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As soon as Thea saw that look in Jasper’s eyes, she knew she had to stop him before he did something he’d regret.

Returning to the parlor, she saw Captain Summerhayes standing and went to him. Without even waiting for an explanation, he

offered his services and the use of his carriage. Apparently, he’d heard some of the conversation. And when she saw that Lady

Broadbent’s complexion had gone pale, she knew that she had heard as well.

“Go, my dear,” the countess said stoically, then turned to the captain. “Summerhayes, this is a matter of great delicacy.

May I depend upon you?”

He’d bowed. “You have my word.”

Within half the hour, Thea and Captain Summerhayes arrived at the tavern.

Along the way, he’d told her that he would do whatever was necessary for her sake. And she was grateful that he was so matter-of-fact

and didn’t try to distract her with meaningless conversation.

When they drove into the stable yard, she breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Jasper’s carriage. If he was here, she

thought, then there was still time to convince him to let the authorities deal with the matter. What was more important was

seeing to the well-being of his family.

Thea was greeted excitedly by the huge Garmr, his red fur resembling gamboling firelight as he awkwardly hopped from his forelegs to his single back leg.

She paused long enough to pet him. And when he growled at the captain who’d come up behind her, she ruffled his thick hide and introduced Summerhayes as a friend.

It took a moment, but the wolf accepted this with a sniff of the captain’s hand.

Then Roly raced outside and threw his arms around her waist. “Miss Hartley, you’re here! I knew you’d come. I told Nan you

couldn’t stay away.” Then he looked up and his smile fell. “But Miss Trueblood...”

“I know,” she said, leaning down. “I wonder if you would do me a favor, Roland the Brave.”

“A course.”

“This is my friend, Captain Summerhayes. And I’m sure that he’s never met a dog as smart as Garmr—Thumper, I mean. Do you

think you could show him a trick or two?”

Roly stood taller, beaming. “You can count on me, Miss Hartley.”

She pressed a kiss to his cheek before looking over her shoulder. Summerhayes offered a nod of understanding.

Squaring her shoulders, she walked in through the kitchen door of the tavern. There were fires burning beneath two large pots

of water on the stove, the air hot and humid. Seeing Nan and David in conversation through the archway leading to the taproom,

she waved but didn’t interrupt. And when she reached the base of the narrow stairs, she could hear the low murmur of voices.

By the time she reached the partially open door of the lodging room, she overheard the tail end of Miss Trueblood’s account.

“...and when I spat in his face, he hit me with the back of his hand. I fell, hard against the hearth. Everything went

black and then...” She drew in a shaky breath. “The next thing I knew, I had the fire poker in my hand. I swung out and

struck him on the side of the head. He bellowed and came at me again. And I stabbed him in the eye.”

When Thea knocked lightly and no one answered, she took the chance of pushing open the door.

Jasper turned at once, bracing as if for an attack. His eyes were hard with rage, but cold, too. “You shouldn’t have come.”

She chose to ignore that for the moment and stepped around him. “I apologize for the intrusion. I’m Althea Hartley. You must

be Miss Trueblood.”

The young woman assessed her warily. She had a mass of hair the color of flames in a tumble around her head and shoulders.

But even it could not disguise the bruising along the left side of her face, the blackened eye, or the split lip. She wore

a rough woolen blanket draped over her shoulders, the opening revealing evidence of her torn dress, speckled with blood.

“Tempest,” she corrected.

“I don’t know if Jasper has mentioned me, but—”

“He has.” Tempest glanced wryly at her cousin. “Said your beauty was otherworldly and that your eyes were like jewels.”

Thea smiled. “He can be quite a romantic when he wants to be. But he can also be a bit abrasive at times.” In response, a

huff left his cousin. “Therefore, I wanted to offer my assistance, in whatever fashion. I imagine you would like to change

your clothes, and Nan is preparing water for a bath.”

Tempest swallowed, but hiked her chin. Then she nodded stiffly. “I would appreciate that. Thank you.”

Even though Thea didn’t know her yet, she already admired her determination and unwillingness to let what happened take away

her pride.

“Miss Hartley,” Jasper said sharply from the door. “May I have a word with you?”

Thea didn’t like the sound of that. Seeing a water pitcher on the side table, she poured a glass and took it to Tempest. “I’ll

return shortly.”

