lonely.
There was no point in brooding over what had happened. She must simply accept that she was unlikely to see George again.
Perhaps it was for the best. Andrew would scarcely encourage a friendship between them. Jane would just have to accept that the wholething was a regrettable incident she would do well to put from her mind.
* * *
‘I am so glad to see you safely returned,’ Lucinda, Duchess of Avonlea, said as they sat together in her parlour the next morning. ‘It was so brave of you to try to protect Mariah and so clever of you to escape your captors. I am certain Mariah would have escaped, too, if she were able, but she must be kept more closely than you were.’
‘I am certain she would be. Blake only wanted her. I was just a nuisance. Besides, I had help. Without George I am not certain I should still be alive. I believe Blake might have killed me had I not got away when I did.’
Lucinda shuddered and pulled her shawl about her shoulders. ‘I remember how I felt when I was abducted by that awful man who wanted to blackmail me. Had it not been for Andrew and Mariah…’
‘Do not think about it, dearest. It was different for me, because I knew I was not the intended victim and I managed to escape.’
‘The man who helped you—you have no idea who he really is?’
‘No…’ Jane hesitated. ‘It is foolish, I know, but I liked him so much.’
‘Was he a gentleman?’
‘Yes, I am sure of it. He would not tell me why he was with Blake that day, but I know he was being blackmailed.’
‘You really liked him, didn’t you?’
‘Yes.’ Jane could not meet her eyes as she said, ‘Do you remember asking my advice before you married the duke?’
‘Yes, of course.’
‘Until you met him you had no intention of marrying?’
‘None at all.’
‘What was it that made you change your mind?’
Lucinda hesitated, then, ‘I hardly know—except that something in the way he looked at me made me feel my life would not be worth anything without him.’ Lucinda was a little shocked. ‘Surely…I mean, you could do so much better, Jane.’
‘Could I?’ Jane looked rueful. ‘I once heard myself described as a plain-faced harpy by a man I thought I cared for. I fear that perhaps my way of speaking plainly may have madegentlemen who might have offered for me take me in dislike.’
‘No, how could they? I know you are fiercely independent, Jane, but I am sure you could marry if you wished.’
‘Perhaps, but I have gained a reputation for being outspoken and, in truth, I’ve found few men that I would wish to marry.’
‘Are you saying that you care for the man who helped you escape from your abductors?’
‘I am not certain what I am saying,’ Jane confessed and laughed. ‘I dare say it is all nerves and I shall forget him within a week.’
* * *
Jane sat in front of her dressing table, brushing her long dark hair. Andrew had been gone for two days without sending her any word of his intentions. It could not have taken him that long to ride to Martha’s, speak with her and ride back. Even if he had stayed at an inn one night to break his journey, he should surely have been back by now. Where was he—and what was he doing?
She was concerned lest he had discovered something and gone looking for George—or, worse still, for Captain Blake. He would domuch better to wait until Avonlea returned from London so that they could search together.
Uncertain whether her concern was more for her brother or for George, Jane was about to retire to bed when she heard something rattle against her bedroom window.
She went to look out and saw a man standing just below her in the courtyard. Fortunately, the moon was bright and she was able to see his face.
‘George—is that you? What are you doing here?’
‘Jane?’ He looked up at her. ‘Thank God you are here! Are you alone?’
‘The servants are in the house, but my brother is not here. Why?’
‘Come down and help me. I have Lady
There was no point in brooding over what had happened. She must simply accept that she was unlikely to see George again.
Perhaps it was for the best. Andrew would scarcely encourage a friendship between them. Jane would just have to accept that the wholething was a regrettable incident she would do well to put from her mind.
* * *
‘I am so glad to see you safely returned,’ Lucinda, Duchess of Avonlea, said as they sat together in her parlour the next morning. ‘It was so brave of you to try to protect Mariah and so clever of you to escape your captors. I am certain Mariah would have escaped, too, if she were able, but she must be kept more closely than you were.’
‘I am certain she would be. Blake only wanted her. I was just a nuisance. Besides, I had help. Without George I am not certain I should still be alive. I believe Blake might have killed me had I not got away when I did.’
Lucinda shuddered and pulled her shawl about her shoulders. ‘I remember how I felt when I was abducted by that awful man who wanted to blackmail me. Had it not been for Andrew and Mariah…’
‘Do not think about it, dearest. It was different for me, because I knew I was not the intended victim and I managed to escape.’
‘The man who helped you—you have no idea who he really is?’
‘No…’ Jane hesitated. ‘It is foolish, I know, but I liked him so much.’
‘Was he a gentleman?’
‘Yes, I am sure of it. He would not tell me why he was with Blake that day, but I know he was being blackmailed.’
‘You really liked him, didn’t you?’
‘Yes.’ Jane could not meet her eyes as she said, ‘Do you remember asking my advice before you married the duke?’
‘Yes, of course.’
‘Until you met him you had no intention of marrying?’
‘None at all.’
‘What was it that made you change your mind?’
Lucinda hesitated, then, ‘I hardly know—except that something in the way he looked at me made me feel my life would not be worth anything without him.’ Lucinda was a little shocked. ‘Surely…I mean, you could do so much better, Jane.’
‘Could I?’ Jane looked rueful. ‘I once heard myself described as a plain-faced harpy by a man I thought I cared for. I fear that perhaps my way of speaking plainly may have madegentlemen who might have offered for me take me in dislike.’
‘No, how could they? I know you are fiercely independent, Jane, but I am sure you could marry if you wished.’
‘Perhaps, but I have gained a reputation for being outspoken and, in truth, I’ve found few men that I would wish to marry.’
‘Are you saying that you care for the man who helped you escape from your abductors?’
‘I am not certain what I am saying,’ Jane confessed and laughed. ‘I dare say it is all nerves and I shall forget him within a week.’
* * *
Jane sat in front of her dressing table, brushing her long dark hair. Andrew had been gone for two days without sending her any word of his intentions. It could not have taken him that long to ride to Martha’s, speak with her and ride back. Even if he had stayed at an inn one night to break his journey, he should surely have been back by now. Where was he—and what was he doing?
She was concerned lest he had discovered something and gone looking for George—or, worse still, for Captain Blake. He would domuch better to wait until Avonlea returned from London so that they could search together.
Uncertain whether her concern was more for her brother or for George, Jane was about to retire to bed when she heard something rattle against her bedroom window.
She went to look out and saw a man standing just below her in the courtyard. Fortunately, the moon was bright and she was able to see his face.
‘George—is that you? What are you doing here?’
‘Jane?’ He looked up at her. ‘Thank God you are here! Are you alone?’
‘The servants are in the house, but my brother is not here. Why?’
‘Come down and help me. I have Lady
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