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Anna was petting the kitten, whispering to it, and the kitten was purring. Jasper imagined her running her hands over him, gently, just like she was the kitten, and he almost wanted to purr himself.

He shook his thoughts away. “Will you be keeping her?”

“Keeping?” She blinked her large beautiful dark eyes at him.

“Yes. I’ve seen a few of the other guests here adopt kittens. She does seem fond of you.” In truth, he was also growing fond of her. He was not certain when he had started to change his opinion of her. Perhaps when she had read the story, or even before, when she had scolded him for being so crass. She had fire and yet compassion, a mix that was both warming and gentle.

Anna would never wrong him, or so he hoped.

“She is a dear little thing. A tiny butterball.” She giggled.

“May I?” He crossed the room in three long strides and accepted the kitten from her. The little furball ran up his arm and promptly sat on his head before leaping back toward Anna, who caught him.

“Oh, she has no love for you.” Anna giggled some more, but then something flickered in her eyes, and she even stopped petting the kitten. “Jasper, there’s something I want to tell you.” She took a deep breath.

He almost started to smile that she had used his given name, but a knot formed in his stomach. Her tone was far too serious, her expression too bleak. Whatever she had to say, she did not think he would want to hear it. And while he could easily interrupt her and revert the focus back to the kitten, he did not. Better to hear whatever may be the bad news and go from there, before he got too ensnared by her looks, intelligence, and kindness.

“You can tell me anything.”

She winced and sat on the edge of the sofa. The kitten toyed with a piece of lace on her dress. “You won’t tell me what happened to you. Your mother mentioned you were in a bad place, and I would… I am sorry. That’s not…” Anna swallowed hard.

He kneeled in front of her and clasped her hands. “Tell me what it is.”

She was trembling, the poor thing. “I know how you feel about gossips and… You know of Aunt Augusta?”

Jasper pulled back, allowing his hands to fall by his side and thereby releasing his hold on hers. “You are she?”

“No. My mother is.”

“Your mother…”

“Please.” Anna jumped to her feet. “No one else knows. No one else can know, or else my mother’s position withThe Teatime Tattlermight be in jeopardy. I am entrusting you with this secret—”

“Is this why you wished to…” Befriend was not the word, but heaven knew if he could conjure up the right one. He was too upset to think clearly at the present moment. “You want to know my… issue… so that your mother could write about it—”

“Do not be a fool,” she snapped.

The kitten hissed, hackles raised, but they both ignored the furball.

Her features softened, and she wrung her hands, a look of horror crossing her dainty features. “I am sorry,” she murmured. “Forgive me. No. No, of course not! I told you so that you might trust me enough to tell me your story. And the reason why I want to know your story is because I want to understand the man standing before me. Because the parts of you that you have shown to me, I find intriguing and charming—”

“Me, charming?” He found himself compelled to believe her, despite everything. “Compared to the flirtations of Barnet with whom people continue to link your name?”

“Charming, yes, in a fashion. You told me you wanted to steal a kiss from me. What if, instead of being a thief or a villain, you could be a hero instead and receive a kiss freely given?”

He stared down at her, at the fire burning in her eyes, at the slender curve of her neck, at the perfect shape of her lips…

His hand shook as he raised it. His finger traced along her parted lips. He wanted to kiss her, he did, but he held back.

“I should not be here. If someone were to come in…”

At that precise moment, there was a knock at the door.

Anna’s dark eyes widened. “Do not say anything,” she whispered, clinging to his arm. “Perhaps they will leave and—”

“Anna, open up.”

The voice sounded familiar, Lady Emily if he had to hazard a guess.