by Heather Boyd
Gideon inhaled sharply. “Are you that afraid of them?”
“No.” She shrugged. “Well, perhaps a little, but only in that if they say he wants to marry me, I am going to refuse on the spot. That would be awkward.”
“I won’t let Lord James corner you tonight.” He had no right to get involved, but he certainly could make a nuisance of himself. Title or not, money or not, Jessica deserved to be pursued for who she was, not how much money she might bring to any marriage.
Chapter 10
There was something so right in having those she loved most gathered together at Stapleton. Jessica was seated in her usual place at her father’s table, Gideon on her right, Rebecca seated opposite. Mama and Papa were next to each other at the end of the table, whispering as they often did. They proved that friendship and marriage went together so well.
Jessica was proud that they ignored the London trend. So many married couples there barely spoke to each other in public. That was the sort of marriage she had already vowed not to have. When she wed, it would not be just for her dowry. She wanted what her father had found with Gillian. She wanted to be loved.
Father had invited a few local families to join them tonight. The Hawthornes were there, as were the Forsters and Georges. All neighbors who shared a border with them, actually. And Gideon had kept his word and had never been very far away since his arrival. She was having the most marvelous time and enjoying her conversations with him immensely. They had talked of mutual acquaintances, Gideon’s plans for his garden, and the projected yield rates for the fungus grown at Stapleton Manor—but only whenever Lord James was near.
Now, the dinner was drawing to a close. He would be gone soon.
Lord James, seated on her left, cleared his throat. “I wondered if you might join me tomorrow for a carriage ride to the village. His grace has suggested horses but—”
“A horse ride is a lovely idea. Will everyone join us for a ride to the river tomorrow?” she asked, looking around the table. “We could have a picnic.”
“As long as the journey is not begun before dawn.” Lord Rafferty, a distant neighbor, shrugged. “My cook likes to sleep late.”
It was Lord Rafferty who liked to sleep late. Although he was gruff and at times off-putting, Jessica quite liked the earl. He was a good friend of Gideon’s, and her father’s, too. He always blamed his servants for his tardiness, which no one ever really believed.
“I think we can accommodate your cook, my lord. Perhaps we could meet at eleven if that’s not too early?”
She heard Lord James mutter “perfect.” She smiled but didn’t dare look in his direction. Jessica would make sure to be busy until eleven.
Lord Rafferty sat forward suddenly. “I have a better idea. Mr. Whitfield, are you of a mind to race against me again?”
Rebecca stiffened. “Foolishness. You’ll break your neck.”
Lord Rafferty downed the contents of his wineglass and gestured a servant to refill it again while Rebecca looked on with a sour expression. He looked at the wine and then to Gideon. “Well?”
“Oh, yes, do,” Jessica begged, turning to Gideon in excitement. The last race had been a source of great entertainment for the estates they rode near. Jessica had not been permitted to race herself, nor did she feel the need to do so, now she was older, but she’d be present for the start and glorious finish when Giddy won.
Giddy smiled her way quickly before he addressed their neighbor. “First round the borders wins a crate of Rafferty’s finest wine for their table?”
Lord Rafferty nodded, a fierce light in his eyes. “First to the finish wins a barrel of Quigley Hill Ale. We start and finish from the front drive of your estate, Mr. Whitfield.”
Gideon nodded. “Done.”
“Well, my son shall amuse the ladies and keep them out of harm’s way in your absence,” Lord Newfield announced importantly without asking them their opinion.
Jessica glanced across the table as Rebecca sucked in a sharp breath, just as annoyed by that suggestion as she was. Lord Newfield clearly thought women could not amuse themselves. Another good reason to refuse the son, should he propose.
Lord Rafferty glanced at Rebecca and smirked. “Care to make a wager on the outcome, madam, or would you care to race against us?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Rebecca said primly. “I’ve better things to do with my time than challenge a pair of foolish men.”
