“Hope and I picked some. We spent the afternoon in your woods. I put her to bed and walked again. Mr. Anthon kept an eye on me.”
Daniel forced himself to move forward, then he flopped on his bed. “So, what troubles you, my love?”
“Is this how you are when you lose a trial? Resigned and unfeeling.”
He was far from unfeeling, particularly watching how the gown draped her curves. “Not sure, Jemina. I don’t lose often.”
“You’re a strange bird, Daniel.” She rubbed her brow. “Hope said that you’re going to look at property this weekend forhorseys.”
Fluffing his pillow, he let his head sink into the goose down. “Yes, I’m getting a little bored with Town. A bigger house with no stairs will allow for more horses. They seem to come in handy for fast getaways.”
“Finchely is plenty big. If you fix up that barn or put up fencing, you could do that here.”
“I could. You could if it pleased you.”
“Don’t you think you’ve let me do as I pleased enough?”
With eyes closed, he folded his arms behind his head. “Why don’t you tell me what it is you’ve come to say? I’m listening.”
“I surrender.”
She sank beside him on the bed then clutched his shoulders, shaking him. “You want me to say it? I’m sorry I ran. I want us again.”
His hands slid to her waist, and he tugged her against him. “Must you be violent again? I thought we were past this.”
She curled her head into his chest. “I want you back. I want the man I banter with returned. The one always trying to protect me or Hope, even if I don’t want him, too. Not a man who’s given up on you and me.”
He clasped one of her hands, prying it free, nuzzling her calloused palm to his cheek. “It’s not going to work, you know. You can’t make me fearful, then make me crazy with yearnings, then leave me to my lone pillow. Not falling for it, ma’am. Go on about your evening.”
With her tight in his embrace, he’d said the foolish words but hadn’t let her go. As long as she wanted him, he had no intentions of ever doing so.
“You need more pillows. One for me, too. Daniel, I surrender.” She smiled at him with cheeks reddening. “I hate that you are the most patient man in the world or that you are so confident in our love that you’d let me float about Finchely trying to find my way.”
“Well, one—we both know you’d sneak out if I ever tried to dissuade you. Two—your daughter is here. Your affection for me might wane but not for Hope. Three—I’m the only lover you remember, that in itself are points four and five.”
Laughing, she collapsed atop him, and he held her as that wonderful noisy heart of hers slowed.
“Jemina, I know you only left to protect Hope. You’ve already showed me the lengths you will go to protect me. I can expect no less for Hope.”
Smoothing the lignum vitae from her hair, he smelled the flowers and put them on the nightstand, next to the letters he and Jemina exchanged, every one. “You’re in luck. I’m a little stubborn myself. Once I knew I loved you and that you loved me, it was a difficult thing to even think of giving up happiness.”
“I’m glad you chose wisely.”
“A wise man knows when he’s wrong, and I believe I know how to gain a final answer about Hope. But I will need to reach out to my former mistress for her assistance.”
To see the joy bubble in her face only to wither with the mention of Lavinia jarred him. “What, my Lady Ashbrook?”
“I don’t want her near you. Give her no opportunity to injure you. We barely survived her last attempt.”
His gaze locked with Jemina’s, and he drew her chin to his and took her lips. Heaven and sorrow were in the taste of her. Such a shame when she’d had too much of the battle, not enough peace.
Hands to her cheek, he put them eye to eye. “You listen. I know a thing or two about avoiding snake bites. She can’t strike me twice, not with you at my side.”
“I don’t like this. And if she calls me Buckles again . . .”
“Lady Ashbrook, I didn’t know you were the jealous type.”
He grinned, and she fumed. He grinned more. “Lavinia will be the tool to catch bigger rats, Willingham and Mosey. From the pummeling I took at the ball, she and Willingham are in league. We already know that Mosey wanted to use the Lord Mayor to haul me away and leave you unprotected to the St. Maurs. Willingham had you committed. I don’t leave threats to fester. It’s time for the united Ashbrooks to finish this.”
