Page 25

His heart thudded as he handed her the bank drafts and watched her struggle to tuck them in her reticule.

“Don’t help me,” she whispered when he reached out to do just that.

She managed to stuff them in, and then rose.

“Do forgive me for interrupting you when you have guests, Your Grace. I shall not delay your return to your party. It is getting late, and I ought to be walking back before nightfall.”

“You walked here, Miss Temple?”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Lord Tenney listened attentively while strolling by a third time.

But Jonas knew he and Ailis had their scene well scripted.

“I must insist on your using my carriage to get you home. I’ll have Grimes order it readied. Do you mind waiting here while it is brought around? Grimes will fetch you when it is brought to the front. I do not wish to be rude, but I cannot ignore my guests.”

“Not at all, Your Grace. I am so sorry for taking up your time.” But her eyes implored him to wait another moment.

“What is it, Ailis?” he asked in a whisper.

“My mare is still in your stable.”

He nodded. “Ah, and as for that other matter,” he said, louder, “I shall send one of my staff around tomorrow with the other donation I promised you. Will that do?”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“Then I bid you good day.” He almost made the mistake of kissing her, for the gesture felt so right and natural. And did he not owe her kiss number five still?

She shot him a warning glance. “Get out of here…please, please, Your Grace.”

He laughed and strode out without another word.

God, but his heart ached.

Lord Tenney was still lingering beside the study, so Jonas shut the door behind him as he walked out in order to keep the man from wandering in and questioning Ailis.

One good look at her and Tenney would notice she was quite beautiful.

“Come have a drink with me,” he said, and steered the curious lord back into the drawing room, where the others were all seated.

It took a monumental effort to avoid staring into the entry hall to watch Ailis as she left.

Odd, but a piece of his heart seemed to be leaving along with her.

His heart was still in a tormented ache when he retired to his own bed for the first time in days later that night.

It was shortly after two o’clock in the morning when the card games ended, for most of the travelers were tired and many had escaped to their guest chambers after a late supper, skipping the card tables altogether.

But they would be refreshed by morning and eager for full days and nights of entertainment. Gad, how was he going to keep them amused for an entire week, perhaps longer if his stubborn-as-a-boar mother dared invite them to remain another week?

An entire fortnight with these people?

Inconceivable.

He undressed and slipped naked under the covers, inhaling the lavender scent of the freshly laundered sheets in the hope that a hint of Ailis might still linger. He was disappointed to discover there was not even a trace of her feminine scent left on his pillow covers or upon the mattress.

It was as though she had never been here.

Yet she had been, and his heart could not bear the loss of her presence.

How was he ever to return to normal now?

Which got him thinking about what he was doing with his life. The stillness of the night, this haunting quiet of the dark, did that to a man.

Having Ailis with him had been a revelation.

Oh, he’d taken women to bed before. This was not the revelation. What struck him was the unexpected splendor of taking the right woman into his bed. That was Ailis…and he had not even touched her beyond a few kisses.

He had a choice to make as he entered his forties and found himself sleeping alone in his big, empty bed. That choice had been simple before Ailis tumbled off her horse and shook him out of his comfortable routine.

A week ago, he had been content in his solitude. Resolved to his fate and set in his ways. Perhaps it was because the scars that marked his limbs and torso had convinced him to choose that path of isolation and keep things simple.

Yes, simple. No involvement meant no hurt.

But how could it be right?

After having Ailis with him these past few days, what had once felt settled now felt aimless.

His solitude, which he once equated with freedom, was beginning to feel like a prison.

This was due to Ailis and the way she filled his house with warmth.

She had done nothing but be here, occasionally keeping him company, offering opinions or merely speaking from the heart, but mostly just recovering.

Nonetheless, her presence brought about a profound change in the way he wanted to spend his days.

Was this not significant?

Of course it was, but did he dare do something about it when he was so scarred in body and soul? Those hideous marks all over his body were hidden by his clothing, but they were there and would be obvious when he undressed before a wife.

