ismenin | A Regency Tale Nine

Good Evening, my loves! And A Merry Christmas (again) to you all!

Here is your pressie - it may be small, but it is sent with LOVE!

With grateful thanks, as always, to Lady Sunrope for her beta.

Regency 9 - Winner Takes All

When Dominic woke on Thursday morning, it was with a pleasurable sense of anticipation; for this was the day he was to meet Elijah. It was probable that the meeting would be short, but it did not matter. He would see him again.

It was with such a happy thought that he strode into his club a little before noon on Thursday, with the intent of eating a nice beefsteak with some broiled mushrooms. He was very surprised, therefore, when, not long after he had been seated, Barney Corsham approached his table, and asked if he might join him.

Dominic waved his hand at a free chair. "Please do. Do you wish to speak to me about something?"

Barney, giving his order to the hovering waiter, nodded decidedly. "I do, but it is more than I know whether you will be willing to speak about what concerns me."

Dom smiled grimly. "You need have no fear that I will betray you in any way, if his is what worries you," he said in a very quiet voice.

Barney leaned back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest. Waiting for the two men to vacate the table next to them, he glanced about him. There was no-one sitting near.

"I do not fear that, Monaghan. You have given your word and that is sufficient for me. It is for my friend that I am concerned. I do not think you realize whatyou have done to him. I spoke with him last night, and I am worried for him. Do you understand me?"

Dom placed his knife and fork on the plate, and cast a curious glance at Barney, who was not frowning, but looking at him with speculative eyes.

"And what is it you think I have done to his Grace - for I cannot imagine that you mean anyone else."

"The Duke knows that you have been toying with him, my Lord. He knew from the beginning that you were playing some sort of a May game - but could not understand why. Then he discovered from the housekeeper at your house in the country that you was gone there merely to teach someone a badly needed lesson. As the only person expected at the house was himself, he put two and two together.

That you think he needs teaching a lesson he accepts. Why you should think he needs such a thing, he does not understand - and, to be honest with you, Monaghan, neither do I."

Dominic pushed his plate away; he found he had no desire to finish his meal.

"I do not see why I should enlighten you with my reasoning, Corsham, but I will.
The afternoon that his Grace came to solicit a loan from me - instigated, I understand, by you - I saw for myself that he held himself on very high form."

"If his chin had been held any higher, he would have been staring at the ceiling, and his back was so stiff his bow was barely discernable. My friend and I noticed it particularly. The obligation was all on his side, but he looked at us, Ceddy remarked later, as if we were the denizens of a garden pond, who had just that minute crawled out of the ooze.

As the obligation was all on his side, as I have said, I could not understand why he should behave in such a high-handed fashion, or treat me with such rudeness. I hope he told you of his behaviour, on this and on our subsequent meetings, for otherwise it makes me sound a veritable monster. Did he speak to you of it?"

Barney's luncheon had arrived, and he did not scorn it as Dominic had his, but cut himself some beef and chewed it thoughtfully before answering.

"He did tell me - of course he did - but I am not sure at all that I should tell you what he confided in me. But I will say this, my Lord - did you not consider for one moment that Elijah was frightened? Had it not entered your mind that he was terrified of being refused by you, and of having nowhere to turn afterwards for help?

Did it not strike you that a young man, so lately come into his titles, would be approaching you for a loan if there was anywhere else he could have gone? None of the moneylenders would risk such a long expectation - nearly five years. I know this, for I asked on Elijah's behalf - anonymously, of course - if it were possible. It was not. Ten per cent per annum over five years would have doubled the debt, which was already enormous. No-one would take it on.

And, then, Elijah was desperate to keep his honoured name from being besmirched by his brother's negligent stupidity. Terrified, in fact, that he could not do it. Did you not think of this?"

Dom bowed his head. "No, I did not think it - I did not understand. It is very kind in you to tell me this much. I had merely thought his Grace insufferably proud. I did not see that his behaviour could have been occasioned by any other factor. I am obliged to you, Sir Barnabas - now, if you will excuse me, I have business that needs attending."

Barney's eyes followed Dom as he left the club. He had thought Monaghan looked very disturbed by these disclosures, and he was inclined to think that the Irish Lord cared more for Elijah than he was telling - damn him! He had observed Monaghan's gaze soften as he had looked at the Duke in Ned's kitchen those few weeks before, and was not blind to the inference. He told Elijah this, but it did not help. Indeed, it might have made matters worse, for Elijah's eyes had held a stricken look for a moment, before he turned his head away from Barney's intense scrutiny.

