Adeline

by Christina McKnight

  Her brow pulled down in concentration before she gave him a subtle nod of understanding.

  One thing he hadn’t prepared for, something that no amount of strenuous work or long hours poring over accounting ledgers could ready Jasper to conquer, was walking Miss Adeline Price into her family’s townhouse.

  Jasper gave George one final look—his silent plea begging for his driver to do something to make the coming confrontation unnecessary.

  “I will remain with the carriage, m’lord,” his servant said with a gentle tone. “Miss Adeline be a nice miss. I be sure her family be likewise.”

  Very well, Jasper thought.

  There was no need to turn tail and run. Even George had faith in him.

  He moved from his place by the carriage and held out his arm. Adeline responded by placing her hand in the crook of his elbow. All he could think about as he stared at her hand on his arm was the feeling of her bare hand from the night before—and how he’d pulled away far too quickly.

  All Jasper had need to do, was explain to Adeline’s guardian the irreparable damage that had been done to his carriage. Yes, the mechanics of it were simple enough to explain. Also, his presence in London was understandable. What gentleman of worth would send a woman off in a carriage alone when the risk of injury—or even possibly death—was great?

  His carriage could have been set upon by highwaymen.

  The coach might have thrown a wheel, or one of the horses suffered a lame leg.

  Miss Adeline could have fallen ill during her travels due to her time in the storm at Faversham.

  They were all valid concerns.

  Jasper repeated these rationalizations in his head over and over as they started toward the front door.

  “Do strive to become less tense, my lord,” Adeline whispered with a smirk.

  At her words, his shoulders only stiffened more. It had been many, many, many years since he’d put himself in a position to meet strangers. While his aunt had seen to new tutors on a regular basis, they were well-informed by the time they arrived at Faversham Abbey of Jasper’s condition—his scars, as it were—and they never appeared affected or taken aback by his injuries. Even the villagers had grown accustomed to his appearance and rarely shied away from him. Though never did they seek him out or endeavor to gain his notice.

  But strangers?

  Not only those he did not know, but also people who meant a great deal to Adeline…

  That should be of no consequence to Jasper; however, for some reason, it was a heavy burden to carry.

  What if they thought him a beast due to his visible scars? What if they determined he’d caused harm to Adeline? Or worse yet, what if they recoiled in fear and threw him from their house without a word, leaving him with no choice but to return to the safety of Faversham Abbey?

  That was exactly what he’d hoped for only moments before.

  Lifting his chin, Jasper stared straight ahead as they crossed the threshold into her home.

  He’d dealt with the jeers of the village children, he’d overcome the shame when villagers avoided him, and he’d even been able to look past Adeline’s first reaction to his scarred appearance. Certainly, her family’s opinion of him was of no consequence.

  “Good day, Donovan,” Adeline greeted the man who’d instructed the footman outside.

  “Lovely to have you home, Miss Adeline,” he replied with a curt bow before closing the door in their wake.

  “Always lovely to be under my brother’s roof,” she retorted.

  When the man’s solemn expression hinted at amusement, Jasper sensed there was a private jest between the pair he was unaware of.

  “Donovan, may I introduce Lord Ailesbury.” She glanced up at Jasper through lowered lids before turning back to the man. “Lord Ailesbury, this is the Melton butler, Donovan. He takes great care to keep all of us under control so as not to anger my dear brother.”

  At that, the man did openly smile, bringing his hand to his mouth with a cough to cover the chuckle that nearly escaped him.

  “Lord Ailesbury.” The butler nodded in greeting. “I cannot speak to keeping Miss Adeline—or her siblings—out of trouble, but there has not been a Melton child lost on my watch.”

  Both Adeline and the butler laughed softly before Jasper noticed her posture straighten and her eyes scan the foyer—the empty entryway.

  Peculiar, seeing as how Jasper expected to find her brother waiting for them, especially with Adeline having been delayed over a day at Faversham. Was the family not worried about her whereabouts?

