He cringed at the idea of Amelia, and perhaps even Diana, Hunt’s wife, getting to know Lydia. She would fit in with the other women just fine.
Get your mind far away from what you’re thinking, Dante.
He could feel the preacher’s noose tightening around his neck. “Perhaps one day you will meet her. But now let’s go to the gaming floor.”
They walked the floor, with him pointing out the various games and how they were played. Then they moved to the perimeter of the room where he waved toward a long table that held various bottles of liquor, and the table on the other side of the room where food would be placed around midnight to keep the players from leaving to eat.
Since gambling was technically illegal, he pointed out to her how they re-arranged the gaming floor to appear as if it were a gentleman’s club if they knew a raid was coming. They had friends and members who alerted them when a raid was expected, something the police had to do every once in a while to appease those who felt gambling was a sin.
“It is a wonderful place, Dante. You and your brothers have done such a great job.” Her praise warmed him, which scared him at the same time.
“Let’s get you back upstairs since we open in about five minutes.”
“Didn’t you say there was a place I could view the room from where no one would see me?”
“Yes. I will show it to you.” He took her hand and they walked back ups
tairs. It was just his luck that they passed Keniel on the way who grinned at them again. “Ah, the unidentified lady.”
Dante gritted his teeth. “Miss Lydia Sanford, this is Mr. Keniel Singh, our club manager.”
She held out her hand and Keniel had the nerve to kiss the back of it.
“That’s enough,” Dante growled. When the manager viewed him with a smirk, he added. “Don’t you have work to do, Keniel?”
“I do. However, may I learn why this lovely lady is here this evening? Are you our new dealer, Miss Sanford?”
She laughed. Assuming Mr. Singh was not aware of the work the Rose brothers did for the Home Office, she gave an explanation that would not have Dante glowering at her. “No. Mr. Rose and I are friends and he offered to show me his club. Also, with Mr. Driscoll Rose’s wife unable to help with the books, I will be doing that for a while.”
“Ah. Then we get to see more of you. Splendid.”
Dante scowled as Lydia took note of Keniel. He knew what she saw was an attractive man with smooth caramel colored skin, standing tall and proud, his shoulders wide in his well-cut expensive jacket.
They’d hired him for those very reasons. His self-confidence kept the employees in line and the customers happy.
“I just love your accent, Mr. Singh. I am a connoisseur of languages. May I guess you are from Jamaica?”
“Well done, Miss Sanford.” His grin revealed bright white teeth.
Dante was getting annoyed at how well the two of them were getting on. “I think it’s time we headed upstairs, Miss Sanford.”
“Yes.” She looked back at Keniel when Dante took her elbow to move her up the stairs. “It was nice meeting you.”
Dante threw a snarling glance at Keniel. “Get to work.”
This time instead of a chuckle, Keniel burst out laughing. “Yes, Mr. Boss. I shall do that right now.”
8
Lydia hadn’t been so excited about something in a long time. Years of Polite
Society, with all its rules and restrictions, along with the numerous, never-ending balls, garden parties and musicales had become so rote that she moved through the events like a mummy. Smiling at the same people, ignoring gossip as much as possible, and dancing with the same men.
Her few assignments with the Home Office broke up the monotony, but they were few. Even though her skill was remarkable, there was not much need for it.
Now, however she was working at a gaming club! Yes, perhaps she was stuck in the office behind a desk working on numbers, but she felt needed.
They made their way up the stairs and Dante walked her back to the office where he pulled one ledger out from the pile and handed it to her. “This is the ledger Driscoll uses to record the take at the end of the night. I see he has slips of paper in here from the dealers that need to be recorded. Perhaps you can start with that, and I’ll send him up to go over more of the information with you.”