Page 111 of Sinful Persuasion of a Lady in the Making
“Who are you, then?” Luke asked once more.
“Name’s Jacob Reynolds.” Jenny gasped audibly and Jacob turned to look at her, laughing loudly. “I see my name precedes me.”
“You were my mother’s husband,” Luke said slowly, narrowing his eyes at Jacob.
“And Tina’s father,” Jacob said with a nod. “How did it feel,Jenny, seeing your sister in the gaol?”
“You went to the gaol?” Alison asked, shocked by his words. Jenny closed her eyes and sighed.
“I will explain everything at a later time,” she whispered to Alison. Alison merely nodded, then turned back to Jacob.
“You,” he said, nodding in Teresa’s direction. “Don’t remember me, do you?”
“Should I?” Teresa asked, a hand to her chest.
“We met when you were but a little girl. What a treat finding you was. Except you ruined it all with your wriggling and your escaping.”
“Youwere behind Teresa’s abduction?” Alison asked.
“Of course I was, you fool!” he snapped. “Who else would have had the brains to think up such a genius plan? But when she ruined it,” he pointed roughly at Teresa, “my clever little girl came up with her own plan.”
“To impersonate her?”
“Exactly,” Jacob said, sitting back with a smug, satisfied grin. “Not stupid, that one. She’s got more intelligence that the lot of you put together.”
“Indeed. Remind us where she is now,” Thomas said. Jacob squirmed in his seat.
“Yeah, well,” Jacob snarled. “Her plans were ruined by that one there,” he pointed at Alison, “and then Lola’s two bastards somehow ended up with a better life even thanmydaughter.”
“Lola’s ba—”
“Don’t give rise to him, Jenny,” Luke said. “It’s what he wants from you.”
“You think it’s fair that you have this nice new life, while my Tina rots in hell?”
“It helps that we are not criminals,” Luke said dryly, but he leaped out of the way as Jacob spat at him from across the room.
“You pig,” Lady Diana said, turning her disgusted nose up at him. “You are not even a man, you are less than that.”
Jacob turned his attention on her, whistling as he did so.
“You’re a difficult one to work out,” he said. “At first, I thought you would be on my side. I know you don’t think these two worthy of their—”
“I think no such thing,” Lady Diana said firmly. “I may have believed a foolish thing or two beforehand, but Mr. and Miss Jones are honorable, good people who deserve everything they have in their lives. They are far better than you or that daughter of yours could ever be!”
Jenny wanted to laugh with joy at Diana’s words. She wanted to throw her arms around her and embrace her as the sister she would soon become. Instead, she gave her a warm and grateful smile, although Diana did not notice, for she was far from finishing her rant.
“And while we’re at it, what sort of human being shoots another for no purpose? An innocent man—and a gentleman, too! Don’t you worry,Mr.Reynolds, if the Jones’ do not make you pay, and if Lord Denninson does not have his say, I will ensure you do not ever leave the gaol again. You will rot in there, until your dying day.”
She huffed and folded her arms on her lap, indicating that she had finished. Jenny watched her, wide-eyed with surprise, until Luke cleared his throat.
“Yes, well, that certainly seems to sum up all our feelings. But worry not, My Lady, this brute will get everything he deserves and more. Mr. Clarke, take him back to the kitchen, where he can wait out his fate.”
“As you wish, Mr. Jones,” Mr. Clarke replied, roughly grabbing hold of Jacob and pulling him out of his seat. Thomas approached to help.
“And you,” Luke snarled as Jacob passed. “Don’t worry, you’ll be reunited with your precious daughter before you know it.”