  Adeline released Jasper’s arm and set her hand on her hip as her toe began tapping on the polished floor.

  “Out with you!” she commanded after a moment, and Jasper turned his attention to the area surrounding him.

  Besides him, Adeline, and the butler, there was no one else nearby.

  Jasper inhaled deeply and held his breath as he listened.

  Nothing.

  Not a sound could be heard in all the household, which struck Jasper as odd with so many family members in residence. It would be nearly impossible to quiet his own home to this extent, and it was only him and a handful of servants.

  “Do not make it necessary for me to find you.” Her stern tone had Jasper on edge as she tapped her foot several more times and let out an exasperated huff.

  He’d not known her long, but he suspected her irritation was a ruse.

  Finally, her frown turned to a smile as three identical heads of light brown hair popped around the jamb of an open door. Three sets of widened hazel eyes showing themselves.

  Jasper would be a fool not to notice the resemblance as the trio stepped fully into the foyer.

  Adeline’s siblings—or, at least three of them.

  “Lord Ailesbury,” she said, a spot of merriment in her tone. “May I introduce Mr. Alfred Price, Mr. Adrian Price, and Miss Amelia Price? As you can see, my father had a fondness for names starting with A.”

  Calling them children seemed off as two were nearly out of the schoolroom by Jasper’s estimation. Even the youngest was not far behind.

  “It is an honor to make your acquaintance.” Jasper bowed to Miss Amelia first, and then before both boys. “Your sister has shared much about you.”

  Three identical brows arched in question, and the group focused once more on their sister.

  “She didn’t tell you about Adrian’s tendency for sweets, did she?” the eldest boy, Alfred, asked. His intense scrutiny said that Jasper’s answer held much importance.

  “Of course, she would never share such a private matter,” Jasper confided.

  “What about Amelia’s habit of taking jaunts about the house in her sleep?” He elbowed his sister in the side with a chuckle.

  “I do not—“ The girl at his side shrieked as her face blossomed with embarrassment, a mirror image of her older sister, though her hair was shorter and her complexion paler.

  “A gentleman would never speak of such a thing, and neither would a proper lady,” he chastised the boy, yet kept his tone light. “And your sister, Miss Adeline, is undoubtedly a proper lady.”

  “Where is Alistair?” Adeline cut in, stopping the banter before someone’s feelings were injured.

  Jasper hadn’t any notion what it was like to have siblings—younger or older—but he could sense how teasing could easily get out of hand.

  The trio looked between one another, their faces draining of the joy they’d had at seeing their sister safely home.

  It was the youngest boy who spoke, the older two siblings avoiding Adeline’s stare. “Alistair and Theodora are waiting for you in the study. Brother is awfully cross that you dallied on your way home. I dare say you—“

  Adrian’s voice stopped as Adeline pushed past him and started out of the foyer and down an empty hallway.

  Jasper only paused a moment before hurrying to catch up with her. If her brother were vexed at Adeline’s tardiness, it was his fault. He’d been the one to send his sister
out into the England countryside in a decrepit carriage. If the man did not see that and still needed someone to cast the blame on, Jasper would take it. He’d been waylaid by the storm and unable to repair Adeline’s carriage.

  Either way, Adeline was not to blame for any of this, and Jasper would be damned if he’d allow her to be punished for something not in her control.

  Chapter 15

  Adeline did not slow for Donovan—or Jasper. But she knew both followed as she stormed toward her brother’s study—the butler because it was his duty to announce her arrival, which would not happen. And Jasper because she’d become very familiar with the heaviness of his footfalls. Though his pursuit did not slow her down either.

  Pushing the door open, Adeline sent it slamming against the wall, eliciting a shriek from Theo as she jumped from her seat on the lounge, dropping the book she’d been reading to the floor at her feet. Adeline’s anger subsided slightly when her friend—and now sister-in-law—smiled and rushed to her.

  Their embrace was as it always was: genuine.

  Much like everything about the woman before her.

  Theo pulled away, bringing Adeline farther into the room.

