Even though his world had crumbled … again … he would not wear his problems on his sleeve. The Hattie Belle was lost to him for now, but he would recover. He must recover. Last night he had taken a few dollars and returned to the Lucky Lucy, only to find his nemesis had left the day before. He sat down and played a few hands of poker, retaining enough sense to get up and leave the table when he doubled his stake. If only he’d had that much sense a week ago. The money jangling in his pocket was evidence that he was too good a gambler to stay behind forever. Too bad his father didn’t see it his way. Every gambler knew all he had to do was to keep gambling. Eventually everything would flow his way. A carriage pulled away as he turned the corner of Canal Street. A common occurrence at Champney Shipping. His father dealt with most of the prominent businessmen in town. Jean Luc raised his cane in greeting as the carriage drew even with him, but his hand froze in mid-salute when his gaze discovered a large pair of sparkling brown eyes.
