Chapter 97
Papa always said, tell the truth and shame the devil. She took a deep breath. "Very well. Yesterday, losing that competition, not getting the money, when it's not like me to lose, was the worst thing that could happen to me. So when the earl offered me another chance, I agreed. But now ... Well, now you're right, you were right from the start, he is a despicable man, whose help I never should have taken, even if it did mean staying in the tournament."
"You're certainly right about that."
Starkadder and his namesake snake she had to feed with a house mouse every week, thank God for that. To think she had thought Gabe might be difficult. That he would moan, complain, and dig his heels in. But now that he had proved agreeable, she would be too.
"Yes. I see that now. Especially now he's-" She paused. Despite this amiability, wanting to spend one night with me, was still not quite the thing to say. "-blackmailing me."