“Do not hurry on my account.” Don Lorenzo stood. “I’ll remain in London until you’ve made your decision, but I’m certain we can come to an agreement. That is what I’m here for.” He smirked and offered his hand. “Diplomacy.”
The corner of Matthew’s lip lifted. Irritating little weasel—he was starting to grow on him. He grasped the man’s hand. “You saved my life tonight. How can I repay you?”
Don Lorenzo waved his hand in the air. “Helping you was selfish.” His eyes traveled to Jasmine and he grinned. “But if you are set on a reward, I do enjoy a good bottle of wine.”
Matthew shared a smile with Jasmine. “I know exactly where to find the best.”
Don Lorenzo left the room, and Matthew returned to the settee. Jasmine lay bonelessly, her dress’s jewels digging into her skin. She reached for him. “Mi amor.Come hold me.”
“If I lie down with you, we’ll both fall asleep. Come upstairs.”
She yawned. “I don’t want to move.”
“You can’t sleep like that, love.”
With a tired sigh, he urged her to sit up and began unfastening the buttons on the back of her dress, slowly revealing her to him. Pressing a kiss to her shoulder, she breathed her in. She shifted out of eacharticle of clothing until she was in only her chemise.
She turned in his arms and kissed him. She gently pulled his shirt over his head. He would have loved to lose himself in her, make love and forget everything, but he wouldn’t have asked it of her.
Hours ago, he had been ready to sacrifice himself, as he always did. The only way to stop Duke Kendall was to put him in the ground… but on that final shot, he thought of Jasmine. Burying his nose in her hair, he imagined a time in the future where it turned grey. When they were surrounded by their children and grandchildren, when this evening would be a distant memory. How could he have considered, even for a second, taking that away from them?
Jasmine held his face and kissed both of his eyelids. He hadn’t realized he was crying until he tasted his tears on her lips. He laid down fully, positioning her with her head on his chest, his feet hanging off the edge of the settee. It was a tight fit, but they stayed there in a tangle of limbs.
“Do you think he’ll leave us alone?” She traced her fingertip over his chest.
“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “I’d like to say so. He has no leverage over me anymore. The pistol is as good as useless. Thetonsaw the darker side of him, but who knows how their favor will swing tomorrow.”
“Let me handle that. I’m certain I’ll be able to fix it. First thing in the morning, I’ll—”
He pressed his fingertip over her lips. “It’s morning now, and all we’re doing is resting. When we wake up, we’ll have a nice breakfast, and then we’ll work. Until then, try to sleep, love.”
She nestled into him with a sigh. He brushed the hair back from her face and kissed her brow. Lulled by the steady rise and fall of her breathing, he surrendered to sleep—right as the dawn’s light peeked through the windows.
***
November, 1814
Portsmouth
On Banishment and New Beginnings.
Following a beastly scandal brimming with brutality, Duke Kendall remains in his ancestral home—for far longer than anticipated. Could it be that he is still licking his wounds from his brush with the merchant of death? Or is his absence—dare I write it?—permanent?My sincerest apologies to the most desperate of debutantes with dark desires, but Duke Kendall seems to be off the marriage mart.
There is one birthday gift that keeps giving. Hold onto your bonnets, ladies and gentlemen, for the coup of the year goes to Lady Ravenshaw—or shall I say, Lady Rothwell? After a lengthy courtship with no shortage of groveling and extravagant gifts, the pair held a private ceremony on Wednesday—
“Stop reading that drivel.” Matthew took the paper from Jasmine, crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it into a waste basket on the docks. “I cannot believe gossip from London travels to Portsmouth.”
Jasmine moved out of the way as a man came to load their luggage onto the ship. She thanked him and stayed close to Matthew. He was dressed in a heavy cloak, with a slight redness to his nose from the chill.
Around them, crews shouted orders to each other. Sails flapped in the wind. Passengers boarded a tall ship bound for Spain. Gulls picked at scraps of food on the ground nearby, and Matthew shooed them away.
“I cannot believe she married him, after everything!”
“I’m not surprised at all. Rothwell is exactly her type—he’s wealthy and he’s weak. Trust me, she’ll be all right. It’s him I worry for.”
“The article says Duke Kendall is still cowering in his castle. It’s hardly news, but it brings me peace.”
Following Duke Kendall’s ball, public scorn had flipped. He hadembarrassed himself, not only in front of theton, but before the nation. Don Lorenzo had delivered a scathing report to the Prince Regent, a grievance backed by the Spanish Crown. The word banishment was never spoken louder than a whisper, but everyone knew the truth of it.
