“Olivia waited fourteen hours to arrive, and Samuel came after twelve. Using simple calculations, I have ten hours until this babe graces us with its presence.”
“I do not think it works that way, my lord,” Jasper said, eyeing Cartwright’s wife, who, while in the late stages, made no show of needing to be whisked away to her birthing suite.
Adeline laughed, pushing Simon in his wife’s direction. “Do see to Jude. The evening is young, and I find myself in need of fresh air, and a stroll on the terrace before Lord Ailesbury and I seek the dance floor once more.”
If the man found it shocking Adeline had promised Jasper another dance, he did not show any signs of it. “Very well, I will take my leave, but please, there is little reason to upset Theo with news of Jude’s less than perfect health. This night means much to her.”
“Your secret shall not pass my lips. But do keep watch over her, Simon.”
“I endeavor to do exactly that.” With a quick embrace for Adeline and a bow to Jasper, Cartwright moved through the crowd to his wife’s side.
“A peculiar man,” Jasper mused.
“You have no idea how peculiar, my lord.” She slipped her arm into his once more and turned her bright eyes on him. “Now, the Melton gardens, while small, are beautiful under the moon’s glow.”
Chapter 22
The chilly night air, as they stepped through the open doors onto the terrace, was a balm to Adeline’s overheated face, neck, and arms. It had nothing to do with the ballroom being warmer than usual and everything to do with Jasper. His hand on her lower back, pulling her ever tighter to him as they danced. His stare on her as they conversed with Theo’s brother.
Every inch of her blazed with unbidden heat, and, at some point, that heat had changed to a deep-seated need. A desirous longing that she’d never experienced before.
One dance with Jasper was not enough.
An entire day would not be sufficient to keep her satisfied, her mind full of memories after Jasper returned to Faversham.
This night was their goodbye.
She’d known from the moment they left Kent Jasper would deposit her in London and his duty to her would be fulfilled. She should be content with the additional time she’d been allowed to spend with him; though it only seemed to make her want him more.
It had taken but a brief moment to realize the shiver running down her body, the flutter in her stomach, the tightening in her chest was due to one thing.
One complex, all-consuming emotion.
Love.
It went far beyond mere infatuation.
It would not be dampened or diluted by giving in to a lustful tryst. Or satisfied by a harmless walk in the park or ices at Samson’s.
No, this sensation coursing through her, driving her every move, pushing her to claim Jasper as hers would not be easily ignored or assuaged.
His presence in London had made it clear why Adeline hadn’t met a man who captured her notice beyond a mere glance. No man of her acquaintance held a candle to Jasper. None were as loyal, devoted, capable, courageous, and confident as the man who presently walked at her side. He stood—tall and proud—though she knew his every instinct told him he didn’t belong in London and among society; that his place was in Kent, hiding the burns that had nearly taken his life.
Yet, Adeline was confident in one thing: society would benefit by knowing Jasper. He would make London a better place, if only for her. The ton could learn much from a man who gave up finding his own happiness to serve those who’d dedicated generations to his family.
Adeline released his arm and walked to the railing separating them from the gardens below. Though she heard nothing, she knew he followed. She sensed him behind her as she placed her hands on the railing. The cold soaked through her thin gloves, sending a shiver down her back. The chilly evening air would not drive her back inside, however.
No.
The terrace was deserted, it being too early in the evening for others to seek the outdoors yet.
It was only she and Jasper and the strings of a light melody drifting out from the ballroom at their backs.
“Adeline,” he whispered close to her ear. The single word was enough to banish any doubt she had about how he felt about her. “I do hope you are enjoying your celebration.”
She glanced up at the clear, night sky. The moon overhead shone down on the gardens, creating shadows and darkening alcoves of privacy. Even the stars twinkled brighter than she’d ever noticed before. “Now that you are here, I am enjoying myself immensely, my lord.”
“I am certain it is not my presence that makes a difference,” he countered.
“You are correct.” She turned to find he was scant inches from her. “It is you who makes all the difference…to me,” she added, making certain there was no question as to her meaning.
Adeline held his stare, losing herself in his moss green depths. It was much like entering the woods at Faversham, the hue of his eyes matching the foliage as if the surrounding countryside had laid claim to him—and would soon demand his return.
Tentatively, she set her fingers on his cheek, allowing them to caress lower until they met his damaged skin. She could feel the warmth of him through her glove, more powerful than the cold of the railing from a moment before.
It was Jasper who broke their connection first, his eyes closing as her touch slid lower to his neck. She longed to remove his cravat, unbutton his shirt, and explore further what he kept hidden.
His scars did not reveal weakness, not in the least.
They proved his strength.
He’d lost his parents and cherished servants in that fire.
The people who should have been there to catch him had only labeled him a beast.
Adeline would not allow that to continue. Never would she allow another to force Jasper into the shadows; a forgotten man and something to be feared.
“I do not fear you, Jasper,” she confessed in a whisper. “Since the moment we met, I have become a different person, a better woman. I am far more patient and do not see the worst in every person upon first inspection. I owe that to you.”
