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Marissa couldn't help but s
mile. "Odd, considering your acting skills. Too bad you were born so respectably, Harry, or you might have trod the boards in London."
His expression twitched for a moment before he set it rights again. "I would've liked that, I think. Sometimes I do admit to feeling a bit superfluous."
"How so?"
"Edward holds all the responsibilities of the title. Aidan has his import firm. And I ... I am merely pleasant entertainment. I've always enjoyed my time here, as I said, but I sometimes feel I should’ve made myself useful and entered the church."
"The church? Good God, I can't begin to imagine you as a parson."
He flashed a grin. "Mother was quite keen on the idea. I suppose I could've made a good show of it."
"Well, your sermons would've been lively. I can picture you illustrating all the parables with scenes from Shakespeare."
"You're right! Perhaps there's still time to take up the collar."
Marissa laughed, but then she took his hand between hers. "I do know what you mean, Harry. I've felt that same suspension myself. What have I to do but marry, after all? But you're a gentleman. You have your income. You can do what you like, you know."
"But what would I do?"
She shrugged. "Travel the world. Go to Africa. Visit the Orient. It's not as if you're some threadbare relation. You're not forced to stay here." "No, I suppose I simply like it. Africa, eh?" He seemed to think for a moment, then shook his head. "No, I like this family too much, I think, not to mention the comforts of England. And who would entertain your mother if I sailed away?"
"I daresay she can entertain herself."
They were chuckling over that when Jude walked into the drawing room, his hair wild from the wind and his face stony as a demon's, Her smile fell as his gaze met hers and touched her with ice. She stood and felt the pillow drop to her feet.
! "It wasn't her," he said simply, before turning to leave.
That was all. It wasn't her. Nothing about whether Mrs. Wellingsly loved him, or how he knew she hadn't done it, or what had happened when the woman had finally got him alone.
The horrid images that had writhed through Marissa's mind today all came to the forefront. Jude would've spoken privately with Mrs. Wellingsly, of course. He would've been forceful with her. She would've swooned into him. And then what?
Marissa strode toward the door to force him to answer her questions, but Jude wasn't in the hall.
She glanced up just in time to see his shadow round the corner at the top of the stairs, and she S followed without another thought. S Patience Wellingsly was a delicate beauty with
polished manners and knowing eyes. She would never have called Jude ugly or insulted his appeal, not if she wanted him. No, she was the type of woman who knew how to stroke a man's ego. Marissa had never managed that skill, of making them feel important and masculine and needed. She could make a man feel lust, but what about love? That was a different thing entirely.
But Patience Wellingsly looked like a fairytale princess in need of rescue, and Jude had already proved himself capable of playing the valiant hero.
Marissa's gut burned with sick dread as she hurried up the stairs and into the south wing.
She rushed to his room, freed from having to worry about other guests. Only Jude and Harry had chambers here now, though a servant or two might talk. But Marissa was far beyond that kind of minor gossip now.
When she reached his door, she knocked, but couldn't wail for an answer and pushed his door wide.
Jude looked up from removing his cufflinks. His coat and cravat were already missing. Now he was just a man in his breeches and boots and shirtsleeves. He looked wicked, and Marissa couldn't help but stop her mad rush and look him over.
"You must be missing your other male guests if you're reduced to ogling me."
She stared a bit longer just to make her point, then stepped inside and closed the door. "I want to know what happened with Mrs. Wellingsly."
"I'll wager you do."
She raised her chin. "Did you see her?"
"Of course I did." He set the last cufflink on the dresser and tugged his shirttails from his breeches, momentarily distracting her. "Well? What did she say?" "She said she didn't do it."
