Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

IF YOU PLAY YOUR CARDS RIGHT

" W hat? You cannot do that; surely that is against the rules?" Cecily exclaimed as Charlotte laid the queen of hearts at the centre of the table.

"It is not," the Dowager Duchess said as she walked by.

Charlotte flushed. How does she always seem to sneak up on me like that? She was sitting in one of the ballrooms at one of the many card tables that had been set up for that morning's event. They were playing a game none of them had ever heard of, The Dowager , and one that Charlotte suspected was invented by Dominic's grandmother.

"None of this makes any sense. At least not to me," Cecily grumbled.

"I do not think you are the only one, Cecily," Dominic murmured.

A few tables away, a young man shouted in frustration and flipped the entire table onto its side. Every head in the hall whipped towards him as he stood, his face purple with rage until he saw the Dowager Duchess striding towards him.

"Well, I think we can safely say that you are disqualified. Please pack your things and leave." The Dowager Duchess waved a dismissive hand. "I have no wish to give my money to someone with the intellect and patience of a rampaging bull."

"But…"

"Do not make me repeat myself. Get out of my sight. This is supposed to be entertaining, and you have upset some of the young ladies." The Dowager Duchess gestured to several shocked faces around them. "Now leave."

The man opened his mouth to say something else, clearly thought better of it, and left without another word.

"Fool." Dominic shook his head and turned back to face the rest of the table. "The game is frustrating, but there is no need for such displays. Grandmother would consider it rather low brow."

"Though I cannot say I blame him entirely. We have been at this for hours, and I swear, just when I think I have understood the blasted game, all the rules seem to change."

"I think it makes perfect sense." Lady Andrea Cowper, daughter of the Earl of Stratton, said as she gently touched the bridge of her nose before playing the King of Spades.

Charlotte surveyed the other woman with interest. It was true, Lady Andrea did seem to have an instinctive understanding of the game and had won several hands though she was not sure if that was because the woman actually understood the game or if she was simply failing with confidence.

She looked at the cards in her hand and the cards on the table, trying to puzzle out the rules. On a whim, she decided to discard the two of diamonds.

"A bold move," the Dowager Duchess murmured, her eyes meeting Charlotte's.

"Indeed," Lady Andrea agreed.

"Is it?" Dominic asked.

Charlotte nodded, an idea forming in her head. Cecily discarded the ace of clubs a moment later, or rather she tried to until her grandmother called out, "Disallowed."

"What? Why?!" Cecily scowled at her grandmother. "This game makes no sense."

"It makes perfect sense; you are just too silly to see it," the Dowager Duchess repeated. "Honestly, I fear for my bloodline. The only people who seem to understand are those outside of the family. Though I suppose, I cannot be blamed entirely. After all, your grandfather and other relatives all have a part to play."

Cecily harumphed while Dominic tried to hide his snigger. Even Charlotte could not resist a small smile as she watched the exchange. A moment later, the smile faded when Lady Andrea played run of cards and was declared the winner.

"And that is a fifth hand to Lady Andrea." The Dowager Duchess's voice was full of approval. "Excellent work my dear, let us call that three hundred-twenty-three points."

Lady Andrea beamed. "Thank you, Your Grace."

"And minus three-hundred-eighty-one points for you, Gertrude. Honestly, what were you thinking, trying to play the queen that way?" the Dowager Duchess called to a young woman at one of the tables near them.

Charlotte wrote a note on a piece of paper, frowning slightly as pieces of the puzzle clicked into place.

"Do you truly understand the game, Lady Andrea?" Cecily asked.

"What do you think?" Lady Andrea gave them all a smug smile.

"That you are either very lucky or very clever," Dominic murmured.

"Perhaps she is both," Charlotte chimed in, surveying the calculating eyes of the woman.

Lady Andrea was pretty, a few years younger than Charlotte if she was not mistaken. And there was a look of ruthless determination on her face that she had to admire.

"Well, you seem to be the only one who is enjoying this experience," Dominic grumbled.

"I do not know about that." Charlotte smiled. "I quite like having a puzzle to solve."

"Well, when you solve it, let us know." Cecily looked at Charlotte imploringly. "All this puzzling is making my head ache something fierce. I feel it might explode."

"Are we not all here to win?" Lady Andrea frowned at Cecily. "I would think Lady Charlotte unlikely to give up her advantage so easily."

"I think I would find it more satisfying a victory if I gave my opponents a sporting chance." Charlotte looked at Lady Andrea, her voice polite but firm.

"They have a sporting chance; they have been given just as much information as the rest of us." Lady Andrea gestured around them.

"Perhaps Charlotte holds to a ‘more the merrier' sort of philosophy," Dominic said.

"Well, let us see how well such a philosophy serves her." Lady Andrea looked at the cards in her hands before playing several in quick succession. "That is another hand to me, I believe."

"Not quite, Lady Andrea," Charlotte said sweetly and played the three cards she had been saving for just such an occasion. If I have understood this correctly, then the hand should be mine. And if not… well, it will be back to the drawing board I suppose.

"Now that is a magnificent play, Lady Charlotte." The Dowager Duchess appeared, nodding approvingly. "Wonderful win. Have… five-hundred-seven points. Dominic, I am so glad you brought your fiancée to my Duchy Decider."

"Another name, grandmother?" Dominic raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yes. I have not yet found one that seems perfect."

