Chairs pulled nearer to the low table as the men abandoned their cluster at the hearth, setting aside cigars and brandy. Mr Beauchamp himself brought the deck, tapping it once against his palm before placing it neatly at the centre.
They settled quickly, forming a loose oval about the table. A servant drew the curtains against the night and adjusted the lamps. Outside, it had begun to drizzle.
Mr Beauchamp shuffled. "A simple game?" he said. "We keep it light, oui?"
Everyone nodded. Mr Brand did not.
Mr Beauchamp dealt clockwise, one card at a time. Madelyn watched carefully as the cards slid across the polished surface and came to rest before her. She gathered them, arranging them discreetly in her hand as she had been taught long ago.
