“Trente-deux,” the croupier called out in French and pushed a considerable number of tokens in my direction.

“Georgiana, you are so lucky,” Marina exclaimed.

“Oh yes,” I said. “So lucky.” And I turned away so that she couldn’t see the bleak despair on my face.

It was a night of irony. I won quite consistently. The pile kept growing. Strange men hovered around me, encouraging and congratulating. It should have been a heady experience to be the life of the party at Crockford’s.

“Why haven’t we seen you here before, you gorgeous creature?” a smooth young man said to me.

“You’re Binky’s sister?” another asked. “We had no idea Binky had such a divine sister. Has he been hiding you away? You have to come to a hunt ball with us next weekend. The Bedfords are giving it.”

“I’m afraid I’m helping to look after Princess Marina until her wedding,” I said.

“Oh yes. The wedding. I’d forgotten that. So old George is finally getting hitched. What a riot, eh, Monty?” And the two men laughed.

“Can we take you in to supper?” one of them asked. “They do a slap-up good meal here.”

“Thank you. I think I’ve pushed my luck enough for one night,” I said. “But I think I’d better go and cash these in first.”

“We’ll help you.” My two new suitors picked up my tokens and carried them for me to the cashier.

“Would you please keep my winnings for me until I’m ready to go?” I asked. “I’m about to have supper and I’ve nowhere to put money in this purse.”

“Of course, my lady.” His face betrayed no reaction at all.

“I should check on Princess Marina,” I said. “I shouldn’t leave her alone.” I was trying to think of a way to have her asked to supper too, but one of them beat me to it.

“Ask her to supper too, eh, Monty?”

“Oh rather,” Monty agreed. “Old George would want us to take care of his intended.” And they both grinned as if this was a good joke. I suspected they had seen George at Crockford’s with many different partners over the years, and I rather wished that I had had more time to examine that guest book and see exactly whose name had appeared next to his.

I went in search of the princess, who was now playing vingt-et-un, and told her we’d been invited to supper by two young men.

“How terribly sweet of them.” She stood up from the table. “Frankly, I think I’ve tired of gambling for tonight. I don’t seem to be winning recently. And supper with two nice young men does sound like fun. It might make George jealous.”