He was a nice enough chap, Monaghan, but, at that moment, Barney found he disliked the man intensely.

For Elijah had opened his heart the night before. He had told Barney that he found the insufferable Lord Monaghan xtremely...interesting. Elijah had also said, shyly, lowering his eyes, that, unfortunately, his business dealings with Lord Monaghan precluded any kind of intimate relationship, even friendship, between them.

He had told Barney of the terror he had felt when he thought he might be refused the loan, and the anger that had suffused him at Monaghan's subsequent cavalier treatment. But he knew it had to be borne, he said, clasping his hands tightly on his lap. Barney could see the knuckles white against his skin. He was much obliged to his Lordship, Elijah had said, blushing slightly.

Barney had left Elijah that night wishing there was some way he could repay Lord Monaghan the debt, but whilst he was comfortably circumstanced, he was not by any means a wealthy man. There was simply no method by which he could raise such an amount, even if he withdrew his entire modest fortune out of Drummond's Bank, he would not realize much more than six thousand. And how could he live without money? He'd have to take to the High Toby as Billy had tried to do with disastrous results. It was impossible.

Smuggling provided him only with a modest income, a thousand or so a year - he was not in it for the money, but for the adventure.

Watching Elijah sitting hunched and vulnerable by the fire, Barney had longed to draw his friend into a comforting embrace. However, Lij did not welcome physical contact, however close the friend or however platonic the gesture. He held himself tense and slightly aloof from humanity. It seems only Lord Monaghan had penetrated the Duke's austere mien. Well, he would see what would transpire.

As he walked down St James' Street, Barney racked his brain trying to come up with a solution to Elijah's difficulties. He failed, miserably. There was not a way that he knew of - Elijah would have to grin and bear it. Poor chap!

Lord Monaghan, walking in the opposite direction from Barney, had much of which to think. It had not occurred to him that Elijah had been frightened on the first occasion they had met. Why should he think so? His Grace had presented a calm exterior, coupled with amazing arrogance - or so Dom had thought that the time.

He realised, however, that Barney had been speaking the truth. He took a look in at Cribb's parlour, anxious to find Ceddy, and ask him what he thought of Barney's disclosure.

He had found his friend going into the dressing rooms, and sat with him whilst his friend stripped for a bout with one of the owner's bruisers.

Dominic did not want to reveal what Barney had said, so he merely asked, "Ceddy - when we met the Duke of Stanford for the first time, did you have any impression of him other than his top-loftiness?"

Ceddy paused, his shirt half over his head. "Well, now you come to mention it, Dom, I was inclined to think that he was frightened half out of his wits. But I realised that this could not be so, for why should he be afraid? Your drawing-room ain't a Roman arena, and you ain't a lion. I put it down to my fancy. Why do you ask?"

Dominic returned some answer, and left his friend after extracting a promise that Ceddy would dine with him at the Pulteney the following night.

He walked on to his lodging in a thoughtful mood. He had two hours before he expected the Duke - perhaps some idea would come to him before then.

***

Elijah had avoided company that morning. He had shut himself up with his secretary for an hour after breakfast, as it was fast approaching quarter day, and the accounts had to be settled.

The young man he employed to do this work very rarely troubled the Duke with paperwork, but this morning he had solicited an interview with his Grace. He had been forced, he said, blushing, to unequivocally state that his Grace's finances could not support the withdrawal of another five hundred pounds that month.

"For I would be failing in my duty to your Grace if I did not point out the circumstances to you. As you can see, my Lord, it cannot be done."

And Elijah, staring at the sheaf of papers handed to him for perusal, saw nothing, as his mind was totally given over to the knowledge that he would have to tell the Insufferable Lord Monaghan that he could not pay him. It is certain that he could have borrowed five hundred pounds from Barney, but that would have had to be repaid, and how could he do it, when he needed to pay Lord Monaghan every month?

He locked himself in his library, anger seething in his heart. He would die of shame. But that was silly, no-one died of shame. He would have to cast himself on Lord Monaghan's mercy, and that was that.

The fact that Lord Monaghan had offered to forget the debt, rankled - for, of course, Elijah had felt obliged to refuse him. Now he would have to suffer for his arrogance. Well, that was how things were.