“Suit yourself. Lady Jessica?”
“She will not be racing either,” Rebecca tossed out. “We’ve no need to compete with any man.”
Rebecca’s eyes flashed with anger, primarily directed at Lord Rafferty.
Jessica made a show of considering the matter, and then nodded. “I will watch. And I will gladly place a wager on the outcome,” she informed Lord Rafferty.
She had always cheered for Gideon. She had no doubts about his commitment or skills in the saddle.
However, what she wagered would need to be spelled out now, and she’d already spent her pin money on Gideon. “The winner may have the pleasure of escorting me to the next ball.”
Beside her, Gideon began to choke. “Getting Rafferty to a ball is no small undertaking. He rather famously does not dance, either.”
She glanced at Giddy and smiled serenely. “Then perhaps you had better make sure you win, Mr. Whitfield, so you might have the pleasure of dancing with me instead.”
Everyone at the table laughed and began to place wagers on the outcome, too. Gideon’s brows lifted in surprise at her words, but she wouldn’t retract the challenge. She would dance all night with Gideon if it were allowed. He’d never once stepped on her toes. In fact, when they had danced together, Jessica had often felt she was floating in his arms.
Rebecca excused herself from the table suddenly. Mother excused herself, too, and followed Rebecca into the hall. When her father departed as well a few moments later, Jessica knew it was her responsibility to lead the conversation at the table until their return.
She turned back to those remaining, seeing friends but also two adversaries surrounding her.
Lord Rafferty was staring at Jessica when she looked at him. His gaze flickered to Whitfield and back. “That was a very bold suggestion, my lady.”
Jessica lifted her chin. “Was it?”
“Quite.” Lord Rafferty brows lifted. “I would prefer something very particular, should I engage in a wager with you, Lady Jessica.”
Jessica stared at him without blinking. But her heart began to thump against her breast. What if he asked for something scandalous? She would of course refuse, but it might be…awkward.
Lord Rafferty pursed his lips. “If I beat Whitfield to the finish, I want…” His eyes glittered briefly. “You, to visit Rafferty Park the next day.”
She blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
“Out of the question,” Gideon growled out as he threw his napkin onto the table. His expression was harder than she’d ever seen it. His leg pressed against hers under the table when she went to speak, most likely to elicit her silence. His warmth seeped through her gown at the knee, and she warmed all over instantly. “You go too far, Rafferty,” he warned.
She turned to Lord Rafferty though. It always shocked her when people she’d known for years suddenly forgot their manners when her father was away from sight. Visiting Lord Rafferty was not something she’d ever want to do.
She smiled even as the pressure against her leg increased.
She could of course count on Giddy to defend her from a scoundrel, but she did not need his help with Lord Rafferty. If she wanted to be considered a respectable woman, she had to stand on her own feet when faced with such a bold invitation. “I would love to spend an hour visiting your daughter.”
The earl stared, eyes glittering fiercely again. But then he laughed. “Yes, of course. What other purpose could I mean?”
Gideon’s leg retreated from hers, and she missed the connection to him almost immediately.
J
essica let her breath out and settled her hands in her lap. “As everyone here must know, I adore children, and I am curious about your offspring. My father and mother will be happy to escort me, I’m sure.”
Lord Rafferty barked out a laugh. “A wise answer, my lady.”
Beside her, Gideon let out another soft exhalation as he returned his napkin to his lap. “Nicely done,” he murmured softly.
Warmed by his praise, Jessica smiled at those gathered still at the table. They began talking amongst themselves almost immediately. With everyone distracted, Jessica slipped her hand across to Gideon’s where it rested on his thigh, and she traced her fingers over his knuckles very lightly. “Thank you.”
He jerked his fingers away from hers.
She sighed and faced those at the table. “If you gentlemen will excuse us, I think it’s time for the ladies to take tea. Mr. Whitfield, might I depend on you to satisfy my father’s guests in his absence?”
