Page 51 of Treating a Sinful Earl
Surely, it must have been a fit of something rather deep, for once the eggs, ham, and toast were served, accompanied with roasted tomatoes, Jasper felt his strength returning. This was accompanied by strong coffee, which both men relished.
“Maybe love is not for us,” Felton said, gazing out the window.
“What the devil do you mean?”
“Maybe it is all too much work.”
Jasper put down his cutlery. “Life is work, my friend. All of it. This current work is worth the effort.” He dabbed the sides of his mouth with a napkin.
Felton huffed. “But perhaps there is a reason why Abigail does not give in to my advances. Maybe she is not the right lady for me.”
This was a good thing to ask himself, but Jasper had differing thoughts about it. Considering what Catherine had told him, the way that Felton looked at Abigail, and yes, the way that she returned his glances, it seemed to Jasper that there was something there worth holding onto. And despite the fact that Abigail resisted, Jasper was still under the impression that the situation needed some patience.
“Keep going,” he instructed his friend. “There is no sense in giving up now. To show the lady that your devotion is true, this will take time. I am learning this for myself.”
“Sod it,” Felton replied. “First, I am the intelligent one, and now you. I suppose that we need one another in order to embrace these realizations.”
“Indeed.”
The rest of the breakfast was a success. Jasper felt strengthened but was indeed pleased to go up to his room and enjoy some privacy. Here, he composed a note to Catherine, already missing her presence.
Sweet Catherine,
It has been a trying morning, has it now? I know that I revealed much to you, but please understand, these things I have wanted to express for some time. You have bewitched me, and for this reason, I have revealed more to you than I have to any other. Know that I love you, and I wish to give you the time and space that you require in order to come to a decision.
My health is uncertain, and although I feel remarkable lapses in my plight, I still trust that you are not only accepting me as a suitor, but you are also accepting the ill man that is my shadow-half. Even if you cannot love him, know that he loves you till the end of time. If my words frighten you, I might feel a tinge of regret, but mostly, I feel none at all. Never have I been so honest with another soul.
Till we meet again,
Jasper
Chapter 24
Catherine held the letter to her breast, thinking it the most breathtaking that she had yet read in her life. Yes, her love for Jasper was full, and knowing what she did not, it would not prevent her love in the slightest. But why had he left the forest so abruptly? These and other thoughts plagued her as she strolled through the forest alone, wondering when she might see him again.
More determined than ever to heal him, Catherine got to work at foraging for herbs that would set him free. She felt a tension in her chest, thinking that there was a very good chance that all of this was for nought. Jasper had revealed himself to her, so why did she feel such trepidation? Was it because her feelings were too real and true to bear? She had never been in love before, and now she was beginning to find it frightening for there was so much at stake.
Just then, an elderly man on a horse came down the path. Catherine thought this odd, for she rarely encountered horses in the forest, let alone other people. The man tipped his hat to her and introduced himself. “Hello there,” he said, looking deeply into her eyes. “What is a beautiful lady such as yourself doing alone in the forest, might I ask?”
She felt a flush come to her cheeks. It had become a habit to come to the forest alone, and the chaperone seemed to turn a blind eye. Was her father informing the chaperone that it was alright? Did he know that she was meeting with the Earl of Simmons?
“I am studying to become an apothecary,” Catherine replied, although this was something of a fib.
The man showed keen interest. “Is that so?” He massaged his shoulder and winced. “What would you suggest for soreness that lingers much?”
“Dandelion tea is most efficacious,” she informed him, having used this remedy before.
He raised his brows. “Well, I had never thought of that. I suppose that I should inform the wife.” The old man got down from his horse and stood before her, no taller than herself, which made him a very short man indeed.
“One day, I shall open a shop, and I can provide all the remedies that you need,” she said with a smile.
He smiled in return. “You are a rather ambitious young lady. My name is Walter Pembroke. Haberdashery is my trade.”
She found it very odd that there just so happened to be such a fellow in the forest. “What are you doing here?” she asked.
He petted the mane of his horse. “Before I supply a reply, why do you not tell me your name?”
“I am Catherine Trowbridge. I have lived in Bath all of my life.”
