Page 26 of Dangerous Games of a Broken Lady
“You must be more careful, Jasper,” she urged. “Were you alone?”
“I was.”
“You should not ride alone. How often have I told you so?” She shook her head in despair. “Anything might have happened to you.”
“Fortunately, it did not.” He pressed his own palm to the handkerchief, his bare skin brushing hers for a moment. She pulled her hand away immediately, conscious of Leah’s presence in the house. A friendly gesture could easily be misconstrued.
“Are you certain there is nothing else the matter?” Adelaide wondered. “You pounded on the door with such ferocity, I thought you might burst through it.”
He smiled. “Urgency brings me here. I admit, I was somewhat overzealous in my knocking.”
“Urgency?”
“A matter concerning the ships your father invested in. A few of them have just come into port, and I thought he would like to know the good news.”
She frowned at him. “All of this din over ships?”
“My apologies, Adelaide. Were you busy?”
She glanced back at the drawing room, where Leah did not emerge. “A little.”
“Is your father in his study?”
“He is. Shall I have Daniel send for some tea things? My father will be glad of the distraction.”
“That would be wonderful,” Jasper replied, though he didn’t sound convinced. “I have taken up enough of your time. I must share the happy news with your father.” His voice caught in his throat and there was a curious flicker in his eyes. A thought she could not read.
He turned away before Adelaide could say another word, leaving her to wonder what on earth was going on.
Chapter 10
Jasper paused in front of Ephraim’s study for a moment, gathering himself. His mind was racing. His heart even more so. The sting of his cheek still burned where the knife had sliced. It wasn’t a big cut, but it had served its purpose. A warning to both of them—himself and the Earl.
He turned to look over his shoulder to make sure Adelaide hadn’t followed him up to the study. The lies had tripped easily from his tongue. Even so, he had no idea if she believed him. She knew of his previous difficulties on horseback. He wasn’t a natural rider and had his fair share of scrapes. Still, there were no guarantees that she was convinced. Adelaide was nothing if not intuitive.
Taking a shaky breath, he knocked on the door and waited for a reply.
“Come in,” Ephraim’s voice called from within.
Jasper opened the door and stepped inside. The sun was already close to setting, casting shadows through the far window. A fire burned in the grate and Ephraim wore a woolen blanket over his shoulders, a barrier against the creeping cold.
“I hope I’m not disturbing you, My Lord,” he said nervously.
Ephraim looked at him in surprise. “Not at all. Is something the matter?” Only when Jasper took a step closer did he witness the change in Ephraim’s face. A darkening. An understanding.
“There are matters we need to discuss.”
Ephraim nodded slowly. “You are injured.”
“A scratch. It will heal quickly enough.”
“How did you get it?”
“Lord Rowntree paid me a visit whilst I was out walking,” Jasper replied. “I apologize for postponing our meeting yesterday. Adelaide appeared to be in distress and I thought it best that I stayed away.”
“I thought as much.” Ephraim sighed heavily, though Jasper wasn’t sure which part he had already suspected, the visit or Adelaide’s distress. “Come, you should sit.”
Jasper crossed the room and sat down in one of the high-backed armchairs that were clustered by the fire. The sudden heat washed over him in a balmy embrace. He hadn’t realized until that moment that he was shivering.
