Debutantes Don’t Date (18 page)

Jasper came around the corner before she reached the tea trolley and she stopped.
He looked as horrible as she felt. Served him right.

“I put money in Lady Anne’s account so she would be able to attract a decent husband,
not because I want her to be my mistress.” The words burst from his lips as soon as
he saw her. “I tried telling you the night of Lord and Lady Blade’s dinner, but Neal
kept us separated.”

“You have had plenty of opportunity since then to slide it into the conversation.”

“I know. And now I wish I had. Please believe me, I have no interest in Lady Anne
at all. If I did, I would have married her years ago, as it was expected.”

Grace looked into his face and saw truth there. “You’d better go and explain it to
Anne then.”

Grace watched as he headed out the door in order to find Anne. She retired to her
room after that; she had lots to think about. What were her real feelings for Jasper
and was she really prepared to stay in this time with him, if she could? Or if she
did find her way back, would she grab that chance to return to 2014 with both hands
and hold on tight?

She sat on the window seat and looked through her bag again for clues. It was time
to go home.

Chapter Nineteen

Anne arrived at Lord and Lady Harrison’s to a house full of over-indulged residents.
She walked into Lady Victoria’s drawing room just after lunch. Inside she found not
only her friend, Grace, but Lord Bingham as well. Lord and Lady Harrison had retired
for a nap but Lord Bingham and Grace were lounging on the furniture. Grace was reclining
on the settee complaining about how much she had eaten. She knew things had been strained
here since the money misunderstanding and she was glad to see both Grace and Lord
Bingham together exchanging friendly banter like they had before.

“Oh God, I can’t move. I think I am about to explode. I ate like it was Christmas,
what possessed me to eat that much?” Grace swung her accusing gaze to Jasper who was
sprawled on the divan near the window, “Why did you let me eat that much? You know
I have a wedding dress to fit into in a few weeks.”

“I may have to let my seams out, as well; I forgot how Victoria’s cook puts on a good
feast.” Japer shifted his position to stretch out his belly in an attempt to accommodate
his lunch.

Anne entered the room with a smile; this may be easier than she thought. “Come along,
you two, we are going for a walk.”

Anne wasn’t sure what but she knew her brother was up to something. His suggestion
that she take Grace for a walk had sounded innocent enough but she knew him better
than that. However, she couldn’t see what the harm would be in going for a walk either,
so minutes after he left she’d gathered her things and headed out the door herself.
Today was a lovely day for a visit and if Grace wanted to stroll around the park as
well, it would be fun. Grace hadn’t left the house since her accident and that had
been weeks ago. When she visited the other day, the bruising had almost gone so she
should be amenable to being seen in public.

Amid grumbles about her working for the devil she managed to pry them from their positions
and get them out the door in record time. She had a schedule to keep.

“You were right, Anne, we needed this,” Grace admitted as they strolled down the street.
“My belly has stopped cramping and this fresh air is doing me good. I was getting
stale cooped up inside all day.”

“Yes, Grace is right, this is much better,” added Lord Bingham. “Where are you taking
us, Lady Anne?”

“Oh, nowhere really, I just thought we could all use some fresh air since it’s such
a lovely day and it wouldn’t hurt for all of us to be seen together, getting along,
don’t you think?”

“Absolutely.” Grace reached out and grabbed her arm, linking it with hers as they
strolled down the street.

Anne missed this. Before Grace had her fall, they had spent days together walking
the streets. Grace was always keen to see the sights, and she enjoyed the freedom
away from her mother and father.

Today was mild and the sun was trying its hardest to break through the clouds that
had covered London all winter. There was a fresh breeze blowing and if she closed
her eyes, Anne could almost pretend she was in a small town out in the country. That
was, of course, if she ignored the traffic.

The streets were bursting at the seams with people. It appeared as though everyone
had had the same idea and it was as if all of London was out in force enjoying the
good weather.

Anne decided she was going to forgive her brother for all his wrongdoings of late
and give him a kiss the next time she saw him for suggesting such a walk. Maybe he
wasn’t such a nuisance after all.

