Jasper paused in front of Ephraim’s study for a moment, gathering himself. His mind was racing. His heart even more so. The sting of his cheek still burned where the knife had sliced. It wasn’t a big cut, but it had served its purpose. A warning to both of them—himself and the Earl.

He turned to look over his shoulder to make sure Adelaide hadn’t followed him up to the study. The lies had tripped easily from his tongue. Even so, he had no idea if she believed him. She knew of his previous difficulties on horseback. He wasn’t a natural rider and had his fair share of scrapes. Still, there were no guarantees that she was convinced. Adelaide was nothing if not intuitive.

Taking a shaky breath, he knocked on the door and waited for a reply.

“Come in,” Ephraim’s voice called from within.

Jasper opened the door and stepped inside. The sun was already close to setting, casting shadows through the far window. A fire burned in the grate and Ephraim wore a woolen blanket over his shoulders, a barrier against the creeping cold.

“I hope I’m not disturbing you, My Lord,” he said nervously.

Ephraim looked at him in surprise. “Not at all. Is something the matter?” Only when Jasper took a step closer did he witness the change in Ephraim’s face. A darkening. An understanding.

“There are matters we need to discuss.”

Ephraim nodded slowly. “You are injured.”

“A scratch. It will heal quickly enough.”

“How did you get it?”

“Lord Rowntree paid me a visit whilst I was out walking,” Jasper replied. “I apologize for postponing our meeting yesterday. Adelaide appeared to be in distress and I thought it best that I stayed away.”

“I thought as much.” Ephraim sighed heavily, though Jasper wasn’t sure which part he had already suspected, the visit or Adelaide’s distress. “Come, you should sit.”

Jasper crossed the room and sat down in one of the high-backed armchairs that were clustered by the fire. The sudden heat washed over him in a balmy embrace. He hadn’t realized until that moment that he was shivering.

“You say that Lord Rowntree paid you a visit?”

Jasper rubbed his hands together to spark some life into them. “He did, not long ago. He is not best pleased, and that is something of an understatement.”

A guilty expression crossed Ephraim’s weathered face. It was a hard sight to see, given the Earl’s strength and pride. He was a powerful man by any standards, and it pained Jasper to see him brought so low. The character of his former self remained whenever he was around his family. Jasper was the only one permitted a glimpse of the Earl’s true state.

“Because I have not contacted him.” It was not a question.

“He told me that he had sent instructions, and you had not responded,” Jasper replied breathlessly. “We must seek to get the task underway or risk the consequences of Lord Rowntree’s wrath.”

Ephraim gave him a hard stare. “You think I do not know that?”

“I do not know, My Lord. I cannot understand why you have not responded to Lord Rowntree’s prompts.” He thought about telling the Earl of Lord Rowntree’s threat. In that moment, he decided to keep it to himself for a brief spell. The Earl did not need to hear that his daughter was in danger. Not yet, anyway.

“I will not be beholden to a criminal like that,” Ephraim spat. “It is bad enough that I must foist my daughter off on a known deviant. Who, I might add, has made no effort to make good on his promises. There has been no announcement, even now, and no response to my requests to meet. This can be no publishing error. He is toying with the family.”

Jasper shook his head. “The unfortunate situation with the Duke can wait, My Lord. Lord Rowntree must be answered. We must do what we have sworn to, otherwise… well, I hate to even contemplate his retribution.”

He thought back to another report, six months previous. An Earl dangling from the spires of St. Paul’s Cathedral with a note tied to his chest. Traitor, was all it had said. Lord Rowntree had been suspected, but he was not an amateur in the crime business. No one could pin anything to him. Jasper didn’t want Ephraim to end up dangling from another landmark, nor did he want any harm to come to Adelaide.

“I have had a great deal to think about these past days,” Ephraim contended.

“Regardless, you must find the time to respond to Lord Rowntree, and you must do it now. Send it by an express rider if you can. He will not wait.” Jasper sighed. “This cut is his warning, to show you he is serious.”

Ephraim slumped into his chair. He didn’t speak for what seemed like an eternity. Instead, he stared listlessly at the far wall, his face blank.

