Free Kissing Cousins by Joan Smith Page A

respectable, to judge by their appearance. He looked in the closer rooms on either side of the hallway. When he heard the clicking of the roulette wheel and the rattle of dice, he passed on. Casino didn ’ t require either a wheel or dice. He strode on quickly to the next rooms.
    It was in the last one that he spotted Sykes. Salverton took one step forward, murder in his heart, and stopped. Samantha wasn ’ t with him. Sykes sat at the casino table, playing cards with three other men. A quick glance around told Salverton that Samantha wasn ’ t in the room. Three of the lower class of lightskirts made up the female contingent.
    Salverton hesitated a moment, trying to decide between making a scene and taking a closer look in the other rooms. He was about to leave, when he felt a jiggle on his arm, and a blowsy blonde in an exceedingly low-cut gown leered at him,
    “ All alone, love? ” she asked coyly. “ Come and buy me a wee drink. I ’ ll bring you luck. They call me Lucky Lucy. ”
    Salverton recoiled from her touch, and the stench of cheap toilet water that didn ’ t quite succeed in covering even more repugnant odors.
    “ I ’ m looking for a young lady, ” he said to be rid of the harridan.
    “ Ain ’ t you lucky? You ’ ve found me. ”
    “ A lady in a blue gown. She came with Jonathon Sykes. ”
    The woman looked Salverton up and down consideringly. “ You don ’ t want to tangle with Sykes, ” she cautioned.
    “ Did you see her? ”
    The blonde tossed her head toward a closed door at the end of the hall. “ She ’ s with Amy in the ladies ’ parlor. ”
    “ Ladies ’ parlor? ”
    “ It ’ s all right. Gents are allowed in. It ’ s where they go to pick a girl if they come for something besides gambling, ” she informed him with another leering smile.
    “ Oh, Lord! ”
    Without another word, he rushed to the closed door and threw it open. The ladies ’ parlor was a large chamber with some pretentions to elegance. It held sofas and saloon furniture, and in one corner, a wine table where a servant was selling wine. A series of doors led off the room. One hung open, showing a bed with a garish red canopy. He checked to see the room was unoccupied before returning his attention to the main room, where he saw a dozen men and girls behaving in a way he considered licentious. Some of the girls were perched on the men ’ s knees. Other men had their arms around the girls ’ waists. A few tame kisses were being exchanged.
    He soon spotted Samantha, sitting on a sofa with another girl much too young to be selling her charms. A man with graying hair took the young girl ’ s arm and led her from the room. She smiled flirtatiously over her shoulder at Salverton as she left. The man at Samantha ’ s side was younger, and rather handsome. He wasn ’ t actually touching her, but he looked as if he ’ d like to. Salverton ’ s face turned an alarming shade of red.
    “ Samantha, come here at once! ” he exclaimed. Every head in the room turned.
    Samantha looked up, and upon seeing Salverton, uttered a strangled gasp, and turned to the man beside her.
    “ Is he your husband? ” the man asked.
    “ Yes! ” Salverton said firmly, figuring that was the easiest way to extricate her.
    “ Of course not! ” she replied simultaneously.
    Salverton strode forward and seized Samantha ’ s hand. “ You ’ re coming with me, now. ”
    “ I told Mr. Sykes I ’ d meet him here, ” she replied, wrenching her hand free. “ No need for you to remain, Cousin. ”
    He reached out and took her hand again. It was too much for the man who was with her. He leapt up, bristling.
    “ The young lady doesn ’ t wish to accompany you, sir. ”
    “ You shut your face, ” Salverton scowled.
    “ Mr. Sykes will take me home, ” Samantha said.
    “ You ’ re coming with me, ” Salverton insisted.
    The altercation drew the attention of the others in the room. A crowd surged forward, sensing a brawl.
    The man with