by Georgie Lee
At Reverend Claire’s instruction, they faced him. While the Reverend spoke, Jasper was aware of nothing but Jane beside him, her fingers solid against his and her light perfume brushing his senses. She was as gorgeous, trusting and innocent as he was dark, experienced and dishonest, but if she believed in him then it was time to start believing in himself.
When Reverend Claire asked if there was anyone who objected to the marriage, Jasper didn’t flinch or peer over his shoulder to see if someone came forward. No one, not even his previous doubts, spoke up.
* * *
Reverend Claire drew out the silence as though he expected some objection, if not from the audience then from the groom. Jane studied Jasper out of the corner of her eye, wondering if he held any of the second thoughts he’d expressed to her the other day. But they were nowhere to be seen as he drew his lips to one side in a playful grin she matched.
Hearing no objections, Reverend Claire continued until it was time to exchange vows. With a seriousness to put her brother to shame, she faced Jasper, delighted to see him bring the same gravity to the solemn words. He’d already made one promise to her in private—to always honour her. Today, he’d make a few more for everyone to hear.
Then it was her turn. So many times Jane had been selfish in her wants, but it was no longer about her any more. Jasper needed her as much as she needed him, not only to build his business but to rebuild the part of himself Savannah and the fever had damaged. She raised her eyes to his, determined he see how seriously she took her vows to him, too. He gently caressed one of her fingers with his as if hearing her silent promise.
Then Reverend Claire called for the rings. Giles handed Jasper a small box and Jane shifted on her feet, eager to see what he’d selected for her. She gasped when he opened it to reveal a diamond larger than the one in his cravat pin set in a thick gold band. He slipped it out of its case and on to her finger, the weight of it making her eye him with a sly smile.
He cocked a self-satisfied eyebrow at her and from the corner of her eyes she noticed all the women in the pews shifting to get a better look. She tried not to smile too wide in delight. Vanity was a sin, but she didn’t care. She was wearing the biggest diamond in the church. Without waiting for Reverend Claire to tell her, she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him into their first married kiss.
* * *
Jasper escorted his new bride, who beamed like the morning sun, back to the Rathbone house and the wedding breakfast. A parade of revellers and well-wishers followed the new couple across the street and inside. Even Milton and his wife were there although they refrained from joining the receiving line.
Once the formalities were through, everyone went to the garden and the tables of food arranged among the rose bushes. A harpist played in the shade of the portico while hired footmen wove through the guests, offering champagne and headier spirits for the gentlemen. Jane was happily showing her ring to Justin and his wife Susanna when the clink of a spoon against a glass drew everyone’s attention.
‘To my son and his lovely wife.’ Jasper’s father’s deep voice carried over the garden from where he stood on the portico with Giles and Jacob. His nose was red, his eyes heavy. Despite it being the middle of the day, he’d indulged in a generous amount of Mr Rathbone’s fine Madeira. Jasper joined Jane as the entire crowd turned to admire them. ‘I can’t say I’m surprised to see you married, you two were as thick as thieves as children. One time, I caught them sneaking out of our house with a rope, threepence and a bottle of my best wine...’
‘Henry, I’m sure no one wants to hear such stories today,’ his wife gently reminded him, stopping him from finishing his tale of the morning he’d caught Jasper and Jane plotting to sell the wine and buy the pony Philip had refused to purchase for Jane.
‘I suppose you’re right.’ Jasper’s father rubbed his chin before he seemed to recall why he’d begun to speak. ‘What I mean to say is, you two were meant to be together and I can’t tell you how happy I am to see it happen at last. We worried about you, Jasper, when you were gone, feared you’d never make it home again, but you returned to us and to Jane.’ He raised his glass to them. ‘We love you both and wish you the greatest happiness.’
The guests raised their glasses in agreement. Jasper swept Jane’s lips with a sweet kiss and the guests applauded.
