It was an exhausting couple of hours for Carina. If Lady Mansel would only have gone away, she could have raced through the correspondence, but as it was, she had to keep everything straight in her head while the woman nattered on about the next unimportant twaddle that she wished toimpress upon someone Carina already disliked simply for being associated with Lady Mansel.
But eventually, a maid came in and inquired when her ladyship wished tea to be served. Lady Mansel jumped up.
“Goodness, is it that time already? So it is! Miss Jasper, we will continue with this tomorrow afternoon. I am expecting guests.” She glared at the maid. “Now, Mary!”
While the maid fled, Carina hastily folded and addressed the final letter of the day and Lady Mansel pulled her purse from the desk drawer to rummage through it.
“Just the one hour,” Lady Mansel murmured, “since it was ten past two before we began.”
“Two hours,” Carina said gently. “It’s now a quarter past four according to the clock.”
“Ah. I don’t appear to have... Well, here is for one hour. I’ll give you the rest tomorrow. Try not to be late, Miss Jasper... I hear my guests in the hall.”
She drifted away, leaving Carina with her meagre coin to tidy the desk.
Carina knew better than to expect an invitation to tea. Captain Jasper’s daughter was far too lowly to add to her ladyship’s consequence, except as“My secretary will send you a note...”
It would be a very meagre meal tonight without employing the emergency coins. On the other hand, tomorrow would be much better. And, best of all, Carina thought, as she flitted down the staircase to the hall, Papa had not been drinking the whole time. With luck, Mr. Durward—could he really be the notoriousLordDurward of Lady Mansel’s letters?—would have distracted him all afternoon. So, even if Papa had a tipple this evening, he would surely be able to rise early enough to obtain some employment tomorrow...
Her natural optimism appeared to have returned, making her smile as she reached for her bonnet from the hallstand.
The sound of a key turning in the door wiped the smile from her face. Hastily, she crammed the bonnet on her head and tied the ribbons beneath her chin. With luck, he would stride straight in, without noticing her.
But it seemed she had used up all her luck for the day.
The master of the house entered his domain and saw her at once, even as he turned to close the door behind him.
She hated his smile. False and somehowoily, it touched his eyes with excitement rather than humour or mere pleasure in a person’s company. She hated that he was married to her only source of income, for it meant she could neither avoid him nor box his ears.
“Miss Jasper,” he purred. “How delightful that I caught you.”
“Only just,” Carina said, as lightly as she could manage. “I am on my way out. Lady Mansel has guests.”
If she had hoped his wife’s name would protect her, she was clearly wrong. As she reached for her shawl, she felt him move in behind her, his hand covering hers on the hook. She felt his heavy breath on her neck and her skin crawled.
She slid her hand free and stepped back onto his toes, managing to catch him with both feet before she leapt aside. “Oh, I beg your pardon, how clumsy of me.”
“Flustered, Miss Jasper?” he smirked.
“Just in a hurry,” she replied. “I need to get back to Harwich.”
“You will allow me to drive you. I hear there are some terrible ruffians in the town just now. Did you not encounter such yourself? A young lady alone has no protection.”
Her blood chilled as she raised her eyes to his. How did he know about the attack last night? Was it all around the town? No one but Mr. Durward had been there to help... Hadheblabbed about it?
Sir Hugh smiled and placed her shawl about her shoulders. The truth rushed on her.Sir Hugh had been there.
So why had he not helped her?
Because Durward had got there first.
Though Sir Hugh’s hands lingered on her shoulders, she held the ends of her shawl and walked free, almost wrenching open the heavy front door.
“I am unharmed as you see,” she said tightly. “You are kind, but I do not fear for my safety.”
“You should,” he said softly. “For I am right behind you, and Iwillcatch you. One way or another.”
“Lady Mansel awaits you in the drawing room,” she threw over her shoulder and strode from the house, jerking the door closed between them.
