“She isn’t like the soaps,” he said, trying again. “She is more like the factor job. She’s always been there, in the background. Even if I wasn’t paying exact attention.”
Mal considered it, giving a short nod. “That is true. But now you are paying attention.”
“Right,” said Jasper, speeding up so his friend couldn’t get ahead of him. “Like I do every morning with the EIC books. I am good at what I do, Mal. I like what I do.”
“You are good at what you do,” he agreed, glancing sidelong as Jasper puffed up alongside him. “But you were still seeking to change it. And not in the normal way of things, either.”
“Yes, well,” said Jasper, frowning. “I realized in very short order how stupid that was. I was never going to marry that heiress, Mal, even if I got her on board. I knew that before I even introduced myself to the Templeton-Raths.”
That did stop Malcolm. It stopped him so abruptly that Jasper was five strides away before he realized he was alone again.
“You wanted tomarryinto Templeton-Rath?” Malcolm said, his face screwed up in disbelief. “Why?!”
Jasper sighed. “I don’t know. I thought I’d go to Ceylon and become heir apparent. It was never something I actually put enough thought into to consider a real outcome. You know how I am. You just spelled it out for me rather starkly, didn’t you?”
“But why?!” Malcolm said again, his hands floating out in front of him, fingers curled around his palms. “Ceylon?!”
Jasper took a moment. He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “It would’ve been something to be proud of,” he admitted, squeezing his eyes shut. “An achievement on par with the prodigies of Starling’s Rest. But, more than that, I think I…”
He trailed off, gritting his teeth.
“Yes?” said Malcolm, sounding strained to the point of hysteria. “You think you what?”
“I think I just wanted a reason to engage with her again,” Jasper said, realizing as the words had left his mouth that it was true. He sagged, shaking his head with a thin giggle of dismay. “I think I wanted it to be like it once was, just for a little bit of time, before the two of you up and left again.”
“‘Like it once was’?” Malcolm repeated harshly. “Back when I wasincludedin such capers, you mean?”
“Yes, well,” Jasper said, grimacing and peeking through his lashes at his friend. “You wrote to me. You were never all the way gone. And I have… erm… a different sort of interest in her, it turns out.”
Malcolm stared for a moment. He blinked a few times.
“Right,” he said, coloring. “She can have that all to herself, I reckon. Upon reflection.”
“‘Reflection,’” Jasper said, nodding. “Right.”
Malcolm stared again, and then, absurdly, he laughed. He cracked a grin and laughed, sliding a hand up over his face and shaking his head.
Jasper watched him, waiting for the laugh to subside, which it did not. For quite some time.
“Ah,” said Malcolm, hiccupping with amusement. “Unless you want to seduce me next. In which case, we might have a problem.”
“Oh, shut up,” Jasper said glumly. “Shall we continue on to the Rest? I’m cold.”
“Yes, certainly, certainly,” Malcolm agreed, giving another little chortle. “I’ll have the parlor made up for you. Come on, then.”
“Actually,” Jasper said, after they’d fallen into stride with each other again and passed the hill that allowed the house to come into view. “I think I’ll finally take that guest room, after all.”
Part IX
All’s Well That Ends Well
Chapter Thirty-Two
Libba made ithome just before nightfall, basket in hand and with a belly pleasantly full of well-cooked eggs.
Before she’d left, she had gone into her old bedroom. She had entered it and she had poked around and Ulysses had let her.
“Take whatever you like,” he’d said. “It’s all yours, anyhow.”