‘Well done, Jasper and Jane, well done.’ His father clapped before hurrying to chase down a footman with a full tray of wine.
Jane entwined her arm with Jasper’s. ‘He’s quite the orator, isn’t he?’
‘Indeed he is.’ The speech reminded Jasper of the many his father had given during family dinners and Christmas mornings as a boy, the ones he’d missed while he’d been away. Across the garden, his father spoke with some associates, confident and sure of himself despite his having imbibed a little too much. If he ever learned what exactly Jasper had made of himself in Savannah, and London, he’d never toast him again.
Beneath the clear blue sky hanging over the garden, and with the guests laughing and chatting, it was difficult to take his worries seriously. With Jane working alongside him, they’d have the club founded in a matter of weeks and he could stop living two separate lives. He might retain a percentage of the hell, but he’d have nothing more to do with its nightly activities, no extending of credit or having a hand in how any of the clients decided to waste their livelihoods. His father would never find out exactly what he’d sent his son to and what kind of man it had made him.
‘Jane, come with me.’ Olivia, Jasper’s eldest sister by ten years, hurried up to Jane and took her by the arm. ‘Lily, Alice and I have some advice we’re dying to give you.’ She led Jane off to join his other two sisters near the fountain along the back wall, welcoming Jane into the circle of married ladies. Olivia, with their mother’s fair complexion and lithe frame, talked the most, taking her role as eldest sister and potential marital mentor very seriously.
‘Olivia wasn’t so welcoming of Camille and Father wasn’t so effusive with his congratulations at my wedding dinner.’ Milton appeared at Jasper’s side, intent on bringing shade to the sunny day. He’d always been the most serious of the three of them, fretting over the consequences of their plotted adventures. He’d become even more morose as an adult. ‘But then you always did get the better deal.’
Jasper took a sip of his champagne to bite back the remark about it being his and his wife’s own fault they hadn’t received a warm wedding reception. This was not the time to start an argument. ‘I think you got the better end of the deal. I’ve seen horrors you can’t even imagine.’
A shadow seemed to pass over the garden until Jasper caught Jane’s eye. She flashed him a proud smile to drive back the darkness encroaching on him and he raised his glass to her.
‘There can’t always have been death and disease. There must’ve been something more thrilling to have kept you there for so long.’ It was the first sentence Milton had uttered to Jasper without each word dripping with condescension or jealousy.
Jasper studied Milton, seeing a hint of the brother he’d left and not the rival he’d become. ‘There was at one time, but nothing, and especially no one, there who can compare to here.’
None of the women he’d been with in Savannah, not the jaded widows who gambled as hard as the men, nor the bored planters’ wives who were eager to educate a man new to intimate nights, could match Jane. Her beauty was like deep water, not flashy or overdone, but steady, enhanced by her curves and the smooth fit of her dress. Her innocence called to him, as did her sharp wit and head for business.
‘Of course, I haven’t done too poorly.’ The brief moment of fraternity vanished as Milton puffed out his chest in pride and lifted his champagne glass to his wife who stood in the corner. ‘I’ve done well with Father, increasing his profits on more than one occasion, and I have a fine wife.’
Camill
e responded with a small smile before peering longingly at Jane and Jasper’s sisters while they continued to talk. It gave Jasper a better understanding of why Milton had chosen her over Jane. His wife held back where Jane strode forward and she wasn’t likely to show Milton up or reveal his weakness in business by exercising her strength. Milton might have avoided the challenges of a strong wife, but Jasper would welcome them, especially tonight. ‘If you’ll excuse me.’
Jasper wove his way through the guests to reach Jane, who stood now with Mr and Mrs Rathbone. Once beside her, he took her hand. He caught the slight intake of breath as he caressed her palm with his thumb.
‘Tell me about your cotton-trading business in Savannah, Mr Charton,’ Mrs Rathbone pressed. ‘My father was a draper, and I used to help him in his shop. I once knew a great deal about southern cotton. I’m curious to see how much I remember.’
