Page 51 of Adeline

The pair of ladies flanking the duchess nodded in agreement, their heads bobbing up and down like a couple of chickens scratching for their next meal.

The duchess glanced in Jasper’s direction, her glare returning to Adeline quickly as if the sight of the earl at Adeline’s side had burned her eyes. “We must be off. Good day, Miss Adeline.”

“Before you go, allow me to intro—“

The women pivoted in unison and hurried off in the direction they’d come, cutting Adeline’s introduction short.

“You would think a duchess would be in possession of better manners,” Adeline huffed.

Jasper did not respond, only placed her gloved hand in the crook of his elbow and started off once more, following the trio of women at a far more sedate pace.

“Wait until Georgie hears how impolite her stepmother was.” Certainly, the woman had never been overly cordial with Adeline but never had she given her the cut direct.

Glancing sideways, Adeline tried to determine if Jasper noticed, but his gaze was trained straight ahead, his usual smile in place. If his back were a bit rigid or his steps stiffer than normal, Adeline suspected it was due to this being his first time encountering the lords and ladies of the ton in their natural habitat—London.

“Miss Adeline! Miss Adeline!” a young woman called, rushing toward Adeline and Jasper, leaving her chaperone hurrying in her wake. “What a wonderful surprise. I received an invitation—“

The woman stopped short, her sable stole falling over her shoulder.

Adeline searched her memory, but could only vaguely remember the girl she’d met on one other occasion.

“My apologies, I must be going…” The woman turned and fled.

“Good heavens, I have no notion what has gotten into everyone today.” Adeline turned to Jasper as he pulled his collar higher, attempting to cover his scars. “I have never met so many—“

“Do not allow them to bring you to anger.”

“I am not angry…” However, that was a lie, evident from the flush of her skin and the speed of her heart as it raced. “It is only that I do not understand.”

“I have had over a decade of such encounters—the jeers, the stares, and the obvious avoidance by people I once saw as friends.” He cleared his throat when his voice cracked on the last word. “It is not you they wish to avoid, but me. I can assure you, I am quite used to this.”

“Well, I most certainly am not,” she retorted. “I will speak with Georgie and her father about the duchess’s impolite behavior, and I will make certain the dark-haired woman is not allowed through our door this evening.”

Jasper chuckled, raising the hairs on the back of Adeline’s neck. “No matter what you do, you cannot change their actions, only how you respond to them.”

“It is not fair—“

“Life is never fair, Miss Adeline,” he said, pulling her close once more. Certainly too close for their walk in the park. “Besides, it rarely matters what you do or say, people will view you through their own distorted eyes.”

Adeline settled into their slow pace once more, careful to keep her gaze focused straight ahead and not making eye contact with anyone.

“You are wise, Lord Ailesbury.”

“There were many life lessons learned before I was taught to disregard the unpleasantness of others.”

“Who taught you?”

“My aunt and uncle.” He sighed. “After my parents passed, they came to Faversham to care for me, as I said. And their task was made no easier by the villagers.”

It was exactly what she’d been waiting for him to say, something to give her some insight into his past. She remained quiet, silently begging him to continue. She longed to know what had transpired between him and the villagers, and how he’d kept from falling into a pattern of cruel behavior.

“My aunt sheltered me from the hurt, the judgment, and the prying eyes of everyone who sought to harm the parentless boy who survived the Faversham fire. She hired tutors to see to my education at Faversham, my uncle instructed me on the proper running of an estate, and most of all, the pair gave me the love I desperately needed to recover from the devastation of losing my family.” He paused. When she glanced over at him, he swiped at his eyes with his free hand. “They created a safe haven for me at Faversham Abbey, though the cruel world lay only a short walk away in the village.”

“I heard them call you the Beast of Faversham.” She hadn’t meant to speak the words, hadn’t wanted to so much as think them, yet they pushed past her lips on a breathless sigh. “Even after you saved Grovedale.”

“Yes, well, there were others lost in the fire, servants who came from the village,” he said. “Eight people died that night, including my parents. Eight people I was too weak to save. And a handful of families lost someone they loved.”

“And they still take their anger out on you.” It wasn’t a question for Adeline had witnessed the villagers’ disdain for Jasper firsthand.