Page 60 of Treating a Sinful Earl
With that, Felton was gone, and Jasper was left in the silence. The dreamlike state that Catherine’s presence had left him in had vanished. Now, all that was left was fear. What if he had less time than he thought? What if the marriage proposal was all for nought? No, Jasper refused to pursue this line of thinking and instead, he changed his clothing without summoning his valet. There was much to be done, but before he could do any of it, Jasper had to write to Catherine. In every moment, it was as though you had something he wished to say to her.
Beloved,
You are departed, but your presence lingers. Last evening was one of the best in memory, as well as this morning. Trust that you are in my thoughts until I see you again, and even after we are wed, you shall never leave my thoughts. I long for your presence once more, and I fear that the hours between now and tomorrow night will cling to me like soot.
We shall take supper again, and afterwards, I should like to find you yet again in my bed the following morning.
Yours,
Jasper
Chapter 28
As she sat at her desk, Catherine relished in the letter. She read it several times, soaking in each beautiful word. There was no man in the world that could capture her imagination, heart, and soul like Jasper could. Yet, there was a growing tension, as well. It was a tension that sprung from the erotic nature of their last encounter. Catherine wanted nothing more than to give herself to Jasper fully, but she feared that she could not hold out before their wedding day…if there was a wedding day.
Amid her love, there was fear that her father would not approve of the match. What would she do then? Surely, she would have to escape and elope, for there was no other option. She needed to be with Jasper, and nothing was going to stop them, no matter the consequences. This lingering fear was replaced by marvellous anticipation as she thought of the evening ahead when she would once more be in Jasper’s arms. Oh, to feel him holding her once more! That thought alone would cause the fear to be banished.
As she readied herself in the mirror, Selina was once again by her side. “Do you really think that you can go through with this again?” she asked.
“I cannot prevent what will happen, but I know that I must go to him.”
Selina sighed. “I fear that you will be discovered this time. Last time, everything worked perfectly. Your parents were informed that you were not well and wished for privacy. What will be the excuse this time?”
“I shall tell them that the same malady returned.”
“Surely, that will be suspicious.”
“But why should they be? It is common for ladies to have monthly maladies. I shall inform my chaperone that this month is particularly bad.”
In the mirror, Selina examined her. “It was just as I feared. You were not able to rebuff his advances?”
Catherine turned to her incredulously. “Nothing ill took place. Jasper was a gentleman the entire time. I explained this to you.”
“Yes, but I sense that you are not telling me the whole truth,” Selina protested. “Tell me, is your honour intact?”
Catherine thought it useless to even answer this question, for she had already revealed the truth. Still, Selina would not let up until Catherine explained it again. “My honour is still intact and shall remain so until Jasper and I are wed. I do not wish to discuss this further.”
Selina fell silent. She walked over to a chair and seated herself whilst Catherine remained at the mirror, putting a pearl earring into her ear. Within this silence, Catherine felt ill at ease. What if Selina told her parents the truth? Her friend had been acting strange of late, and it would not surprise Catherine if Selina gave her away. But none of that mattered now. All that truly mattered was her future happiness with Jasper.
Catherine managed to leave Selina, all the while crossing her fingers that the plan might work yet again. But she had already resolved herself for if it did not. Felton was once again waiting for her out the back door, but this time, he had a sad expression on his face.
“Is something amiss?” Catherine asked, quickly rushing away from her home as they spoke.
“Nothing,” he mumbled. “Jasper is waiting for you.”
“Perhaps this would be an agreeable time for us to discuss Abigail,” Catherine suggested, considering that they had not done so on the previous occasion.
“Jasper wishes for me to take the same initiative that he has taken with you. I do not know…if I have his strength.”
As they continued to rush along, Catherine assured him, “You must keep trying, Felton. Abigail loves you. I am sure of it. She is merely headstrong and perhaps afraid.”
“I appreciate you telling me this,” Felton went on. “It is so difficult to gauge what is going on inside of her head. Sometimes, I wonder if I am wasting my time entirely.”
“You are not,” she assured him. “Please, hold onto hope. You will find that Abigail will reveal herself in time.”
“Perhaps your own marriage will inspire her,” Felton said humorously. “That is…if the wedding is plausible,” he added darkly.
Catherine froze. Even though it was best to continue to hurry along, this last matter needed to be spoken of in stillness. “What do you mean, plausible?”
