Page 9 of The Duke’s Reluctant Muse (The Untamed Nobles #3)

‘My sister is an excellent young lady and I can assure you, will never present anything less than her true character to you. I believe you were shown a little of that last evening, given her somewhat sharp – albeit justified – response to your words to her?’

Jonathan winced, recalling the very moment Miss Jeffries had lifted her chin and spoken with both determination and rebuke.

‘Though I can also understand Lord Dalton’s concerns, if you fear that you are never to truly know a young lady until the day you wed, then I worry that you shall never wed for all the days of your life! You must permit yourself to trust, even a little.’

“And how am I to do that when I am continually rejected by those in society?” Jonathan muttered to himself, pacing up and down the drawing room as he waited for his carriage to arrive. He had already read this letter once already but in preparation for attending the ball this evening, he had chosen to read it again for there had been a good deal contained within.

‘Might I suggest that your chaperoning of my sister might be what you require to step a little more into society? You are doing me a great favour, of course, but might it not also be of aid to you? If you chaperone her well, then society will see that you are trusted by myself and by Elizabeth. If you dance with her, then other young ladies will see it and might wonder at it. Elizabeth herself could be asked about you and I can assure you, she will only speak well of you. Though she does not need to know all of your present difficulties, she may be able to assist you more than you might have thought. Of course, I do think that you ought to apologise to her first, for whilst I appreciated your letter a great deal, it was not I who took the brunt of your harsh words!’

Jonathan sighed to himself, folding up the letter and setting it to one side.

“The carriage, Your Grace.”

With a nod to the footman, Jonathan made his way from the room and directly down the hallway, his thoughts still tumultuous. He was now aware that he needed to apologise to the lady herself, though he had hoped that the letter itself might suffice for mayhap, Lord Dennington would share that with his sister.

Evidently, it would not do.

If you fear that you are never to truly know a young lady until the day you wed, then I worry that you shall never wed for all the days of your life! You must permit yourself to trust, even a little.

Sitting back in the carriage, Jonathan let out a heavy breath and closed his eyes. That was what troubled him the most. Given all that he had endured first with his sister and, after hiding away from society, coming back with clouds around him still, he was not certain he trusted anyone. The warning from Lord Dalton had truly affected him, making him see the young ladies in a new – but possibly clearer – light. Could he try to trust even one young lady?

“And could that young lady be Miss Jeffries?” Muttering aloud, Jonathan opened his eyes and looked out of the window at the dark London street. She had, he had to admit, spoken quite sharply to him and without any hesitation when it had come to doing so either. Most other young ladies, he presumed, would not have done so. They would have turned away and, mayhap thereafter, spoken about him to others so that rumors might spread.

I can only pray that she will not do the same.

There was no joy in his heart as he stepped out of the carriage and made his way into Almacks. He had no real desire to be there but neither could he hide himself away, he knew. He had to find a way to bring himself back into society, had to make sure that he could find himself a bride one way or another. The family line had to be continued and this was the only way he could go about it!

“Good evening, good evening.” Jonathan forced a smile to his face that he did not feel, looking from one guest to the next as he meandered slowly through the crowd, attempting to appear as genial as he could. There were still the same sidelong glances, the whispers which came from one person to the next and that sent nervousness slithering into Jonathan’s stomach. Could they not see that he was doing his best to smooth over his prior mistakes with the three young ladies he had pursued? Could they not understand that what he had done in the past as regarded his sister ought to be left there? Society seemed to cling to such things, like a wild animal that will not let go of its prey… and he was still tight in society’s jaws.

“Your Grace!”

Jonathan jumped back, having knocked into someone he had not seen approaching. “Forgive me, the crush is so great that… ” Looking down, he saw Miss Jeffries’ face twisted in pain, her eyes closed tightly. “Miss Jeffries, I am terribly sorry. Can I...”

“Your arm, Your Grace.” The whispered words shot towards him and Jonathan moved closer at once, feeling Miss Jeffries’ fingers tighten on his arm as she leaned heavily on his frame. A slow breath eased out of her and Jonathan’s whole being seemed to shrink inwards. Now not only had he to apologise for his foolish and unfair words the previous evening, but also he had to apologise for causing her physical injury!

“Can you walk?” He leaned closer to her, a light scent of lavender reaching him. “I did not mean to hurt you, Miss Jeffries. It was an accident.”

“I am well aware of that, Your Grace.” The lady opened her eyes and looked up at him, though there was a slight pallor to her skin. “Might you find me somewhere to sit? I am sure that, if you do not mind my leaning on you as I am, I will be able to walk.”

Jonathan nodded, his throat constricting as he began to take a few steps, sensing her fingers digging into his arm all the more. Heat rose in his chest, crawling up his neck and into his face as he saw two vacant chairs at the back of the room and led her to it, his eyes darting to her face every few seconds. Turning, he leaned down so she might sit without too much difficulty, seeing how her face twisted with pain again.