  “I am overjoyed to see you are safe,” Theo gushed, clutching Adeline’s hand. “I was ever so worried, but I see there was naught to fret over as you are home and in one piece. Isn’t that right, Alistair?”

  Adeline gave her friend’s hand a tight squeeze, signaling that Adeline was truly fine and was prepared to handle whatever mood Alistair was in before stepping away to face her brother.

  Alistair glared at her, his lips flattened and his hands folded on the desk he sat behind. His posture and stare were meant to intimidate her; however, Adeline had done nothing wrong. In fact, she’d been put in jeopardy because of him.

  “You are a day late arriving home, Adeline,” he said, staring down his nose at her, which she could only assume was made difficult by his seated position. “I gave you leave to spend one night at Miss Emmeline’s School, but that would have seen you home yesterday. Where have you been?”

  Adeline crossed her arms over her chest and matched his glare with her own, but she refused to give any explanation as to her whereabouts after leaving Arabella and Ainsley at Miss Emmeline’s School.

  “Theodora—with the help of Lady Josie and Lady Georgina—have worked tirelessly in preparation for your twenty-first birthday celebration tomorrow eve. They have been worried sick that something dreadful happened to you.” Alistair sighed, and the fight drained from him. Could it be that he wasn’t angry with her, only concerned over her safety? “But that is neither here nor there. You are home”—he took in her appearance from head to toe—“and you seem to be in as much the same condition as when you left.”

  Same condition as when she left?

  Certainly not. So much had changed. She’d met Jasper, hunted for true game, witnessed the rescue of a man in peril, and survived a six-hour journey in the confines of a coach with the Beast of Faversham.

  Conditions had changed greatly in the last several days.

  Finally, the news sank in. Birthday celebration? “My birthday is not for another fortnight.” She glanced at her brother as he sat back in his chair and then she looked to Theo, who could barely contain her smile.

  “If she had planned it for the actual day of your birth, you would have expected it, and the surprise would have been ruined.”

  “One could say the surprise has been ruined anyways,” she mumbled.

  “Be that as it may,” Alistair countered. “Theo and your friends—though for the life of me I cannot comprehend why they all are so dedicated to you—have been planning this celebration for months, and I will not allow anything to go awry.”

  Adeline wanted to inquire if that was because it was her special day, or if because Alistair would do all in his power to keep from letting his wife down.

  Odd that even if it were due to his commitment to Theo, it did not cause any irritation to bubble up within Adeline. A year prior, her brother’s attention and dedication to anyone besides her would have caused Adeline great hurt. At some point, that had changed. It may have been when she truly realized the love Alistair held for Theo, or it could have been the passing of her father. She was uncertain which, but it was a welcome change.

  An unburdening of sorts.

  “Come, sit, and I will tell you all about what we have planned for—“ Theo’s words cut off as she focused on something—or someone—over Adeline’s shoulder.

  Alistair’s stare also went to the threshold of the room.

  Jasper… Adeline had nearly forgotten he’d followed her down the hall.

  Her brother slowly leaned forward and pushed to his feet, his stare now narrowed on the door behind Adeline.

  “Alistair, allow me to introduce Lord Ailesbury,” Adeline said loudly in an attempt to remove some of the attention from Jasper and return it to her. “Lord Ailesbury, this is my brother, Lord Melton—or plain Alistair, as we call him.”

  “Lord Melton will do,” Alistair growled.

  Adeline had the urge to step in front of Jasper, blocking him from view. It was a ludicrous notion as he was easily two times her size.

  “Lord Melton.” Jasper stepped into the room with obvious disregard for his own safety. “I am sorry to announce that it is my fault Miss Adeline was delayed in her return to London.”

  Alistair frowned.

  Adeline never should have been so foolish as to allow Jasper to escort her in from the coach.

  “Dear brother.” She turned on her most charming smile. “There was a grand tempest in Kent, and my carriage broke down. Maxwell attempted to repair it, but the wind and rain made it impossible to see what the problem was.”