“It is not only you who has noted a change within themselves,” he confided, his remaining closed. Could he not look at her when he spoke? “I have lived many years alone, and now I wonder what I have gained from any of it.”
Adeline could not let him stand before her with his emotions so bare. “It is because of you I can think of understanding a situation as opposed to judging others for their choices before I know their reasoning.”
His eyes sprang open, and he searched her expression as if he thought to find she was misleading him in some way. He pulled away from her, his exhale labored, and her hand fell to her side.
But she could not allow him the distance, and so she followed him.
“Adeline…I—“
She gave him no opportunity to speak, to offer an excuse to flee or put more distance between them—either physically or emotionally. If this were to be the last night they had together, she would not let it pass without giving him some hope for his future, even if that future did not include her.
Jasper needed to know he was loved, that his years of caring for others had come full circle.
Standing on her tiptoes, Adeline pressed her lips to his. At first, neither of them moved, and Adeline lost herself in the warmth of his mouth.
She knew when he gave in, threw caution to the wind, and stepped closer to her.
Adeline did not question it nor give Jasper time to change his mind as she moved her lips against his and pressed her body close until they touched from chest to hips.
There was no line crossed, no warning given, no change in tempo, but suddenly, it was Jasper who commanded, led, tempted her further. His hands settled on her waist, lifting slightly, and her toes barely felt the ground beneath her. They were so close, she felt his heartbeat against her bosom as he claimed her lips, setting the pace as his tongue darted across her lower lip.
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She’d never kissed a man before, had never met a male worthy of a stolen embrace, but her body knew what to do as she parted her lips and allowed his tongue to explore. Every instinct told her they’d done this a million times before: pressed their bodies close, sealed their lips. And she could not let him go. Adeline’s hands clutched at his shoulders, kneading them as his mouth moved with hers.
This connection between them was more than the sum of them together.
He was everything, and without him, she would be reduced to nothing.
Less than nothing.
His need for her was evident in the hard length pressed to her midsection, obvious even through their many layers of clothes.
Did Jasper know she wanted this, too—likely far more than even he?
Heat coursed through her, pooling at her core as if it waited for something, but what, Adeline was uncertain.
Suddenly, something pulled her away from Jasper, their bodies stumbling apart, and her hands ripped from his shoulders.
But no, it wasn’t something pulling them apart, it was Jasper pushing her away.
Adeline found his stare in the darkened evening, and she searched for her answer, but his gaze was hooded as he hid from her and returned to the man he’d been for over a decade.
Jasper had not only kept himself physically hidden from others, but he’d also kept himself sequestered emotionally.
Did he not realize she would never harm him? Did he have no understanding of how he affected her?
She reached out toward him, her stare begging him to return to her, but he only took another step back. The light escaping the ballroom at his back cast a menacing shadow over her. His eyes were wild and frantic as his hands clenched into fists at his sides.
He appeared the beast his people claimed him to be.
But Adeline knew the truth of the matter…
Jasper was her beast.
And she would have him as hers, no matter the consequences or hardships to come.
Chapter 23
Every muscle in Jasper’s body tensed as light, melodic female laughter sounded at his back, followed by the deep voice of a man questioning what the commotion was on the terrace—the cultured London drawl so different from his people in Kent. His best chance for saving Adeline’s reputation was to keep whoever sought to invade their private moment behind him and out of view of Adeline, or more accurately, keep Adeline hidden from the gawking crowd.
His drive was to pivot toward the interlopers and demand they retrace their steps into the ballroom, forget anything they’d seen, and never breathe a word to anyone.
However, that would draw far more attention as the sight of a beast was difficult to forget in the country, and likely all but impossible when seen in a London ballroom.
Jasper took a calming breath, his exhale visible in the dropping temperatures.
Adeline shook before him, and he resisted the urge to go to her, to wrap her in his embrace once more and banish any chill that threatened her.
He hadn’t wanted to embarrass her, especially on her birthday. But this—being caught in his embrace on the terrace—would lead to far more than mere embarrassment. It could ruin her and her family. Make her name synonymous with compromised and unmarriageable.
Had she heard the rumbling of discourse behind him?
Her eyes widened, and she attempted to side-step him, but he moved effortlessly to keep her blocked from view.
She’d heard the laughter, too. The hissed questions about what was happening on the terrace. The start of gossip long before the guilty parties were even so much as identified.
Yet, no shock or terror showed on her face. Her legs did not tremble from the scandal that would soon follow if she were discovered as the compromised party.
“Perhaps it is time I depart,” he mumbled loud enough for her to hear, but soft enough so it did not travel to the people pushing out of the ballroom.
Her back stiffened, and her chin lifted in defiance. The same as it had when he’d forbidden her from accompanying him on his hunting excursion. The same as it had when he’d discovered she followed him into the storm and made her way to the plant despite the danger. “You will do no such thing.”
