“Yes.” She smiled and looked down at her hands. “Yes, very.”
“If you have lived with parents and seven brothers and sisters,” he said, “you must find your life here very bleak.”
“Oh, no,” she said, looking up at him sharply. “Lady Copeland has been very kind to me. And life is never dull with Jasper.”
He chuckled. “Has he told you of the time when he cut the tassels from my Hessians?” he asked. “Sparkling white tassels from new Hessians, I might add. I was inordinately proud of them.”
“No,” she said, her eyes laughing up into his. “Did you catch him?”
“I did,” he said, “and when I had finished with him, I believe he did not know if it would be less painful to remain absolutely still or to try dancing a Highland fling.”
“Oh, dear,” she said, laughing, “he committed the worst of all sins—he got caught. I shall have to take him home with me for a while to learn some lessons from my brothers. Particularly Gregory.”
“Do you miss them?” he asked her.
The smile faded from her eyes and she nodded abruptly. “Yes,” she said.
She was looking at her hands again and he knew that she had suddenly become aware that she was alone with a rake. He wanted to reach out a hand to touch hers and assure her that he would do her no harm. He clasped his hands behind him instead and noticed her shiver from the cold. He stepped to his right to shield her from the wind.
Where the blazes was his confounded aunt? And since when had he found it difficult to make conversation?
“May I hand you into the carriage?” he said on sudden inspiration. “It will be warmer inside.”
“Thank you,” she said, and put her hand in his. It was icy cold.
Well, at least, he thought, she had had a happy childhood with a large family. Even if she was impoverished and forced to work for her living now, she had had that. His only brother had died with his mother of smallpox years and years ago, and he had not seen a great deal of his father after that. Only tutors and schools and valets.
She had that, at least. And talking about her family had made her face light up with warmth and humor and affection. But poor girl. The very happiness of her childhood and girlhood must make life harder for her now. He released her hand and reached for a carriage robe to tuck about her.
“So sorry to have kept you waiting, dears,” Lady Copeland said from behind him.
Yes, he was sorry too. “Have you kept us waiting?” he said. “It has seemed the merest moment. Good night, Aunty.” He kissed her cheek and helped her into the carriage. “Miss Richmond?”
“Good night,” she said softly from the shadows of the coach.
The following day was a fine one, the sky an almost clear blue, the wind a mere breeze, and the sun almost warm for the time of year. Half the residents of Bath, it seemed, converged on Sydney Gardens during the afternoon.
Jasper was strolling along one of the paths, trailing along in the wake of his grandmother and great-uncle, Roger and Emily. They were paired up that way, too. Jasper had watched in glee the discomfiture of Roger and the dismay of Emily when they had realized that they must walk together, her arm drawn through his.
It was great sport. Jasper slunk into the shadow of a bush for a moment while his grandmother paused briefly to greet an acquaintance—he did not fancy being chucked under the chin by yet another elderly lady and called sweet with his red hair and round face and freckles. Sweet! Jasper shuddered. His mother was the one to blame, with her bright red tresses.
Yes, it was great sport. It was as clear as the nose on his face that the two of them fancied each other. Except that Emmy was not at all Rog’s type, nor he hers. It would serve Rog right, too, if she could net him somehow. Parson’s mousetrap would be fitting punishment for that humiliating thrashing the summer before—Rog had not even had the decency to bend him over a chair, but had taken him over his knee. “Spanking” was the humiliating word that leapt to mind. Yes, it would serve him right.
Of course, Emmy deserved better. Except that there was no better in Bath. There was that Harris fellow, of course, who fancied her but kept his distance. But he was far too old and poker-faced for Emmy. She deserved someone more to her liking. Rog? He was handsome, of course. Jasper would kill for looks like that when he grew up, especially that careless lock of dark hair over the eyebrow. And Rog had been his idol until he had proved himself to be a man without a trace of humor over those silly tassels.
Ah, well. Jasper scuffed his feet through some loose stones on the path. Sometimes he thought life would be more interesting if he were at school. Rog had told him earlier that he wanted to see him before he went home. What was that all about? he wondered.
Lady Copeland stopped for a lengthy gossip with two ladies and then announced to her hangers-on that she was returning for tea with Lady Harper and Miss Harper. Stanley must come with her. But there would be no room for the others in Lady Harper’s carriage. Would dear Roger be so good as to see Emily and Jasper home?
“It would be my pleasure, Aunty,” Roger said.
“There will be no need at all for anyone to accompany us,” Emily said brightly. “Jasper and I will be each other’s chaperons.”
They both looked rather as if a noose had been placed about their necks, Jasper thought, glancing from one to the other. His grandmother and great-uncle were already disappearing along the path.
“Take us for cakes before we go home, Rog?” Jasper asked.
“You’ll be popping right out of your clothes if you eat many more, my lad,” Roger said.
