Page 178 of Ten Lords for the Holidays

“You make me want to become a thief,” he murmured, not quite understanding why he felt this way.

“A thief? I make you want to steal what exactly?” She looked up at him from beneath her long eyelashes.

“A kiss.”

Her cheeks were stained a lovely shade of pink. From the excursion of retrieving her papers? Or from his words?

Her eyes fluttered close, and she lifted her chin. Preparing to seal one such kiss, he started to close his eyes when he spied a word on one of the papers she held.

His name.

How curious. He stepped back and read a page he held. “I am the villain of the tale? Not George?”

Lady Anna opened and closed her mouth. Words seemed to have failed her. Crossing his arms, Jasper waited for an explanation.

* * *

Mortified, Anna tried to think of something to say that did not sound completely horrible.He is going to think the worst of me, and I deserve it. Mother wanted me to give him a chance, and I had not wanted to at first, and now…

She stared at the papers he held. “When I first met you, I…” she said slowly, attempting to explain the matter honestly, “I thought you appalling and terrible. I even wrote you a letter about how unsuitable you are, and why am I still talking? You could have stopped me at any time!”

If she had a free hand, she would have covered her mouth.

To her astonishment, Lord Pershore laughed, the sound strangely settling her nerves. “Unsuitable for what?”

“I would rather not say.” Her cheeks felt so warm despite the brisk air.

“I wish to see such a letter.”

“Oh, no! I did not know you and—”

“You do not know me entirely now.”

“Not yet,” she conceded, “but… I think… I think I might want to. Will you be going to the duchess’s house party?”

“I had not decided yet, but I might be able to be persuaded to.”

Anna smiled shyly. She should have given him a chance right from the start as her mother had wished. Perhaps first impressions weren’t always accurate.

“I did behave badly that day,” he murmured, shocking her yet again. “Please do not allow my actions from then to color your view on myself. I… Let us just say that I was not fit to be in the presence of others that day.”

She nodded, understanding the pain in his eyes. “At times, it is better to be alone than with others.”

“Yes,” he cried. “My mother does not understand that. She has more friends than a tree has leaves. She does not appreciate that being alone can be settling, peaceful.”

“I understand,” she murmured. “Shall I send along your apologies to Caleb?”

Confusion caused his eyebrows to lower over his eyes, but then he nodded. “Your stablehand? Please do.”

Anna’s heart felt light. She was by far the happiest she had been since learning of the duke’s engagement.

They started to walk back toward the house, completely at ease with each other.

“Was there a reason why you wished for isolation that day?” she pressed. “Will you share that with me?”

The openness in his face vanished, and in an instant, he stiffened. “Perhaps.”

“Do not you trust me?” she asked lightly.

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