Page 119 of Kathryn

Becky grunted. “You do not think you should tell His Grace about all this?”

“No! You must have heard what Dulverton did to his last wife’s lover.”

Becky’s sudden blush told her that piece of gossip had indeed come her way.

“Dulverton does not know, and I want to keep it that way. The last thing I want to do is give him a reason to shoot the man.”

“No, no of course not,” Becky murmured, fastening Katie’s pearls around her throat. “Do you really believe Lord Jasper will stay away from you?”

No.

But if he did bother her again, Katie just might have to make him regret his temerity. An idea—a very bad, dangerous one—had been slowly growing in her head over the days since their meeting. It was the sort of nasty, punitive plan that would leave his arrogant pride in tatters.

Do you never learn?

Katie grimaced. Somebody should teach him a lesson.

Why does it have to be you?

“Your Grace?”

Katie looked up. “Did you say something?”

“I asked if you thought he would leave you alone as you asked?”

“I don’t know. If he is wise, then he will.”

“Wise men do not throw all their money at horses and cards and—and other things.”

Katie smiled at the other woman’s inability to say whores. “Having lived through my father’s depredations, I heartily agree.”

Becky set a hand on Katie’s shoulder. “Are you sure keeping the truth from the master is the right decision?”

“I hope so.” Because telling Dulverton about Jasper at this point was something she could not bring herself to do. Not now. Not when things were finally going well between them. Telling him that she’d lied about Jasper was something he’d never forgive. She just knew it. This was one secret she would have to keep to herself.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Katie was so happy it was frightening. As day followed day with no further word from Jasper, she found herself feeling lighter and freer than she had in years. Relations between her and Gerrit—not just in the bedchamber—seemed to get better with each hour that passed.

She should have known that such happiness could not last.

Katie was riding alone to the dig that morning as Gerrit had to spend the day ensconced with his man of business, who had traveled all the way down from London.

When Jasper emerged from the woods not far from where he’d met her the first time, Katie wasn’t especially surprised.

“I’d hoped I would see you today,” Jasper said, falling into step beside her.

Katie’s heart leapt, and it was not the good sort of leaping, either. The plan that had begun to grow in her fertile imagination—a plan she had tried to ignore, but which tantalized her with fantasies of humiliating Jasper as thoroughly as he had once humiliated her—pulsed in her head like a living thing demanding to be fed.

Katie had asked him at least once to let her be, and yet here he was. So, really, he deserved her worst, didn’t he?

“Here you are, despite what I said the last time.” Katie arched one eyebrow, allowing the faintest of smiles to curve her lips.

It was like hooking a fish in a barrel.

Jasper’s smile, which had been a bit strained, immediately grew—not so obvious that it would annoy her, just enough to charm her. Or so he believed.

“I had no other choice, darling.”