His reflection stared back at him: a man who scarcely recognized himself. His jaw was clean-shaven, his coat perfectly cut, his hair only slightly disheveled. But beneath all of that civility, his heart was drumming like a boy’s.
Good Lord,he thought,I’m nervous.
The Duke of Harrow—rake, cynic, and eternal bachelor—was about to marry the only woman who had ever made him forget why he had sworn never to.
There came a knock at the door.
“Come in,” he called, tugging once more at the stubborn cravat.
Robert stepped into the room with his usual calm authority, and a smile already tugging at his mouth.
“You look as though you’re preparing for battle,” Robert said dryly.
Jasper laughed. “In some respects, I am.”
“Ah, but this time you intend to surrender.”
Jasper shot him a grin through the looking glass. “Gladly.”
Robert chuckled, moving to the sideboard to pour himself a glass of brandy. “I never thought I’d live to see the day when the great Duke of Harrow would say that word with pride.”
Jasper turned, leaning a shoulder against the dressing table. “Neither did I. But here we are.”
Robert studied him for a moment, amusement giving way to warmth. “You’re happy.”
“I am,” Jasper said simply, almost in awe of the words. “Happier than I have any right to be.”
“Then it is well deserved.” Robert took a slow sip, then added, “You’ve had enough ghosts haunting you, Jasper. It’s time you lived among the living again.”
Jasper nodded, feeling a quiet smile curving his lips. “I used to think marriage was a cage. That a man like me, after everything, was better off alone. But Matilda… she’s made me realize solitude isn’t peace. It’s just emptiness made polite.”
Robert chuckled. “Poetic now, are we?”
“Blame her,” Jasper said lightly. “She’s improved me or ruined me, depending on one’s perspective.”
“I should think improved,” Robert said with mock solemnity. “Though if Cordelia hears you speaking so romantically, she’ll never let us rest.”
Jasper smirked. “She’d like to believe she’s responsible for it all.”
Robert raised a brow. “Sheis,in part. So is Evelyn. And Hazel, I’m told. You realize, don’t you, that you’ve been thoroughly conspired against?”
Jasper groaned, though he was smiling. “That explains quite a lot. I suspected as much after Cordelia winked at me during the baptism.”
“Then you were slower to catch on than I thought.”
“Apparently,” Jasper admitted, straightening his cuffs. “But I can’t say I mind. If their meddling led me here, they have my eternal gratitude.”
Robert’s expression softened. “She suits you, Jasper. You’ve always needed someone who could meet your temper with spirit and your solitude with warmth.”
Jasper exhaled slowly, his voice quieter now and getting lost in daydreaming abouther. “She’s… everything I didn’t know I needed, everything I thought I’d never have.”
Robert’s smile was genuine. “Then don’t waste another moment doubting it. Happiness can be fleeting if one is too proud to hold on.”
Jasper looked up sharply, meeting his friend’s steady gaze. “No pride left in me, Aberon. Not where she’s concerned.”
“Good,” Robert said, finishing his drink. “Because she deserves a man who knows her worth and his own.”
Jasper’s grin returned, though it was gentler now. “You’re beginning to sound like a sermon.”
