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Rowden met her gaze. “Perhaps tonight will herald a turn in your fortunes.”

She watched him back steadily, reading his eyes.

Trust me, he told her. She had always been able to read his thoughts, before. They could have entire conversations without speaking a word. But could she still read him? Would she understand?

She breathed out, her bosom moving beneath that delectable gown, and her shoulders lowered. She nodded ever so slightly.

I do.

He allowed Bint to win a bet or two, thus increasing his confidence and the size of his future bets. Sophronia made small but steady gains as play continued. Humphrey started poorly and continued so, his brow knitting into a scowl as play ran against him. The man really did have the most execrable luck.

“Mr. Foster, why is there uprising in the Helvetic Republic?” Sophronia asked as they collected another round of bets, she winning on the player’s card, Bint losing on the banker’s. Humphrey withdrew an embroidered handkerchief and dabbed sweat from his temples.

Foster, who was betting carefully and winning now and again, though not as often as Sophronia, nudged his check across the layout. “Some of the Catholic cantons are in uprising against the new government. Don’t like all those progressive ideals the French sympathizers are forcing on them.”

“Liberty, equality, and fraternity,” Sophronia murmured. “Horrifying.”

“Even more so the idea of granting rights of citizenship to women,” said Lady Amalie. “Can you imagine women possessing the vote?”

“Against the laws of nature and man,” Bint said instantly.

“Indeed, Mr. Bint?” Amalie fixed her gaze on him, her eyes blue and clear and innocent. “What law of nature says the female half of the population ought not have a voice in the government that rules them?”

“It is her husband’s place to provide for his wife,” Bint answered. “To see to her comfort, well-being, and happiness.” He slid a sidewise glance at Sophronia that confirmed all of Rowden’s prior suspicions.

The man was feathering his nest because he meant to woo a wife. And the woman he meant to woo was Sophronia.

Over Rowden’s dead body.

“I pity all the women who do not marry, then, for who is looking after them?” Lady Amalie murmured.

Bint’s brow furrowed in honest perplexion. “Their families, of course.”

“But what of the widows?” Sophronia asked, her eyes on Rowden’s hands as he dealt the next round. “How I wish my husband had left provision for me. Instead I find myself nearly destitute.”

“But independent,” Amalie said. “Unmarried women must rely on their relations for their maintenance. And brothers can be harder to please than husbands, I have found. I should wish to be a widow.”

While Bint was watching the Lady Amalie, Rowden subtly tugged the string that moved Bint’s check to the banker’s card, the losing bet.

Sophronia’s gaze flew up to his face, questioning. He gave her an impassive stare in return, a pulse longer than was proper, then returned his attention to the shoe. Will dutifully marked the cards on the casekeep.

Bint looked at the layout and blanched.

“Take heart, Bint, your luck will turn,” Rowden said. “Players, your bets.”

“Are you unmarried, Lady Amalie?” Humphrey shoved his check onto the layout and turned on his stool in the women’s direction.

“I am, much to my brother’s despair and the lifelong torment of my mother,” Amalie said. “But I prefer to take lovers.”

She met Humphrey’s gaping expression with a bold, blue-eyed stare, broken only with a slow, seductive sweep of her lashes, as if she abashed herself with the admission.

Humphrey nearly fell off his chair in his eagerness to lean toward her, edging around Sophronia. “You must have a protector at the moment? I cannot imagine such a charming lady as yourself should ever lack for company.”

“Players,” Rowden announced, “we are at the turn. Your charge is to predict the order of the three remaining cards.”

Bint was visibly sweating. Humphrey looked annoyed at the interruption. Rowden caught Sophronia’s eye, then nodded toward Will.

With great nonchalance, Will touched the last three beads on the casekeep, representing the cards to be played. Rowden watched an adorable confusion wrinkle her face, then the smoothing of her expression as understanding dawned.