Jasper’s thumbed stilled on Jane’s palm and her fingers tightened around his. He knew as much about cotton as Uncle Patrick had, which was nothing. He hadn’t expected Mrs Rathbone to be an expert. He racked his brain, trying to remember any of the conversations he used to overhear while pouring libations or slipping notes for more credit beneath the cotton-growers’ pens. Nothing came to him.
‘Don’t pester him with work, Laura.’ Jane batted her free hand at her sister-in-law. ‘We’re here to celebrate, not to be serious.’
‘Marriage has changed you already, Jane. You rarely ever pass up a chance to discuss business.’ Mr Rathbone regarded Jasper and Jane the way he used to when they were children and he caught them entering the house after being up to no good. Thankfully, Jasper’s mother approached and drew the host and hostess away.
Jane brushed her forehead with the back of her hand. ‘I see what you mean about lying to everyone.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me your sister-in-law knew about cotton?’
‘Because I haven’t heard her speak of it in years. I didn’t think she’d bring it up today.’
‘I might have to read up on the subject before our first family dinner,’ he joked, working to set her, and himself, at ease.
* * *
Jane tried to share in Jasper’s humour, but the brief interlude with Laura and Philip had left her shaken. Jane might have put Laura off the subject, but she’d noticed Philip scrutinising her and her husband.
My husband.
She stepped closer to him. Let Philip scrutinise them. She was a married woman now and he no longer had a say in her affairs.
* * *
It was dusk when the merry guests saw Jane and Jasper off in his landau. She could barely sit still beside him as the vehicle carried them from St Bride’s Lane to Jasper’s town house in Gough Square. In the privacy of the conveyance, she considered starting their marital relations early, but she didn’t want to shock the driver when they arrived at their destination.
Instead, she enjoyed the weight of his arm on her shoulders and the solid muscle of his thigh beneath her palm while they laughed about Mr Jones having tried to outdrink Mr Charton and failing.
Once they reached his house, he introduced her to his few servants, then showed her around the recently painted and repaired narrow rooms filled with the same gaudy furniture as his office. Like the furniture in the warehouse, it had belonged to his uncle and had come with the house. They poked into this room and that, discussing the minor details of housekeeping while avoiding the most important one waiting for them above stairs. They’d been friends for years and shared some of the most private events of their lives. None of those would compare to what was about to pass between them.
At last, with darkness settling over the house, they lit the candles and followed the housekeeper, Mrs Hodgkin, upstairs. Jane’s things were settled and away in Jasper’s room, her life at last completely one with his, leaving only the melding of their bodies to accomplish. At thirteen, she’d dreamed of this night, but as she’d watched him from the back of Philip’s landau as it pulled away from the Charton house, leaving him to his family and the ship that would carry him away, she’d never believed it possible. She held up her hand and the large diamond in her wedding band sparkled in the candlelight. He was hers and she was his.
‘Do you like it?’ he asked.
‘I do. It’s as overdone as the rest of your things.’ She motioned to the large, gilded four-poster bed from the warehouse, all but engulfing the room. It had been assembled and cleaned with a large mattress affixed to its sturdy frame.
‘Redo the rest of the decor if you like, but I assure you, by tomorrow you will not want to part with this piece.’ He slapped the post of the bed and it barely shivered, unlike her.
‘You’re so sure.’ She swallowed hard, suddenly nervous.
‘Incredibly so.’ He slipped his arms about her waist and the room constricted even more.
‘I hope you’re right. After hearing so much about the deed, I’d hate to be disappointed.’
‘You won’t be.’ He entangled his fingers in her hair, dislodging her curls from their pins as he brought his lips down to cover hers.
