“Not to mention that Nicholas has the temperament of a scowling dowager,” Julia added.
One of those did the trick. Lord Bishop slapped his knees and stood up. “All right. I’ll trust you girls, but you also have to trust me. If I come back with your mother, will you promise to give her a chance?”
“We will,” Amelia answered.
When Julia didn’t say anything, Mia elbowed her.
“Fine,” Julia agreed. “One chance.”
They stood up and Lord Bishop kissed each daughter’s cheek. “About the other thing—you know I’m not trying to ‘fix’ you, don’t you?”
“I know.” It wasn’t entirely the truth, but it was one more thing that would be too difficult to explain. She knew he loved her as she was. That was what he was really asking.
“I couldn’t forgive myself if there was something we could have done, opportunities we could have given you, that we missed.”
“I know, Papa.”
They walked him out of the parlor, into the foyer.
“I should say my good-byes to Nicholas.” Lord Bishop waggled his eyebrows at Julia. “And Lord Bellamy.”
She put her hands on his back and pushed him toward the door. “Get in your carriage, old man.”
Chapter Sixteen
The smoke from the cheroot wafted around Jasper’s face before being whisked across the lawn by a midday breeze. He was not in the habit of having to be patient, but on the few occasions when it had been called for, the cheroots helped. He’d promised to earn to Julia’s trust—and he would keep that promise—but the argument between Julia and her father in the parlor made him realize it might take longer than he had anticipated.
Jasper had always known he was born privileged, but he’d never stopped to consider how different things were for him. Jasper organized orgies and walked out on the queen, but the ton was always happy to see him. No matter what travesties he perpetrated, society embraced him with open arms. Because he’d been born a DeVere, destined to be a duke. He had never done anything to deserve his welcome, and she hadn’t done anything to deserve her exile.
The swish of skirts caught his attention, and Jasper snubbed out the cheroot to avoid smothering his guest with smoke. Amelia joined him at the terrace railing, looking out into the distance with him. “Deep thoughts?”
“A few.”
“I should tell you—I’ve just given my father the impression that you’re courting my sister.”
An unexpected nervousness raced across his skin. “Did he seem amenable?” If Lord Bishop thought he was worthy of Julia, perhaps she would give him a chance.
Amelia laughed. “Of course.”
“I suppose I should write to Victoria.”
“The queen?”
Jasper nodded. “Victoria has to approve my future spouse before I can marry—that ridiculous Royal Marriages Act.”
If declaring his intentions to the queen wouldn’t convince Julia of his seriousness, Jasper wasn’t sure what would. He also wasn’t above using Julia’s affection for Victoria to help his cause.
Beside him, Amelia had gone still. “What if the queen doesn’t approve?”
“Why wouldn’t she? I’ll ask, Victoria will agree because we’re cousins and no one ever says no to the Duke of Albemarle, and then Julia will realize there’s nothing temporary about the way I feel about her.”
Amelia smiled, but it dropped away as fast as it appeared. “I hope you’re right. Not everyone sees us the way you and Nicholas do.”
He looked down at her with a raised eyebrow.
“The Act is meant to protect the royal bloodlines from corruption. The scandalous Bishop family, and especially Julia, is—”
“That’s ridiculous.” Jasper didn’t let her say the rest of it. “The queen knows better than that nonsense.”
“Like I said, I hope you’re right.”
Jasper hoped he was, too. It had honestly never occurred to him that Victoria could say no—no request had ever been denied. Still, there was far too much at stake to leave it up to chance. Jasper left Amelia in search of the most qualified person he could think of to help him entreat a queen.
He found Ruby in the library, sitting at a table with papers spread out around her. A few of them looked suspiciously like summaries from estate agents. Guilt tugged at him, but he pushed it away. He was going to take care of all of that, he just needed to take care of this first. “I need your help.”
“With more than you realize, I assure you.” She didn’t look up as her pen scratched against the surface of the page she was writing.
