‘Just what? You can’t keep your pants on? Someone else came along and forced you to go out with them?’ I’m on a roll now.
‘No, if you’d listen, I can explain.’ Okay, so maybe I am getting a bit carried away. I let the man speak.
‘When I first met Izzy, I really liked her and thought it was fun hanging out with her.’ I snort disbelievingly. ‘Can I finish?’ I let him carry on. ‘I could see she was fragile and lovely and over time I fell in love with her, I figured this was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.’
‘So, what went wrong?’
‘My debts.’
There’s a silence.
‘They can’t be that bad,’ I say briskly. ‘What’s that got to do with Izzy?’
‘The thing is, they are that bad, like tens of thousands of pounds, so I needed to get money fast. My boss’s daughter, Cara, is wealthy and has had a thing for me for a long time. So, I agreed to go out with her. She lent me money; I told myself it was just temporary. I hoped to go back to Izzy and explain but as time went on, things got more and more complicated.’
‘So you left her heartbroken, ignored her texts, let her screw herself into the ground over you?’
‘No… that is yes. I did reply to a couple of her texts but Cara found them on my phone. She went nuts, wrote a really bitchy message to Izzy saying it was all over and then made me promise never to contact her again. I was devastated but there was nothing I could do; I owe so much money.’
Phew, this is all a bit heavy but I must admit, in spite of myself I almost feel sorry for Josh.
‘So, what are you going to do now?’
‘I’m going to win it back.’
‘You’re what? You must be nuts. Hazard, even though I don’t know much about it, is a game of chance. There’s a bit of tactic in choosing which number to start the bet on, but other than that people have lost whole fortunes on the throw of a dice.’ Josh stares at me dumbly. I continue, ‘I don’t mean now, I mean historically, in Jane Austen’s time anyway.’
‘But I’ve already won a couple of grand.’
‘Yes, but how much have you lost?’ I’m so exasperated with him.
‘A few hundred, but I’ll win it back.’ I stare at him impatiently. ‘And I’ll win Izzy back too, I just need time.’
‘No you bloody don’t. You’re to leave the poor girl alone. If you’d been honest with her about the money from the start, you might have had a chance. She loved you and maybe you could have worked something out, but the underhand way you’ve gone about borrowing more money from Cara, going out with her for financial reasons and now gambling, getting into more and more debt. Quite honestly, you, Josh, are the last thing Izzy needs.’
We stare at each other angrily.
‘I know what’s going on,’ he says suddenly. ‘It’s that Matthew chap who was sniffing around before.’ Josh gives a bitter laugh. ‘Poor bloke, he’s wasting his time there; she’ll be back to me as soon as I click my fingers.’
‘Matthew’s a nice guy, and more to the point, he’s been there for Izzy, instead of messing her about,’ I say firmly.
‘If she’s happy with old and boring that’s fine by me,’ he snaps, reminding me of a particularly unpleasant spoilt little boy. ‘Daniel’s looking for me. I expect it’s my turn, you’ll have to excuse me.’
Josh stalks off towards the gaming room. Then he turns back to me. ‘But you’ll tell her, won’t you? I’d like you to explain if she’ll listen.’ His eyes are like a spaniel’s; sad and pleading.
‘I’ll do my best,’ I say and he walks away.
Chapter 27
I spend the rest of the evening in a daze, watching the proceedings of the gambling night as though I’m trapped in a bubble, far removed from what’s going on. For a start, I really don’t understand the rules of Hazard. The only thing I can see about it is that it is a hazard playing it, due to the serious amounts of money won and lost. No wonder people in the old days squandered whole estates by gambling. Before this evening I used to be confused as to how something so outlandish might have happened, but having been at the Regency Gaming Night, I finally understand. It’s like a drug to these people, there’s an air of expectancy, excitement, it’s electric, almost palpable, people laughing and joking, drinking steadily, the excited rattle of the dice and the ‘oh’s and ‘ah’s when someone dares higher and higher stakes.
‘Oh for goodness sake, not again!’ a loud voice grumbles. It’s Rob who’s obviously been losing steadily all evening. Mel whispers something in his ear, but he just bets a higher stake and goes again. He’s going to be sulking the whole way home.
‘Not playing, I see.’ Jessica Palmer-Wright notices my inertia and accosts me in the doorway.
‘Not at the moment. Is Emma not here?’
‘No, she never comes to the gaming nights, not really her thing. Can’t think why, I simply love them.’
I can see that. Jessica Palmer-Wright is in her element, flitting from one table to the next, leaning provocatively over the tables, flirting with this man and that, all expensive-looking city types. Certain individuals seem to get royal treatment, striding in as though they own the place, with personal bodyguards and Jessica Palmer-Wright signalling to a private butler to serve them with plenty of drinks and hors d’oeuvres. I have to say she is damn good at this job, acting like a 1940s society hostess.
‘Madam!’ a smart-looking butler attracts her attention with a low bow. ‘You are required in the salon.’
‘Oh yes, of course.’ Jessica expertly excuses herself and sashays out of the room.
I watch her go, fascinated. I have to give this woman points for flair, even if I hate her whole attitude. While I’m observing, my attention’s caught by the back view of a familiar tall, dark-haired lady who sweeps past the foyer and is ushered through a doorway. Miss Palmer-Wright glances behind her surreptitiously, following her into the room, and firmly closes the door.
I’m confused at who I thought I saw because I’m sure I recognised her. No, it’s impossible… but it looked like Natasha from Editorial at Modiste. It can’t have been.
‘You all right?’ Mel’s managed to escape the grumblings of Rob for a moment.
‘Yes, no, I mean – I could have sworn I just saw Natasha from work with Jessica Palmer-Wright.’
‘Perhaps you did. It wouldn’t be that weird, would it?’
‘It is a bit because she isn’t a member of The Jane Austen Dating Agency and I’m sure you have to be to attend events. Also, she doesn’t really know Jessica Palmer-Wright that well.’
‘I thought you said she was at that dinner you went to at Natasha’s house.’
‘She was, but I thought Miffy had invited her. They were getting on pretty well though.’
‘For f***’s sake, this thing is bloody rigged!’
We look as Rob angrily pushes his chair back from the table so hard it falls on the floor. He takes the caller by the scruff of the neck and shoves him against the wall.