Jasper didn’t wait for her at the door, so she walked downstairs and saw him pass by the kitchen window outside. She rushed to catch up with him.

He stopped without turning to face her. Instead, he looked toward the low stone fence in the distance, where Captain Summerhayes

and Roly were playing fetch with Garmr.

“Whatever you’re thinking of doing, please don’t,” she said, curling her hand over his sleeve.

He blew out a lengthy breath. “You should marry Summerhayes. He is a good man.”

“This again. How many times do I have to tell you, I’m not going to marry Summerhayes?”

“You may need to.” He glanced down to her midriff before looking away again. “I was careless. Twice.”

She flushed crimson. “Stop it. You’re only behaving this way because you’ve had a fright, and rightfully so. I know how much

loss you’ve endured and what it has cost you. But you’ve battled this on your own long enough. You are not alone any longer.”

“You knew where this would lead,” he said. “I told you from the beginning, but you kept pushing. And now, our affair has reached

its natural conclusion. There is nothing more to say.”

“ Affair? ” She swallowed down her rising dread. “You’re just trying to distance yourself from me. It’s difficult for you to trust.

I understand that about you. But you must know that you did all you could. You even had men watching him.”

“It wasn’t enough. I allowed myself to become distracted.”

“This isn’t your fault, Jasper. And when this is over, because it will be over if you allow the proper authorities to—”

“ Proper authorities? Where were they when Redcliffe beat my mother then shoved her down the stairs? Where were they when he turned my uncle Jacob into a beggar? Or all the times that he has dismissed a physician from tending to my aunt in the hopes that she would be desperate enough to ask him for help?” He threw his arm out in a wild gesture.

“I’ll tell you where they were, in his pocket.

And without money, no man can stand against him unless he’s willing to—”

Even though he stopped himself, she knew what he’d been about to say. The unspoken words sent a chill to her bones.

“Unless he’s willing to do the unthinkable? No, Jasper. That is not the man you are.”

“Then you don’t really know me at all,” he said, his voice tight. “Marry Summerhayes, Miss Hartley.”

He walked away.

Panicked, she chased after him, gripping his hand. He tried to shake her off like a pesky fly, but she wouldn’t budge.

“You’re wrong. I do know you,” she said, tears stinging the backs of her eyes, clogging her throat. “I know that you don’t

want to rely on anyone because you’ve been let down so many times in your life. I know that the only people you trust are

those you’ve helped because you think you’ve earned their loyalty by doing something for them. But I’m going to tell you something

you don’t know about yourself. You believe that you don’t deserve love and affection on your own merit, but you do. You don’t

have to earn it. And you don’t have to go after Redcliffe to prove yourself worthy.”

“Stop.” He turned, wrenching free of her hold, his face lit with fury. “This is something I have to do.”

“Please don’t, Jasper. We can face this together. I’m only asking for a chance to have a life with you, and I’m afraid that

if you leave—”

“And how are we to live, hmm? Shall I make a house out of paper? Or will you write a script that we can live in, where our characters have a happy ending? Wait. You have a dowry. Enough for a small cottage,” he said, his tone dripping with mockery.

“And I am your muse. That’s how I’ll put bread on the table.

I’ll just trail after you like a lost puppy while you scribble in your little ledgers and Redcliffe destroys everything around us.

” He threw up his hands. “You’re not thinking like a grown woman. This isn’t one of your foolish plays.”

She flinched as if he’d struck her, the wetness along her lower lids spilling in two hot trails down her cheeks. The look

in his eyes told her that this was no slip of the tongue. He’d wanted to hurt her.

Then he stood there, hands fisted at his sides, bracing himself as if he imagined that she would attack him in return, or

plead with him again.

Had she been the same person she was a year ago, a month ago, she might have begged him not to break the fragile thing between

them. But she was different now. She had more self-respect.

Roughly, she swiped away the tears. “This isn’t who you are.”

“You’re wrong. This is who I’ve been from the very beginning.”

Her mind flashed to the first night he’d brought her to the tavern, and to those precious stolen moments in the early hours

when everything had changed for her.

Althea, I won’t allow myself to fall in love with you.

She’d been a fool not to believe him.

And when he chose to walk away, she didn’t stop him.