Lydia placed her teacup in the saucer. “Your wife is the woman who dealt cards for a while here, isn’t that correct?”
“Yes.” Driscoll scowled.
Lydia tilted her head to the side and regarded him. “Oh, you sound cross.”
“I didn’t like her working on the game room floor when we were not married, and I forbade it after we married.”
Dante glanced at Lydia. “Except Amelia Rose is not someone to be told what to do. She continued to deal at the vingt-et-un table until she became with child.”
“Ah. When is the babe due to arrive?”
Driscoll’s face glowed in such a way Lydia wondered if anyone would ever look like that when speaking of her. It had warmed her to hear the pride in Dante’s voice as he recited her accomplishments, but this was different. A babe was something he and his wife had created together.
Then she brought herself up short. She’d made the decision a few years ago to bypass all of that. Marriage, husband and children were not to be her life. She was quite pleased with her life just the way it was, thank you very much.
Then why do I feel as though I need to remind myself?
“The babe is due in August,” Driscoll said, “but lately Amelia has grown quite tired by the end of the day, so I don’t want her working—not even on the books.” He looked over at his brother. “I will find a way to maintain the ledgers and continue to run the club.”
“You have Keniel.”
“I do, and he is a tremendous help, but we seem to have grown within the past month, which is good, but puts a strain on everyone.”
“What about Hunt?”
Driscoll shrugged. “He tries to make it, but with his duties at Parliament, his own young child and Diana increasing once again, he is only able to assist occasionally.”
Dante nodded. “Our assignment doesn’t fill every evening—hence my presence here tonight. I can certainly come on those off nights.”
Lydia tapped Dante on his hand. “Um. I have an idea.”
He looked suspicious. “What?”
She took a deep breath, already expecting rejection. “I don’t have the same aptitude with numbers as I do with languages, but I showed quite well in my maths classes in the boarding school I attended.” When Dante didn’t respond, she continued, with hope in her voice. “If we have an evening off and you are working here, why not let me come with you and work on the books?” She looked toward Driscoll. “I assume yo
u would be able to show me what to do?” She didn’t want to disparage his wife, but if Amelia could do the books, she was certain she could as well.
Driscoll leaned forward. “Would you be willing to do that? We will pay you, of course.”
Lydia waved him off. “That is not a consideration. I am more than happy to help out.” Excitement built in her at being able to not only help Dante and his brother, but to be part of this environment so strange and previously forbidden to her that she found so exciting.
Dante held up his hand. “Wait a minute. I’m not sure this is a good idea.”
“Why not?” Driscoll and Lydia said at the same time.
He remained silent for a minute. “I don’t know, actually.” He looked over at Lydia. “Why would you want to work when you have an evening off?”
“What else am I to do on those nights, Dante? Attend another ball? Another musicale—God save my ears—or soiree, rout? While I appreciate Sir Phillip offering me an assignment every once in a while, aside from that I have no purpose in life.” She sucked in a breath at her own statement.
How pathetic she sounded before these two hard-working brothers. Did she truly feel as though she had no purpose in life? She was raised to become someone’s wife. To manage his household, provide his heirs, and then launch said heirs into society, for them to do the same.
She’d decided a few years back that such a life was not for her. She would feel stifled, almost as if there would not be enough air for her to breathe. But as she stated to the Rose brothers just now, the little bit of enjoyment she received from her Home Office assignments hadn’t made for a full life.
And she wanted a full life.
Dante was still confused as to why he immediately blurted out it was not a good idea for Lydia to work at the club. It had been the perfect solution. If they both came to the club on their free nights, it would help his brother out a great deal.
However, while it might help Driscoll, the arrangement would wreak havoc with his own state of mind. Not one to embrace celibacy, he’d been unable to take care of his needs since he first set eyes on Miss Lydia Sanford in Sir Phillip’s office.