Adelaide knew she couldn’t delay Leah any longer. There had been some tension when she sent Leah away the other day, amidst her turmoil over Reuben, but her mind had been too preoccupied to give it much thought. Now, feeling much calmer after her discussion with the Dowager, she felt ready to fulfil her promise to Jasper to make amends on his behalf. If only Leah would listen.

“I do not understand why you have asked me here, when you sent me away so callously,” Leah muttered. They sat opposite one another in the drawing room of the Colborne’s townhouse.

“I had much to contemplate,” Adelaide replied evenly.

“Your concerns over the Duke have been resolved, have they not?”

She nodded. “They have.”

“So, there was no need for such a gross overreaction?”

“At the time, I felt there was.” Adelaide struggled not to rise to the sudden influx of annoyance.

What right do you have to tell me how I should and should not feel? What right do you have to dictate my emotions on the matter? Would you not also have reacted as I did, if put in the same situation? Adelaide did not breathe a word of her true thoughts. Jasper needed her to remain calm.

“Well, I knew your business with the Duke would be ironed out in due course. Everyone did,” Leah said icily. “His nature is common knowledge. I do not know why you were so surprised by his errant ways. Surely, you ought to know the kind of man you are marrying?”

“I do.”

She waved a hand in Adelaide’s direction. “Still, you should not have cast your friends aside in such a cruel manner. You may find yourself quite alone if you continue to do so. I might have offered counsel, had you allowed me to stay.” She pouted. “I still have not recovered that shawl of mine, and it is dearly beloved.”

“I have asked Louise to look for it,” Adelaide assured. Louise was one of the housemaids. A sweet girl with a pleasant temperament, whose mother had worked for the Colbornes before her.

“And has she found it?”

“Not yet.”

In truth, Adelaide believed the missing shawl to be nothing more than the ruse of an anxious lover. In purposefully leaving it here, Leah had ensured that she would have reason to return. It would not matter what sort of temporary conflict she and Adelaide were entertaining. Since Jasper was often at the Colborne house, Adelaide suspected that to be the true intent behind it—so Leah might happen upon Jasper, quite by ‘accident.’

“If it is not found today, I shall have to return until it is recovered.”

Confirmation, if ever I heard it, Adelaide mused. “Of course, Leah. Although, you were not too clear, as to where the item had been mislaid. Perhaps, if we were to have a better idea of its whereabouts, we might be able to discover it more swiftly.”

“As I have told you, I do not know where I left it.”

“Might it be at the Assembly Rooms, or one of the tea shops in town?”

“I cannot see why it would be there.”

Adelaide smiled sweetly. “Well then, may the search continue.”

“You mock me, and I do not care for it,” Leah remarked sharply.

“I assure you, there is no mockery here,” Adelaide replied, wishing she had never sent an invite to the sour-faced girl. Evidently, their friendship had taken a knock. Perhaps, Leah required more time for her feelings of animosity to dissipate before they spoke again. “If the timing is not convenient, we can always reconvene later in the week?”

Leah sighed wearily. “I am rather too busy later in the week. Indeed, I was surprised to receive your note at all.”

“I wished to speak with you.”

“Yes, I gathered as much.” Her blue eyes gazed into the flickering flames of the drawing room fire. “About what, exactly?”

“Jasper.”

Her gaze flitted up, harboring a glint of curiosity. “Oh?”

“He does not wish to trouble you, after parting ways on such disagreeable terms at the Assembly Rooms,” Adelaide continued. “It is something he very much regrets, but he did not deem it appropriate to send word to you. I promised I would speak to you on his behalf, so that you might know of his remorse.”

She arched an eyebrow. “And what remorse might that be?”

“He did not mean to depart in such a brusque manner, without discussing the subject of your displeasure. He is not a particularly worldly man, and he does not understand the complexities of women. He tries, but he often fails.” Adelaide smiled with encouragement. She was starting to realize that she might not have been the best person to be having this conversation with Leah, considering the latter’s disdain for their friendship.