“You may,” Gideon said. “A word first, if I might be indulged.”
Jessica stood, and the ladies rose, too, chattering as they headed across the hall for the drawing room and the tea that was already arranged to be offered there. She stopped by the door, in a spill of candlelight but in full view of everyone. “What is it?”
Her heartbeat quickened as he drew closer. “I suggest you not bait Rafferty, Jess. He’s every inch a scoundrel.”
“Obviously. A man who refuses to rise early is not to be trusted.” She frowned though. “He’s Father’s friend. He’s harmless.”
Gideon made an odd sound, stepping closer until Jessica felt warm all over. “Friendships are different between men than between men and women. Remember, you are a woman he could ruin. Be cautious in what you say to him in the future, please. Visiting his daughter was not what he was going to suggest. The next wager might just be for your virtue. Trust me, he would not marry you to hush up any scandal, no matter who your father is.”
Jessica smiled up at Gideon’s dear face, noting the worry he couldn’t hide tonight. There was no chance she’d give herself unwisely. She knew her own mind, and Jessica knew now how far a lady should trust a gentlemen. “I’m not a fool.”
“I know.” He frowned, expression turning more serious by the minute. “It’s just…you know it can be easy to become swept up in the moment and go too far.”
Was that what he thought was happening between them? She glanced toward the great hall where they’d been alone, so oddly passionate and yet wholly chaste, and then back to his face. She hadn’t been swept away when she’d asked Gideon to kiss her. She was as rational about her neighbor as she’d ever been. She liked him. She trusted Gideon implicitly. She’d always wished him to be closer. But apparently, he was not comfortable with that idea and, thanks to his staff; she knew why that might be. Or did he still think of her as a child? She longed to show him how grown up she could be. “Did you see how bright the stars were tonight?”
“I did when I walked over.” He glanced out the nearest window. “Looks like I will have starlight to walk home by, too.”
“It must be lovely to do that. Go anywhere you like, when you like, without anyone telling you what you do.”
She smiled as she formulated a rather daring plan for later that evening that would show him how she had changed. Jessica twisted her fingers together at her waist to hide her excitement from him. Gideon had a terrible habit of anticipating her actions and putting a stop to them. She’d once thought he could read her mind. If he read her mind now, he might be somewhat shocked by the direction of her thoughts.
“I suppose that’s one way to look at it. Jess?”
She smiled at him brightly. Everything had to change between them—starting tonight. “Yes?”
“Whatever you’re planning is a bad idea.”
She grinned. “I know what I’m doing, Giddy.”
His eyes bored into hers. “I don’t think so.”
“Oh, yes I do.” And tonight was only the beginning of challenging the status quo with him. “I had better go. Mama will expect me to entertain her guests until she returns.”
She hurried to the drawing room before he could argue or pry into her plans.
The difficulty, of course, would be leaving the house undetected. If the guests lingered too long over drinks or Gideon departed early, she might miss him entirely. And Mama sometimes checked on her after she’d gotten into bed for the night. She would have to chance that she wouldn’t tonight.
When Gillian finally arrived in the drawing room, appearing happy and content, Jessica made her way to her sister’s side to lay the groundwork for her later escape. “Is everything all right, sister? You’ve been so quiet on this visit.”
“I am always quiet.”
Given she had left the dinner table early, Jessica could not really believe her. “Why do you always lie to me when you are upset?”
“I am not upset,” she insisted. “Mind your own business.”
Rebecca was definitely hiding something. For a change, Rebecca had not been harping on about marriage and potential suitors too much. In fact, Rebecca was offering all sorts of advice to repel gentlemen like Lord James. “I’m old enough to know what is really going on,” she murmured. “You can trust me not to tattle. I never would do anything to embarrass you.”
“You’re not the one who could embarrass the family.” Rebecca turned to Jessica. “What do you think of Lord James now?”
“My opinion has not changed.”
