Page 61 of A Stormy Season

When she’d returned to Penelope’s room with the bottle of medicine and her nightgown, Penelope was sound asleep, and Jane was not about to wake her up, even though she wanted to tell her what had happened and try to make sense of it.

As Jane lay in bed, unable to sleep, she tried to remember what she’d been thinking just before she kissed Luke, when she had looked up at him. He’d had such a vulnerable look on his face, and she imagined kissing him. And then she did.

It probably wasn’t as simple as that. But she’d never been one to ruminate overmuch on regrets.

She also couldn’t honestly say she regretted kissing him.

But how would she feel when she saw him again in the harsh light of day, after all the things they’d said to each other and the way she’d danced with all the other men at the ball?

And then she had deliberately pressed her lips to his. Had her brazen behavior reminded him of Anne?

That was the last thing Jane wanted but now, with a horrible sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, she was sure her behavior had done just that.

No respectable lady would ever kiss a gentleman on the lips that she wasn’t even engaged to. Even Jane had never thought she would do such a thing, though she was rather independent and unconcerned with following rules just for the sake of rule-following. But she was scandalized at her own behavior.

She forced out a breath. It wasn’t as if she had broken a direct commandment. She had only kissed a man. And he hadn’t seemed to mind.

The memory of how Luke had instantly responded to her kiss made her wonder if he’d already been thinking of kissing her. As the kiss turned her stomach inside out,the thought that passed through her mind was,He certainly seems to know what he’s doing.

The same fluttery feeling returned as she relived the kiss. She was surprised to find herself smiling at the memory, even as her face heated.

Suddenly Jane didn’t want to talk it over with Penelope. She wanted to keep the memory fresh and safe from the scrutiny of anyone else. That way, even when she and Luke revealed that they were not engaged, she’d always be able to hold the memory of their kiss close to her heart, like a secret wish.

Chapter Nineteen

Luke stood before the man who had so brutally bruised Jane’s neck with his rough hands and glared at him, his arms crossed. Two of his grooms stood by, looking as if they would be glad to punch him into unconsciousness.

“What is your name?” Luke asked.

The man only sneered, contempt emanating from his expression.

“Shall I loosen his tongue?” Matthews asked. The groom slammed his clenched fist into his own palm.

Luke didn’t say anything, keeping his eyes on the ruffian to gauge his reaction. Finally, the man gave a half frown and said between clenched teeth, “They call me Stokes.”

“Is that your name?”

“Aye.” He grinned, making Luke doubt his veracity.

“So, Stokes, why did you come into my home?”

“I was to take your son back to Lenoir. I do as Lenoir says, as he pays me well.” He ran his tongue over his front teeth, one of which was brown with decay and appeared cracked.

“What does Lenoir want with my son?”

“To hold him until he gets what he wants from you.”

“What is it Lenoir wants from me?”

“You would like to know that, would ye not?” Stokes laughed, an ugly chuckle.

“Is there something my wife took from him, something he’s looking for?”

“What she took from him?” He laughed again, this time louder and longer.

Luke nodded at Matthews and the groom smacked Stokes in the back of the head.

“You would strike a man with his hands tied? That’s not very gentlemanlike.” Stokes grinned.