Page 82 of Counting on Love

He went on, sounding wild. “We can’t chance his finding out. We won’t meet again. The books don’t matter. I can’t be near you, Georgiana. You must think, God, you must think the worst things of me. I’m not that kind of man. He’s my brother!”

He couldn’t be near her? Was she a temptress then? Turning him into the type of man he was not?

She didn’t trust her voice. Which didn’t matter since she had nothing to say. She gestured for him to step aside. Then walked past him. To join Alice and Olivia and put this miserable scene, this whole horrendous week behind her.

Did Reginald honestly imagine she would ever marry Jasper?

That hurt. More than she ever thought she could be hurt.

*

Reginald watched Georgiana walk away. He was wretched. Wretched.

He’d intended to apologize for caressing her little finger. Instead, he assaulted her. Good God! What had he done?

Jasper must never find out. He wouldn’t bother shooting Reginald, he’d have him committed, straightaway, to an asylum. Because Reginald was evidently mad. And if not yet, he would be. If Jasper married her.

But Jasper surely wouldn’t marry her if he ever found out. He’d be horrified. He thought she was such an innocent. Georgiana’s kisses had not been innocent. Moreover, there was what Crispin mockingly called their unwritten, unspoken rule—they would never pursue the same woman. That had never been an issue. Not for him. Perhaps it had been some time in the past for Jasper and Crispin. They were closer in age. But Reginald doubted they’d ever given his interests any thought. Certainly not as any threat to Jasper’s.

Jasper must never find out.

As Georgiana reached the archway, Reginald turned abruptly, unable to watch her disappear beyond it. He turned and saw Crispin regarding him coldly from the far edge of the wall. His stomach plummeted even as bile rose in his throat.

“And here I thought you were the intelligent one,” Crispin jeered.

“God!” Reginald exploded. “Where did you come from? Were you spying on me?”

“Spying?” Crispin laughed, sauntering forward through the soggy patches of grass. “That’s a lark. Believe me, I had no desire to hear any of that. I stopped here on my way back from the Squire’s. I sent Adam ahead on the road to take back the carriage and I came here. For a respite, I thought. Mercury is grazing out back.” He gestured toward the wall and halted beside Reginald. “I had no idea my sanctuary was going to be invaded.”

“You might have shown yourself.” How much had he heard?

“If there had been any moment during any of that where showing myself would have been appropriate, believe me, I would have leaped out. Bloody hell. First—you had Lady Georgiana looking for your stray missing bits in the ledgers? What the devil? That alone set my head spinning. And she found them? That nearly brought me shouting from behind the wall. But I was brought up short. Christ! Reginald. You were kissing her!”

“You could not see that.” He was sweating. Panicked.

Crispin laughed, a disbelieving, mocking, appalled laugh. “I did not have to see. I have ears. I was afraid to poke my head around and see you two rolling about on the ground.”

Reginald hit him squarely on the jaw.

Crispin’s head was flung back, and one foot moved for balance, but he didn’t fall. He rubbed his chin and shook himself, scowling. Then he regarded his brother with an appreciative gleam in his eye.

“Not bad. Now tell me what the hell is going on.”

There was no point denying it. Crispin would not say anything to Jasper, though he was likely to insist that Reginald confess. “I’m an idiot is what. I’m in love with her.”

“I know that.” Crispin regarded him as if he’d said something amusing. “And she feels the same. And Jasper bores her to tears. And he will always and forever be in love with Vanessa. I am a simple, casual observer, yet this has all been evident to me now for days.”

Evident for days? Reginald felt almost faint. Evident to everyone? Surely not. “Jasper still intends to ask for her.”

“Then he is the idiot, not you. Jasper attempted some sort of chaste kiss, and she clocked him. I didn’t see what you were doing to her, but it didn’t sound as if she minded.”

“Shut up.” Heat rose up his neck to his ears. Damn it. His obvious mortification would be more ammunition for his brother’s pistol-quick sarcasm.

“What I don’t understand is why you insulted that delightful young lady—”

“I lost control. Crispin, I don’t go around grabbing women—”

“That wasn’t what I meant. I meant why did you accuse her of leading you on while she’s dangling after Jasper?”