Would Ailis feel revulsion upon seeing them?

If anyone were capable of overlooking them and showing him nothing but compassion and acceptance, it would be her. Perhaps he would summon the courage to show her one day, for it was easy enough to roll up his sleeves and reveal his scarred forearms.

His doorknob began to jiggle.

He was not particularly concerned, because he had locked his door and jammed a chair against it for added security. But how galling to have to protect himself within his own home.

Sighing, he rolled out of bed to hunt in his wardrobe for his robe. As he wrapped it around his torso, he realized the garment still held the feminine scent of Ailis, that apple and honey scent that made him ache to taste her…and in no place proper.

He paused by the door, hoping whoever was attempting to get in would simply go away.

The doorknob jiggled again.

Then a soft grumble: “Drat. Mama, I don’t think he is in his bedchamber. Do you think he is visiting someone else?”

Botheration.

Lady Willa.

The mother muttered something he could not make out. Not that it mattered, for their plan to set up a compromising situation was clear.

What a pair of simpletons.

Apparently, his message to these debutantes and their parents had not been clear enough. What did they not understand about his warning that he would not do the honorable thing if put in one of those contrived situations?

Not an hour later, the Tenney sisters attempted the same thing. He heard their giggles along with the jiggle of the doorknob, and realized they were both offering to join him for the night.

This could not continue. He would have to lay down the law with his mother. She needed to control her friends and their marriage-minded daughters.

But what an indignity! A grown man having to scold his own mother—and having to lock his bedroom door because he was unsafe in his own home.

Lady Viola was the only one who had remained in her bedchamber. That might have been a point in her favor had Pomeroy not discreetly informed him shortly before breakfast the following morning that he had spent the night with the young lady.

“I’m going to offer for her hand in marriage, Ramsdale. Do you have any objection?”

Jonas gave him a hearty clap on the back. “You have my sincere congratulations. Not a single objection. However, it is her father you need to convince.”

“Will you put in a good word for me?”

Jonas nodded. “I doubt he will care for my thoughts on the matter, but I shall certainly encourage the match should he ask.”

One debutante out of the way.

Three to go.

He called his mother and Edward into his study shortly after breakfast.

When they arrived, he shut the door behind them and ordered them to sit in the chairs in front of his desk.

He stood in front of them, leaning against his desk as he folded his arms across his chest and stared down at their expectant faces.

“What in blazes were you thinking in choosing these supposed ladies to bring here, Mother? I thought perhaps I was being too cautious by barricading my door, but three of the young ladies came to my door last night. Three. ”

“Which ones?” she asked, not in the least appalled.

“That is not important. The fourth, by the way, entertained a gentleman in her room, which is the only reason she did not come knocking at my door last night.”

“They didn’t waste time, did they?” Edward remarked.

Jonas shook his head. “No.” He returned his attention to his mother. “Need I point out that their behavior rules them out as potential brides? The last thing any man wants is a wife who will make him a cuckold. How am I to trust any of them to be faithful?”

His mother nibbled her lip, fretting for a long moment before responding.

“But I thought you did not want to be burdened by a wife who will actually live with you once she has given you children. Is this not a perfect arrangement? You get your heirs and she gets to set up house in London and leave you in peace.”

Jonas grunted. “That sounds completely horrid.”

His mother sighed. “Then what do you want, Ramsdale?”

“To be left alone. Have I not made this clear enough to you? If you have bet on my marrying, then you have only yourself to blame when you lose the wager.”

Edward was sitting back, his long legs stretched before him as he listened to Jonas bickering with their mother. “I have placed my bet,” he said, “but I am not going to lose.”

Jonas nodded. “Then you know I will not marry.”

“Quite the opposite, my dear brother. I wagered like our beloved mother. I say that you are going to marry.”

Jonas turned to him in surprise. “Then you are certainly going to lose, Edward. Not to mention that in doing so, you will betray your friends who are counting on my remaining a bachelor.”

