Thomas grunted and clicked several more times, but nodded, his eyes wide and chin wobbling. His hand scrambled along the counterpane for hers, and she clasped it tight. She hadn’t seen him this frightened since she had rescued him from Bethlem Royal Hospital, and it put a deep ache in her chest.
The room had grown silent. While her friends knew of Thomas and his spasms and twitches, the others had likely only heard rumours about the man. In that moment, however, Maria couldn’t bring herself to care. She hadn’t intended for Jasper to learn of her brother’s place in her life this way, but either the man accepted Thomas for who he was, or he could go to the devil. As painful as severing ties with him would be…
Swallowing past the thickness in her throat, she bent to press a soft kiss to Thomas’ forehead. “I’ll be right here.”Always.
Thomas’ throat bobbed. “I came here bec—grunt, grunt, click, grunt—I came because—click, click.” His face scrunched in spasmodic twitches, and Maria smoothed back the hair on his forehead. The poor man’s spasms grew worse when his emotions were high, making it difficult for him to speak.
“Shh, shh,” she hushed. “Take a slow breath in, and a slow breath out. Breathe through it, Thomas. I’m here.”
His light eyes grew dark and tempestuous as he breathed slowly.
With a slight wince, Thomas tried again. “I came—grunt, grunt—because when I’d returned—grunt, click-click, grunt—from my walk to the haber—grunt—dashery, our door was ajar.”
CHAPTER19
Abewildering combination of emotions rushed through Jasper as he observed the interaction between Maria and Thomas. With every kiss, every stroke to the man’s skin and soothing word from her lips, Jasper’s body grew increasingly turbulent.
He’d come to the conclusion that the man was Maria’s brother—the very one that their parents had disavowed and refused to even speak of. Evidently, he and Maria had remained close.
And yet, even that assumed knowledge didn’t assuage the…Christ, thejealousyand abhorrent, boorish possessiveness that had taken hold of him. The familial affection that she shared with her brother didn’t impact how she might feel about Jasper, and yet… And yet, he selfishly wanted to keep her all to himself.
He ran a hand over his face and pinched the bridge of his nose before returning his attention to the events unfolding in the cheerful yellow-and-white bedchamber from his position against the wall.
“I came—grunt, grunt—because when I’d returned—grunt, click-click, grunt—from my walk to the haber—grunt—dashery, our door was ajar.”
A small gasp escaped Maria. “I told you of the danger, Thomas! My costume was not so important as all that.”
His throat bobbed once more, and he licked his lips. “I bolted the door when I left.”
Her horrified gaze met Jasper’s, then swung around to Miss Huntsbury. “Francis.”
A tremor of cold dread travelled down his spine just as the realization dawned that Mr. Roberts’ grunts were not due to pain. Had he a speech impediment? Or, perhaps he hit his head a great deal harder than…No. That couldn’t be it, at all. If it was something new, surely Maria would have shown concern. Indeed, the man must always have difficulty with speech.
“But why would he taunt Thomas before following him here and then shooting him?” Maria asked. “If Francis had wanted to kill him, would he not have done so at the apartments?”
“He didn’t want to kill him,” Jasper realized aloud, pushing off against the wall. “He wanted to frighten Mr. Roberts into leading him here.”
The emotions playing over Maria’s features tugged at something deep inside Jasper. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and offer comfort, to spread kisses along her puckered brow and tight lips, to ease her disquiet. It was distinctly unnerving, and he was at sixes and sevens over how to react.
* * *
Fear,anger, and confusion crashed through Maria’s chest. “Surely he would already know of these offices. He seems to follow us often; I do not see how it would be possible for him not to have seen it before.”
Jasper shrugged one shoulder. “Perhaps it was a message to you, then, letting you know that he knows where you are and how to hurt you.”
It seemed devious enough for the bastard.
“I’m—grunt—sorry, Maria,” Thomas said softly, shifting his prostrate position on the bed.
She leaned forward and gripped his hand tighter. “Please, do not?—”
“I ought to—click, grunt—have been more cautious—grunt—when I left.” He gestured wildly with his other hand. “I hate the—grunt, grunt—thought of putting you in danger.I brought your—click, click-click—costume and the—grunt—items from the haberdashery, but—grunt, grunt—I haven’t repaired it yet. If you—click, grunt—give me the items, I sh-sh-sh—grunt, grunt—shall begin now.”
Concern rippled through her abdomen. “You must rest, dearest.”
A guttural groan, followed by Jasper’s mumbled apology, came from behind her, but she ignored it.
Thomas shook his head vehemently against his pillow. “If—click—Francis remains a—grunt—threat, then I will make sure that your—grunt, grunt—costume is prepared for the—click—assignment.”