Anne looked down at her friend and smiled. They were going to have a wonderful day
today.

Meanwhile, Rupert Caine crept along the street, staying as close to the buildings
as possible, trying to fit in amongst the aristocratic society browsing the shops
on their way to the park, but his height wasn’t helping. He had on his best coat and
boots but he still received sidelong glances from passing ladies and gentlemen. He
sneered at them to keep them moving.

He had his target in his sights. He’d spotted Lord Wester’s sister first. The pair
of them came towards him on the opposite side of the street. Their arms were linked
together and their heads almost touched as they seemed to share a joke.

Miss Lancaster was a pretty little thing. Her hair flowed from her hairpins and floated
around her face creating a dark halo where the light of the day caught it. Her blue
cloak accentuated the curves of her body making her stand out from the crowd. Her
head was thrown back in laughter and her body arched to accommodate the sound spilling
from her lips. Impossibly, Rupert caught a tinkling of her laughter above the street’s
chaos. It stopped him in his tracks, all he could do was stare. Who laughed like this?
In public? It would be a shame to crush the life from such a vibrant being.

Unfortunately the congestion he caused when he stopped drew attention from the very
people he was stalking. His heart ran cold when he spotted the ladies’ other companion.
The man’s great coat flapped in the wind as he stepped protectively closer to the
ladies. Rupert had made unintentional eye contact with him just before he ducked behind
a carriage parked waiting for its owners to return. Shit. Lord Bingham. He hadn’t
anticipated him. Lord Wester had clearly stated that Miss Lancaster would be out with
Lady Anne and no one else.

So now Lord Bingham knew he was there. This might prove interesting. He and Bingham
went back a few years. They had met at Eton. No one would suspect Rupert to have set
foot within 300 metres of a place such as that, and Rupert made damn sure it stayed
that way. There were very few alive today who knew where he really came from. Lord
Bingham simply happened to be one of them.

Rupert knew this job was going to be difficult, especially with Bingham involved.
The challenge of a job such as this was the very reason he took it on. He let out
a snort of laughter; it definitely wasn’t for the money!

He’d hoped to get this horrible thing done without being detected. It was bad enough
the lies he had to spin to stay alive in this game. Sometimes he himself could hardly
tell where he ended and the lies began. Not for the first time, he looked at his life
and felt disgusted. The tightness in his chest increased and he prayed, as he did
daily, that the good Lord would finally take him from this Godforsaken place.

What had possessed him to agree to this? Some things he did he had to, but he certainly
didn’t take pleasure in hurting innocents. There was no choice in it now; he’d already
made his decision.

Not wanting to waste another minute, he stepped around the carriage where he’d been
hiding and wove his way through the traffic and across the street.

His quarry had disappeared!

He looked around the footpath, spinning in circles, desperately trying to locate his
prey. It had been years since someone was able to give him the slip; ironic it had
been Bingham who was able to do it all those years ago too.

Back then they would vie for the same women, forever trying to put one over the other
fellow. It was disconcerting it was a woman this time too. He shook his head to clear
it; this reminiscing was bringing back too many unwanted memories of who he used to
be.

“Where’d they go? Don’t tell me you let them get away?”

Rupert almost jumped at the sound of the voice, almost. He glanced down at the slimy
worm at his side and disgust rolled over his body.

“I’s thought ye said ye won’ be ’ere for this.”

“Oh, I decided to watch. Nothing like a bit of sport eh? Pity one couldn’t lay a bet
on the outcome,” Lord Wester exclaimed excitedly and a bit too loudly too, by the
looks they were receiving. “There’ll be plenty of blood, won’t there?”

Rupert’s skin crawled as he looked into Lord Wester’s eyes. There was madness lurking
in there all too close to the surface. This man was a lunatic!

“There they are!” Lord Wester pointed excitedly across the road. “After them quickly!”

The little man pushed him! Rupert couldn’t believe that the little twerp actually
laid a hand on him. He flexed his muscles and by the look on Wester’s face he’d noticed
the subtle movement of his coat as his shoulders bunched. The little man wisely stepped
back out of arm’s reach.

