Tuesday, morning to afternoon, went in not quite chaos—neither Louisa nor Ellen would have allowed that—but in a harried rush while everyone involved in what they now termed their grand charade raced hither and yon, striving to ensure that all aspects of the upcoming card party hit every last right note.
Christopher, Toby, Robbie, and Drake spent the day working with the staff who had arrived from London, together with the Goffard Hall footmen who had previously assisted in the card salons and would do so again. The four gentlemen put the dealers through their paces, ensuring they understood that the aim was not to win but to ensure no one lost by any great amount. The more-experienced staff shook their heads at such a fanciful undertaking; they then had to be instructed in how to cheat convincingly to ensure the inevitable losses were evened out.
Eventually, Drake summoned Tilly to explain how she’d judged the play and decided when to fold winning hands. Christopher asked, and Tilly explained that, in general, Nigel had been excused from dealing; his role had been to play the part of young gentleman-host to the hilt, moving about the room and encouraging his friends to play.
“Clearly,” Drake said, “we don’t need Nigel’s assistance at this point.”
“That’s just as well,” Toby murmured, “given none of us trust him.”
With a speaking look, Drake took their crew of designated dealers, sixteen in all to allow for substitutions and rotation, into the ballroom and, with Tilly assisting, continued their lessons there.
That left Christopher, Robbie, and Toby to school the bevy of footmen in their somewhat expanded duties. Not only would they be passing through the crowd ferrying drinks, they would also be watching, alert to any unexpected happening, and standing ready to assist those shadowing Rose, Nigel, and Tilly.
To everyone’s intense relief, Carter Cynster arrived midmorning, having ridden down from town and been redirected from the manor to the Hall. Tall and lean like all the Cynster men, black-haired, with bright greeny-hazel eyes that seemed to perennially dance with a cheeky and adventurous light, quite aside from being the only Cynster who might fit in with the expected guests, he was the perfect man for their job.
Toby greeted Carter with a slap on the back. “Good to see you, Dabbler.”
As a budding painter from an early age, “Dabbler” had been the family’s nickname for Carter, at least among the male members, although never, ever, in Carter’s mother’s hearing.
Christopher smiled and offered his hand. “We’re grateful you could make it.”
“London is boring at this time of year. I was happy to take a break.” After shaking Christopher’s hand, eager and curious, Carter looked around. “So what’s going on?”
Leaving Robbie to organize which footmen would pay particular attention to each of the key players—Rose, Nigel, and Tilly—Toby and Christopher led Carter aside and rapidly explained the situation.
Carter’s eyes widened. “Good Lord! Counterfeit banknotes!”
“Exactly.” Toby tipped his head toward the archway leading into the ballroom. “You’d better go and report to Drake. I suspect he’ll be the best person to introduce you to Nigel Fontenay.”
“Fontenay?” Carter’s brow furrowed. “I can’t say I recognize the name.”
“You wouldn’t,” Toby said. “He won’t have moved in your circles.”
Carter continued to frown. “Will any of the guests recognize me?” He arched his brows at Christopher and Toby. “Should I use a name other than Cynster?”
It was a good question, but they decided that, as most guests would be unlikely to recognize him and the few who would wouldn’t know what to make of his appearance there, that sticking with his own name and playing the part of dissolute artist who happened to be visiting at the manor was the best way forward.
“However,” Christopher said, “you won’t be able to pretend to be Nigel’s best friend and stick to his side—there’ll be too many of his real acquaintances present for that to pass—but if the crowd is anything like we expect, you’ll be able to move with him, always close enough to hear anything he says.”
Carter nodded. “I’ll go and speak with Drake.”
Christopher and Toby returned to Robbie and the footmen, who had progressed to discussing the points around the room at which the footmen would be stationed.
There were so many little details to be discussed and decided, Christopher’s head spun.
Elsewhere in the house, Ellen felt much the same. She seemed to turn from one issue to the next as she and Louisa strove to ensure that every aspect of the card parties, from the food provided for supper to the lighting in the drawing room, ballroom, dining room, and elsewhere in the house would be as it needed to be to support their goal of pulling the wool over those unknown eyes that would be watching, assessing the success of the events in placing the counterfeit notes into the pockets of the unsuspecting guests.
Finally, in midafternoon, quite suddenly, the questions ceased.
Louisa surveyed the staff congregating in the servants’ hall, then turned to Ellen. “I believe our work here is done—at least for now.”
Ellen nodded, and they made their way to the front hall, where they found the others looking weary but satisfied. Drake was the last to arrive and brought a tall young gentleman with him.
“Carter! You came.” Louisa hugged the young man, then introduced him to Ellen. “So”—Louisa glanced at Drake—“Carter will be keeping Nigel up to our mark.”
Drake smiled, not humorously. “I’ve just introduced Nigel to Carter and explained that Nigel shouldn’t think he won’t be under constant supervision just because Carter won’t be at his elbow every second of the evening.”
Carter grinned, but his gaze was hard-edged. “I think he believed you.”
Drake threw Carter a resigned look, then glanced at the others. “Any outstanding problems?”
For a wonder, there were none.
Over the past hour, Ellen had been conscious of a sort of brittle tension rising inside her and, she suspected, not just in her but in all those at the Hall. As she looped her arm with Christopher’s, and with the others, they made for the stable and the horses and carriage waiting there, she realized the emotion squeezing her lungs was excited anticipation.
A waiting-to-see heightened expectation combined with a would-they-pull-off-their-charade excitement; she glanced around and was prepared to wager that feeling had infected them all.
Chapter 17
The first card party commenced with every member of their company on very sharp tenterhooks.
Ellen arrived in the manor’s carriage an hour before the first guests were expected, accompanied by Rose and escorted by Christopher and Carter. Louisa, Drake, and Toby followed in Louisa’s carriage.
They drove around to the stable yard and entered via the side door, screened by trees and shrubs from anyone keeping watch on the front of the house. Julia, all but jigging with nerves, was waiting to greet them, along with Robbie, who had ridden across the fields from Bigfield House. Ellen sent Julia to check on Tilly, then accompanied Rose upstairs to her room and went inside with her while she changed.