Page 41 (1/2)

The duke glanced over his shoulder with an arched brow "I thought it would benefit you to learn about worldly vice firsthand, so you would knohat to avoid in the future"

Gabriel turned back to Pandora with a glint of self- amusement in his eyes "Now I’ll never know if I could have earned ait handed toto do to the carrot?" she de a fresh deck of cards from a stack on a nearby tray table He opened the box and set it aside Not above showing off, he shuffled the cards in e cascade

Pandora’s eyes widened "How do you do that without a table?" she asked

"It’s all in how you hold the deck" With one hand, he divided the deck in half and flipped both halves onto the back of his hand With breathtaking dexterity, he tossed the two packets of cards into the air so that they spun around completely and landed in perfect reverse order in his pal the cards fly from one hand to the other in a fluid stream, then blossom into a pair of circular fans that snapped shut All of it was raceful and quick

Devon, who had coave a lohistle of admiration "Remind me never to play cards with him," he told Ivo "I would lose my entire estate within minutes"

"I’le card on his fingertip as if it were a pinwheel "My talent with cards is li close to Pandora, Devon counseled as if i you into a false sense of superiority"

Pandora was so mesmerized by Gabriel’s card manipulations that she barely heard the advice

"I ht off," Gabriel warned "Usually I need some practice first" He retreated to a distance of approxias

Holding the corner of a single card between his index and ers, Gabriel drew his arm back as if for an overhand throw He focused on the carrot with narrowed eyes His ar with a flick of his wrist, and the card shot through the air An inch-long section of the carrot was instantly severed Lightning-fast, Gabriel threw a second card, and the rest of the carrot was divided in half

Laughter and a s of applause came from around the rooht

"Irin "If I could do that in a tavern, I’d never have to pay for a drink How rettably, bushels of innocent carrots were sacrificed over a period of years"

"Well worth it, I’d say" Devon glanced at Pandora, his eyes twinkling "With your perame before they boot roup of children still at the sideboard, and heaved a sigh "They’re out of control," he said "I suppose I’ll have to do so about it" He executed a precise bow in Pandora’s direction "You look very pretty tonight, Lady Pandora"

"Thank you, Ivo," she said dees frorandfather--his namesake--would have doted on him," Gabriel replied "There’s more Jenner than Challon in Ivo, which is to say more fire than ice"