Theo watched him closely. And then, his voice softened, not in warning, but in understanding. “What is it? What gives you pause?”
Jasper looked down into his glass for a long moment. “I do not believe Miss Tolliver wants to marry at all. Not me. Not any gentleman. I believe she is terribly tired of being told what to do. I think she wants the world, and the right to walk it unchained. I would not be the man who chains her.”
Theo leant back in his chair, thoughtful. “She does. God help us, she does. But if there is a gentleman in this city capable of convincing her otherwise, it is likely the one who just escorted her through Bellamy’s disguised as a man and let her lose a fortune in coin and consequence. If nothing else, you have her attention.”
Jasper huffed a bitter breath. “Her attention, yes. Her good opinion, I am less certain of.”
Theo gave a dry smile. “If she did not hold you in some regard, I assure you, she would already have buried you in a footnote and gone on to win a duel.”
Jasper ran a hand down his face. “God help me.”
Theo’s tone shifted then: quieter and more absolute. “The choice is simple, Deverell. Ask for her hand, or you will not see her again.”
Jasper’s head snapped up. “You cannot be serious.”
“As you are quite aware, I am an earl,” Theo replied. “And that man”—he gestured towards Morleigh, who was now standing by the fireplace like the executioner awaiting his cue—“is a duke of the realm. Between the two of us, we can have you posted to a minor consulate in the East Indies within a fortnight. Or worse”—he took a sip of his brandy and said with brutal cheer—“you will be made to dine with my mother every Thursday until your hair turns white.”
“You intend to exile me over a game of cards and a smudged moustache?”
Theo raised one brow. “No. I intend to exile you over what may come after. Because I know you, Jasper Deverell.”
Jasper straightened. “That is not entirely fair.”
“Fair?” Theo echoed, rising to his feet. “I am not interested in fair, Deverell. I am interested in Miss Tolliver’s welfare. In her reputation, and her happiness, and whatever semblance of peace remains in my wife’s family.” He paused. “And if you truly believe Charlotte Tolliver is weary of being told what to do—”
“I do.”
“—then may the Lord grant you fortitude, old friend,” Theo said, grinning in wry amusement. “For you are about to marry a Tolliver, and the moment she becomes your wife,youshall be the one she defies daily.” He clapped Jasper once, firmly, on the shoulder. “And Heaven help the man who thinks he can tame her.”
Chapter 24
Jasper Deverell was not in the habit of writing long letters to young ladies, and certainly not ones that required multiple drafts and precisely the right balance of wit, sincerity, and damage control. He stood half-dressed, glaring at the third crumpled page that now lay beside the fireplace. He sat down, then stood again, and poured himself another brandy.
My dear Miss Tolliver,
It has come to my attention that the events of last night may have slightly…
No. Absolutely not. “Slightly” was the language of cowards. He crumpled and tossed the draft.
Miss Tolliver,
Forgive the informality of this letter, but I find myself unequal to the usual posturing. What passed between us at Bellamy’s was, in the eyes of Society, madness. In my eyes, it was rather glorious.
You were daring. Brilliant. You somehow managed to make a moustache appear rakish. I shall never forgive you for stealing my heart so thoroughly.
That said, I must be very plain: your family is understandably displeased. Langley has threatened exile. And I—
He paused.
Then, in a moment of rare honesty, he added:
You are, quite possibly, the most marvellous disaster I have ever invited into my life. And if I have any hope of surviving you, I must ask a question I never imagined myself asking:
Would you do me the great honour of allowing me to call upon you formally? Not as a friend, nor as an opponent, but as a man who wishes to offer you more than a wager.
He paused again and stared at the page, and then, at the bottom, he added:
If the answer is no, you need only send back this letter unanswered. I will not speak of it again. But if the answer isperhaps…or if you would like to see me squirm in person, as I rightly deserve, then I shall await your reply with more hope than I ought to have.
