He did not resemble a soft, displaced Englishman in the least. Ravenna narrowed her eyes and fought the urge to yank on her sweltering, suffocating collar. While he didn’t seem to be an expert gambler, she could tell he wasn’t used to losing. She frowned. Had he meant to play poorly early on so she wouldn’t suspect him…and then lure her into this final snare? Or was she reading into things?

Blast, her own sharp instincts were failing her.

She peeked at her excellent hand—possibly a winning hand—unless her opponent held a natural. The last round had seen all of the other players overdrawn, except for the dratted Mr. Chase who claimed he was content with his two cards. Ravenna eyed them and ground her jaw in frustration. She was so close. She needed the money for lodgings and food, or even passage back to England. And besides, Mr. Chase didn’t need it. He was richer than Midas, or so the rumor mill said.

A bead of sweat rolled down her skin, beneath the linen drawn mercilessly across her breasts. She wished she’d left an hour ago, her pockets well lined and heavy. But no. Greed, overconfidence, and plain stupidity had taken over.

And she might as well admit it: smitten lady parts.

Not just because Mr. Chase was beyond a shade of a doubt unnervingly gorgeous, but because her shocking attraction to him—to any man—was something she had never, ever experienced. His arrival had thrown her off her game.

Ravenna didn’t fancy gentlemen; she didn’t fancy anyone.

In London, suitor after suitor had been foisted upon her—rich, titled, handsome fellows—and she’d felt nothing. Even when offers had been made, Ravenna had found a way to thwart them.

After all, she’d been engaged twice and almost compromised into a third betrothal.

The first had been arranged in her infancy, but that betrothal had been squashed by her father when her future groom had taken off for parts unknown without so much as a by-your-leave. Ravenna didn’t know what could possibly have made Cordy do such a thing, but she hadn’t cared.

She’d been glad to be rid of the pesky nuisance!

Over the years, the two of them had been occasional friends but mostly enemies, having childhood adventures between their adjoining country estates in Kettering. He had been obnoxious and arrogant, and had thrown it in her face that when they were married, she would have to do everything he said. He’d sported a blackened eye for weeks after that declaration. One day, Cordy disappeared, sent off to school, she’d been told, and much later on, she’d been saddened to learn from his brother that he’d perished from illness.