makes it easier for me to recognize people."
"You didn't know before tonight?"
"I had never been to this club. I wasn't a good enough gambler to come here. Even before my sight was gone, I didn't enjoy losing my money."
"No, women were more your vice."
"Look where that got me."
Thomas had lost his sight while riding away from an angry husband who had caught him in his wife's bed. It was an unlucky accident and he thought it ruined his life. After learning to function blind, Thomas went in search of a
wife and his luck changed. Eloisa was a gift that Thomas hadn’t deserved before his accident. Some might say becoming blind had changed him, but Alex knew it was really her that did it.
"How is the she doing in there?” Mitchum asked, casting a glance toward the hallway where the private room was located.
"She was doing well when I left. I have to trust that she will be able to get the job done."
Something caught Alex’s eye from the upper floor. He looked up to find that Gerald was watching him from the balcony. There was a grim look on his face and when he found Alex looking at him he nodded. Gerald turned and Alex knew he was meant to follow. Excusing himself from his friends, Alex went up to where Gerald was waiting for him.
The inside of Gerald's office was beginning to feel familiar to him. Alex never thought he would be meeting his father-in-law in a gambling hell, but it didn't feel wrong. He imagined that the man was just as anxious about their plan as he was. Perhaps more since He was the one who had helped her with the details of this plan. If something went wrong he would feel partly responsible for it.
"Are things going according to plan?" Gerald asked, his back turned to Alex as he faced out the window and into the London night.
"I believe they are. Rachel is moving into the last steps."
"I should have gone down to check and watched the game I'm worried I might not be able to control my temper if he says or does anything threatening."
"Deckland does have a way of getting under your skin."
"Did I make a mistake?"
Alex was confused about what the man meant by that. "You mean tonight?"
"No, I mean weeks ago when I offered you a wife. Was I wrong to do that?"
Alex felt his stomach clench at being asked such a question. "I don't think so. I agreed to it and haven't regretted it."
"I'm not concerned with your regret. I'm not sure it has made my daughter happy."
"Have you asked her how she feel about it?"
"Have you?"
Gerald turned to look at him and Alex had no good answer.
"We are working on it." Alex said.