Page 39 of Treating a Sinful Earl
Now, Jasper’s laugh was very hearty. “You truly are a piece of work. Only you would think of such a thing.”
“There are plenty of things that I would like to tell Abigail about myself, but these unsavoury matters can wait until she’s in my bedchamber after the wedding.”
“I am done with this conversation. You need a skilled doctor to amend your mind. Consider this, old chap. Abigail might be a difficult case, but perhaps you have a better chance if you are honest with her instead of deceitful. If you play her game, you shall lose. If you play no games at all, it might just be enough to compel the lady.”
“Very risky.” Felton anxiously ran a hand through his hair. “Very risky indeed. But I shall consider it if you think that it might work, for I feel entirely desperate at this juncture.”
Seeing how anxious Felton was, Jasper summoned a footman to bring the brandy. If they were to drink at this early hour, so be it. Jasper’s spirits were already lifted by Felton’s presence, and Catherine’s tinctures.
“Her medicine is working,” Jasper finally said once the brandy was poured.
“Is that so?” Felton took a hearty sip.
“Indeed. I feel as light as air.”
Felton suggested, “And that is not from hallucination, I trust.”
Jasper shook his head confidently. “Indeed, no. I felt a difference after trying the first tinctures, and now the medicinal tea has taken things a step further.”
Felton raised his glass. “Then perhaps you will not die, after all. That requires a toast!”
The two men clinked glasses and spent the better part of the afternoon discussing love, heartbreak, and alas, hunting. It was all rather upbeat and enjoyable, and to make matters even better, a letter arrived and was handed to Jasper. This letter was from Catherine.
“Open it, man. Why do you hesitate?” Felton asked, his cheeks already inflamed from the drink.
“While you are here? What an intrusion of privacy.”
Still, Jasper’s curiosity got the best of him, and he pulled open the seal and read.
Jasper,
I am writing to see if the tea has been beneficial. I certainly hope that it has been as I made it rather strong. I have been very busy in the forest since we shared our delightful picnic. There were many beautiful memories from that day, as well as the other instances that we encountered one another.
I hope that there shall be many more.
Catherine
Chapter 18
Catherine felt jubilant as she walked through the woods, doing her customary foraging. Jasper had responded to her letter from the day before saying that he was feeling much better, and this only filled Catherine with more conviction! She knew that she could help him, and to hear confirmation of the fact was only spurring her on.
But alas, there were some difficult things on her mind too, as she continued to walk along. She could not banish the next two months from her mind. She had not the heart to attend another ball since the last of the Duke of Brighton’s parties. Her mind was completely focused on getting Jasper well. In so doing, she knew that she was using her precious time when she should be looking for a husband.
But bugger it all! Catherine found much more enjoyment from helping Jasper and learning new tricks that might help his health to improve even further. What if she could heal him completely? She had a feeling deep within her that it was possible, and she was beginning to think that it might be the greatest accomplishment of her life.
This little fantasy kept coming to mind as she walked through the forest. What if she did become a Bath apothecary one day? Oh, it would make her so joyous if that was possible. Her days would be spent doing what she loved. But yes, it would be beneficial if there was a man who could take the credit. It was a sad truth about society. Maybe if Jasper wanted to take on that position….
No, Catherine would clear her mind of all of that. Every time she thought of Jasper, she was filled with hope, but this hope turned into despair when she thought that maybe it was a dream and nothing more. Of course, she would not go so far as to assume that Jasper was using her for her talents. She saw that admiring look in his eyes well before he even knew of her skills.
Her affections for him were deepening at an alarming pace. And also, she knew that he was not being fully upfront about what it was that he faced physically. Why was he not fully honest with her? At least she sensed that he was not being honest, and this worried her greatly. But she would not pry into his affairs unless that was what he wanted. In the meantime, she would do the best that she could to help him…and to help herself.
The air of the forest was cool and serene, and Catherine stopped to close her eyes and breathe it all in. She had brought her own little picnic basket on this occasion, as the memory of sharing the picnic with Jasper had been so pleasant. She sincerely hoped that they might do so again. And just when she thought she could not stand longing for his presence for another moment, a figure appeared on the very same path where she walked.
She squinted her eyes, hoping to make out who the rather tall fellow might be, but deep down, she knew that it was Jasper, for rarely did one encounter a man so tall! A beaming smile appeared on her lips and Catherine slowly approached, for fear that if her feet did what they wished to do, she might break out into a run!
As she drew nearer, she saw that Jasper was smiling, as well. So, he was not an apparition in her imagination after all. Yet, it seemed as though he had just magically appeared.
“Where did you come from?” Catherine asked, her picnic basket in one hand and herb basket in the other.
