“The latter.” Julia tried to sound unbothered. “Lady Violet was there. Insipid thing.”
“Is she?” Sarah blinked.
“No, I suppose she’s not. No more so than Lady Arabella.”
“You don’t like seeing him with anyone else,” Sarah guessed, “but you’d best get over that. After all he’s a—”
“A rake, I know! You don’t have to keep reminding me,” Julia said wearily. “Anyway, he left the party without her.”
“And suddenly, he wants to spend time with you again.” Sarah’s tone was mocking.
Julia shrugged, trying to tamp down any enthusiasm already building for another encounter with Jasper. She’d been doing well to avoid him before the Stridewells’ party, having tried desperately to eradicate him from her heart by thinking of him as a licentious monster.
Reminding herself of poor Lord Neville and of Jasper’s flagrant disregard for marital vows, she again successfully cooled her ardor. Calming her heartbeat, she considered. Just because she chose not to give in to his immense draw, it didn’t mean she had to skip the final ball of the year — as long as she kept her emotions under control in his company.
“What impertinence!” Sarah insisted. “I cannot wait to hear how you shall set him down in your response.”
“Oh,” Julia said quietly.
“Oh, indeed!” Sarah said. “Please don’t tell me you’re considering lowering yourself and letting Marshfield into your good graces once more.”
Julia shrugged. “I could lower myself just a little, only to find out what he wants. After all, it’s Apsley House! After the debacle at the Stridewells, I would be lucky to get invited to a public concert at Vauxhall.”
“Apsley House or not, what Marshfield wants is to have his way with you. He didn’t get it before, thanks to me, and that grates on a man like him, so he’s trying for another go round.”
Thank God her sister didn’t know she’d already been alone with the earl since then. Besides, until the fisticuffs in Jasper’s foyer, Julia had been prepared and willing to let him have his wonderful way with her.
“Did you just sigh?” Sarah asked.
“No.”
“I am sure you did. I believe you sighed over the wretched Earl of Marshfield.”
“Maybe. After all, he is amusing, good company, and as attractive as Adonis.” She might as well be truthful.
“But what good is all that when he’s amusing some other woman two minutes before and two minutes after you?”
Sarah was right. Instead of wondering what to wear to the ball, Julia ought to tell him to go to the devil.
But his kisses were so delicious, and his hands and his ... other parts were so—
“You just sighed again.”
“I did, didn’t I? I suppose the problem is I haven’t seen a spark in any other man this Season. Marshfield is the only one with dash-fire.”
“That’s because you have spent all your time in the bedrooms and dressing rooms of London’s finest lords and ladies, rifling through their jewels. Luckily, I have managed to get myself invited to Lady Macroun’s house party over the Twelvetide. I intend to return some of what you took.”
Julia sat up straighter. “That’s impossibly dangerous for you.”
“I know. It’s rather exciting.” Sarah had a little pink in her cheeks as if the danger pleased her. “In any case, having days to reunite the pieces with their owners shall certainly be easier than what happened last time. I didn’t tell you I was nearly caught and had to scuttle under the Marquess of Fairway’s bed with his ring in my mouth. And I quickly discovered his chambermaid is not nearly as good as ours.” She scrunched her pretty face as if reliving the dusty experience.
Julia’s mouth dropped open. “What if you’d been caught?”
Sarah raised an eyebrow. “I hope I am as careful as you.”
Julia ought to tell her sister how many times she had, in fact, been discovered, but she hated to receive another lecture.
“Besides,” Sarah continued, “you’ll never guess our good fortune. Four of your hapless victims will be in the same place. I’ll simply drop each one’s bauble in a shoe or pocket and they’ll think it was there all along. Even that poor old Lord Devonshire will be there, the one who made such a fuss in the papers about his ring going missing.”
