“I am saying I will no longer carry you. I will help where I can, naturally, but only if I see you are making an equal effort. Represent yourself as any respectable lord who found himself to be a pauper would and marry yourself a wealthy heiress. And make no further visits to the Cerberus Club.”

He flung himself into a chair. “I have no choice in that particular matter. Aiden Trewlove, the bastard—”

“Don’t call him that.”

He stared at her. “Why should you care what I call him?”

“Aiden has worked extremely hard to better himself, has earned his success—”

“Aiden?” Suspicions, unwanted and chilling, dawned. “How did you even know I frequented the Cerberus?”

If her hair had been unbound, it would have swirled around her with the force with which she jerked up her chin. “I’ve heard rumors.”

“No, you haven’t.” Slowly he came to his feet. “Pray tell me that you are not consorting with Aiden Trewlove, that he is not the one who will be getting you with child.”

“What difference does it make?”

“He is a man to be reckoned with, a man who will not take lightly being made a fool of. Three of his siblings have married into the nobility. Eventually they will be skirting the edges of Society, and he will be right there with them. Should he ever catch sight of your son, should he realize—”

“I can handle him.”

“Do you know what he did tonight? He came to his club and challenged me to a game. Just the two of us. He wagered my debt to him. Twelve thousand pounds—”

“Twelve thousand pounds? Are you mad? That is my income for six years! That money could have been put to much better use than card play.”

“You’re missing the point. He wagered it as though it was nothing. We each drew a card. The one with the higher card won. I won, Selena. He canceled my debt, then forbid me to ever return. He was angry at me for winning.”

To his surprise, her face softened as she shook her head. “I don’t think that’s the reason he warned you against going to his club.”

“Of course it is. That’s the sort of man he is. No one crosses him. No one. He will not take kindly to your using him.”

“I am well aware of that fact.”

“You were supposed to choose some lowly commoner who there was no chance in hell you’d ever see again. What were you thinking to select a man whose family is the talk of all of London? That’s hardly being discreet.”

“I liked his smile.”

“Selena—”

“Don’t worry yourself so, Winslow. My secret will be safe with him.” She made to move past him, stopped, and turned back to him, her brow deeply furrowed. “Where is the statue of Atlas that resided in that far corner?”