Page 40 of Treating a Sinful Earl
“I wished to go for a walk in the forest, and I secretly hoped that I might find you,” he said affably.
“You are rather sneaky,” she replied in a playful manner. “I mentioned in my letter that I have been here often, and you came to follow me!”
“This is the truth. I cannot tell a lie.”
Once she was standing right in front of him, she looked up into his eyes and thought him as handsome as ever. She recalled the time when he had referred to her as beautiful. Yes, in his presence, she did feel beautiful, if only due to the way that he looked at her.
“I fear that the cook only packed this picnic basket for one. But you can have it, if you are famished,” she said, holding out the basket.
“I shall not take your repast. I have already dined.”
And from the way that he was looking at her, she assumed that he wished to feast upon her with his eyes! Oh, maybe the medicine was working because he did appear stronger and more upright than ever.
“Let us be seated,” Catherine said, motioning towards a fallen log. “I can admit that I have something of an appetite. I have been walking for most of the morning.”
“Then let us get you nourished,” he instructed, helping her to sit.
Once they were seated side by side, an overwhelming flush of nerves took hold as Catherine realized that she was seated beside the man that she could not banish from her mind! All at once, she feared that he could see right through her and might know that she was thinking about him all morning.
“Your health is improving,” Catherine observed.
“Indeed.” He nodded confidently. “Ever since the first tinctures, it has improved. And now, the tea is another improvement. You have an amazing gift, Catherine. I hope that you shall always hold onto it.”
“If my parents have any say about it, it will be a passing hobby. But…if my future husband allows me to do it….”
This statement seemed to make Jasper uneasy, for he replied, “Let us speak of other matters.”
Although she was unsure what had made him uncomfortable in that last statement, Catherine did not have the heart to inquire after it. “I have a mind to refuse my father’s request. Tell him that I shall not marry! All that I want to focus on healing those that I love.”
“That you love?” Jasper was quick to ask.
Catherine felt her heart beat wildly in her chest. “I mean…those around me who I care for. It has given me so much joy to help you, as it gave me joy when I helped my mother. If I can continue to do that, then I think I shall be a happy woman.”
Jasper smiled warmly. “You already are a happy woman. I can sense it. That is what draws me to you, amongst other things.”
Yes, there was something very different about this encounter than the others. Catherine could feel heat emanate through her body, and this was not from exertion. She felt an incredible pull towards Jasper, as well. She longed to reach out and take his hand or have him do the same. She longed to touch him in any capacity, in fact. She wondered what his skin felt like, and what the sensation would be if she ran her fingers through his hair.
Oh, what was she thinking! Her mind was playing tricks on her, and Catherine was determined to change the subject. “I suppose that I have always been something of a happy person. Since I was a little girl. But I hear that once you are out in society for long enough, this happiness dissipates. That is why I am so afraid of what Abigail compels me to do.”
Jasper turned pensive. “About Abigail…Felton is beside himself.”
“Oh, tell him to not relinquish hope! I know that she has admiration for him.”
“But anything more than admiration?” Jasper asked. “Yesterday, he sat in my study like a man who had come undone. His hair was a mess, his clothing askew, and I fear that he had not slept for days. He remarked that Abigail was toying with him.”
Here, Catherine had to be judicious with her words. She did not want Felton to have false hope, but she sincerely believed that he did have a chance, if only Abigail would open up a bit and stop playing her games.
“Sometimes, I feel bad for Abigail,” Catherine went on. “I do not know why she behaves in the manner that she does. But we are all different, I suppose. It is as though she is afraid of being in love, which I cannot imagine for myself.”
Jasper remarked, “Love can be fearful, though. Once your heart is broken, it is very difficult to bear it again.”
Catherine became intrigued by this, for she sensed something in Jasper just then. “Have you had your heart broken.”
He smiled nervously. “This is a difficult and ridiculous story to tell.”
“I love difficult and ridiculous stories!”
He paused, then continued with what he had to say. “I hate to admit to this, but I am referred to as something of a heartbreaker. I do not know why I gained this reputation because ladies make this claim when I have had very little interaction with them at all.” He went on, “There was a time in my youth when I had very strong affections for one young lady in particular. She was the daughter of a duke who was close friends with my late father. We would dine at their estate often, and on these occasions, I could not take my eyes off of her.”
