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“Children,” droned their mother from behind her newspaper.

“Rosie is at her mother’s,” Jasper said. “Not that it’s any business of yours.”

“And I thought I might stay for the gymkhana today, not that it’s any business of yours,” said Jem.

Their mother lowered her newspaper. “Honestly, the two of you will be the death of me. It’s ten thirty in the morning, do I really have to deal with you two snapping away like children? I’ll send you back to school early.”

Jasper grinned at his mother. “Mother, darling, we’re all grown up and there’s no shipping us off to boarding school so you can ride in peace anymore.”

“Then act like it,” their mother snapped back.

Jem stuck her tongue out at Jasper who returned the favor. God, she hated him. No, he was her brother, her older brother, she didn’t hate him exactly. She just… no, never mind. She hated him.

“Won’t do you any good hanging around all those old lezzie horsey women anyway,” Jasper said, biting into his apple. “You want to get yourself married, start popping out children. It’s what you’re here for.”

Deep breaths. Deep breaths. She couldn’t make any excuses for him. He was an arrogant little twat and always had been. He was cruel, spoiled and had few redeeming features. The homophobic slurs were getting worse though. Bad enough now that she always had a faint shudder at the thought that perhaps he knew something.

Perhaps Rolly had spilled her secret.

Except Rolly would never do that. Would he?

“You’re quite detestable, do you know that?” she said, finishing the rest of her porridge. She pushed the bowl away. Someone would clean it up.

“And you’re practically a spinster, do you know that?” Jasper asked, flicking an apple seed at her.

“For Christ’s sake, Jasper, go home,” their mother said, folding her newspaper angrily. “If you can’t say anything nice, then don’t say anything at all.”

“Ha!” laughed Jem.

“And don’t you think you’ve got the better of him,” said their mother. “He’s got a point. Getting you married off is high on my to-do list this year.”

“It’s not the eighteenth century,” Jem said, flicking her hair back over her shoulder.

“You’d be burned for a witch if it were,” put in Jasper.

“A fortune on your education and you don’t even have the faintest grasp of history,” said their mother, standing up. “Now get out, both of you. You’ve homes of your own to go to. I don’t want to see you until you can behave like adults.” She marched out of the room, her riding boots clicking on the hardwood floor.

“Love you too, mummy,” Jasper shouted after her. “You’re just lucky Pa isn’t here,” he added to Jem.

“Why? Because he takes your side in everything?” Jem said. “Because it’s easier to bully someone when there’s two of you todo the bullying?”

Jasper’s eyes gleamed deep china blue. Looking at him was disconcertingly like looking in a mirror, his face a masculine version of her own, with long, dark lashes and high cheekbones. “Pa spoils you, as well you know.”

She had to cede that point. Her father probably did spoil her. Not that he was around to do it that often any more. “Where the hell is he anyway?”

“New mistress,” sniffed Jasper. “Quite the looker as well, wouldn’t mind a crack at her when Pa’s done.”

“Jesus, you make me sick,” said Jem. She pushed her chair back from the table.

“Then come ‘round less often, there’ll be less chances to make you sick,” he grinned at her. “Porridge work on your hangover, did it? You’ll be alright to drive back to London then, won’t you?”

To be honest, her head was still a little cloudy and her stomach wasn’t entirely happy with the porridge. Still though, she probably felt better than she had any right to feel after the amount she’d drunk the night before.

“You really are an execrable little man, aren’t you?”

“Careful, careful,” he said, still grinning. “Only one of us will be controlling the family trust when Pa is gone, and it won’t be you. So play nice, baby sister.”

She snorted and got up. “I don’t know what Rosie sees in you,” she said. Her sister-in-law was actually quite lovely and her comment was an honest one. Heaven knew what pretty, kind little Rosie saw in monster Jasper.