Page 28 of Treating a Sinful Earl
“How very amusing!” said Selina, taking a step back.
As was always the case, it seemed that everyone in the room disappeared in that moment, and it was only Catherine and Jasper who stood there. There were so many questions he wished to ask, but all at once, he had that same crazed feeling that Felton had had back in his parlour! Jasper caught himself feeling desperate to tell her that he had missed her and was overjoyed to see her again.
Instead of imparting all of this and making a fool of himself, Jasper calmly stated, “I think it best if we give Abigail and Felton a bit of privacy.” He glanced towards the bemused chaperone.
“Yes, I think that is best, as well,” Catherine advised, leaving the room with Selina following behind her. Once they were in the foyer, she said to Jasper, “Is Felton all right? He seemed as though he had lost his wits.”
“You noticed? Yes, he has been a mess all morning. He said that the only way to remedy it was to see Abigail at once.”
To the side, Selina giggled. But Catherine gave her a mock-stern expression conveying that perhaps they should not make light of the situation.
“I feel as though I know what this pertains to,” Catherine finally said, then sighed. “I hope that Abigail is kind to him.”
Jasper could not help but ask, “Does she share his feelings?”
Without using words, Catherine grinned and nodded her head. An overwhelming rush of relief took hold as he realized that perhaps his friend was not going to have his heart ripped out of his chest.
“Would you care to take a stroll down the boulevard?” Jasper asked. “It is a beautiful day.”
Catherine became downcast. “I fear that my chaperone has taken ill today and were you to walk with Selina and I, it might create a scandal.”
His heart sank. “I understand,” he replied warmly, belying his disappointment.
Chapter 13
Jasper decided to walk home, seeing as it was a lovely day, and all the denizens of Bath were out and about. It pained him that Catherine was not there to join them, but it only reminded him of the restrictions that were placed upon women when it came to being accompanied.
Then, he remembered how she had mentioned that after being married, she would not need to worry about such restrictions. This last bit was really playing with his head….
“Was your heart torn asunder?” Jasper asked Felton, who strolled beside him blankly.
“No, it was even more gruesome.”
“In what way?”
“She seemed rather…cool.”
All at once, Jasper felt sad for his friend. “Perhaps she was still playing her games, as Abigail is wont to do.”
Felton shook his head. “No, no. She seemed perplexed that I had come with such haste. She herself had probably not thought about me all through the night. This leads me to believe that her feelings for me are not what mine are for her.”
Jasper sighed. “Remember what I imparted to you regarding my mother. There is no reason why this must be a bad sign. She might be feeling the situation out, seeing where she stands.”
“Zounds man!” Felton exclaimed. “There is no time for her to feel it out. Perhaps her heart is cold, and she is stringing me along!”
Jasper paused, both in speaking and in his gait. He gazed up at the sun and recalled the moment where Catherine had shared with him in the foyer that Abigail did have feelings for Felton. Clasping his hands behind his back, he removed his gaze from the bright sun and looked directly into Felton’s eyes. “Did you know that love is patient by nature? If you truly love her, there is no sense in this haste. True love has an abundance of patience and understanding. Remember that.”
Felton continued to walk anxiously, and Jasper caught up with him. “You talk as though you are someone who has been in love a hundred times. I was under the impression that you have never been in love.”
What should Jasper say? Should he finally tell Felton the truth about his feelings for Catherine? “I fear that I have fallen for Lady Trowbridge.”
“No surprise there. How bad has it gotten?”
He was taken aback that Felton was already so aware of this. “It is strong, I sense. Though I am delighted to be imbued with these feelings, I do not know how to proceed. Her parents wish for her to marry with haste and my predicament makes this too difficult.”
Felton knit up his brows. “What do you mean, your predicament makes this too difficult?”
It was the moment of truth. If Jasper did not share this now, he was unsure when it would ever be possible. “My friend, you know of my fits of ill health.”