“My Lord?” Jasper prompted.

“I thought I could discover another way,” he admitted, his voice thick with emotion. “I needed to raise the funds for Adelaide’s dowry. I was desperate…but I was convinced I could find a different path and wrest free of Lord Rowntree’s association. A different means of paying the Duke of Bradford. I thought I could hand back the money that Lord Rowntree had given me, and everything would return to normal. No harm done. Oh, my dear boy, I was a fool to believe I could escape the promises that I made.”

Jasper did not know what to say. A tense silence stretched between the two men, peppered with the crack of logs from the fire.

“We have to do as he has asked, My Lord,” he said at last.

“I know, my boy, I know.” Ephraim paused, casting a curious eye in Jasper’s direction. “If you want to withdraw your offer of assistance now, I will not hold it against you. I should never have roped you into this, not knowing the dangers that might arise.”

“I pledged my allegiance. I will not balk from my duties,” Jasper assured. “You have always shown such kindness to my family, My Lord. What sort of gentleman would I be, if I abandoned yours in its hour of need?”

A strange smile crept onto Ephraim’s face. “You are an exemplary young man, Jasper. Do you know that?”

“I do what I can.”

“I often wondered why we never sought a betrothal between yourself and my daughter,” he continued, stunning Jasper into silence. “You are such dear friends, and you always seem so fond of one another. Even in the midst of your disagreements, there is always warmth. She might have been content indeed, to be wed to a gentleman such as yourself. Truly, I should have thought myself extremely fortunate to have a son-in-law like you. A decent man, without a single dent to his reputation. I do not know what she sees in Bradford, aside from his wealth and security.”

Jasper shrugged awkwardly, choosing to ignore the former part. “Nor do I, My Lord. I have attempted to dissuade her… as her friend. She will not hear of it.”

“No, she has always been strong-willed. Were I not in this predicament, I might have voiced my opinions on the gentleman with greater vigor. As it stands, he is a well-timed contingency for Adelaide and her mother,” he gulped nervously, “should anything happen to me.”

“Do not speak of such things.”

“How can I not? It is a very real threat. Even if I succeed, I shall always be glancing over my shoulder, wondering if the law may catch up with me.” He shook his head sadly. “It is why I urge you to withdraw now, whilst you still can.”

Jasper stood his ground. “I will not and cannot. You see, there is more to my encounter with Lord Rowntree than I have previously mentioned.”

Ephraim’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “There is?”

“He threatened to harm Adelaide—to use her as collateral against us performing the task he has requested. If we do not comply, he will seek her out and hurt her.” He let out a tense breath. “So, you see, I could not abandon you now, even if I wanted to. Adelaide’s life is at risk. Lord Rowntree has raised the stakes, and you cannot do this alone.”

Ephraim’s face drained of color. “He did what?”

“He made a threat against her. He knows she is dear to us both.”

Although, not because I have any romantic affections towards her. She is my friend, nothing more, he added silently. There had been a time, between the ages of sixteen and eighteen, when he had wondered what it might be like to wed Adelaide. Everyone had expected it. And, being so close to one another, of course he had contemplated it. She, however, had never shown any hint of reciprocity in that arena. As such, he had let those thoughts fade and let family expectation extinguish alongside it. In all the years since, those ideas had never resurfaced in his mind.

“The vile devil,” Ephraim hissed. “He knows that I cannot do anything to inform Adelaide without revealing the entire, sordid truth to both her and my wife. This is nothing but cold, callous blackmail.”

Jasper nodded. “I agree, My Lord. He is no fool. He has done this before. I believe he understands where to strike, to manipulate men into doing his terrible deeds.”

“Then again, how am I any better?” Ephraim murmured. “I sought him out, practically begging at his door for a loan. It was not the other way around. I caused this. Why should I be surprised that he is putting assurances in place?”

“You must not be so hard on yourself, My Lord.”

“I must be, so I never put myself in this position again,” Ephraim fired back. “I will complete this task, and then no more. I shall use the rest of the money wisely. No foolhardy investments, no speculations, nothing. I will become a better man, so there can never be a repeat.”

