Page 38 of His Wife, the Spy
“Just a few.” Annabel evaded her maid’s fingers. “Mix them sparingly with the pearls.”
“As you wish, my lady.” Barnes worked quickly, smiling as she finished. “You were right. The effect is lovely.”
Annabel was half her old self and half her new. Satisfied with the preparations, she stood and accepted her wrap. “Thank you, Barnes.”
“Have a wonderful time, my lady.”
Annabel walked to the stairs, paused for a deep breath, and began her way down. As she made the first turn, the ground floor came into view. Jasper stood with his hand on the baluster, watching her descend. A smile spread over his face as he offered his hand to guide her the last few steps.
“You look beautiful, Annabel,” he said. “I knew those jewels would be perfect with that dress.”
“How did you know—” She paused. Had he followed her to the dressmaker? Or had he searched the boxes to make sure they held only dresses?
Jasper leaned forward with a guilty grin. “I bribed Barnes with a sticky bun.”
He was a handsome man, her husband. There was no denying his looks or his charm. His kindness and humor had surprised her, however. His family doted on him, and he on them. He’d welcomed her sisters with genuine warmth and generosity.
This afternoon, in this very hall, it had been easy to imagine them becoming a real family.
But they weren’t, and likely would never be. She would expose him to Spencer, or he would catch her in her deception. Their marriage would wither under layers of hatred and distrust.
“Are you certain it’s wise to go?” she asked.
“The longer we wait, the worse the whispers will be.” Jasper tucked her hand into his elbow and led her to the doors and the waiting footmen. “We’ll face this together. Gossip be damned.”
At the bottom of the steps, the groom opened the carriage door. Annabel could not dismiss the feeling that she was going to the gallows rather than a party.
“I believe the Carmichaels will be in attendance this evening,” Jasper said as he sat. “As will Amelia and Richard. Friends will help.”
Is he trying to convince me or himself?
Annabel sat across from him, careful to keep the upholstery from ruining her hair. “It is a shame that Mr. Yarwood had to leave so soon after his arrival.”
She suspected Yarwood’s quick departure, and dour expression, had everything to do with his opinion of her and her marriage. He had watched her like an eagle did a mouse during the house party.
“Kit always has somewhere else to be.” Jasper watched the shadows of London as they passed through the city. “He says it comes from his time in the military, when they were always on the move.”
“He believes our marriage to be unwise,” she said.
He cast her a sideways glance. “I believe your honesty will always set me on my heels. But you are partly right. Kit’s experience in war makes him a fine protector but can sometimes close his mind.”
Sometimes.Notalways. “Only partly right?”
Though he chuckled, his smile was sad. “My mother has never been welcoming, likely because Kit is lowborn. He attended Eton and gained his commission with the help of a sponsor.”
That didn’t sound like the countess who had welcomed Annabel as her son’s wife despite their scandalous beginning. However, beginning an argument before a party was not wise. “It is a shame they cannot overcome their reservations.”
“I keep hoping for that.” The carriage slowed to a stop, and he looked out the window. “We are in line. It will be a few minutes.”
They’d been in the carriage long enough for Annabel’s nerves to settle. Now they flared back to life. “We could have walked here.”
“Your skirts would have gotten dirty.” Jasper combed his fingers through his hair and squared his waistcoat, then his coat, and finally his cuffs. “And we wouldn’t have had a chance to talk.”
“Your cravat is crooked.” Her smile widened as he worked to fix it, but only made it worse. “Come here. Let me fix it.”
He joined her on her seat and stretched one arm across the back so she would have access to his clothes. “Cravats are akin to wearing nooses. I can’t imagine anything less comfortable.”
His cravat had been the first thing he removed in his room that evening.
