Page 72 of Dangerous Games of a Broken Lady
“You deceitful little witch!” Miss Green bellowed. “How dare you steal what is not yours! How dare you take him from me! What did I ask you, Adelaide? I asked you to help me win him back, I did not ask you to take him for yourself.” She dipped to grasp Adelaide by the hair, but Jasper shot up to stop her. He grabbed her by the arms and pulled her back, his strong grip restraining her.
“You will not speak to Lady Adelaide like that,” he said coldly. “I know everything. You tried to deceive me, Miss Green. It is you who are the deceitful one, not Adelaide.”
Miss Green strained against Jasper’s grasp. “You have ruined everything, Adelaide! I shall be a spurned woman because of you. Do you understand that? Do you understand what you have done?”
“Control yourself,” Jasper snapped. “Adelaide is not at fault here. She has done nothing wrong. All she has done is seek to protect me from those who would attempt to manipulate me. You will leave this house at once, before I have you removed by force.”
“This was your plan all along, wasn’t it?” Miss Green spat. “You wanted him for yourself, so you waited until I made a mistake. You knew he would never deem me worthy. But you—youthink yourself so superior. You decided you would have him, regardless of what it would mean for me.”
“Enough!” Jasper pushed Miss Green towards the fronds of the willow tree, forcing her through them. Daniel and a couple of the footmen had appeared at the top of the garden steps, drawn by Adelaide’s scream. Seeing what was happening, they hurried down and helped Jasper remove Miss Green from the premises.
“You will regret this!” Miss Green howled. “Do you hear me, Adelaide? You will regret this! What do you think your precious Duke will have to say once he finds out about this? Do you think he’s a reasonable man? I believe you will rue this day, Adelaide. You and Jasper both!”
“Leave,” Jasper insisted, turning her and gripping her by the shoulders. “You are embarrassing yourself. I do not know what sort of trouble you have managed to get yourself into, but that is none of Adelaide’s concern. You will not threaten her, and you will not speak to her like that. You made your choice when you left. Do not blame either of us for your error in judgment.”
She glowered at him. “When the Duke seeks his retribution for this, you will wish you had awaited my return. You will wish you had pursued me, regardless of what I have done. It would have been easier for you both. Now, I shall ruin your lives, as you have done mine.”
Daniel and the footmen took Miss Green the rest of the way, all of them disappearing into the house. Jasper could still hear her caterwauling from the garden. Shaking off the shock of what had just happened, he hurried back beneath the willow tree. Adelaide had managed to find her way back to the bench. Tears poured down her cheeks, her chest heaving with fright.
“She is gone,” he murmured, putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. “She is gone, and she will not return. I promise you that.”
“What about the Duke?” she whispered into his chest. “She is right—the Duke will kill us both for this. He is a dangerous man, you have all said as much. He will punish us for this.”
Jasper held her tighter. “I will protect you, Adelaide. For the rest of my life, I will keep you safe from harm. The Duke will not touch you. He will not hurt either of us. If he even attempts it, he shall be the one in danger.”
“What are we going to do?”
“Revel in the gift that we have been given,” he replied softly. “I love you, and you love me. With that, we can fight anything that comes our way. I already have your father’s approval, and my family have always wondered why you and I never courted. This shall all turn out for the best, you shall see. I promise you.”
She buried her face in his shoulder. “I love you, Jasper.”
“And I love you.”
As he held her close, he kissed the top of her forehead and inhaled the sweet scent of her hair. Adelaide was worth protecting. If he had to fight the Duke of Bradford with his life, then so be it. He knew the Duke would come, but he was ready. He was not afraid, for Adelaide’s love had given him a renewed strength he didn’t know he possessed.
Make your move, Duke. You cannot hurt us now.
Chapter 30
“There is a young lady at the door, Your Grace. She is demanding to speak with you.” Bartholomew, the butler, stood in the doorway of the drawing room. Reuben glanced up at him with a curious expression.
“Is it Lady Adelaide?” he replied. He had been hoping to hear from his future wife, though no letter or word had arrived. Ever since the altercation in the alleyway, he had found himself worried that he may have frightened her away. That had never been his intention. Still, Lord Rowntree had required a lesson in how to behave. What else could Reuben have done but school him?
Bartholomew shook his head. “No, Your Grace, it is another young lady. Her name is Miss Leah Green.”
Reuben frowned. “I believe she is an acquaintance of Lady Adelaide. Please, show her through.” A twinge of hope gripped his heart—perhaps, Adelaide was sending word to him via her friend. Truly, he feared that he would have to do a great deal of work to make amends with her. She had seemed so scared of him, and it was not an expression he liked to see upon her beautiful face. Other people feared him, but he did not want his future wife to.
A moment later, Miss Green strode into the room, casting a scowl back at Bartholomew. Reuben smirked. Evidently, this young lady did not like to be told what she could and could not do. He admired that in a young lady. Indeed, it was part of the reason he adored Adelaide so deeply.
“Miss Green, I believe?” he said coolly.
She nodded and sat down, unbidden, in the armchair opposite. She seemed twitchy, her hands fidgeting on her lap, smoothing out creases in the pale blue gown that were not there. He scrutinized her closely, waiting for her to speak.
Now that she was here, he recognized her from the Assembly Rooms. She was often at Adelaide’s side, though the two young ladies did not appear to share a particularly close companionship. A stiff air always seemed to exist between them. Reuben presumed it was a fault on Miss Green’s part—she looked to him like a social climber, attaching herself to a good family in the hopes of raising her own position.
“Yes, Your Grace,” she replied at last.
“And why have you come here? I do not recall sending an invitation.” He flashed her a tight smile.
