“Now that we’re all introduced,” Lord Harrison said. “Perhaps we can get on to the reason I called you here?”
He guided Regina to a chair that had been set out for her. It put her with Lord Harrison on her left and Lady Cora on her right. Miss Eliza, as she had insisted Regina call her, was directly across from her. Lord Mannis was diagonally to her left, next to Miss Eliza, and Lord Quentin was diagonally to Regina’s right, in between Lady Cora and Miss Eliza.
Immediately, Lord Mannis leaned in and spoke softly into Miss Eliza’s ear. Miss Eliza’s cheeks grew pink not with embarrassment but with warmth, and she responded with her own whisper.
“They really are in love, poor things,” Lady Cora murmured.
“It is rather bold of them, is it not, to risk society’s wrath to be together?” Regina asked. “Surely it would be better for their reputations to simply marry.”
“Mannis has only a few months to live,” Lady Cora replied. “He could marry Miss Eliza and produce an heir, but then his younger brother would be left out. And Miss Eliza would be beset by suitors anxious not for her heart but only for her land and the title. And who wants to leave their love to raise their child all alone?”
Lady Cora shook her head. “This way, Mannis gets to take care of his brother, and Miss Eliza can marry one of her other suitors who will give her lifelong companionship and healthy children. Children who are not cursed with Mannis’s affliction and will live long lives.
“Furthermore, she will know that the suitor, whoever he is, married her for her personality and looks rather than whatever title and land Mannis gave her. It is the wiser decision all around.”
“But until then, they must avoid society,” Regina pointed out. “Otherwise someone might notice their unusual closeness.”
“It is a small price for them to pay,” Lady Cora replied. “A year out of society but with the person they love most in the world? People have sacrificed far more for love.”
Regina wanted to object that it was silly, but then she would be a hypocrite. Was she not risking herself and her reputation to save her sisters? Was it not all fueled by her love for them and her father?
Like her father’s love for her mother, however, she still could not understand such a devastating romantic attachment. Perhaps one day she would understand. But today was not that day.
Today, she had to focus on playing well.
As if he was reading her thoughts once again, Lord Harrison produced a deck of cards. “I believe there was a reason I gathered you all here. Besides poking fun at Mannis, of course.”
“I believe you’re confusing me with yourself again, Harrison,” Mannis replied.
Lord Harrison began shuffling the cards. “I thought we should start with loo. Miss Regina?”
Regina nodded. Loo was the best game to win against Lord Pettifer. It was considered a rather disreputable game, partially because the stakes could be increased exponentially. Regina would be counting on that when she played him.
As she waited, Lord Harrison began to deal out the cards. Loo was a game that could be played with as few as five people, upwards to as many people as you liked. Although, Regina could imagine that after a certain number it became far too confusing.
Loo was actually the shortened name for the game. Its official name was Lanterloo, which as far as Regina could tell was a nonsense word. It had no actual meaning. Perhaps this was a reflection upon the game itself.
For those who gambled away their fortunes, however, the game could mean quite a lot.
It started with a pool, and then each player was dealt either three or five cards. Regina saw that Lord Harrison was dealing out five cards to everyone.
“Normally the person who cuts the lowest card deals first, but I like to break rules,” Lord Harrison said. He finished dealing and set the deck down.
After this, Regina remembered, the play would start to the left. She then saw that Lord Harrison hadn’t dealt her any cards.
So that was why he had invited four friends. Including Lord Harrison, that left five. It was the smallest number one could have to play the game.
Regina relaxed slightly, glad that she didn’t have to focus on playing at first. Lord Harrison noticed this and flashed her a small smile. It was there and gone in a flash, and Regina liked to think that it was just for her, and only she had seen it.
It didn’t occur to her then what a dangerous thought that was, but later on she would look back and think, oh.
Lord Harrison turned the top card of the deck face up for the trump. Everyone looked at their hands.
“Go on,” Lord Harrison whispered. He nudged her lightly with his elbow. “See what everyone has.”
Regina stood up and made her way slowly around the table. The other players must have been informed ahead of time that she would be doing this, for none objected.
The entire time, they kept up a steady stream of conversation. Regina suspected this was partially because that was how it would be when she played Lord Pettifer. It was only polite, and talking meant you could distract other players and win the hand.
She also suspected, however, that it was because all five genuinely enjoyed one another’s company.
Having inspected everyone’s cards, Regina sat back down. This was the only chance the players had to throw their hand in and walk away without any further losses.
Nobody threw their cards down. Instead they each, in turn, announced, “Play.”
So the game was on.
The goal was to have cards that were of a higher value than the card turned over on the deck. To make things trickier, there were bonuses or penalties based on the other cards in one’s hand.
For example, if you had four cards that formed a suit with the card placed face up, then you immediately swept the pool and won it all. So if the card turned over was a king of spades, and you had the ten, jack, queen, and ace of spades, then you won.
The card placed face-up was known as the Pam. This, Regina had read, would lead to phrases such as “Pam, be civil.” She wasn’t entirely sure what all of the phrases meant yet but she hoped to find out tonight.
If nobody had a winning hand immediately, then the player could trade as many of his cards as he pleased. However, once a card was traded, he could not trade it back.
For example, if one traded four cards and got four new cards, those four new cards could not be traded for another four. You were stuck with them.
After this, there was another chance for someone with a winning hand to sweep it all, at which point the others would also have to pay a penalty, adding to the pool.
If not, then the rest of the play would begin.
Lord Harrison looked around the table. “Any trades?”
Lord Quentin slid three cards across the table. “Three, please.”
“And I’ll take one,” Miss Eliza said.
“Cora? Mannis?” Lord Harrison asked.