That’s the last crown I’ll lose to you!” Jonathan Alastair exclaimed, tossing the cards across the table. “As I have told you before, if you don’t know how to play, you should not bet so much,” Greyson Thorpe calmly replied, pocketing his winnings. Richard Carrack, Marquis of Stonemede turned, smiling at the familiar banter between his best friends. He’d only been absent for six months, but it reassured him to see some things didn’t change. The argument had gone on for years since Greyson was almost unbeatable with a deck of cards, and Jonathan lacked the ability to refuse a challenge, regardless of the odds against him. “Have a care, gentlemen. I have recently returned from Stonemede, and all you wish to do is squabble,” Richard reproached, feigning offense. “I would prefer hearing about everything I missed these past months than about Jonathan’s inability to play cards.” “I’m wounded.”