“I see you have been discussing me at great length,” Leah’s tone shivered with bitterness.

“Not at all, Leah. He attempted to blame me for saying something untoward, that may have dissuaded you from enjoying his company,” Adelaide explained. “I corrected him and made him see that it was his abandonment that may have caused such a rift. The nature of your dispute was, and is, none of my business.”

“He did not tell you that it was because of you that we found ourselves in a rather uncomfortable silence?”

“He alluded to it, but I was not certain that was the case,” Adelaide lied. A small fib to keep her sweet.

“He could not help but mention your upcoming nuptials, and how inappropriate he deems them,” she went on sourly. “He does not appear to understand the image that it projects. That he cares more of you, his friend, than spending time in acquainting himself more personally with me.”

Adelaide nodded sympathetically. “I told him as much. He was rather horrified when he discovered how it might have made you feel. Truly, I have never seen him so downhearted.”

Leah’s eyebrows pinched together in a frown. “You mean it?”

“I do. He cares for you, rather deeply, I should think.”

For a long time, Leah said nothing. She reached for her cup of tea and lifted it delicately to her lips. A few sips later, she returned the cup and saucer to the table and leveled her gaze at Adelaide.

“My mother is ill-convinced of my pursuing this romantic endeavor,” she said bluntly, taking Adelaide by surprise. “In some ways, I think she agrees with the likes of Countess Gaumont, that I am unsuitable for such a man. An Earl’s son may be setting my sights too high.”

“But you care for him, and he cares for you,” she replied cautiously. “Nor does he concern himself with the staunch views of high society, as I have already assured you. You will not find a more amenable gentleman in all of London, I guarantee it.”

Leah shrugged casually. “Be that as it may, I can’t help but wonder if my mother is right. Were I to be in the fortunate position of being married to Jasper, I imagine I would spend a lifetime being looked down upon. It is not a particularly scintillating thought.”

“And what of the fortunate position you would be in, where you would be wed to a gentleman of considerable means—a gentleman whom you adore, and who adores you in return?”

“One must balance one’s choices,” Leah said simply. “And you understand, better than anyone, the pressures of family.”

Adelaide could hardly believe what she was hearing. “Your mother would undoubtedly be pleased if Jasper were to make his intentions known?”

“There is too much uncertainty, Adelaide. My mother must also balance the options that lay before us. We do not have the privilege that you possess, in selecting from the most prime slice of society gentlemen.”

“But you do, Leah. Jasper adores you.”

“I have yet to hear him intimate such expressions of feeling to me.”

“He is a proper man. He would not wish to say anything that might make you uncomfortable or be deemed roguish. You must be patient and allow him to process a potential courtship in the correct manner.”

Leah reached for her teacup again. “That is where you and I differ. My family have accumulated their own wealth and, as such, we hold a rather more modern viewpoint than you do. Why should he not make his intentions known directly, if he feels as strongly as you say he does?”

“He is a reticent sort of fellow, that is all. What you may decipher as hesitation is nothing more than an inherent shyness in him.”

Adelaide looked at Leah closely, attempting to figure out the strange expression that flitted across her friend’s face. If she didn’t know any better, she would say that Leah was starting to have second thoughts about the entire thing. About Jasper.

Can you really believe yourself to be so unsuitable for a gentleman who does not care for differences in class? Or is there more to this than meets the eye… what are you not telling me, Leah?

“Perhaps,” Leah said, after a moment.

Adelaide had heard of social climbers before, but she did not dare to tarnish her acquaintance with the same brush. And yet, the signs were undeniable. The Greens were wealthy and lacked nothing but a title, an attribute that would place them on the social map. Moreover, Jasper did not run to her beck and call and had not shown any clear indication of his wish to officially court her. He had made no such motion. In which case, were she interested solely in the position he could grant her, a future with him might have appeared less secure? A safer wager would have been preferable. Perhaps, her mother was pressuring her into such an ill-advised move. It was rather difficult to gauge.