“Ye can’t be ’ere, yer fool. Away with ye.” When the stupid man didn’t budge Rupert
picked him up by his arms so he could look him straight in the face, “Get. Out. Of.
’Ere!” Rupert said slowly and quietly.

Wester’s face paled and as soon as he gave a quick nod, Rupert released his arms.
Wester fell to the ground with a thud. Rupert smiled menacingly at the man sitting
in a heap on the walkway. “I’s suggest ye head ’ome now.” Then he stepped back out
into the street and wove his way through the traffic back to the other side.

“What’s happening, Jasper?” Grace whispered up to her companion. He’d whisked Lady
Anne and her across the street and around the corner so fast she almost didn’t notice
they were now heading back the way they had come. All she received for an answer was
a grunt and a tug on her arm, urging her faster.

Even though she was not from this time, she knew one did not race down the street.
The demands of genteel society necessitated one to slowly promenade gracefully down
the street, greeting everyone you met. She and Anne could barely get a nod out to
the greetings that were called their way as Jasper herded them back towards the Harrisons’
manor. He weaved them in and out of the crowds, elbowing people out of their way if
they dared not move fast enough or happened to be standing conversing with friends.
The worst moment came when he ran down an elderly woman and didn’t allow the ladies
to stop and help the old dear up.

She managed to steal a glance at Anne before being tugged faster still and seeing
her friend’s face flushed and sweaty. She had had enough. Grace dug in her heels and
refused to take another step. “Jasper,” she hissed, “what are you doing? Anne can
barely breathe and I have a stitch in my side. Have you ever tried running in a corset?”
she asked. “No? I thought not!”

Jasper stared down at the little minx and Lady Anne beside her. Both their faces were
bright red and their breath huffed from their lips in great clouds as they tried to
regain their composure. Grace had her hands on her hips and, if she’d been tall enough
to manage it, he was sure she would’ve been glaring down her pert little nose at him.

“I have to get you back to the house.” There was no time to explain about the man
who was trailing them. The man who he thought was long dead. The man who had tried
to kill him on more than one occasion. The man who he saw coming around the corner
right now!

“Now. We are going now.” He grabbed both of their arms and tried to drag them along
behind him. Both girls refused to move. Terror filled his body. He had never felt
this way before, but the very thought of Grace being anywhere near Rupert Caine caused
his body to start shaking uncontrollably.

Grace looked in wonderment at the man she was to marry. What had gotten into him?
It was one thing to haul them down the street but quite another to shout at them in
public. The whole neighbourhood stopped to stare. Those who weren’t on the streets
themselves, peered from their windows. Shame flushed her face as snatches of conversation
reached her ears. At Anne’s gasp she realised the words had reached her ears as well.

“Jasper,” Grace managed to say, pretty calmly too, she might add, considering her
teeth were clenched so tightly together they were in danger of snapping off. “Please
explain what has gotten into you? Why are you dragging us down the street? And in
the wrong direction, I might add. We were supposed to be going to the park!”

“There is no time, woman!”

She noticed his teeth were clenched just as tightly as hers and his arms were shaking,
she presumed in the effort not to strangle her. She had dared to ask a question, after
all.

Jasper opened his mouth, but the words seemed to get stuck in his throat when he looked
over her shoulder. Where he wasn’t able to budge her and Anne before, he swung them
both around behind him with ease.

A large man in a well-worn coat and scuffed boots stood in front of Jasper. Grace
and Anne peeked out from behind Jasper to have a closer look at the strange man. People
stopped in the street to stare, straining their ears to hear the conversation that
was about to take place.

“Bingham,” the large man said in hushed tones, “if you don’t want to make this any
messier than it has to be, let’s get off the street. I, for one, have brought enough
attention to myself for one day, and I don’t imagine you want this to become a public
spectacle.”

Jasper blocked her as she tried to come out from behind him, his arm trapping her
in place. The man was beyond infuriating; who was this man he was talking to? He spoke
so quietly, she almost couldn’t make out what was being said.