Scoundrel With A Noble Heart (sequel of Disgraceful)

Chapter 30

It all seemed, at first, like a dream, Matthew couldn't believe his luck. Sometimes he had to pinch himself, in case he was dreaming about it all. He got trained right away, by Goddard himself and some of his dealers. He'd got quick hands, so it was no wonder that he mastered how to shuffle the cards in no time. But he surprised them all, as much as himself, with how quickly he grasped the concept of probability. For the first time in his life, he found fascination in what he learned, and in a very short time, he'd learned several gambling techniques. At first Matthew thought it was sheer luck when he beat one of Goddard's men in cribbage, but after he managed to win easy victories over some other dealers shortly afterwards, he started to realize that he had one extraordinary talent for numbers and rapid calculation of odds. However, it took a while before Goddard allowed him to plunge into the field.

Matthew experienced the same odd stirring the minute he set foot on the floor of the gaming hall as a helper of one of the dealers. It almost like stepping into a sacred place, the atmosphere, the energy engulfed the room like a living, animated thing. He could feel the other players excitement, even the losing ones. He even found the rattle of dice an erotic sound to his ear, keeping him on the high. Under Goddard's tutelage, he quickly learned to recognize cheating moves, scamming against the house and how to deal with them. He'd also learned that even in the refined, glittering environment of the poshest gaming club in the city, heavy losses could lead to violence.

One night, he witnessed a genteel aristocrat fly into a rage after losing 2000 pounds overnight. The enraged man screamed a barrage of curses and flipped the table over, and it took every ounce of Matthew's strength to take him down and hold him fast until the guards came to take over.

When he retired to his room near dawn, he was exhausted. He conked out as soon as his head hit the pillow and slept like a log through the night. It was well past noon when he awoke to a light touch in his forehead the following day.

Turning his head on the pillow, he peered through sleepy eyes at the slender figure hovering by the bed. He blinked back the last remnants of slumber.
"Maggie?"

Startled, she pulled her hand off his head.
"Matthew, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

He propped himself up on his elbow and glanced at the mantle clock above the fireplace. The long hand was pointing at two.
"It's alright. I shouldn't have overslept."

"You must be very tired. You have dark rings around your eyes."
She regarded him with a slight frown, her voice tinged with genuine concern. Matthew rubbed the sleep crust off his eyes and blinked at her.
"I'll be fine. By the way, why are you looking for me?"

"I'm bringing you your lunch."
She gestured to a tray filled with a bowl of cream soup, a platter of sandwiches, plum cakes and a steaming cup of tea on the bedside table. The tempting sight instantly made him hungry.

"Smells nice."
Not wasting another minute, he flung off his blanket and sat up, bringing the tray on his lap. Marguerite made no comment when he devoured the desert first. It delighted her beyond anything to see him relish his food, especially the ones she'd made with her own hands. Marguerite couldn't help but smile faintly as she fondly watched him eating.

When he bit into a thick layer of sandwich, a thick sauce dripped down the corner of his mouth. Without thinking, she reached out to wipe off the stain with her fingers.

It wasn't until Matthew stopped chewing and looked toward her, that Marguerite realized that she had surprised him by her spontaneous act. She immediately pulled her hand and looked down and away. The napkin near the tray caught her eyes and she snatched it, pretending to clean her hand.

"Jeez, this sandwich is amazing! It looks like a simple bread with cheese and ham but it tastes so good. I bet there must be some secret ingredients."