“May I give him news of your continued affections?” Adelaide asked, feeling nervous for Jasper. “He wishes to send you a letter, but I thought it prudent that I speak with you first. I wanted to assure you of his feelings.”

“You believe he cares?”

“I do, Leah.” Adelaide no longer felt entirely comfortable admitting as much, in case her suspicions were confirmed.

“Then, maybe, all is not lost.” Her eyes twinkled unexpectedly, giving Adelaide hope. A bittersweet expression washed over her pretty features. Not for the first time, Adelaide could see why Jasper was so smitten with her.

Reuben did not exactly look at her in that sweet, romantic way. Not that she minded. She had never been one for saccharine regard. His affections were much darker than that—there was a danger and a thrill to them. Even so, they did not appear to be any less valid. He admired her and was fond of her. The Dowager had even said so. In truth, Adelaide was somewhat fond of him, too. She did not enjoy his games, but she honestly believed that they would enjoy a happy life together. An unorthodox existence, perhaps… but a content one.

“So… I may assure him that his affections are returned?” Adelaide pressed. Jasper would not take a vague reply, and he would likely blame her for the lack of clarity.

Leah nodded shyly. “You may.”

“And that all is forgiven with regards to the previous evening?”

“It is.”

Adelaide sighed with relief. “He shall be most pleased to hear such joyous news.”

“With regards to your friendship, however,” Leah interjected, dampening Adelaide’s enthusiasm. “I do wish you would heed my desires and spend less time in his company. You present an unwelcome distraction. My mother agrees.”

“I will do what I can,” she replied. Another white lie.

“That is much appreciated, Adelaide.” She took up her cup and saucer and lifted the tea to her lips. “Now, shall we discuss the matter of your errant fiancé, or did you only wish to pry into my romantic endeavors?”

Adelaide was spared her response by the sound of someone hammering on the front door. A tremor of fear shot through her. It did not sound like the civilized knock of a sane individual. She rose sharply and hurried towards the door of the drawing room. At the threshold, she paused. Daniel, the household butler, had beat her to it. He opened the door wide, to reveal Jasper on the other side.

A mist of rainwater clung to his hair, whilst a diluted trickle of blood meandered down his face. Adelaide gasped at the sight of him. He looked as though he had just stepped in from the pages of a Gothic novel. Thanking Daniel, he swept into the entrance hall and paused on the plush rug. Glancing at Adelaide, he smoothed down the ruffled edges of his waistcoat and offered her a reassuring smile.

“My goodness, what has happened?” Adelaide rushed to his side. Without thinking, she pulled his handkerchief from his top pocket and pressed it to his cheek. “You are wounded. Are you quite well?”

Jasper laughed softly. “A scrape, nothing more. An unfortunate incident with a low branch and my rusty horsemanship.”

“You must be more careful, Jasper,” she urged. “Were you alone?”

“I was.”

“You should not ride alone. How often have I told you so?” She shook her head in despair. “Anything might have happened to you.”

“Fortunately, it did not.” He pressed his own palm to the handkerchief, his bare skin brushing hers for a moment. She pulled her hand away immediately, conscious of Leah’s presence in the house. A friendly gesture could easily be misconstrued.

“Are you certain there is nothing else the matter?” Adelaide wondered. “You pounded on the door with such ferocity, I thought you might burst through it.”

He smiled. “Urgency brings me here. I admit, I was somewhat overzealous in my knocking.”

“Urgency?”

“A matter concerning the ships your father invested in. A few of them have just come into port, and I thought he would like to know the good news.”

She frowned at him. “All of this din over ships?”

“My apologies, Adelaide. Were you busy?”

She glanced back at the drawing room, where Leah did not emerge. “A little.”

“Is your father in his study?”

“He is. Shall I have Daniel send for some tea things? My father will be glad of the distraction.”

“That would be wonderful,” Jasper replied, though he didn’t sound convinced. “I have taken up enough of your time. I must share the happy news with your father.” His voice caught in his throat and there was a curious flicker in his eyes. A thought she could not read.

He turned away before Adelaide could say another word, leaving her to wonder what on earth was going on.