He ignored the dig. “I need to write Victoria and request permission to marry Julia.”
Ruby blinked at him. She set the pen down on the blotter.
“I’d do it myself, but I suspect she may hold a grudge after being stood up at Parliament.”
“She would have every right.” Ruby leaned back, looking him from head to toe. “Is Lady Julia pregnant?”
“What? No!” Jasper scowled at his sister. “And if she were, that would be none of your business.”
Ruby pressed a finger between her eyebrows, smoothing out an invisible line. “I’m just trying to understand your sudden haste to become a bridegroom.”
“I need Julia to know I’m serious.”
“Are you?”
“Obviously I am. Regardless of what else I’ve done, I wouldn’t ask for the permission if I didn’t intend to use it.”
Ruby’s brow furrowed. “She is an earl’s daughter, and she has the confidence of a duchess. If it weren’t for her leg—”
“She’s not a horse on the auction block, Ruby. We’re not considering her assets. She’s the woman I want to marry.”
“I’m merely weighing the pros and cons out loud. She won’t be a very popular choice.”
“I won’t be a very good duke,” he threw back. “We’re perfect for each other.”
Ruby sighed. “Oddly, I think you might be. None of your previous dalliances ever inspired a letter to the monarch before.”
Hope flared. She wasn’t screaming, and she wasn’t saying no. He just needed to make her understand, and he was certain she’d help.
“Julia’s the one, Ruby. I don’t want anyone else, and if there’s a chance the queen might deny the request…” He sat down next to her, taking her hands. “I need to know.”
Ruby studied his face, searching for something. After a moment, she nodded. “I will help you on one condition.”
“What?”
“I will accept Julia as your wife, only if she becomes the Duchess of Albemarle.”
Meaning he would have to be the Duke of Albemarle when he asked her. Bloody hell. With half his sister’s single-minded determination, Jasper could be the monarch and he wouldn’t have to ask anyone for permission to do anything. “She’ll be the duchess either way, Ruby.”
“Not if you run off with her to the continent, and keep avoiding your duty.”
“I won’t do that.”
“Then you should have no difficulty agreeing.” Ruby went back to her letter. “Those are my terms. They’re not negotiable.”
He knew he had to deal with it sometime, to prove he could be the sort of man who deserved Julia—he just hadn’t expected to have to do it this soon. Still, if it helped him convince Julia to marry him, then it would be worth it.
“Fine,” he told her. “Once I have the queen’s answer, I will accept the title.”
Ruby’s eyes sparkled. “Tell Winslow to hold the outgoing post. We can send the request and ask for another summons at the same time. It should help repair some the damage you did if we show her you’re settling down, and accepting your duty to the dukedom.”
Jasper wasn’t sure reminding the queen that he’d walked out on the first summons was in his best interest, but Ruby was the expert in matters of state.
“Hurry, if you want this to get to London today,” she called as he went in search of the butler.
Above the st
able, the sky was overcast. The wind had gone completely still and there was a quiet in the air. It was perfect weather for a ride; something Julia desperately needed. A sprint would be the perfect thing to clear her head and shake off the last vestiges of irritation that thinking of their mother always brought to the forefront. Once she was relaxed and her mind was empty, she could set her mind to the task of Jasper.
“Good morning, Lady Tryphosa.” She bowed to her horse with perfect formality.
Lady Ruby’s voice sounded behind her. “I’ve heard your sister does the same thing. It seems like an odd custom.”
“Sometimes we are odd.” The groom gave Julia a leg up. She was about to wheel off toward the meadow when Ruby put her hand up.
“Wait.” The word was dangerously close to an order. “I’ll accompany you.”
Julia sighed. She didn’t want company. She wanted open hillsides and a breakneck pace. Tryphosa stamped her hooves in irritation while they waited for Ruby’s mount to be saddled.
“It’s a beautiful day for a ride.” Ruby adjusted her seat and took the reins from the groom. “Shall we?”