“What else can I do?” Panic began to claw at his chest as he watched her reach down to rub at her ankle. “I have prevented you from having a pleasant evening yet again, it seems. I am truly sorry, Miss Jeffries, I was lost in thought and was not looking where I was going.”

She looked up at him, her brown eyes darker than he had seen them before. “It is only my ankle, Your Grace. I am sure that it will recover itself soon enough with a little rest.”

“I should find your brother.”

“Please, do not.”

A hand on his sleeve made Jonathan start in surprise, astonished that she had reached out and grasped at his arm with such strength. “Why should I not?”

“I do not want him troubled.” Her hand lingered, as though she could force him to stay near her. “This is the first occasion he has attended in some days and I do not want him to worry. Please, Your Grace, do not go to him. I have gone over my ankle before and it has been quite all right within an hour or so.”

Jonathan hesitated, feeling as though he ought to go and find his friend regardless of the lady’s demands though, at the very same time, he felt the urge to linger. He did not want to upset Miss Jeffries more than he had already done.

“Then what can I do?”

Her hand fell from his arm. “You can sit with me until I recover. Then, mayhap, we might go and speak with my brother so that he can see all is well and discover that the reason for my absence is that I have been in your company. Since you are to be my chaperone when he cannot be present, I do not think that he – or anyone – will have anything to say on the matter.”

Jonathan blinked, a little surprised at the simplicity of the request but also at the firmness with which the request was delivered. The lady was quite decisive and determined – something that ought not to have surprised him, given what he had experienced of her the previous evening – and that, Jonathan recognized, was not something that many a young lady would make so apparent.

Mayhap I can trust her after all.

“Very well.” Sitting down, he cleared his throat and then settled his hands in his lap, not entirely certain as to what he ought to say. He had felt distinctly uncomfortable in her presence at the soiree given all that he had been worried about as regarded the young ladies of London as well as being distracted by his own thoughts and concerns so now, he was at a loss as to what to say. Guilt swarmed him, glancing at her as she let out a slow breath, fearful that she felt a great deal of pain still.

“You need not look so concerned.” Miss Jeffries lifted one eyebrow. “I am quite all right. The pain is fading already.”

“That is good.” Jonathan nodded then looked away from her, recalling the way that his friend had requested in his letter that he also apologise to Miss Jeffries. Mayhap now was the best opportunity for him to do so even though the desire not to do such a thing, to pull back and say nothing, fought hard within him. It was one thing to write an apology but quite another to look into someone’s eyes and say the words.

“Miss Jeffries.” Forcing himself to speak, he turned to look at her directly, a little surprised at the intensity of her gaze that he was met with. Perhaps she was already anticipating this from him, perhaps her brother had told her of his letter already. Looking away, he rubbed one hand over his chin. “Miss Jeffries, I must apologise for the way I spoke to you last evening.”

A flicker danced across her lips though other than that, she remained utterly silent.

“You were quite right to respond to me in the way you did,” Jonathan continued, a tightness in his chest as though every word was pulling the air from his lungs. “I can see now that I did not act as your chaperone in the way I ought to have done. I permitted my frustration over something else to spill over into the words I spoke to you and for that, I am deeply sorry.”

Miss Jeffries held his gaze steadily for some moments longer, saying nothing as she searched his face. Then, with a small smile, she answered him. “I do appreciate your apology, Your Grace. I have told my brother that I am more than willing to permit you to be my chaperone when required, given that you have recognised your mistakes.”

Something like relief swirled in Jonathan’s chest. “I thank you.”

“Though I shall also make sure to stay near you rather than wander away.” Miss Jeffries’ cheeks warmed, her eyes darting away from his. “I will not pretend that I did everything perfectly. I grew tired of your lack of interest and, having made a new acquaintance, permitted myself liberties that I ought not to have taken without speaking to you first.”

“I am not your brother, Miss Jeffries.”

She smiled at him gently. “All the same, I should have not walked away from you as I did. I think that our next outing together, whatever it shall be, will be all the better now, however, given that we have been honest with each other.”

Honest.

The word hit Jonathan hard. It was precisely what Lord Dennington had suggested, exactly what he himself had been thinking of and now, Miss Jeffries herself was speaking of it.

You must permit yourself to trust, even a little.

Jonathan took in a deep breath, then lifted his chin. “I do value honesty, Miss Jeffries. I think it can be hard to find it amongst society.”

This made her lips pull into a wry smile. “Indeed, Your Grace. I can imagine that having as high a title as yours must make things all the more difficult! There will be many in the ton who wish to be in your company and will do whatever they can in order to encourage such a connection.”

Jonathan chuckled ruefully. “I am not sure that everyone wishes a connection with me, Miss Jeffries. Though you are right in suggesting that there is a good deal of pretence.” His lips flattened, his brow furrowing. “It is that which I struggle with the most.”

“I can well understand that.” Her gaze softened as Jonathan looked back at her steadily. “Though I can assure you, you will find no pretence with me.”

