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Barrett blew out a breath. “Thanks for that, Roly.”

“You’re welcome,” he said in singsong as he bounded after Garmr.

Jasper laughed. It took a moment to realize his friend was staring at him. “What?”

“You were laughing.”

“ And? ”

Barrett shrugged as he walked back into the tavern. “And that isn’t like you. It’s just different.”

“Bloody hell,” he muttered and followed him. “Can a man laugh without everyone thinking the sky is falling?”

“I’m not saying it’s terrible. I’m actually glad that you’re happy for once in your life,” he said, ladling up two bowls of

porridge from the black pot hanging by the fire. Then he slid one across the trestle table to him. “And I think a certain

Miss Hartley might have something to do with that.”

Jasper feigned aloofness as he stirred his porridge, ignoring the fact that anytime someone mentioned her name a bolt of lightning

zinged through him.

“I’ve begun a new strategy,” he said, redirecting the conversation.

“To do what, exactly?”

The tip of his spoon dragged through the gray mush in a figure that strongly resembled the letter A . “To strip away Redcliffe’s power and influence bit by bit.”

Barrett slapped his hand down on the table, jostling the bowls, his mouth agape. When he recovered, he said, “Tell me everything.”

So, he did. Jasper revealed all that had happened over the week, what he’d witnessed for himself and what he’d overheard from

servants. There were similar episodes in store for his uncle in the coming weeks as well.

“I’ve been playing his game for far too long,” he said at the conclusion. “It needs to end. I’m not going to continue this way.”

Barrett’s mouth split into a grin and he slapped the table again. “You’re going to give up the disguise and marry the girl,

aren’t you?”

“You’re taking a gigantic leap from one thing to another.”

“But you didn’t deny it.”

Heart lodged in his throat with the last bite of porridge, he said, “I’m not required to deny such a ludicrous idea.”

Marry Althea? Him?

She deserved a husband who could be gentle with her on their wedding night, to treat her with the care she deserved. His own

experience had taught him that he was, most assuredly, not the man for her.

His first encounter with a woman had been at the age of fifteen. It had been another one of Redcliffe’s lessons in humiliation.

He’d taken Jasper to a brothel and locked him in a room with the proprietress, an aging woman with heavily kohled eyes, few

teeth and rouge on the nipples of her sagging breasts.

She’d cackled when she saw him. “My, but ain’t you a big boy. Come ’ere and give us a tickle.”

When he remained by the door, she’d come to him, naked, hips and breasts swaying. Then she’d touched him through his breeches,

her skillful hands summoning a reaction against his will.

He’d apologized for it even as she’d fumbled with his front fall and cooed over the size of him. Though he’d tried to will

himself not to respond, not to let his uncle win, when she’d turned and bent over in front of him, reaching through her legs

to guide him in, his body had other ideas.

The entire encounter had ended with embarrassing swiftness, her cackling laugh ringing through the room.

“Big boy, indeed,” she’d said, rapping twice on the door to signal for it to be unlocked. “If you ever learn to use that monster, you’ll likely split a woman in ’alf.”

Sitting at the kitchen table, Jasper thought again of Althea, how soft, graceful and delicate she was... and how he was

the exact opposite.

Of course, that hadn’t stopped his imagination from conjuring all sorts of fantasies about her during these weeks. But that’s

all they could ever be—fantasies. Only a fool would ever dream that a woman like her could be with a man like him.

Which meant that he was a fool.

Until he’d met Althea, he’d never felt so drawn to another person. She had something that seemed to wrap around his soul like

a rope that tethered him to her. No matter where she was, or how far apart, he felt that internal tug toward her, a constant

sort of gravitational pull as if they were destined to orbit each other. And without that orbit, the world would fall into

chaos.

“I don’t see what’s so ludicrous about it,” Barrett said, breaking into his thoughts. “You’re a gentleman and she’s a gentleman’s

daughter. And she clearly likes you.”

His heart started thumping erratically, and his lungs felt like he accidentally inhaled a hummingbird. And all from the idea

that she liked him.

Pathetic.

Frowning, he shoved the porridge away. “There are stages to this plan. On my birthday, the court will meet and decide on my competence. With Redcliffe’s word in question, I stand a greater chance of gaining control of my own estate holdings, minimal though they are.

Then, if all goes to plan, I will invest to earn more money.

Within a year’s time, I might be able to build a house.

Once I have a house, I can move Aunt Clara, Tempest and Iris out from under Redcliffe’s thumb.

After that, I will gradually begin revealing my true self to society.

And, perhaps, within five years, I will be able to think of marriage. ”

Five years. Althea would be married by then. Perhaps have a child or two... with another man.

Then again, if she were married, she would be out of Redcliffe’s reach, he reminded himself. But the thought did not console

him.

“As you see,” he continued, “any future with Miss Hartley would be a nearly hopeless endeavor.”

Barrett wagged a finger and had the audacity to grin. “You just said nearly hopeless . Which essentially means that you have hope. And that is definitely different for you.”

Jasper threw a spoon at him.

***

Later that day, Jasper rode out to survey the St. James lands, trying to escape that nearly hopeless hope that he couldn’t shake from his mind. But in everything he saw from forest to field, he couldn’t stop wondering what it would

be like if she were there with him.

He had to put the idea far from his mind. She would likely marry this year, not in five. And the sooner she did, the better,

he told himself.

But all those thoughts fled on Sunday morning when a messenger arrived, stating that Redcliffe was back in town.

Jasper raced to Lady Broadbent’s townhouse. Keeping an inconspicuous distance, he watched as the servants and the countess

filed out to attend services, one by one.

Yet, when he didn’t see Althea emerge, alarm sprinted through him.