If she was going to share her ride with Ruby, it would be on her terms. “A quick warmup and then we gallop.”
Ruby’s eyes went wide, but she didn’t argue.
Once they cleared the outbuildings and the horses had gone through a walk and a trot, Julia shouted and dug her heels in. Her horse shot off like a bolt of lightning. The ground flew past below them, with chunks of mud flying up from Tryphosa’s hooves. Julia looked back to see if Ruby was being caught in the spray and was surprised to find her keeping pace.
She urged Tryphosa faster. Ruby’s horse matched speed. Julia gave Tryphosa free rein, and the little mare finally broke ahead, but not by much. When they’d finally run the horses out, both animals and riders were panting from the exertion. Julia rubbed Tryphosa’s neck, praising her. They settled into a meandering walk.
“Your horse is exceptional.” Julia wasn’t used to people keeping up with her.
“Thank you.” Ruby smiled down at the bay stallion. “He was a gift from my grandfather.”
An unusual mount for a lady. Even Lord Bishop had insisted on restricting his daughters to smaller breeds, though the ones they’d chosen were anything but docile.
“I wanted to thank you for the other night,” Ruby said. “At the Hathaway dinner party. I heard that horrid woman tormenting my brother, and what you said before you slapped her.”
Julia’s fists clenched around the reins. “Prudence and I have a history.”
“So I gather. Still, thank you. My brother is very dear to me.”
And to me. Julia stayed silent.
Eventually Ruby said, “Am I correct in assuming you are not an opportunist, Lady Julia?”
“Excuse me?” Julia had been called many things, but opportunist was a new one.
“My brother is considered quite the catch, but as I understand it your family is plenty wealthy and you don’t appear to have any social aspirations. You seem to care for Jasper.” There was a haughtiness to Ruby’s tone that begged to be antagonized.
“I assure you, my intentions toward your brother are entirely dishonorable.” Julia lifted her chin in challenge. “And largely physical.”
Lady Ruby’s eyes narrowed. “So if he asked you to marry him, you would decline?”
What was it with today? Everyone was anxious to marry them off. “He hasn’t asked and, if he does, I believe he should be the first person to know my answer.”
“Lady Julia, at the risk of sounding calculating—”
Julia choked on a laugh. “I’m sorry. Go on.”
“What can I offer you to make sure your answer is no, if he asks?”
Julia tapped the reins and Tryphosa stopped. The little mare stamped her feet in response to the tension radiating through her rider. Julia was a fool. She’d thought Lady Ruby might grow to like her if they had a chance to get to know each other, but that wasn’t how the world worked. When someone like Julia associated with a duke’s heir, it was all hands on deck to get her out of the picture.
“My brother is not naturally suited to being a duke. I think he may take to it in time, but he needs someone by his side who has been bred for that kind of role.”
What a shame he can’t marry you. Julia met Ruby’s imperious stare head-on. “There isn’t anything you can offer me, and while we’re on the subject of Jasper—you’re wrong about him.”
Lady Ruby’s spine stiffened. Her mouth went pinched and pale, and her entire body radiated irritation. “I think I know—”
“You don’t,” Julia interrupted. “Jasper will make an excellent duke. He’s a natural leader that people love to be around, and he brings out the best in those people. You think you know him, but you don’t even know why he doesn’t want to take the title.”
Lady Ruby stared at her for a long moment. “Jasper has never been fond of responsibility.”
Julia searched the gray sky for patience. She didn’t want to help Ruby with anything, not after the insulting bribe she just tried to offer, but Julia did want to help Jasper. In the end, that beat out any animosity she felt toward Ruby. “Your grandfather was a great man. A once-in-a-generation kind of man, the way Jasper speaks of him. The sort of man that changes the world.”
Ruby nodded. “He was.”
“You’re all mourning him, but only Jasper has to live up to who he was. If Jasper were as irresponsible as you seem to think, he would just take the power and squander it. He doesn’t want to become the Duke until he can live up to your grandfather’s legacy.”
