Page 95 of Counting on Love

“She learned it from ton gossip. Damn it. It all happened too quickly. I know that’s no excuse. I know it. I couldn’t… But you’re right. I’m not going to do as Father did. God. It’s for the best. It’s for the best.”

“So you mean to pay a call on Georgiana?”

“I owe her that.”

“She’s already told you no.”

“Can you blame her?” Jasper exclaimed. “Good God! I still don’t understand why she was in the midst of that imbroglio. But I’ll be honest with her. I’ll tell her I did have a mistress but don’t anymore. And that there are no children. If there had been, don’t you think I would have married her? The hell with the ton?”

“I don’t know,” Crispin said, sneering. “You’ve never in your life said ‘the hell with the ton.’”

Jasper glared at him.

Reginald wished to God he were elsewhere, but he inserted himself into their quarrel since it was what he did when they got like this. “And if she says no again?”

Jasper refocused on him, then shrugged. “Then I start looking elsewhere.”

“So, your heart won’t be broken,” Crispin said. Reginald knew he was pushing the point home, but Jasper was clearly unaware there even was a point.

“I’ll be miffed.” Jasper tossed off the response as though it were of no consequence, then added, “I can’t see that she’ll say no. I don’t think she has anything against me, really. And we were heading in the right direction until that last ugly scene.”

Crispin caught back a laugh. “Can you truly be so overconfident? And so blasé? Is it enough for you that she has nothing against you?”

“You know what I meant. And it’s not overconfidence. We’re well-matched. She must see that. Why would she refuse?”

The room fell silent. Reginald felt Crispin’s eyes boring into him, but he couldn’t bring himself to speak. He couldn’t see Georgiana accepting Jasper, but neither could he see himself challenging Jasper for her.

If he couldn’t even do that, he didn’t deserve her. Yet before he could say anything, Crispin spoke up in an exasperated tone. “Maybe she’s in love with someone else.”

Jasper’s confusion was almost comical. But he thought it through quickly and dismissed the idea. “Why, then, would she have come here in the first place? She knew why she’d been invited. And, moreover, who could it possibly be? She’s had offers from half the ton and turned them down. I grant she might be infatuated with someone ineligible, and the Duchess brought her here against her inclination. But she was not sullen, not behaving as though she had no wish to be courted.”

“She slapped you,” Crispin reminded him.

“I should not have tried kissing her.”

Crispin fixed his gaze on Reginald, waiting. Reginald gulped and lowered his chin, trying to think what to say. But the devil. Georgiana could just as easily refuse him. And then Jasper would be furious that he’d backed away for no purpose.

“Right then,” Crispin said, annoyed. “Don’t go to London. Olivia says Georgiana has gone to Marbury.”

“Marbury!” Jasper sniffed. “Of all the…I can’t go to Marbury. Not for a fortnight at least. I have too much to do in London. She’ll have to wait.”

At that, Crispin laughed outright. “With bated breath, I’m sure. A fortnight? Aren’t you worried someone will beat you to the punch?”

“Not unless you plan to ride to Marbury before you rejoin your regiment,” Jasper joked weakly.

Reginald could take no more. “I will.”

“What?” Jasper said, turning his head.

“I will ride out to Marbury. I—you can’t marry her, Jasper. She isn’t merely a ‘perfect countess.’ She’s Georgiana. And I’m in love with her.” Now it seemed he could not shut up.

“But—” Jasper looked startled. Or confused. “Crispin!” He finally complained. “Is this where you have been pushing this conversation? To get Reg to confess?” He gave his youngest brother a condescending, gentle reproof. “Reg, that’s all right. I’m not surprised you should have fallen for her. She’s very beautiful. And, she sings.”

“Christ,” Crispin muttered. Jasper ignored him.

“Yes, well, but Reg,” he went on in a voice as earnest and kind as if he were explaining something to Olivia, “the ton expects her to marry me. If you are determined to ask her, I certainly am not going to make her choose between us. But you should consider—”

“Oh, for God’s sake,” Crispin said. “Reginald, tell him he’s an arse.”

“I kissed her. She didn’t slap me.” It felt shamefully satisfying to throw that in Jasper’s face. Of course, he immediately regretted it. Especially when Crispin hooted with laughter.

But Jasper didn’t grow angry. The confusion faded from his face. And then he looked relieved. Simply relieved.

“Well, Reg,” he said, getting up from behind his desk. “You should have told me. This is wonderful, really. I am not an idiot. I’ve had enough girls throwing themselves at me to recognize when one is not. I feared it would be a chilly marriage. But I couldn’t not propose. I felt some sense of obligation to do the right thing.” He laughed. “This will cast the ton into a frenzy. Do you suppose there will be rumors that I called you out?”

“No one who knows us thinks you that brave,” Crispin scoffed.

“Well,” Jasper said, looking from one to the other. He really looked shockingly relieved. “To hell with the ton.”