<strong>Horatio Hawkwood</strong><br/>Character Sheet (http://up.servut.us/27294)<br/><br/>The darkly handsome (http://www.iballer.com/wallpaper/celebs/a_c/banderas/images/banderas1_800x600_jpg.jpg) southerner looked up from his cards, every fibre of his being exuded supreme confidence. "Your grace?" he said into the hushed salon at the very top of the Sinspire. The man opposite him quirked an eyebrow as he looked the other up and down.<br/><br/>"You seem very certain of yourself"<br/><br/>Horatio favoured her with a wolfish grin and shrugged. His elegantly tousled hair shifting just slightly - enough that a curl fell in front of his eyes. The only way he could look any more smoulderingly roguishly charming would be for him to be wet, or perhaps literally on fire.<br/><br/>"It is in the nature of matters such as this, your grace, I find such certainty helps"<br/><br/>The duke half-snorted, half-laughed in response. The others at the table were already folding, leaving a glittering pile of gold in their wake, the aim of the game. The pile in front of the Duke as clearly insufficient to buy into the hand. Instead, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a a rolled and elegantly sealed document. In response to Horatio's quirked eyebrow:<br/><br/>"A warrant."<br/><br/>"For?"<br/><br/>"You call yourself a gambling man,<em>Mister</em>Hawkwood. I assure you it's worthy of your time"<br/><br/>The knowledge that his false identity had been penetrated shook Hawkwood his core. He hadn't gotten this far, however, by admitting or displaying weakness. To do so here would be like putting blood into the water amidst a school of sharks.<br/><br/>So instead he carefully and deliberately laid his hand down. A round of applause erupted as the spectators saw that he had a full run of sabres. In exasperation, the duke slammed his hands down onto the table.<br/><br/>"Cheater! I demand satisfaction" he said getting to his feet.<br/><br/>"Which is<em>exactly</em>what Lottie said" Hawkwood responded as he reached forward to scoop up his winnings. In doing so, an embroidered handkerchief fell from his sleeve - one embroidered with the initials of the Duke's wife.<br/><br/>The room erupted into gasps of shock. The Duke - a bull of a man - pulled himself to his feet, sending the table flying. Rather than scooping up a handful of coins and gems, Horatio's fingers instead closed around the rich vellum of the warrant. Deftly putting it into his jacket pocket, he ducked just in time to avoid the Duke's ham-like fist.<br/><br/>Elegantly leaping back up onto his chair, he gave a very suave bow (causing no fewer than four swoons) before turning for the stairs. "Good day, ladies and gentlemen. I fear I have outstayed my welcome"<br/><br/>With that, he vanished into the rapidly developing scrum of people desperately snatching coins and semi-precious stones scattered to the floor.<br/><br/>