Last Dance in London (Rakes on the Run #1) - Sydney Jane Baily Page 0,84

this woman attended those parties as well.”

“Perhaps both of them were,” said Lord Jeggins from the safety of the back row.

“You ought to be more careful,” Jasper warned, his tone calm but firm, “than to throw such accusations around.”

“You’re lucky Parliament is in session,” another man called out.

The insult was clear, as even Julia knew a seated member couldn’t be put in debtor’s prison while Parliament was open.

“Fine words from tag-rag scum!” Jasper returned.

It was all unraveling. Julia took a deep breath, trying to come up with a diversion because they were guessing a little too close to the truth. And then she recalled her mother’s ring.

“Why won’t you say how you really procured my ruby ring?” she demanded of Lord Stridewell.

The baron reddened, as all the fascinated gazes turned his way.

“I don’t have to tell you. All we have to do is speak with the authorities and get you sent to Newgate before morning.”

“Then you shall join me,” Julia said, “for I believe you stole my ring to give to your wife.”

This time, Lord Stridewell went white as a sheet.

“I...,” he trailed off, looking at the baroness, who was exceedingly interested. “This party is over,” he said, turning on his heel and storming up the stairs.

Julia had one last chance. She turned to the baroness.

“Will you not return my ring to me? My mother had two pieces of jewelry and gave one to me and one to my sister. I will be happy to pay you for it.”

Lady Stridewell hesitated, giving Julia a glimmer of hope.

“I will think on it,” she said finally.

With that, the baroness turned to her other guests. “I apologize for this evening’s disastrous turn. Reginald will get your coats and hats.”

Then, Julia was forced to stand with the others, blanketed in the humiliation of being caught trying to take her ring when she ought to have simply asked the baroness for it and offered to pay her at the start.

Eventually, the butler sorted out everyone’s accessories, although every titled lord and lady received theirs before her, including Jasper. He left without another word, not even to Lady Violet, which was the only bright spot in the evening.

JASPER DIDN’T KNOW what to do with his fury, at least not that night. In the morning, he went to Jackson’s pugilist’s club and worked up a pleasant sweat, imagining his hapless sparring partner was first Stridewell and then that other toad, Jeggins. He could also picture the faces of the men at the jewelry store when he’d retrieved his pin. They must have gone flapping their gums at White’s, getting the story all wrong, making it seem as if he were pawning the family jewels for ready coin.

Even the men at Tattersalls had heard his lighthearted remark and fell all over themselves to assume the worst. He threw another fister into his opponent’s gut.

And it was all because of Julia Sudbury. So why wasn’t he terribly angry with her? Perhaps because he was seeing his peers in a new light. The women were spoiled and the men were odious. Not that it excused her from stealing, but he didn’t feel sorry for her victims in the least.

Moreover, she who had very little had somehow lost her ring, and that seemed to be his fault.

Belatedly, he recalled abandoning Lady Violet without a backward glance or a single thought, and couldn’t work up any guilt or shame. His concerns had been only that Julia wasn’t charged with theft.

In fact, she seemed to be his only guiding star and motivation. He felt it in more than his cock, for that matter. All the more disturbing to realize he wanted to see her, talk with her, laugh with her, pleasure her until she was senseless, and then do it all over again. Add to that was a certain tenderness and wish to protect her — dare he say, even a possessive feeling he’d never had before.

It was enough to make him lose his breakfast!

Because of all that nonsense, he had decided to confront Stridewell, resolved to get the truth out of the man. Then when next he saw Julia...

He stopped abruptly as he entered his study. When would he see her again?

As word spread of the goings-on the previous evening at the Stridewells’, it was quite likely she would be effectively removed from society. Of course, no one could do such to him, but Julia Sudbury might never be seen again in a ballroom or drawing room of Mayfair unless it was