“Miss Adeline?” a male voice called over his shoulder. “It is you. But who is this man with you, and what abomination has marred his neck?”
Several females gasped at the man’s word—abomination.
Yet, Adeline appeared unaffected by their cruel reactions. Her shoulders straightened as if a decision had been made.
His chin dropped, nearly touching his chest as he suppressed the urge to pull his collar high, to hide his injuries from view. Despite his efforts, he suspected the light from the ballroom cast a knowing glow on his most visible scars.
It was too late to save her from the gossip that would come.
He had failed her, and all because he wanted something that was never meant to be his.
Keeping her stare locked on his, she stepped forward, a serene smile upon her lips, and slipped her fingers into the crook of his arm before turning to face the growing crowd behind them.
She straightened her shoulders, pressing tightly to his side as she stared down her nose at her guests. An odd term as they were looking on as if they were vultures circling before the kill.
A matronly woman fanned her face as if she’d stumbled upon a licentious display of flesh in the midst of a bawdy house, while a group of young women tittered amongst themselves, sending veiled glances in his direction. But it was the men who incited Jasper’s rage. They’d been gentlemen when they stepped through the doors of the Melton townhouse, but now, they appeared as wolves. Their lewd glares raked up and down Adeline as if she were their prey. Not a prize, but a target easily caught.
Blessedly, Lady Melton, with Lady Josie and Lady Georgina in tow, arrived on the terrace threshold and called for attention as they attempted to usher everyone back inside.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the card room is now open.” Lady Melton clapped her hands. “With only six tables, you will want to hurry if you favor a seat. And my dear husband, in honor of Miss Adeline’s birthday, has brought round several coveted bottles of fine French cognac besides.”
The men were the first to turn away, the lure of competition, money, and fine spirits enough to focus their sights elsewhere. However, Jasper did not doubt they’d keep in mind the compromising situation Adeline had been discovered in.
A growl threatened to escape him at the thought of another man thinking they could speak to Adeline about such a delicate subject—or coerce her in any way.
Jasper would not allow it, though he might well be helpless to stop them.
Within moments, he would be cast from the Melton house by Adeline’s brother, or worse yet, challenged over the woman’s honor.
He would not harm Lord Melton, but he would never back down and allow Adeline’s reputation to be questioned either.
She was the woman he would have selected as his wife, had that future still been available to him.
“I think this next dance is promised to you, Lord Ailesbury,” Adeline announced for all to hear as she pushed past the remaining guests and into the ballroom. She nodded to the musicians upon the dais, and they stopped their current song and began anew.
Jasper noted Lord Melton watching them as they stepped onto the dance floor, but that did not stop him from swinging Adeline into his arms. If she wanted to dance, he would dance.
Whatever she commanded, Jasper would do.
He was incapable of doing otherwise.
They began swaying to the smooth strings of the violinist, and before long, they twirled and swirled about the dance floor. Jasper could not take his eyes off her upturned face. Her smile alone was enough to hold him prisoner, to banish from his mind the coming consequences of their first and only kiss. Did she suspect the power she possessed over him?
A twinkle in her hazel eyes changed their normally olive hue to that of honey.
There was no hesitation on his part as he sank into their depths, relished the thought of living for eternity under her watchful gaze.
There were others on the floor, dancing so close Jasper feared they might collide and Adeline would be injured. Raising his stare from hers, he noted Lady Georgina and her husband, Lady Josie and a man who looked much like a younger version of Adeline’s eldest brother, and, finally, Lord and Lady Melton. Widening his stare, Jasper was shocked to see Lord Cartwright and his wife, moving at a far more sedate pace, also on the floor, and another woman, who was clearly Lady Cartwright…though not large with child.
They were protecting Adeline, and in turn, shielding him.
Did they think him incapable of caring for Adeline and himself?
Jasper had long been the man everyone relied on for their needs. He’d never been one to count on others for something he could do himself.
These people, they offered him a gift, yet it felt more like a decree.
Jasper turned his attention back to Adeline as the music swelled, and they moved effortlessly across the polished dance floor as if they’d paired one another on a thousand other occasions and in hundreds of similar ballrooms.
Too soon, the music came to an end, and so did their dance.
The musicians set their instruments aside and stepped off the dais as couples, each in turn, fled the dance floor. Young debutantes were returned to their chaperones, men disappeared into the card room, lords escorted their companions to the refreshment table, and a few disappeared onto the terrace.
All while Jasper stood frozen on the dance floor, Adeline at his side.
He need return her to her brother or Lady Melton.
He need depart with haste.
He need pray that scandal and gossip would not take root and destroy Adeline and her family.
Jasper would never forgive himself if he were the cause of more families suffering. As the only surviving Ailesbury, the loss of his servants in the stable fire had been his fault. It had been his fault children had been raised without their father and mother present. It had been his fault that even now his people could not look him the eyes, could not trust him to care for them, could not look past his scars and see the man he’d worked hard to become since the tragedy at Faversham.
Adeline Page 18