Ruby shook her head. Julia thought she’d missed the mark—hadn’t said it right—but then Ruby took a shuddering breath. “Oh, Jasper.”
“He’s a once-in-a-lifetime man, too, but he’s grieving right now and you’re not helping.”
The other woman wiped her eyes, removing all evidence of emotion. “I don’t push him for my own amusement. A duke must be infallible. As must his wife.”
It stung because it was the truth, but Julia would be damned if she would let this woman see her weakness. “Well, as I said, he hasn’t asked.”
“He will, you know. Once my brother gets an idea in his head, he doesn’t let it go—no matter how foolish.”
“Lady Ruby, this conversation is inappropriate. Whatever relationship Jasper and I have, it’s between us. Please remove yourself from it.”
She’d gone out to the stables for peace, quiet, and some time to think. Instead, she’d gone from confused to angry. Tryphosa was responding to all of it, eyeballing Ruby’s horse with malicious intent. It would serve Ruby right if she got thrown in the process, but her horse didn’t deserve it, and there was no point in continuing the ride. Julia turned back toward the stables, keeping a close eye on her mount.
They’d almost reached the outbuildings when Ruby said, “Under different circumstances, I think you would be an excellent match for my brother.”
“Under any circumstance, he or anyone else would be lucky to have me.” Julia dismounted and set off toward the lake, hoping the boathouse would offer the quiet she’d tried to find on her ride.
Chapter Seventeen
Sending the letter filled Jasper with a desperate need to see Julia, and reassure himself that he wasn’t being a complete fool. There was something real between them. He just needed to show it to her. He’d set for the stables on Nora’s advice when he saw Julia cutting across the grass toward the lake. He covered the last bit of distance at a run.
When she saw him, she stopped and waited for him to catch up. In that moment, it didn’t matter what the queen said or who might see them. He kissed her, in the open air, where anyone could pass by. It was gentle, but they were both breathing heavily when they came up for air.
“I was looking for you,” he said softly.
“You found me.” She sounded tired, and she leaned into him, taking his hand. “Can we go somewhere? Somewhere quiet, where no one will
find us?”
Jasper would like nothing more. “There’s a place I saw, not far off. A bunch of boulders around a tree.”
Julia nodded. “I know it.”
He took her hand, and they walked. Jasper set a slow pace so she could find her footing.
“Which do you like better, London or the country?”
Julia smiled. “I don’t know. I’ve only ever been to London a few times. I love the bustle of it, but I couldn’t say for sure if I’d like living in it all the time.”
They reached the secluded spot at the base of the hill and the lake. The boulders were waist-high and the entire view of the lake, with the sun glinting off its surface, stretched out before them. When he first saw it, he’d imagined stretching Julia out across the boulder tops and bringing her to climax while the sun set around them.
“I want to spend the next few hours not thinking about anything at all.” She stared out over the lake with a sigh. “Can we do that?”
“Talking first, then passion.” He said it mostly to himself. It was a good precedent for them to set, otherwise they might go days without ever speaking to each other.
Julia looked around, over her shoulder. “Is passion on the menu? Because that seems like an excellent diversion.”
“It always is. I just don’t want either of us to regret anything.”
She nodded, looking back to the water. “I do want to be open with you, Jasper, but it’s not easy for me to trust.”
“Whatever you need from me, it’s yours.”
“In that case.” She looked down at her feet, then back up at him. “Will you help me forget?”
He was confused. “About?”
“Everything.”
There was a challenge in her eyes that set his blood on fire. There was something about her that made the devil in him stretch out and unfurl. It was something he’d never expected to find in someone he could imagine himself marrying.
That was the beauty of Julia. She was sinner and saint, all at once.
He spun her around, catching her by the waist so she wouldn’t fall. He pressed her back to his chest and placed his lips against her ear. “Oh, I certainly can. Are you paying attention?”
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