"And what iteration are we on?" Cecily asked her grandmother.

Cecily exchanged a smug look with Dominic who gave a faint shrug that piqued Charlotte's curiosity.

"I believe it is the sixth." The Dowager Duchess counted on her fingers. "Yes, it is the sixth name. Absolutely not, minus thirty-four points to you, young man."

Charlotte watched Dominic nod to himself and whisper something to his cousin. A wager perhaps? Interesting.

The Dowager Duchess pointed to one of the few remaining tables around them and a bespectacled young man who coloured as soon as she pointed at him.

"Actually, your entire table bores me. All of you, leave. You can join us for the next event. Try and behave as though you are not complete and utter dullards, won't you?" the Dowager Duchess said as she ushered the table from the hall.

Charlotte looked around and realised with a jolt that only one other table was still in the hall.

"Looks like we are amongst the last ones left." Dominic had noticed the same thing.

"If we can figure out how to play!" Cecily whispered.

"Look, it really is quite simple once you work out the pattern," Charlotte explained as she looked at her notes.

"Is it?" Dominic asked.

"You are not really going to explain it to them, are you?" Lady Andrea sounded horrified.

"Why would I not?" Charlotte asked.

"Because we are all here to win?"

"Well, Dominic is my fiancé, and what is mine is his. And I cannot very well share my knowledge only with him. That seems rather rude."

"It is a competition," Lady Andrea pointed out.

"And there is no rule saying I cannot aid my fellow competitors," Charlotte shot back before turning to Dominic and Cecily. "Although, perhaps you might both be persuaded to make it worth my while."

"Has Dominic ever told you about the first time he rode a horse?"

"You swore you would never tell anyone about that!" Dominic looked horrified.

"Cousin, needs must, and I do not want to spend another hour feeling like the village idiot. Not when there is hope at hand." Cecily turned to Charlotte. "I will trade you the story for how to play the game."

"And you, Sweetkin?" Charlotte teased.

Dominic rolled his eyes. "Is my company and charm not enough?"

"Hardly." Charlotte gave him a frank look.

"Fine. I will give you a box of the finest chocolates and for ten minutes, do anything you ask of me." Dominic met her gaze, a hint of mischief in his eyes.

"Anything?" Charlotte canted her head, her heart speeding up.

"Within reason," Dominic amended. "Nothing scandalous."

"Do you really think I would ask you to do anything scandalous?"

"Power can be a very corrupting thing, my Precious Plum."

Oh, I will show him just how corrupting power can be. Charlotte shook her head at him but could not keep the smile from her face. She loved solving puzzles, especially when they were as interesting as the Dowager Duchess had created.

"Very well. Then you have a deal. So, this is how you play."

And Charlotte launched into the explanation of the game, stopping every now and then to demonstrate through playing and to re-explain a particularly obscure rule.

"So you see, a six beats a three, unless it is the six of diamonds and it has been played after the eight of clubs." Charlotte gestured to the cards on the table while Dominic and Cecily stared at her.

"And of course, an eight reverses everything, and so, whatever card you play, it must be lower than the eight." Charlotte gestured to the eight that she had just played.

Lady Andrea made a disgusted noise and threw out three sixes. "I still cannot believe you are explaining this to them."

"So, I could play this?" Cecily asked, throwing out a two and making Charlotte wince.

Before she could reply, Dominic picked up the two and put it back in his cousin's hand. "No, twos are high."

"Twos are high?" Cecily asked in disbelief.

"Yes. Threes are the lowest card." Dominic explained, looking at Charlotte for confirmation.

She nodded. She had not expected the Duke to pay such close attention to her explanation and was quite taken aback by how quiet he had been as she explained.

"And sevens are wild cards." Charlotte added, throwing out her seven.

"Lady Charlotte, might I perhaps have your notes? There is no way I will be able to keep all of this straight." Cecily looked at her with desperation in her eyes.

"Let me write it out for you; my notes will be rather chaotic for you to read." Charlotte gave her hand a gentle squeeze and hastily began writing Cecily an easy reference for the game.

"Thank you." Cecily beamed at her. "Cousin, you are marrying an absolute treasure."

"Sixty-nine points to Lady Charlotte," Dowager Duchess Caverton declared, making everyone jump.

"What? But she lost the hand!" Lady Andrea exclaimed, gesturing to the card she had just played and the hand she had just won.

"I like her sporting spirit." The Dowager Duchess shrugged. "And I will dock you thirty-five points for questioning my judgement, Lady Andrea."

Lady Andrea shook her head, and though Charlotte saw a flash of irritation cross her face, she thought that perhaps there was something else there. Though she could not work out what it was.

"What it comes down to is fun. Entertainment. A lot of it seems complicated, but it is not. It is just more of a memory game." Charlotte smiled.

"If you say so," Cecily muttered.

"What about if I do this?" Dominic asked as he lay down a trick of cards. "Do I win?"

Charlotte nodded. "Excellent work!"

"You are going to regret teaching me this game, my Precious Plum."

"Is that a challenge, good sir?" Charlotte grinned back at him.

"It is indeed, gentle lady." Dominic grinned. "Prepare to lose."

And as they dealt out another hand, Charlotte found that she was quite looking forward to the rest of the afternoon. Competition really was more fun when you were all on the same page.

And she was going to take great pleasure in beating the Duke. After all, now, it is a matter of skill, and I have that in spades.