“What?”
He should be concerned about whether she’d been listening at keyholes and misinterpreted something, or whether she’d followed him when he left the house. Those would be the logical questions when living with a spy. Instead, he was entranced by the shape of her eyebrows when she frowned and relieved that she didn’t burst into tears.
“You…” Smile at everyone but me. “We…” Are never alone together. “It…” Isn’t what I had hoped.
Jasper raked his hand through his hair. He hadn’t had this much difficulty speaking to a woman since he’d emerged from puberty. “Are you unhappy?”
She drew a deep breath and let it out with a whoosh. “No, Jasper, and I apologize for leaving you with that impression. It has been overwhelming—learning how to be a marchioness, and new staff, and being in Society with your mother. I’m so busy making sure I don’t embarrass your mother, not to mention my sisters, that I’m barely able to keep up with the conversations. We’re accustomed to much more informal gatherings, or to never having attention on us, you see.”
“I do.” The rush of words made him smile. She hadn’t spoken to him this much since they’d met, unless she was scolding him. “Frankly, I enjoy the informality of being a family. I suspect Mother is playing the countess because she believes it’s what you expect.”
He relaxed against the back of the settee. His knee touched hers, but she didn’t move away.
“Oh.” She looked at him and blinked. “I hadn’t thought of that. Are you pretending, too?”
Right now, he was acting as though the scent of her perfume wasn’t tempting him to move closer, that he wasn’t doing it for fear of sending her scurrying out of the room. “I am often pretending.” He winked at her. “But never at home, and not with you. I am simply…trying to adjust to having you here.”
She was quiet for a long moment. “What do you expect of me, Jasper?”
It was his turn to fall silent. Since he’d learned to walk, he’d been lectured on what others would expect from him. No one had ever turned the question around.
“I enjoy talking with you, even if you’re scolding me.” He relished the smile she gave him—sharing the teasing moment. “I like seeing you in a room, even if we’re quiet together.” He wanted to see her curled into a chair in his library, her nose in a book. “I want you to be honest with me.” He took her hand and waited until he had her attention.
This young woman was kind, intelligent, and caring. Her deep brown eyes and sweet scent reminded him of rambling through gardens. Her calmness seeped into his bones, and her laughter brought sunshine with it.
Jasper’s mouth went dry. He wanted a proper wife as much as he didn’t want to hang. “I want us to be friends, Annabel.”
“I can do those things—minus the scoldings. Thank you, Jasper.” She squeezed his fingers, just enough to leave an impression.
Just enough to hope.
*
“You look lovely, my lady.”
Annabel forced herself to smile into the mirror. “Thank you, Barnes.”
Her new lady’s maid, who was only a few years older than Annabel herself, put a warm hand on her shoulder. “I believe every new lady is nervous at the first ball after her wedding.” She moved away, her apron rustling against her starched skirts. “Perhaps what the marquess left you will help.”
The lady in the mirror had perfectly styled hair, studded with the pearl pins Annabel’s mother had given her on her wedding day. She wore a deep blue dress with a maroon bodice—Ramsbury family colors. Her skin was lovely, and her cosmetics subtly framed her deep brown eyes.
She was an impostor.
“Oh, these are beautiful.” Barnes returned to the dressing table with an open jewelry box. She lifted a ruby necklace from its velvet bed. “They’re a perfect match for your dress.”
The necklace was an intricate web of diamonds and topaz surrounding teardrop rubies of varying sizes. The earrings were large enough to be noticed, but small enough to be tasteful.
Annabel held her breath, expecting the stones to be cold. They weren’t. They were as warm as Jasper’s hand on hers today in the drawing room.
The floor creaked, drawing Annabel’s attention to the door on the opposite wall, the same as her bed. It went to Jasper’s room. He was there now, with his valet, preparing for their first social engagement as a married couple.
It was expected for them to share a suite of rooms. It was customary for husbands to use those doors to protect their wives’ sensibilities. Everyone expected newlywed brides to be awkward in front of others while they learned their private responsibilities.
If Barnes noticed the key in the lock, she didn’t remark on it.
If Jasper suspected she was a spy, he didn’t act like it.
The ton never remarked on anything, at least in public.
Annabel drew her spine straight and her neck tall. She was a baron’s daughter, trained to mix at events like this. She might dread them, but she’d learned to hide her feelings and emotions years ago. The rubies and diamonds caught the light, adding sparkle to her eyes.
“There are ruby-headed pins here as well—we could replace the pearls.” Barnes reached for her hair.
“Just a few.” Annabel evaded her maid’s fingers. “Mix them sparingly with the pearls.”
“As you wish, my lady.” Barnes worked quickly, smiling as she finished. “You were right. The effect is lovely.”
Annabel was half her old self and half her new. Satisfied with the preparations, she stood and accepted her wrap. “Thank you, Barnes.”
“Have a wonderful time, my lady.”
Annabel walked to the stairs, paused for a deep breath, and began her way down. As she made the first turn, the ground floor came into view. Jasper stood with his hand on the baluster, watching her descend. A smile spread over his face as he offered his hand to guide her the last few steps.
“You look beautiful, Annabel,” he said. “I knew those jewels would be perfect with that dress.”
“How did you know—” She paused. Had he followed her to the dressmaker? Or had he searched the boxes to make sure they held only dresses?
Jasper leaned forward with a guilty grin. “I bribed Barnes with a sticky bun.”
