Page 78 of Dangerous Games of a Broken Lady
Jasper smiled. “Your mind is an agile thing, Adelaide.”
“I thought we might involve Miss Green, too,” she went on. “Although, in a manner that will bring her security. I do not wish for her to be ruined. I only mean well in the suggestion I am about to make. You see, I believe she truly is in some trouble. There was a gentleman that she hoped to marry, but it would appear that he took actions that may now result in her ruin. If we can involve her in the scandal, then the Duke will have no choice but to either marry her or take care of any child that may come. It will give her the hopeful future that she has been seeking, though it is a somewhat troubling risk. And she would have no choice in the matter, which does not sit well with me. However, I do believe this may be the best course of action to acquire much-needed security for her.”
“How can you show such kindness after everything she has done to us both? She sought to use me for her own selfish means, and attempted to use you to entrap me.”
Adelaide shrugged. “She is a woman in this world, and that is no easy thing. She sought security in the same way that I did, though she went about matters in a less than honorable manner. Now, we may offer that security to her. We can make it part of our blackmail attempt.”
Jasper smiled and leaned over. “I love you more with every word you speak.”
“And I love you,” she whispered, tilting her chin up as his lips grazed hers for a fleeting moment. A shiver pulsed through her veins as he moved closer again, and pressed his lips to hers.
Oh yes,she thought,this is worth fighting for.
Chapter 33
Reuben waited upstairs at the Red Lion Inn, on the main street of deepest Holborn. He paced the floor of the bedchamber, feeling like the cat who had got the cream. It had been many weeks since he had indulged himself, and everything that had happened with Adelaide had left him in the mood for a dose of selfish pleasure.
He picked up the letter he had received from Miss Green, and read it over again, savoring every tantalizing sentence:
Dear Duke,
Our last conversation has led me to think of nothing but you. I know you are to be married to Lady Adelaide, but I hoped I might be able to persuade you to seek desire elsewhere, prior to your wedding. I have little to lose, and I thought I might be able to entice you into taking a mistress. As you plan to wed Lady Adelaide against her will, perhaps such a thing would provide comfort to you. I am a willing participant, if you will have me?
If you desire me as I desire you, I would ask that you meet me in the Lion Suite of the Red Lion Inn on Holborn High Road at one o’clock on Thursday afternoon. I shall be waiting. If you do not come, I will understand, though I hope that you do.
Fondest regards,
Miss. L. Green
She was an ordinary sort of beauty, but there was charm and simplicity in that. Plus, he could not deny that he was eager to feel the warm touch of a woman, whilst he waited for his marriage to Adelaide. Even if she were to discover what had happened, he knew it would not dissuade Adelaide from marrying him. She had no choice. It was the perfect scenario. He could do as he pleased and have the lady of his dreams as his wife. It could not have worked out better if he had planned it himself.
At ten minutes past one on the mantel-clock, there was a knock at the door of the bedchamber. Reuben walked over to it and opened the door wide, revealing Miss Green beyond. She smiled up at him with shy eyes, a flirtatious expression upon her pretty features.Yes, you shall do rather nicely.
“Did anyone see you?” Reuben asked.
She shook her head. “They did not.”
“Excellent.” He reached for her hand and pulled her into the room. Before she even had a chance to pause, his lips were upon hers. He held her close.
“Your Grace, I had not expected you to be so forward,” she giggled, pushing away with a nervous look on her face. “I have been burned by gentlemen of your ilk before.”
“I am starved of affection, Miss Green,” he replied, pulling her back in for a kiss. “Truly, I was starting to wonder if you would arrive. You have kept me waiting long enough.”
She smiled. “There was much for me to think about.”
He enveloped her, knowing he had all the time in the world as he leaned in to kiss her again. The Autumn glow shone down through the window, illuminating them as they sought comfort in one another’s arms.
Sitting on the edge of the bed a moment later, Reuben stroked her blonde hair and tucked a strand behind her ear. She seemed slightly on-edge, but that was to be expected. Many ladies feared and desired him. In truth, his effect on young ladies excited him and repelled him in equal measure. He knew she was only there in order to seek the security he had promised her, but sometimes bargains had to be struck to get something in return. She would more than pay the price by the time the afternoon came to a close. Besides, the cost of a child was a small sum compared to a marriage. From now on, once he had what he wanted, she would be beholden to him. That notion made the entire scenario all the more pleasurable.
“I confess, I had not thought you to be as bold as you were in your letter to me,” he said, as he toyed with the fabric of her sleeve.
She looked up in surprise. “My letter, Your Grace?”
“Yes, the one you sent to me.”
She giggled nervously. “I sent no letter to you, Your Grace. It was you who sent a letter to me, inviting me here to make a proposal of marriage. I must admit, it was not an easy decision to make, though I trust in your word.”
He snorted. “A proposal of marriage? What an outlandish thought!” He paused, a frown pinching his brows together. “Wait… so you did not send a letter to me?”