  “I was traveling home and stumbled upon Miss Adeline’s carriage. I offered her and her servants shelter from the storm at my home, Faversham Abbey,” Jasper continued, moving farther into the room. “I’d hoped to have the conveyance repaired and get your sister safely on her way home with all due haste; unfortunately, the damage to the carriage exceeded my original estimation.”

  Alistair looked between her and Jasper before glancing at his wife for direction.

  That was a new occurrence. It was rare that her brother paused to think before scolding and punishing Adeline for whatever he perceived she’d done.

  “When our carriage could not be mended, Lord Ailesbury offered the use of his traveling coach,” Adeline continued. “It was very kind of him.”

  “It was my duty as a gentleman,” Jasper said from behind her.

  Adeline kept her stare trained on her brother, trying to assess his reaction to Lord Ailesbury’s presence. He eyed the earl for a moment longer before nodding as the tension left him.

  Alistair had come to some decision. Whether it was in regards to Ailesbury’s presence or Adeline’s explanation of everything that had occurred over the last several days, she was uncertain.

  “Lord Ailesbury must attend the dinner party and ball tomorrow evening,” Theo announced, clapping her hands. “Yes, there is more than enough room for one more. And everyone will be enthralled with the tales of Adeline’s rescue from the storm.”

  The urge to insist that she would have been able to care for herself if Jasper hadn’t stumbled upon her was on the tip of her tongue. She’d been in little jeopardy of perishing during the storm. Certainly, she, with Maxwell’s help, would have been able to find themselves shelter to wait out the wind and rain. All the same, she had no need to downplay Jasper’s gallant arrival and assistance, though it had hardly been necessary.

  “That is very kind of you, Lady Melton; however, I must return home.”

  Theo’s lower lip pushed out in a pout, something Adeline had never witnessed the woman do. In fact, it was more the type of tactic Adeline would use to gain what she wanted. Why would Theo endeavor to keep Jasper in town?

  Alistair cleared his throat, obviously taking some unspoken cue from Theo. “Yes, I insist; you must rem
ain in London for the celebration. It is the least we can do to repay you for returning Adeline safely to us.”

  “As I said, I had no intention of remaining in London, and therefore have not come prepared with proper attire, especially the kind befitting a ball.”

  “But, you must stay,” Theo pressed.

  Adeline shouldn’t insist he stay, she was well aware of his past and his lack of interest in town life. It was completely possible Jasper had never attended a ball before. He had said as much. But that did not stop her from longing for him to remain in London and close to her.

  “There are fine tailors on Bond Street,” Adeline urged. “They can have an entire wardrobe prepared for you by tomorrow night.”

  “Unfortunately, I can attest to that fact and my sister’s firsthand knowledge of such matters. If it is a proper coat and trousers you lack, they can be commissioned without much fuss.” Her brother scrubbed his face, likely remembering Adeline’s selfish trip to Bond Street after their return to London for her first Season. She’d had nine gowns commissioned without her brother’s approval. Little had she known the financial consequences of her petty actions, and all to try and punish her brother for keeping such a close watch on her. “And, if need be, I can have a room prepared for you here. We are a bit cramped. However, with Arabella and Ainsley away at school, a room can be readied.”

  “Of course,” Theo nodded, her brown curls bouncing about her shoulders. “I will send for the housekeeper immediately.”

  Jasper held up his hand to halt her, and Adeline feared he’d decline their offer in favor of journeying back to the country where he was more comfortable. She should encourage him to return to Faversham—his people needed him at the Abbey and at Home Works. Any reason she had for wishing him to remain in London was not for his benefit but solely for her own pleasure.

  “I have my own townhouse on St. James. I was planning to make a stop there before departing London.” Jasper turned toward Adeline, and she knew his resistance was quickly slipping away. He had never mentioned a property in town; though it was not surprising as most of society maintained a residence in London even if it went largely unused. “I can remain in London for two nights, at least, in order to attend the party. I was unaware your day of birth was close, Miss Adeline. I would be honored to attend your celebration.”