She gripped his shoulders and her knees began to fail. This was it, the moment they would at last become more than friends, but man and wife. She followed his lead, trying to match his moves as though they were engaged in a game of chess, but she soon gave up. All she could do was feel his breath against her cheeks, his hands gliding up her back and the anticipation engulfing her insides when he began to undo the buttons of her dress. Button by button he freed the silk from her shoulders until it dropped down over her hips to pool at her feet.
He leaned back to take in the curve of her waist beneath the stays and her breasts taut against the confining boning. Her skin tingled with the expectation of his touch, but instead he shrugged out of his coat and waistcoat before pulling his shirt over his head to reveal his captivating chest. He was all hers now and she was free to do anything with him. She touched his stomach lightly while he slid his hand up along the satin around her waist before reaching behind it to undo the laces of her stays. While he worked, he pressed light kisses to the tops of each breast, making her breath quicken before she inhaled sharply as her stays came loose and dropped to the floor.
The chemise billowed out around her as she stepped forward to caress the line of him, as curious about him as he was of her. Beneath his breeches she saw the evidence of his need and wanted to see more. She undid one button of his fall, waiting for him to stop her, but he watched with a crooked grin, his pupils as wide and dark as the next button she undid. At last the fall gaped open and she hooked her fingers inside the waist of his breeches. His chest expanded as her fingers brushed the smooth skin beneath while she pushed the buckskin down over his hips.
She followed them lower, coming face to face with his desire and wondering how she’d accommodate such a thing. She stood up fast, embarrassed for the first time this evening. He didn’t leave her to suffer, but gripped the sides of her chemise and pulled it over her head. She stood before him naked, her breasts heavy beneath his admiring gaze, but she made no move to cover herself. She trusted him to guide her tonight.
He caught her by the waist and pulled her to him again. Her breasts flattened against his chest while his member pressed hot and full against her stomach. He clasped her buttocks as he brought his mouth down against hers, raw and hungry in his need. With small circles he traced the line of her neck. She arched back while he dipped lower and lower until his lips took in the tender point of her breast. She cried out, digging her hands into his hair as she braced herself against the sensation his caressing tongue created deep inside of her.
Aware of the ache he’d raised, he slid his fingers down her hips, trailed them across her stomach and then slipped them between her legs.
None of the books ever described this! She rose up on her toes, his caresses pushing her toward something just out of
her reach. Then he withdrew and she moaned in frustration as she lowered herself, but he didn’t allow it to last. He gathered her into his arms and carried her to the bed, continuing to tease her tongue with his.
The sheets were cold as he laid her on them and then covered her body with his. He gently nudged her legs apart with his knees and settled between them. She gasped as he pressed against her and she opened herself wider to him, ready to take him in. He didn’t push forward but lingered there, painfully close and yet holding back.
She shifted her hips toward his, trying to draw him in, but he moved away again.
They’d been apart for too long, across too many years and so much sadness. She wanted to be one with him, to claim all of him as he was claiming all of her. She brought her lips to his ears. ‘Please, don’t draw away.’
He stilled in her arms. His heart beat against her chest and he rested his cheek against hers so she couldn’t see his face. She didn’t move, wondering if she’d made some mistake and if he’d slide off and leave her with the terrible, aching need in her body and her heart.
At last he rose up on his elbows. Sweat glistened on his forehead. ‘Are you sure you truly want me?’
‘I always have.’
He claimed her mouth with urgency, as if he could kiss her deep enough to erase their time apart. Then he brought his hips forward and in one smooth motion joined with her at last.
* * *
Jasper muffled her mouth with his, taking in her cries of pleasure as she took him into herself. He wrapped his arms tight around her, groaning as he claimed her innocence, selfish in his desire to have it and her. This was how it should have been years ago, with nothing between them, not her experiences or his, their lives intermingling in a way no one could interrupt. Her fingernails dug into his back as he stroked deeper into her, wanting to bring them so close they might never be apart. In the sweet entwining of her legs with his, he could feel her pulling him into her. She wanted all of him and he would find a way to give it to her, to be the man he’d promised he would be.