tremor vibrated through her, visibly shaking the ends of her spencer. She swallowed a few times, her throat working against the hat ribbons tied beneath her chin. “Well, I must congratulate you both.” She nudged her son in the ribs, and he bowed, showing none of his mother’s anxiety. “I had no idea there were…other arrangements. Your brother made no mention of this in his last letter.”
“My…my brother?” Again, she was unable to complete a full sentence. Jack’s outrageous statement was shock enough for one day.
“Your brother and I have been discussing your future, Miss Lockewood.” Her graying brows drew together. “Of course, nothing was set in stone, as it were.” She threw back her shoulders, then, with a short curtsy, took Herbert’s arm. “Good day to you both.”
Georgiana bounced on the balls of her feet, her earlier impulse to run far away coming back. “Good day, your ladyship.”
She could not look at Jack. What unspeakable horror would she see on his face? What wild lunacy had possessed him? Just as she’d been about to introduce him as her cousin, the shocking words had issued from his lips like rain from thunderclouds.
They were alone. Georgiana counted to five before risking a glance at his face. Besides one eyebrow arched to the point where he resembled a lopsided owl, he looked very much the same as before.
“We should go now. Yes, that’s the best thing. We will go to Aunt Adele.” The exposed inch of skin above his collar was as crimson as his waistcoat.
“Whatever you say.” She almost stammered her reply.
Her hand remained on his sleeve as they walked away from the center of town.
The gypsies had settled on the outskirts. Their ponies grazed nearby, shaggy and soft looking, their hair thicker than English horses. Were this any other occasion, she’d have gladly gone to them, to explore the enticing area that was the gypsy camp. But she dared not leave Jack’s side.
His face resembled an aubergine. In another moment, she feared his eyes would burst from his sockets.
He appeared to be struggling to say something, but no sound escaped him. With a sudden, muttered oath, he seized her hand and pulled her behind a sheltering wall. He placed both hands on her shoulders and peered into her face.
“What in all that is sacred possessed me? I expected you to have said something ridiculous, but for me to have...” He pushed away from her, pacing in a quick circle before clasping her shoulders again and shaking her once.
Georgiana pulled from his grasp and tried to regain some of her dignity. “I was going to say you were my cousin, if you don’t mind.”
“Why did I not think of that?” He grabbed a handful of his hair and tugged it to stand on end. “God, Georgie! I do not know how I lost my sensibilities. This will not bode well, mark my words.”
He closed his eyes and lowered his head, pressing his forehead against hers so firmly she had to break away before she fell backward. She clutched his waistcoat for balance, his heartbeat thudding against the backs of her hands.
“It matters not,” she began, but he pressed his finger to her lips.
“It does matter, Georgiana. I should have said I was your…your uncle, for God’s sake, but the thought left my head when I saw her son.” His eyes were wild. His cheek muscle twitched, and a large vein throbbed upon his brow. “I can stand many things, but at that moment, I could not stand the thought...” He ground his teeth and pulled sharply away to strike the wall behind her. “Lockewood was wrong, wrong! I should have put an end to his plans to throw you away to a tosspot like Richmond!”
Wincing in pain for him, Georgiana seized his hand and pressed her lips to his knuckles while he groaned.
“Oh, Jack…”
Shaking his head, he groaned again. “Tosspot or no, I’ve ruined your chances! Your brother…Oh, God, your brother! Lockewood will kill me, and deservedly so.”
“What are you talking
“My…my brother?” Again, she was unable to complete a full sentence. Jack’s outrageous statement was shock enough for one day.
“Your brother and I have been discussing your future, Miss Lockewood.” Her graying brows drew together. “Of course, nothing was set in stone, as it were.” She threw back her shoulders, then, with a short curtsy, took Herbert’s arm. “Good day to you both.”
Georgiana bounced on the balls of her feet, her earlier impulse to run far away coming back. “Good day, your ladyship.”
She could not look at Jack. What unspeakable horror would she see on his face? What wild lunacy had possessed him? Just as she’d been about to introduce him as her cousin, the shocking words had issued from his lips like rain from thunderclouds.
They were alone. Georgiana counted to five before risking a glance at his face. Besides one eyebrow arched to the point where he resembled a lopsided owl, he looked very much the same as before.
“We should go now. Yes, that’s the best thing. We will go to Aunt Adele.” The exposed inch of skin above his collar was as crimson as his waistcoat.
“Whatever you say.” She almost stammered her reply.
Her hand remained on his sleeve as they walked away from the center of town.
The gypsies had settled on the outskirts. Their ponies grazed nearby, shaggy and soft looking, their hair thicker than English horses. Were this any other occasion, she’d have gladly gone to them, to explore the enticing area that was the gypsy camp. But she dared not leave Jack’s side.
His face resembled an aubergine. In another moment, she feared his eyes would burst from his sockets.
He appeared to be struggling to say something, but no sound escaped him. With a sudden, muttered oath, he seized her hand and pulled her behind a sheltering wall. He placed both hands on her shoulders and peered into her face.
“What in all that is sacred possessed me? I expected you to have said something ridiculous, but for me to have...” He pushed away from her, pacing in a quick circle before clasping her shoulders again and shaking her once.
Georgiana pulled from his grasp and tried to regain some of her dignity. “I was going to say you were my cousin, if you don’t mind.”
“Why did I not think of that?” He grabbed a handful of his hair and tugged it to stand on end. “God, Georgie! I do not know how I lost my sensibilities. This will not bode well, mark my words.”
He closed his eyes and lowered his head, pressing his forehead against hers so firmly she had to break away before she fell backward. She clutched his waistcoat for balance, his heartbeat thudding against the backs of her hands.
“It matters not,” she began, but he pressed his finger to her lips.
“It does matter, Georgiana. I should have said I was your…your uncle, for God’s sake, but the thought left my head when I saw her son.” His eyes were wild. His cheek muscle twitched, and a large vein throbbed upon his brow. “I can stand many things, but at that moment, I could not stand the thought...” He ground his teeth and pulled sharply away to strike the wall behind her. “Lockewood was wrong, wrong! I should have put an end to his plans to throw you away to a tosspot like Richmond!”
Wincing in pain for him, Georgiana seized his hand and pressed her lips to his knuckles while he groaned.
“Oh, Jack…”
Shaking his head, he groaned again. “Tosspot or no, I’ve ruined your chances! Your brother…Oh, God, your brother! Lockewood will kill me, and deservedly so.”
“What are you talking
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