“I will come straight to the point of my visit,” she said with no preamble. There was little point in delaying the announcement.
“Would you care for some tea?”
She shook her head and willed him to be silent and listen. “Stuart, I cannot marry you.”
He lifted a brow. “I thought we had been over this already.”
“You don’t understand. I will not marry you. I am calling off our engagement. It was wrong of me to try and get you to do the deed. I am taking full responsibility.”
He sank down into an armchair and stared at her. “Is it the other man?”
She met his gaze without blinking. “I would be lying if I told you no, however, he has nothing to do with my decision not to marry you. I do not even know if I have a future with this man, though I certainly wish it.”
She moved closer to him, forgetting for a moment that she ought to retain her distance. Kneeling in front of him, she laid a gloved hand on his arm. “We wouldn’t be happy, Stuart. Though I have a certain fondness for you, I do not love you. I do not think we would suit well at all.”
Searching his eyes for anger, danger, malice or ill intent, she rocked back on her heels and slowly rose before him. All she saw was puzzlement.
“Very well, I see in your demeanor that nothing I say can sway you. I wish you happiness, Jenna. I do not think our fathers will be very happy with our decision at all, but perhaps that is of less consequence.”
He rose and stood before her. Then he leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “I do hope you can still regard me in a kindly light.”
She blinked in surprise and could only nod. “Thank you for understanding,” she whispered. “I must be going now.”
She turned and hurried from the room, confusion radiating from her in droves. Just when she thought she knew exactly who and what Stuart was, he managed to give her pause. She glanced back to see him watching her from the window. A shiver seized her spine at the intensity of his stare. Perhaps she was justified in her suspicions after all.
As she climbed into the carriage, she felt her anxiety evaporate like water on a hot day. She was free. Completely and utterly free. She had done it. No deception, no attempt to make herself the victim, she had taken full responsibility for the broken engagement, and now she was free.
Her euphoria growing by the minute, she gave the driver Gray’s direction, nearly shouting in her excitement.
She had the driver pull directly in front of Gray’s gate. There was no need to hide her visits any longer. She was free to see him and cared little who saw her.
She danced out of the carriage, her feet barely touching the cobblestone street. Hurrying to the door, she knocked and waited for Masterson to open the door. Moments later she breezed by his startled countenance, not giving him an opportunity to say whether Gray was receiving callers or not. It didn’t matter, he would see her.
“Is Mr. Douglas up in his room?”
“Yes, but...”
“Very well, I’ll see myself up,” she said gliding toward to stair.
“But, my lady...”
She ignored him and hurried up to Gray’s room. Her future awaited her, and she could scarcely contain her excitement.
Not bothering to knock, she swung open his door. He was standing over by his wardrobe fastening his breeches. His head came around when he heard her enter, and shock filled his face. “Jenna! What are you doing here?”
She smiled and launched herself into his arms.
He caught her and pulled her away from his chest. “Why are you here? Do your brothers know you are here?”
“Aren’t you glad to see me?”
“Yes, of course, but you shouldn’t be here.”
His body was stiff, and he held her at arm’s length. The welcoming light she’d always seen in his eyes had been extinguished.
She blinked in surprise. This wasn’t going at all like she’d planned. “I had to see you, had to speak to you.”
“Well, you are here now, so I suppose it won’t hurt anything.”
