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“What is it, Your Grace?” she asked.
“My mother said that you were leaving,” he said.
“I think it’s for the best,” she replied.
“I won’t have you go away from me,” he said, taking her hand in his.
“When you tell my cousin that you are ending the engagement, permanently,” she explained, carefully. “That is going to cause a tremendous uproar.”
“Naturally.”
“When she finds out that you’re ending the engagement because of me, there’s going to be an uproar of a higher magnitude than you have ever experienced before.”
“Please don’t go, I beg you. You can come stay at Gillingham Manor,” he said.
“That’s improper, Your Grace.” she said.
“I think we’re long past propriety, my love.”
She smiled, melting at the endearment. “Call me that again,” she said.
“My love,” he whispered. “Don’t go.”
She sighed, looking up into his eyes. He was intentionally pulling on her heartstrings.
“Very well,” she said, although she knew that nothing good would come of it. She could only hope that her brother would come to her rescue.
* * *
Now that she was here, all was right. If she didn’t go anywhere, then nothing would ever be wrong again. Jasper only needed her smiles, and her tender looks.
“Everything is going to be fine,” he assured her. “I’ll take care of it.”
“Oh, I see,” she said. He reached up, tugging on one of her blonde curls. She smiled at him.
“I could spend all of my days, just like this,” he said.
“Sneaking about, you mean,” she said.
“With you, My Lady.”
She gave him a small smile, one which didn’t reach her eyes. “As you said, we’re long past propriety, Your Grace.”
“Please don’t leave, Selina.”
“I do think it would be more appropriate for me to leave.”
“While I sort out this mess, you mean?”
“If that’s what you’re going to call it, Jasper.”
He beamed—his name, when uttered by her lips, sounded different than any of the many thousands of times that he’d heard it during his lifetime.
