Page 36 of The Wallflower’s Great Escape (The Wallflowers’ Revolt #1)

T he door swung open so quickly it slammed back against the wall.

And there she was.

Georgie was standing on the threshold, one gloved hand lifted as if she’d been about to enter, her eyes wide and startled.

Jason’s own breath caught.

“There you are,” he said, the words coming out lower and rougher than he’d intended.

Georgie’s lips parted, and she blinked up at him, looking caught and…guilty?

“I’m sorry I’m late,” she said quickly, stepping into the foyer, her skirts brushing past his boots as she moved to stand beside him.

He let the door close behind her, still watching her, still feeling that restless tightness in his chest that had been there all afternoon.

He turned to the footman waiting by the door. “Send the coach back to the stables,” he ordered.

The footman bowed and hurried off.

Jason’s eyes stayed on her. “I was about to come looking for you,” he admitted, his voice quieter now, but no less intense.

She glanced up at him then, and there was something in her gaze, nervous, yes, but also…hopeful?

“I’m sorry to have worried you,” she murmured. Then, hesitating, she drew in a breath and added softly, “But I…wanted to talk to you too. Will you…come to my room?”

That stopped him cold.

He stared at her.

“Your room?”

Her cheeks flushed a lovely shade of pink, but she held his gaze and gave a small, decisive nod.

Jason’s heart thudded once, hard.

Well.

That was…unexpected.

But he managed to find his voice and incline his head.

“Of course.”

By the time she heard the quiet knock on her door, Georgie’s hands were already trembling.

She stood by the fire in a soft, pale-blue gown she’d chosen with deliberate care—nothing indecent, of course, but softer, lighter, with a neckline just a touch lower than usual and sheer lace sleeves that left her shoulders feeling bare and a little thrilling.

The candlelight caught the faint shimmer of the silk, and she pressed her hands to her middle, trying to calm her breathing.

She’d never invited a man into her private chambers before.

The idea alone was dizzying.

But she’d spent the last hour turning her friends’ advice over and over in her mind. Try it. Ask him. Tell him.

If there was any chance—any at all—of truly having something real with Jason, it had to start with honesty. And tonight, she was determined to try.

When the knock came again, she swallowed hard and called, “Come in.”

The door opened slowly, and then he was there.

And for just a beat, he didn’t move.

His eyes swept over her, and she saw his throat work as he swallowed, his gaze darkening just slightly as it returned to her face.

That single look—the way he seemed momentarily undone—sent a strange thrill through her middle.

She took a step toward him and nodded faintly to the bed.

“Will you…sit with me?” she asked softly.

His breath quickened just enough to betray him, but he nodded and crossed the room, lowering himself to sit on the edge of the bed.

She sat beside him, leaving just enough space between them that she could feel his warmth without quite touching him.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then she drew in a breath and said quietly, “I…want to tell you what happened at Madame Duval’s.”

His head turned sharply at that, his green eyes narrowing. “What happened?”

She met his gaze and told him everything—how the dowager had approached her, how she’d smiled that sharp little smile and called her a stray, how she’d said it wasn’t about Georgie at all, but about Evelyn.

She said it all in a quiet, measured voice, but when she finished, her hands had knotted together in her lap.

His jaw tightened visibly. “She said that to you,” he murmured, his voice low, dangerous.

Georgie nodded faintly.

“I should have warned you about my mother,” he said bitterly. “But I didn’t think she’d stalk you down like that. Make no mistake,” he added, his eyes hard now, “that was no coincidence she found you at Madame Duval’s. She meant to find you and say exactly what she said.”

Georgie inclined her head, though she’d already suspected as much. Still, it helped—more than she wanted to admit—to hear him confirm it.

He exhaled then, his shoulders slumping slightly as he turned to take her hands in his. And then—then—he said the most extraordinary thing.

“I’m sorry, Georgie,” he murmured, his thumbs brushing lightly over her knuckles.

Her breath hitched. And it occurred to her in that moment that no one, not her parents, not her brother, no one, had ever apologized to her before. Everything had always been her fault.

“I’m sorry for all of it,” he continued, his voice thick with something she couldn’t quite name. “I’m sorry I interfered with your life at that first ball. I’m sorry I abducted you on your wedding day. And I’m really damn sorry I strong-armed you into marrying me. But the truth is…”

He stopped and shook his head faintly, searching her face as though trying to find the right words.

“Somewhere along the way,” he went on hoarsely, “I began to fall in love with you. And I couldn’t stand the thought of you marrying Henderville. Only—I knew if I told you I thought I was in love with you, you’d think I’d gone mad and…”

His words faltered, but his gaze didn’t waver.

“What I’m trying to say,” he said finally, his voice breaking just slightly, “is that the reason I did it, Georgie—the reason I did all of it—was because I could tell what an absolute diamond you are.”

She stared at him, her vision blurring as tears welled in her eyes.

“Evelyn,” he said, his voice shaking, “was my sister. My younger sister. I was watching her one day while my parents were away and—” His voice hitched.

“It seemed as if I just turned my back for a moment and…” He closed his eyes.

Georgie could tell it was costing him a bit of his soul to relive it.

“I found her in the creek. She’d drowned. ”

Georgie rushed toward him and hugged him. “Oh, Jason. I’m so sorry.” She took a step back, sensing there was more he wanted to say.

“Yes, perhaps I started out wanting to save you,” he admitted, his lips curving into the faintest, rueful smile. “Hell, maybe there will always be a part of me that wants to save you. Because I love you. And the truth is—if you think you could ever love me back—I’ll wait forever.”

The silence that followed was full of candlelight and the sound of her heartbeat pounding in her ears.

She didn’t even realize she was crying until his thumb reached up to catch a tear slipping down her cheek.

Her breath hitched, and she gave a watery laugh, shaking her head softly.

“Oh, Jason,” she whispered, her lips trembling.

But she couldn’t say more…because before she could form another word, his hand cupped her cheek and he leaned in, and she found herself kissing him like she’d been waiting her whole life to do just that.