Jasper felt sorry for the older man, who seemed to age before his very eyes. “At least… at least Lady Adelaide will be safe. As dubious as the Duke of Bradford’s history may be, he will be able to provide for your daughter. And, in turn, for you and your Countess.”

“A poor solution to an old man’s problem. It is a father’s duty to protect his children and his wife. I have failed on both counts.”

“Not yet, My Lord.” It troubled Jasper to see Ephraim so downcast. He had never thought to hear such defeatist words coming out of the Earl’s mouth. The Earl of Leeds was a fighter. He did not bow down to anyone; he had said so himself.

“She warned me about those ships, Jasper.”

“Pardon?”

“The Countess, she warned me not to invest in those silk traders—she did not trust them. She was right. I ought to have listened,” he went on, a dry laugh stretching his voice. “I dare say she has more business acumen than I do.”

Jasper grimaced. “Speaking of those ships, I told Lady Adelaide that a few of them had come into port. I met her in the hall and did not know what else to say. I implied that their arrival was why I had to speak with you so urgently.”

“More lies…” Ephraim sank lower into his armchair.

“Should I not have spoken so?”

“No, my boy. Do not mistake me, I am grateful for your quick mind. You may well have bought me some time and a means of explanation.”

“That was my hope.”

“When the other half of my fee appears, Adelaide and Margaret will believe it has come from the ships,” Ephraim conceded. “It is the perfect ruse. I only wish I did not have to lie to them.”

Jasper dropped his gaze. “Is it too late to confess?”

“Much too late.” He sighed. “And, in the end, it may all be for naught.”

“Whatever do you mean?”

“The Duke of Bradford has yet to send word about his intentions towards my daughter, though we spoke together earlier in the week,” he replied miserably. “As you have seen, there has been no announcement. We have yet to negotiate the cost of the dowry. He appears to have vanished entirely. Truly, I am beginning to have severe doubts about that unscrupulous individual as a suitable match for my daughter.”

“And you are sure that Lord Rowntree would not accept the initial half of the fee, if you were to return it to him now?” Ephraim shot Jasper a stern look. “No… a foolish thought. My apologies.”

“Believe me, if it were possible, I would have done it,” Ephraim said solemnly. “In the first instance, I would have denied Duke Bradford’s initial request for Adelaide’s hand in marriage. Had she insisted, I would have urged her to reconsider, and then sent that tainted sum straight back to where it came from.”

“I am sorry,” Jasper murmured.

“For what, dear boy?”

He shrugged. “For all that has befallen you. You do not deserve such misfortune.”

“If we had only managed to convince the two of you to fall in love with one another, we might have avoided all of this. There would likely be grandchildren running amok at this very moment, instead of so much heartache and confusion.”

Jasper stared at him, trying to gauge if he was teasing. Ephraim’s face was deadly serious, his eyes fixed on Jasper’s. He squirmed in his seat, the sentiment making him feel deeply uncomfortable. Another person to add to the list of folks who thought his friendship with Adelaide was unnatural.

“We discussed it several times, your father and I,” he continued, undeterred by Jasper’s discomfort. “In the end, we decided it would be better to leave you two to your own methods. Now, I am not so sure.”

“I know that Lady Adelaide has always been glad of the freedom,” Jasper croaked, his throat constricted. What am I supposed to say to that? I cannot navigate such treacherous waters without causing offence.

“And you?”

“I confess, I have always been glad of it, too.”

Ephraim turned his gaze towards the fire. “You admire that Green girl, do you not?”

Jasper’s cheeks flushed. “She is exceedingly amiable.”

“Oh, to be young again,” he muttered into the flames.

“Shall we discuss our plan of action, My Lord?” Jasper asked, desperate to steer the subject away from what might have been. It was not a topic he cared to dwell upon. He did not want to have to convince another person that he and Adelaide were merely friends, not after all the trouble it had caused with Miss Green.

Ephraim lifted his gaze once more. “Yes, I suppose we must. But where do we begin, Jasper?”

His heart gripped in his chest. He hardly dared speak the words aloud, for fear that someone might hear him. “Well, first and foremost, we have to find a way into the Houses of Parliament.”