Page 13 of The Wildcat and the Rogue (The Shifter Season #8)

EWAN

The door to the dining room opens and Jane steps inside, looking beautiful but a little tired.

"Good morning," she says. "I didn't realise you would be here for breakfast."

I nod. "I don't have any meetings until this afternoon. Would you like to sit with me?"

For a moment, I fear she's going to say no, but she comes over to sit on the chair closest to me. A servant appears with her breakfast and disappears to leave the two of us alone.

"Did you enjoy your evening?" I ask.

"It was a little overwhelming," she admits. "There were a lot of people at Lady Ferrington's event, and I only knew Harriet. Sorry, Mrs Stoaly."

"Was she there?"

"Yes." She spreads some marmalade over her toast.

"You must have been glad to see a friendly face."

"I was," she agrees. "And she proved a useful ally. She introduced me to Lady Whitstripe."

My blood runs cold. "You didn't tell her?"

"What? No, of course not." She sets down her knife and takes a bite of her toast. "I know it is not something to share with others. She simply wished to introduce me because Lady Whitstripe sometimes organises events like the one I went to last night. I'm not entirely sure if that is something that will be of any use to you in your plans, but I thought it better to have the introduction and not need it."

"Jane..." My voice cracks.

"She was wearing the necklace," she continues, seemingly oblivious to my emotions. "The one from your pocketbook."

I raise an eyebrow. "You saw it?"

"It's a beautiful piece. Mrs Stoaly told me a bit about the situation behind it too. Something about gambling debts and Lord Whitstripe having lost it almost as soon as he won it."

"That is the rumour I have heard as well."

"Did you consider trying to make a wager with Lord Whitstripe to try and get hold of it?" She wipes some crumbs away from the corner of her mouth, drawing my attention to her lips and momentarily distracting me from the conversation with thoughts of what it would be like to kiss her.

I clear my throat and try to chase away the thoughts now racing through my mind. "I have considered it, but each time I try to engage with Lord Whitstripe, someone warns me against the dangers of gambling with him. I will draw too much attention to myself should I continue along that route."

"It is probably for the best. It sounds like Lord Whitstripe is not known for paying his debts."

"Indeed, and then I shall be owed and not have the necklace."

She picks up her cup of tea and takes a sip. "From what Mrs Stoaly said, the necklace is one of the only things that Lord Whitstripe has gifted his wife with, so I imagine she wears it a lot. Which could pose a problem for getting it from her."

"Hmm, unless we cause some kind of commotion," I muse. "I could unclip it without her noticing."

She raises an eyebrow. "Do you truly think that she won't notice her necklace coming off? She would have every servant on the lookout immediately."

"Hmm, perhaps you are right."

"I am. May I see your pocketbook?" There's a click as she sets down her teacup and holds out her hand.

I don't question how she knows I will have it on me. It is best not to leave anything that could be used to incriminate me lying around, even in my own home. I slip it out of my pocket and hand it to her, not even questioning whether it is a good idea.

She flicks through the pages and smiles. "There it is. Rosten and Sons, the jeweller. That's where you're going to get the necklace from."

I raise an eyebrow. "And precisely how am I going to do that?"

"By taking your new wife there to get some jewellery cleaned," she says. "Lady Whitstripe mentioned last night that the necklace was in need of cleaning, and there were several places where it looked as if it needed mending too. I would assume she wouldn't want that done by just anyone. Is there anyone you can ask to make a fake?"

"Glass can go rather far," I say, seeing what she's suggesting. "You think that we should find out when she leaves the necklace at the jeweller's and try to replace the real thing with the fake once it's there."

"It seems easier than trying to steal it from around Lady Whitstripe's neck," she points out. "And kinder. I'm sure she has her theories about where the necklace came from, and it is the one thing that makes her believe that her husband loves her. It isn't about the expense of the necklace to her, it is about the thought behind it. If she finds out it is a fake, she may even believe that her husband is behind it."

I nod. "That may just work."

"It is still a little cruel. But Lord Whitstripe should also be honouring his debts."

"As should my father," I murmur.

Jane reaches out and puts her hand over mine. "Don't you intend to do that?"

"As far as it is possible to," I promise. "Though sometimes, I do not know where to start."

"Selfishly, I would say with my mother and sisters."

I chuckle. "That would also be an easy place to start. The Season is nearly over, but perhaps you could invite them to stay with us already. We can arrange a presentation for your sisters to the Shifter Queen at the beginning of next Season. That should allow me time to prepare the proper paperwork and everything for their dowries."

"You were serious when you said you would do that?"

"Of course. Your happiness is important to me, Jane," I say earnestly. "More than that, righting my father's wrongs is also something I wish to do."

"You are not at fault for the things he chooses to do."

"Perhaps not. But if I had been more aware of what was happening, then perhaps I would have been able to protect you and your family better. For now, the best I can do is to protect you all now that I can."

She gets up from her seat and stands over me. Slowly, she reaches out to cup my face in her hand. I close my eyes, feeling her touch in every part of my body and yearning for more.

"You are a wonderful man, Ewan," she murmurs.

"I strive to be the best man I can be."

She swallows hard, and I open my eyes, finding her watching me intently. She begins to trace my features, starting at my hairline and moving down my nose, across my cheeks, and to my lips. There's a curiosity there, but also an intensity that I don't expect.

Slowly, she leans in and presses her lips against mine in a fleeting kiss that is over far too soon. I wait for a moment, wanting to ensure that she isn't going to be taken aback when I move again.

Satisfied she's fine, I get to my feet and pull her closer. "Do you know how long I've wanted to kiss you for?" I murmur.

"At least as long as I've wanted to be kissed," she responds, her words coming out a little breathier than I expect them to.

"You are making it hard to resist."

"Then why are you?" There's a hint of challenge in her eyes, but along with it, there is curiosity and an emotion I fear naming in case I am wrong.

I lean in and press my lips against hers. She kisses me back immediately, deepening the kiss when I wrap my arm around her waist. I'm aware that we could be walked in on at any moment, but I don't care. It is hardly a scandal for a man to kiss his wife, even if it might be frowned upon to do so at the breakfast table.

We break apart, and she looks up at me, her lips parted and inviting, wanting me to kiss her more.

The door opens, and I curse at the timing.

Jane pulls away and straightens out her dress. "I should get ready to go to the jeweller's," she says.

I nod, a little taken aback by the sudden change in topic and distracted by the ghost of her lips on mine.

She heads to the door, pausing before she leaves and looking back at me, seeming as if she's going to say something but not quite letting it slip out.

I reassure myself that there is still time for us to work out what our relationship is going to be like. All we need to do is take our time and talk with one another, and there's no reason I can't do that.