This is my second bash at Hump Day Hook, a weekly event where authors post bits of WsIP or published works or, like me, things they are just stooging around with. Click on the link for the list of other participants.
My paragraphs come from a project that is lodged in my files as “Historical Novel” though actually it’s nothing of the kind. It was inspired by a friend who, on a slow day at work, witnessed me acting out all the different roles from a Georgette Heyer novel. “You should write one like that,” she suggested, “only sillier”. So I did.
I’m carrying on immediately from last week. Sir Aubrey Stanton-Rivers, young and foolish, is in a Regency gambling hell with his best mate Cholmondely [pronounced Chumley if that makes it easier] and is generally very pleased with life.
~~~
The red-faced young subaltern opposite just grinned and continued to shuffle the deck.
“Another game?” Aubrey suggested. His coat was off, his neckcloth was on the floor and his blond curls were wildly dishevelled. With his wide-set blue eyes and ingenuous grin he looked like a youthful seraph that had strayed into an antechamber of Hell and found it much to his taste.
“Dammit, you’re too lucky for me,” one of his companions grumbled. “I’m not having you make Chum’s fortune at the expense of mine. I’m for the dice table. Coming, Charles?”
The other man grunted and drained his glass and they both disappeared into the howling throng at the other end of the room. Aubrey gave a crack of laughter.
“You’ll play. Won’t you, Chum?”
“Of course. Your luck never lasts,” Chum pointed out. “Besides, once the drink is in the sense is out and here comes our third bottle.” He grinned and placed the deck squarely upon the table between them.
~~~
Can this end well? Not at this point in the story.
Elin Gregory 
I’d bet they’d have a great time playing strip poker in our time! Lol
“The drink is in and the sense is out” I love it. More please!!! 😃
Looking forward to reading more. Well done.
I have an enduring love for Georgette Heyer, so I’m delighted with this. I’d love to hear you act out the parts! I’ve been giggling like a fool over Richard Armitage acting out the parts in “The Convenient Marriage”. I wonder, though, why you didn’t do the full-on Heyer and say “damme” instead of ” dammit”?
lol loved it!
Oh, curious for more! 🙂
Uh-oh. A fool and his money…. Liked the pic, too!
I really enjoy the cadence of your writing. It transports me. Nicely done.
Very inventive theme and writing. What a motley crew. Love the seraph image!
Oh my. Chum’s got his number (maybe). Great hook. I want to enjoy the card game!
your humour and action descriptions are perfect. By the way I still need help with that thingy I sent you..
Oh very nice! I can absolutely see them sitting at the table. You have me so curious about them. I like how you’re handing out glimpses into their characters in small doses.
I loved the snippet so much. It made me chuckle. The seraph loving the antechamber of hell is such a priceless image!
Loved the line, “…he looked like a youthful seraph that had strayed into an antechamber of Hell and found it much to his taste.” I’m sure this won’t end well at all. Great hook 🙂
Love this scene. Great snippet. Hope to read more. (GH inspired me too.)
fun snippet! Good hook! 🙂 C.
This is NOT going to end well.