Despite society’s—and their parents’—assertion, Thomas wasnotmad. He was bright, amusing, caring, intelligent… And Jasper might very well fail to see that. In which case, the question of marriage would rather not be an issue at all, for an intolerant man she could not abide.
The warmth that had flooded her after their encounter swiftly fled, and she knew what she must do.
“Follow me,” she said.
CHAPTER10
Francis sat heavily on his bed as he gently peeled his shirt away from his skin. He hissed a breath as it tugged on his fresh wound.
“What have they done to you?” Sarah moaned, fluttering around him while she gathered water and cloth for bandages.
“It’s not so bad as all that,” he assured her.
He glanced at his shoulder, and while there was a fair amount of blood, the cut did not appear to be deep. The wench,Maria Roberts, had only dealt him a glancing blow, thank Christ. And she would unquestionably pay for it.
He’d been following the woman for the past several days, learning her routine—and her secrets. The naughty bitch.
Sarah knelt at his side and washed the wound clean, all while muttering obscenities. “You ought to move your plan faster, Francis. They do not deserve to continue living in their luxury. Theduke,” she spat, “his loathsome family, and his whore ought to all be stopped. It should have beenthemhanging from the noose instead of Miles. When they and my husband are gone, and you’ve taken the title and made me your duchess, they’ll all see…” She continued on her tirade, but Francis tuned her out.
He would, indeed, become duke once he’d dispatched his hateful relations and his agreement came to fruition. But Sarah would decidedlynotbe at his side. He appreciated her fiery hatred and need for revenge on his behalf, but she’d begun to consider this her own battle when it was so clearly his alone. The woman needed to calm herself.
And his cousins needed to suffer.
* * *
After a quarterof an hour of walking, the fog had cleared enough that they were able to hail a hack. Jasper thought belatedly about his carriage that might very well still be awaiting him outside the newspaper offices.The newspaper offices at which Maria works.
Hell, but that was still a baffling thought.
He glanced at her from across the trundling equipage, and his heart leapt.
The woman was truly remarkable.
The hack turned into Cheapside, and Jasper’s jaw clenched involuntarily. Soot-darkened buildings loomed over narrow streets while vendors drew out their dilapidated carts to resume selling their wares after the fog. Dogs and urchins roamed the filth-covered cobblestoned streets, stealthily searching for scraps of food.
Trepidation crashed through Jasper. Where was Maria taking him?
His curiosity was piqued, to be sure, but he had reservations about her safety in this part of town. Hell, this was very near to where he’d almost died at Francis’ behest.
However—his inner voice reminded him—she had managed adequately while he’d been following her, and they were in a hack, not his carriage. She’d led him on a merry chase and attacked when left no other option. His throat still ached from that blow, in fact. She also had her little dagger, which she’d smartly used to frighten off Francis.
His gaze drifted down to her Hessians where, even now, said weapon was hidden.Truly remarkable.
He closed his eyes and allowed his mind to replay those blissful moments in the fog. Damn, but she’d been warm and wet and more than he could have hoped for. It had been a long bloody time since he’d taken himself to hand, let alone had a woman do so. There were too many young ladies vying for his attention who were willing to put themselves into a compromising position and force his hand. He’d sworn that the last time a woman—a widow, at that—had conveniently forgotten to lock the door before launching herself at him would be the last—thank Christ he’d had enough sense to leave before the acquaintance she’d arranged to catch them had arrived. He’d since eschewed intimacy altogether.
ButMaria. He did not care a whit how public their interaction had been, because he knew that she did not wish to be with him solely for his money or title. She’d been aroused by him.Oh God, and she’d come so hard.
It made him want more touches, more kisses, moreMariawith a ferocity that left him breathless. He wanted to learn everything about her. Mayhap he would take his time with their engagement, spend time conversing with her. And, damn it, he wanted to make her come again, to watch her grey eyes turn dark and heated and to hear her cries of pleasure…
Jasper blinked, twisting in his seat and clearing his throat. He’d come only a quarter of an hour before; he oughtn’t become stiff again so easily.
“Here we are,” Maria said, gazing out the window and breaking through his thoughts. She turned to him, her brows drawn together in puzzlement as the hack rolled to a stop. “Are you well, Jasper?”
“Yes, of course,” he lied. He didn’t know if he’d ever be fully well after what they’d done.
She nodded and descended the step before turning to face him. “I’ll be but a few minutes.”
“Just a moment.” Jasper held out a hand to stay her. “We were just attacked by a man who the magistrateandHome Office assured me was no longer in London, and we’re in bloody Cheapside. Francis could very well have followed us on our journey; I’ll not sit in a damned hack while you go off alone.”
