Unable to control her reaction, she burst into tears. His words only solidified what she already knew, but it pained her so coming from someone else.
Quinn placed a comforting arm around her shoulders. “There, there. Don’t cry, Jenna. You know it makes me deuced uncomfortable when you cry.”
The note of pleading in his voice very nearly made her smile.
“Tell me what happened.”
“Only if you promise not to tell Sebastian,” she said with a sniffle.
He nodded so she recounted the events of that night, Stuart’s reaction to her request and the disappointment she felt. When she was through, he sat back with a grim look on his face.
“I don’t know what to say, Jenna. At least not what will make you feel better.”
“Is there nothing else out there?” she asked in a small voice. “Is this as good as it will ever be?”
If she could gain some reassurance from Quinn—some small boon of hope—she could forget about her crazy agreement with Grayson Douglas and resign herself to her future with Stuart. But the look of sympathy ringing her brother’s eyes merely drove home the hopelessness of the entire situation. If she didn’t follow through she may well never have such an opportunity again.
Her mind fully made up, she reined in her melancholy, and quickly steered their topic of conversation in another direction. It would be risky—she could very well be found out. But if she didn’t seize the chance, she knew she would regret it for the rest of her life.
###
“I won’t attend with him,” Jenna said stubbornly.
Sebastian ran a hand through his hair, a sure sign of his agitation. “Jenna, you are betrothed to him. It only makes sense that he would escort you to social events.”
She set her lips in a firm line. “Mamma and Papa agreed to let me spend the season in London before I married. That does not mean that I must have Stuart hanging after me at every function. Besides, I thought you and Quinn were escorting me.”
“She’s right, you know,” Quinn spoke up. “This was supposed to be her time to enjoy London before she married in the fall.”
Sebastian rounded on his younger brother. “I can handle this without your assistance.”
Quinn put his hands up. “As you were.”
Sebastian turned back to Jenna. “You are being unreasonable.”
She glared at him. “Unreasonable? I am not being anything of the sort.Idid not ask Stuart to come to London. He has no right to infringe on my time here. All I asked for was one season in London since I never had a coming out. Papa agreed and heneversaid anything about having to suffer Stuart’s attentions while I was here.”
“That is no way to speak of a family friend,” Sebastian reproached. “Papa had no way of knowing Stuart would also be in London. If he had, he would have approved of his escort. Heisthe man you are going to marry, remember?
Jenna sighed and slumped down on the couch. As soon as she’d come down from her time in her room, Sebastian had mentioned Stuart’s desire to escort her to Lady Lockhart’s ball that evening. She could hardly tell him she had no wish to ever spend time with Stuart, but she’d hoped he would understand her need for a modicum of freedom before she returned to the country and married.
“Can’t you understand that I want some time to myself? Time without Stuart, time without wedding arrangements and guest lists. Time to enjoy an extended stay in London for the first time. Why does everything have to involve Stuart? It is no insult to him that I want some time away from him and everything having to do with my marriage.” She bolted from the drawing room, unable to speak rationally any longer.
“Devil take it,” Sebastian swore. He dropped onto the couch where Jenna had sat and wearily rubbed his eyes. “This being the head of the family in Papa’s absence is deuced uncomfortable.”
Quinn poured a drink and handed it to his older brother.
“Thanks.” He slowly sipped then fixed Quinn with a pointed stare. “She’s unhappy, isn’t she?”
“Observant of you,” Quinn said dryly.
“Well, damn it, she doesn’t confide in me like she does you. How was I supposed to know she was so miserable?”
“Give her time,” Quinn said quietly. “She’ll come around. But stop shoving Stuart at her. Let her have her fun, attend a few balls. Do what young ladies like to do. Then she’ll feel better when the time comes to tie the knot with Stu.”
He hoped anyway. Their parents hadn’t done Jenna any favors by spending all their time at the family’s country estate. But Papa detested London, and they rarely made the trip to town. Jenna didn’t know how to play by society’s rules...yet.
He wasn’t convinced she would ever accept her marriage to Stuart, but he was careful to keep that observation to himself. Something about her quiet acceptance bothered him. It wasn’t typical of her at all. But then, he was the only one in the family to see her more impulsive nature.