Jonathan nodded slowly, trying to let himself believe that. “I do value that statement, Miss Jeffries.” His head tilted. “I am sure that you have heard a good deal of rumour about me also, though I must hope that your brother has balanced that out a little!”

She nodded. “Of course. And I am not inclined towards gossip, just as Dennington is not. Though,” she continued, a sudden gleam in her eyes, “I should warn you to say nothing of any import in front of my new friend, Lady Annette.” Miss Jeffries sent him a small smile. “She spoke to me of you earlier and some of the rumours she had heard, though she did say that she knows gossip ought not to be pursued.”

A wry chuckle escaped Jonathan’s lips, nodding as he did so. “I appreciate the warning, Miss Jeffries. I intend to be very careful and cautious in society regardless, though I shall take extra care around Lady Annette.” He considered her for a moment, realizing that she already had heard some of the rumors from society about him, had heard the whispers that involved him. Did that mean that she believed them?

“Might you take me to my brother now, Your Grace?” Miss Jeffries rose to her feet, a tiny wince crossing her expression though she tried to hide it with a smile.

“Your ankle still pains you?” On his feet, Jonathan came towards her at once, offering her his arm. “I am truly sorry.”

“It is not nearly as painful as it was, I can assure you.” With a smile quickly replacing the wince, she took his arm again but, much to Jonathan’s relief, without grasping it as strongly as before. “It is not the first time I have done such a thing.”

“But you will not be able to dance.”

She looked up at him. “I am sure I will be able to but even if I cannot, there are many other things that one can do at a ball which will bring a good deal of enjoyment all the same. Conversation, for example?”

Jonathan returned her smile with a brief one of his own, seeing now just how different things were between the two of them. At the soiree, he had felt uncomfortable and tense, stepping away from her and losing himself in his own worries. This evening, he felt a good deal more at ease, recognizing the need for him to give even a little trust that the lady was just as she appeared rather than believing she held her true nature back from him. Indeed, it was because of the pain in her ankle that he had been forced into conversation with her but it had turned out rather well. It had meant an improvement in their connection as well as a slight change of his own heart and that, in turn, seemed to settle him in some way. No longer was he worried about what others might say about him, no longer was he glancing at the other guests, seeing their sidelong glances and letting nervousness twist through him. Instead, he was more concerned about Miss Jeffries, looking to care for her and make certain all was as well for her as it could be.

“I do appreciate your willingness to accept me as your chaperone,” he found himself saying, “despite my two failed attempts to be a decent gentleman!”

She laughed at this, surprising Jonathan with her reaction. “Your Grace, I am quite sure you are a more than decent gentleman. Everyone is permitted to make errors in judgement at times and I have no intention of holding that against you.”

“Then I am all the more grateful.” Feeling himself a good deal more comfortable in her presence, Jonathan smiled back at her. “I have been thinking – I did refuse your suggestion that we might both practice our conversation with each other but mayhap that was an unwise consideration.”

Miss Jeffries’ eyebrows lifted.

“We may not need to practice in the way that you suggested, but mayhap, if we are to spend a little more time together, such conversations will happen naturally?” A knot of worry tightened in his stomach as Miss Jeffries did not either nod or smile. “You, I am sure, do not need any further practice, however, but I will admit that I certainly do – as you yourself have witnessed!”

Her hand still on his arm, Miss Jeffries came to a stop, forcing Jonathan to do the same. She turned herself so that she was looking up at him a little more, as though assessing whether or not his questions were sincere or not. His stomach twisted all the more tightly as she frowned, wondering what it was that she was thinking.

“My brother has not told me all that has occurred in your past, Your Grace, though he said that society treated you most unfairly because it did not know the truth about some situation. That is why I have not listened to the rumours about you, why I have not trusted that the whispers that rush through society have any truth.” Her frown lifted. “The reason I speak so is because I can understand that returning to society has a greater trial for you than there is for myself. You may struggle with conversation because of the silent judgement of others but, if you still wish it, I would be very glad indeed to do whatever I can to assist you.”

Jonathan did not know what to say. He felt no anger nor upset that Lord Dennington had spoken to his sister, only gratitude that he had done it so that she might not believe any rumors. At the same time, he felt a slow stirring of hope in his heart, chasing away the anxiety that had taken over his frame for a few moments.

“If you do not, however, then...”

“No, pray do not take my silence for refusal!” Jonathan managed to say, a little embarrassed that it had taken him so long to find a response. “Miss Jeffries, you are very kind indeed. I would be a fool to refuse such an offer for the second time, so yes, I fully accept your offer of assistance.”

It took another moment but eventually, a smile spread right across Miss Jeffries’ face, making Jonathan’s heart leap up unexpectedly. “I thank you, Your Grace.”

“What for?” Jonathan wanted to know, thinking that he was the only one who should be grateful. “I am the one in your debt.”

The smile grew, spreading up into her eyes. “For trusting me,” she said, softly. “I am sure we will be of great aid to one another, Your Grace. I look forward to an improved connection and a happier Season – for us both.”