“I’ll make it up to them,” Edward said, sounding not in the least contrite.

Jonas frowned at him. “How? You do not have the blunt to make them whole.”

Edward laughed. “But you do. I plan to borrow it from you.”

Jonas could not help but laugh, much as he wished to remain serious.

But honestly, were all men plagued by such families?

He loved his mother and brother, of course. He also loved his younger sisters, who were both quite happily settled in London, married to fine husbands, and giving said husbands a host of children.

In truth, he could not ask for a better family, even though they could all be quite irritating. They claimed he was even more so, but he was the duke and had every right to be insufferable.

“Mother, let’s cut short this farce. You need to find a way to send those young ladies and their parents home.”

“No, I am not going to do it. You need to stop your holier-than-thou attitude and see these young ladies for the prizes they are. Granted, they were not taught the importance of a love match such as I happily shared with your father. Nor did I ever expect to marry for love, since ours was a negotiated arrangement. And yet it grew into a beautiful marriage filled with love and respect between us. These diamonds are excellent matches in every regard. And who is to say they will not grow to love you?”

“They’ll grow to hate me, is what they’ll do. If I marry, it will be to someone I can trust to keep her legs shut to other men.” He grunted as he raked a hand through his hair. “I am leaving the two of you in charge of entertaining our guests for the day.”

“Where will you be?” his mother asked.

“Seeking refuge at the vicarage. I’m going to look in on Miss Temple because she is another one with a mind of her own and is going to damage her shoulder by attending to church business when she ought to be resting.

” He took a deep breath. “I am going to invite her and her uncle to supper tonight.”

His mother shot to her feet. “You cannot.”

“Why not?” Jonas asked.

“The other ladies will believe she is their competition and…” She emitted a defeated sigh. “They might not be very nice to her.”

“Their competition? That is laughable,” he retorted, even though she had perhaps struck too close to home. “Well, good. So what? Let them think I am considering her, and we shall see their true colors come out, won’t we?”

“At the expense of Miss Temple’s hurt feelings?

” Edward frowned. “Is this the only reason you want her here? To give others the impression that she has captured your heart? But that is quite a low thing for you to do if she hasn’t, and now you are making her think that there could be something more between the two of you.

Giving her that hope is not only low, but cruel, especially if you are only using her to chase the others away.

You do realize you would be tossing her to the wolves. ”

“I’ll protect her,” Jonas said with a stubborn set to his jaw, for he would never let anyone hurt Ailis, and how could his brother believe otherwise?

Edward seemed unconvinced. “You cannot repel their onslaught once it begins. I thought you had a better understanding of this Marriage Mart business. It is cutthroat. Ruthless. Miss Temple will be defenseless against their attacks.”

“I am sending her the invitation. You underestimate Miss Temple’s abilities. I will make it up to her if anyone insults her.”

“And will you also make certain she understands you have no interest in her? That you asked her here to endure the mockery of others just for your convenience and nothing more?”

Jonas let out a heavy breath. “I’ll see you later. I have to get out of here.”

He strode out, leaving his mother and brother gaping at him. They began whispering between themselves before he had even made it out of the study. Obviously plotting something to do with him.

Were there not enough plots and counterplots going on already under his own roof?

“Grimes, have my carriage readied.”

The reliable butler regarded him with some surprise. “At once, Your Grace. Will you be riding out with company?”

“No, I shall be blessedly on my own. My mother and Lord Langford will attend to the guests for the rest of the day.”

“And should a guest ask where you have gone? What may I tell them?”

“It is no one’s business, that’s what you are to tell them.”

“Very good, Your Grace,” Grimes said with all solemnity, and remained watching Jonas as he climbed into his carriage a few minutes later.

“To the vicarage, Clarkson.”

It did not escape Jonas’s notice that Grimes broke into a wide smile upon hearing his destination.

Why? Merely because he was off to see Ailis? Why should he not see her when she was injured? And was it not his duty to see to her wellbeing?