“Yes, that much is obvious. You barely paid Lord James any attention when he spoke to you at dinner. Have you told anyone else our suspicions about why he is here?”
“Only Mr. Whitfield.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Whitfield?”
“He’s been most helpful in the past,” Jessica rushed to explain. “I trust him.”
“Do not be fooled. Whitfield is a man, much like Rafferty and his ilk.”
“Gideon and Lord Rafferty couldn’t be more different,” Jessica protested. “I know you don’t like Lord Rafferty very much, but don’t you dare tar Gideon with the same brush. He’s my friend.”
Rebecca stiffened. “You could have smiled more while you were in London.”
Jessica sighed, annoyed she’d have to defend herself yet again. “I wasn’t happy there.”
“Happiness is fleeting and friends are never as they seem.” Rebecca looked around the room and wet her lips. “You’ll come to understand that soon enough.”
“Well, I’m happy now, and I’m going to make my own decisions about who and when I marry.”
Rebecca shook her head. “You could still make an advantageous match if you tried a little harder.”
“I have done my best,” Jessica grumbled. “I do not want to marry a fortune hunter. I want someone who desperately wants me.”
She’d never been in a hurry to marry, although everyone else seemed to be. She wanted someone who could not wait to be with her. A man who valued her mind and opinions. A man who would make an effort to understand her. A man who could teach her about passion and desire and real kisses.
“You sound like Fanny,” Rebecca chided.
At that moment, the gentlemen strolled into the drawing room in a mob, talking amongst themselves about tomorrow’s challenge. Her eyes lingered on Gideon, and she yearned to rush across the room to join him, to hear what he had to say about his chances. She thought too about his fingers on her palm, and she tingled all over again when she remembered their recent conversations.
Gideon was a man who knew about passion and desire and real kisses, even if he never wanted to be a husband. And Jessica wanted Gideon to kiss her so very much.
Jessica moistened her lips as she studied Rebecca with fresh eyes. Her sister had never seemed happy with her life, and she’d married for prestige if not a title. Jessica wanted more for her life than that. “I think Fanny had the right idea, to marry for love and never settle for less. She said the only reason men sought her out before and after sh
e was widowed was to take her fortune off her hands. I want to be loved.”
Rebecca frowned. “Love is not easy to find or keep, sister.”
“Well, I’m young and patient,” she promised. “I’m not in a hurry. I’ll wait for the right husband to notice me.”
When Gideon moved toward her, she made room for him. He took the hint and squeezed in beside her on the settee. The warmth of his body resting briefly against hers, the scent of his cologne, filled her with a happy warmth. But when Jessica looked around from greeting him, Lord James was scowling at her.
She raised one brow at the fortune hunter, daring him to go away. Thankfully he took the hint. He tossed back his drink and then stalked off without saying good night to anyone.
With her unwanted suitor gone, Jessica leaned her body a little closer to Gideon’s. Now she could really enjoy herself at last.
Chapter 11
Dinners at Stapleton usually left Gideon in a happy mood. Good food, excellent wine and the conversation of intelligent friends to round out the occasion. Tonight, however, the wine had not appealed, and his friend had disappointed him beyond a shadow of a doubt.
The idea that Lord Rafferty would turn his amorous gaze on Jessica made him angry and more than a little worried. Jessica was too trusting. He was afraid that, despite her words to the contrary, she would not be strong enough to reject Rafferty should he seriously pursue her.
He slapped his hat against his thigh as he walked along toward his home in the moonlight. What he wanted to do was turn around and lock Jessica in her room to protect her from all scoundrels—men like himself, too.
He couldn’t forget he could have kissed her, but he must do so soon for the sake of his own sanity.
Pining for what he shouldn’t want, what he must deny himself, would drive him mad.
He stopped and silently berated himself. That gown Jessica had worn tonight…damn, he should not be thinking about the way the soft fabric had clung to her curves. Rafferty and Lord James had been ogling her cleavage all night, too.
