Page 74 of Sinful Persuasion of a Lady in the Making
He went to leave, but Sebastian stopped him.
“Wait, is there not a room or such we can go to?”
“Can’t you talk to ‘er ‘ere?” the guard asked. Jenny looked around her, at the rapt attention they had, and the slight woman who shivered gently before them. She looked to Sebastian and shook her head.
“No,” Sebastian said. “I demand we are given at least somewhere to sit, somewhere private.”
“It’ll cost ya,” the guard said with a shrug.
Sebastian clenched his jaw, his nose wrinkled in disgust, and then he dug a coin of his pocket and tossed it to the guard who caught it in midair.
“Fine,” he said.
The guard smirked, then rattled his bunch of keys at Tina Reynolds. It seemed to take him an age to find the right one, by which time Tina had risen from the floor and stood awkwardly by the door, waiting to be let out. When he finally managed it, he grabbed her roughly by the wrists and dragged her out the cell, making Jenny wince.
He marched forward, Tina stumbling as he pulled her along, until they reached a small area with a table and some stools at the very far end of the prison, a short distance from the cells.
“This do you?” the guard asked.
Jenny looked around her, appalled at the state of the place. Rat droppings littered the floor, and everything was covered in grime.
“I suppose it will have to do,” she said, smiling weakly at the guard.
He threw Tina’s wrists from his hands. “You’ve got thirty minutes, then I’ll be back.”
The three of them remained standing as they watched him go, but once he was out of sight, Jenny turned to find Tina glaring at her. She shrunk back, despite herself.
“Well then,” Sebastian said with a forced joviality that Jenny knew, without a doubt that he did not feel. “Shall we sit?”
“What do you want?” Tina snarled, her top lip curling up into a sneer as she lowered herself onto the stool. She addressed the question to Sebastian, but it was Jenny who answered.
“Miss Reynolds,” she began, reluctantly taking her own seat, worried for the state of her gown in the dirt.What will I say to Alison if I return soiled?“My name is Jenny Jones, and—”
“I know who you are,” Tina said, turning on Jenny, her eyes burning with something she couldn’t quite work out.Fury? Fear? Irritation?
“You do?” Jenny squeaked in surprise and glanced to Sebastian, who merely shrugged.
“Of course I do,” Tina spat. “You’re that maid from the Salsburys’ place. And that idiot brother of yours is the groom. You think I didn’t notice you?”
“Idiot brother? I’ll have you know—”
“So what do you want?” Tina asked, punctuating each word as she glared a Jenny. “And who’s this?” She thumbed in Sebastian’s direction, but did not look at him. “Found yourself a wealthy lover, have you?”
She heard Sebastian growl in her direction, a natural, animalistic reaction to his betrothed being insulted. Jenny forced away the smile she felt in her heart.
“Actually,” Jenny said. “I am no longer the maid, and Luke is no longer the groom. And Lord Hartwood here is my betrothed.”
“My, my,” Tina said, snorting with unamused laughter. “Look who’s come up in the world! Let me guess… the groom married the Duke’s daughter?”
Jenny started, shocked that Tina already knew this, but she kept her face straight, her emotions hidden.
“Word gets around, I see,” Sebastian said.
“No. We hear little of the outside world in here. Very few of us get actual visitors.” She turned and spat on the ground. “But it was obvious from the very beginning that the groom was having his way with that loose-limbed lady.”
“That’s enough,” Sebastian roared, slamming a fist on the table and making both Jenny and Tina jump.
Jenny turned to look at him wide eyed, but Tina threw her head back and erupted into a raucous laughter that sent chills through Jenny’s soul.