He was sitting at his desk, an unopened a book before him, when he was struck by a revelation. He had only been listening to Barney with half an ear the night before, but something his friend had said came back to Elijah, now, with stunning effect.

Unfortunately Elijah did not know what to do concerning the insight he had gained.

At four o'clock Elijah walked along the corridor at the Pulteney and tapped on Dominic's door.

His Lordship answered and invited the Duke in. Elijah looked around, he had never before been in the Pulteney, but had heard good things of it from his friends. It was a large room furnished in the first style of elegance, but Elijah had no thought for his surroundings. His mind was consumed by what he would say to Lord Monaghan.

Dominic indicated a comfortable chair on one side of the fire, and Elijah sat in it, glad that he did not have to stand whilst he gave the bad news.

He was grateful also for the glass of wine that was handed to him, and sipped at it thoughtfully.

"I am very glad to see your lordship so recovered." Elijah began, rather hesitantly.

Dominic smiled. "Could we not dispense with the formalities, Elijah? You have, after all, tended my naked body. I think that takes us above commonplace considerations of courtesy, do you not agree?"

Elijah was just about to refute this, when he realised that no good would be served if he angered Lord Monaghan. He needed, after all, to ask a favour of him.

Therefore he nodded, instead. "Very well, Dominic, it shall be as you say."

Dominic picked up his glass of wine. "Dom, please. Only my mother calls me Dominic, and that only when she is displeased with me. Unfortunately, that seems to be nearly every time we meet. I would prefer Dom, Elijah."

Elijah did not tell Dom that his close friends called him Lij. He did not consider the man his friend, not in any way.

Dom sat in the opposite chair and looked speculatively at the man staring into the fire, twisting his glass nervously in his fingers. What now? - for it was obvious the man had something on his mind.

Finally Elijah raised his eyes, and Dom was struck, as he always was, by the clearness and sincerity of the gaze emanating from them.

" I... I am sorry, Dom, but..." Elijah's throat closed and he was unable to continue. He coughed, and tried again. "I..."

Dom rose from his seat and took the glass from Elijah's trembling hand and placed it on the table beside him. He looked at the man, so pale, so frightened, and a hand put himself around his heart and squeezed.

"Have you come to tell me that you cannot pay me, Elijah? If so, it is quite all right, you know. I am in debt to you far in excess of a paltry forty thousand."

Elijah nodded gratefully. " I am sorry...I...my..."

Dom sat down again. "I have already offered to make you a gift of it, Elijah. Will you accept it, now?"

Elijah shook his head. "I am sorry, Dom, but it is a debt of honour, as you know. It must be repaid in full. There is no escape for me from this torment.
As much as I would like to accept your generous offer, I cannot. And forty thousand is far from being a paltry sum to me, as surely you must know."

Dom took another sip of his wine, his brain working frantically. An idea had just struck him, and he wondered if it would be acceptable to Elijah.

"What would you say if I postponed payment of the debt until you came into your capital? Five years is nothing to me, I would gladly wait until then."

Elijah looked up, his eyes flaming fire. "But I cannot wait, Dominic. It is a debt of honour, and it must... must be repaid."

Debt of honour.. debt of honour... Dom thought quickly.

"Then what say you that we dispose of this debt by a game of chance - the way, indeed, that it was incurred? I will play you one game of cards for the total remaining. If you win, the debt is cleared..."

Elijah smiled, wryly. "And if you win, the debt still stands?"

Dom's mind was a maelstrom of conflicting emotions. "No, the debt is still cancelled - but you must promise to do anything that I ask of you, without question, with no hint of refusal, and with a glad heart...if I win. Do you accept?"

Elijah was accounted a very good card player, but he never had a liking for it, and especially not now that his brothers obsession with it had caused him so much heartache. He also realised he had a very fair chance of winning, although he knew nothing of Dom's expertise in the area. He was desperate - he would try it.

"I accept," he said, smiling slightly. "I have no option. I will try."

Dom heaved a sigh of relief. He was not sure how the venture would end, but he knew he would enjoy it very much. There was little chance of Elijah winning, for Dom was accounted a master card player over half of Europe. Very few people would play against him, and this is why he had ventured the proposition.

Dom pulled his chair nearer to Elijah and placed a little table between them.
There was a new pack of cards on the mantelpiece, and Dom handed them to Elijah to check.

"Remember," he said quietly, "If I win, you cannot refuse me."

Elijah held the cards in his hand and wondered what Fate would bring him.

A Regency Tale Nine

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