was there, as was an angry Lord N__. From the look of Lord M__’s face today, fisticuffs ensued, but over which woman?”
-The Sun
“And that is why you should stay far away from men like Marshfield,” Sarah said from the safety of their carriage’s interior on the short jaunt home to Hanover Square. “Dear God! That woman must have been out of her mind to have lost all sense of decency and behave in such a manner. I cannot think but she will never recover her place in society. What man will ever offer for her after that?”
“Maybe Lord Marshfield will,” Julia put forth from the darkness of her side of the carriage, clasping her mantle around her for warmth. Jasper had always treated her with kindness and even behaved as her champion. She could imagine him offering Lady Arabella his name and his protection after what she’d just witnessed.
The poor woman had finally burst into tears and fled the ballroom, leaving stunned guests to glance awkwardly at one another. The musicians hadn’t stopped, which was a blessing as it gave people a way to quickly return to normalcy. While some were positively gleeful at the juicy disaster that had befallen Lady Arabella, most were simply shocked or saddened. Each and every one wanted to avoid Jasper’s gaze as they ducked to the side or turned away when he followed her from the room.
Julia was only glad he hadn’t looked at her again, for she most certainly didn’t want to be associated with Lady Arabella’s humiliation.
“Marshfield,” Sarah spat out. “He will never offer for her. Hasn’t it been made plain to you? He uses women for his pleasure. We are a sport to him, like his horses. I would feel sorry for Lady Arabella except she knew as well as any of us, including you, what he is like.”
When had her sister become so harsh and jaded?
Julia said nothing more despite having seen a better side of the earl. He could have taken her in Sarah’s own home, and he hadn’t. Moreover, he’d saved her from Lord and Lady Chandron. And he’d let her walk away from him after a kiss.
There was more to Lord Marshfield than merely being a libertine. Of that, she was sure. If he married Lady Arabella, it would prove him to be a good sort after all, and Julia should almost wish he would do it.
Yet if he married the lady, it would break Julia’s heart. She could deny it no longer. She loved him.
DEAR MISS SUDBURY,
You were correct, it is too cold to let you sit upon horseback. I would fear you’d catch a chill. Instead, will you come to my home for dinner tomorrow night? To be clear, there are no other guests. I hope we can speak plainly.
Regards,
Marshfield
If Sarah ever saw this, she would fly into a temper and probably lock Julia in her room if possible. The man was ignoring their last encounter and even pretending he hadn’t been the central figure in a ballroom drama.
Go to dinner? Alone? Was he a lunatic?
She paced her room, holding the letter against her chest, alternately sniffing it to catch the scent of his fragrance.
It had been only a few days since last she’d seen him, but it felt like an eternity.
Would she accept his insane invitation?
Of course she would!
The following evening, at seven o’clock, she alighted from a hackney, deciding not to ask if Sarah’s carriage was available, nor have to explain her destination. She hadn’t even pretended to ask permission.
When the earl’s butler admitted her, Jasper was standing in the front hall waiting. It was sweet of him, lacking all pretention. Moreover, he looked as if he’d spent extra care with his toilet and dressing. Every hair was in place, his cravat perfectly tied, his waistcoat smooth, and his jacket pressed to perfection.
She couldn’t help smiling when he immediately stepped forward and took her hand. He grinned in return, and her insides melted.
“How can you possibly look lovelier than usual, when your usual loveliness is beyond compare?”
Julia let herself blush. There was nothing she could do about her obvious emotions. Besides, she had dressed with him in mind, wearing her favorite blue gown.
The butler coughed.
“We shall go into the salon, Mr. Greer,” Jasper told him, “before the dining room.”
Thus, Julia found herself in a room more intimate than the drawing room, and yet, perfectly respectable, except for the fact she shouldn’t be there at all.
“I’m grateful you came,” he said, leading her to