Jasper forced his attention from his thoughts to the ledger he’d been staring at for too long. “What makes you think I’ll do it?”
“Because I’ve seen you dance with your wife, and I’ve seen you dance with mine.” Granville’s smile was tinged with sadness. “The difference is impossible to ignore.”
The statement stopped Jasper short. He treated Annabel differently than he’d treated Gwennie, but he also cared about them in different ways.
His conscience twinged at the lie. He hadn’t cared about Gwennie at all, nor she for him. He’d slept with Granville’s wife simply because he could. He’d taken something from the man for no reason but sheer boredom.
The Duke of Chippenham was across the room laughing with his cronies. The man didn’t care about Gwennie either—he’d just hated to lose.
Worse, the long list of gentlemen willing to take Granville’s money knew Jasper cared nothing for her either. He had a well-earned reputation for flirting and fleeing. There was likely a wager somewhere about how long it would be before he took another mistress and sent his wife to the country.
Jasper downed his drink in one long gulp, thumped his glass on the bar, and strode across the room.
The duke watched him approach, one eyebrow raised. A smile slid over his angled features. “Interesting reading in the paper this morning, wouldn’t you say, Ramsbury?”
Chippenham had made an indecent proposal as revenge. Though Annabel had decisively refused it, gossip would ignore his behavior and excoriate her for hers.
Jasper threw the punch from his waist so as not to telegraph his reaction. The resulting haymaker snapped Chippenham’s head back and sent him crashing to the floor like a marionette with its strings cut.
“Stay well clear of my wife,” Jasper said as he turned on his heel. The management might fine him for his behavior, or perhaps suspend his privileges, but it was a price worth paying. He wished Kit had been here to see it rather than skulking about in the country on some mysterious errand.
He returned to the bar, where members were tossing ten-pound notes over Granville’s shoulders. It was a modest pile. And it was the least he could do.
“Thank you for giving me an excuse to do that.” Jasper took up his refilled glass and forced his trembling hand to steady. His knuckles ached in the best possible way, but they would bruise before the night was out, and it would be impossible to explain with anything but the truth.
There were a few more truths that needed to be said.
“I’m sorry is inadequate, Granville, but I am.” He met the man’s stare. “Deeply.”
“And that is enough,” the other man said. “Thank you.”
A door opened across the way, and Annabel’s father exited a private meeting room just in front of Amos Patton, one of the most trusted booksellers in London, if not in all of Britain. He was even a fair hand at valuing antiquities.
Baron Chilworth was selling the family library. It was a wise decision, given the amount of his debt, but Jasper had seen the wonder in Annabel’s eyes anytime she entered a room with books in it. Even his mother’s small collection here in London had made her smile.
Chilworth spotted him, bade Patton farewell, and then navigated the crowd to the bar. Granville had pocketed his winnings and was marking the wager from the books.
“What’s all the commotion? What did we miss?”
“A minor entertainment,” Jasper said as he shepherded his father-in-law to a table on the edge of the room. “What did you want to discuss, sir?”
“I’ve been offered a chance to buy into a new coal mine. Since the pit has not yet been dug, shares are a bargain. I can buy twice as many and recoup a profit twice as fast.” Chilworth searched the crowd and motioned for another man to join them.
The well-dressed newcomer stuck out his hand. “Charles Christian, your lordship. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me.”
Jasper didn’t trust Christian’s easy manner, and he didn’t like the attention they were attracting. “I agreed to meet with my wife’s father, Mr. Christian. You are a surprise.”
Christian’s smile faltered for a moment. “I see. Well, I won’t take much of your time.” He took the chair next to Chilworth. “My partners and I are looking for investors in a new mine in Wales.”
“You mean there is a still land in Wales without a hole in it?” Jasper stretched his arm across the empty chair beside him.
Christian’s lips quirked at the joke, but his eyes stayed predatory. It was like watching a snake hunt its prey. “We have taken samples, and the coal deposits are impressive. Our hope is to begin excavating within a month.”
Jasper would wager next year’s rents that Charles Christian and Abel Collins were two sides of the same coin.
“And how are you planning to find miners? Most in Wales already have jobs, do they not?” Jasper watched the man’s eyes, waiting for the strike. If Kit was right, he already knew what was coming.
“Our company learned a great deal from the previous unrest in Wales. We are investing in every modern measure to ensure our workers’ safety, and given the interest, we will be able to pay a much better hourly wage.”
“See, Ramsbury?” Chilworth leaned forward like a supplicant at the communion rail. “This investment promises to make its shareholders a fortune for years to come. With a few hundred pounds, I could earn enough to…to keep the family coffers full for several generations.”
Jasper didn’t think Chilworth needed to be discreet about his finances. Christian would have done his research and chosen his victims carefully. He would know the man was in debt up to his daughter’s mink-brown eyeballs. Just as Jasper knew that once the money from the family’s library landed in Chilworth’s hands, it would go into a worthless hole in the ground.
“I know a mining inspector. I will want him to review your plans,” Jasper said. “I will also want my man of business to review your investments and your payroll plan.”
Christian blinked. “He would be welcome once the excavation has begun. These funds will help begin that process.”
“I see.” Jasper finished his drink and stood, eager to be free of the stench of greed and desperation. “Good afternoon, gentlemen.”
Chilworth followed him out. “But the money, Ramsbury? This discounted offer will not last.”
“If Christian wants my money, he can submit to audit and inspection. Once I am satisfied, you can buy your shares. No sooner.” Jasper collected his hat and gloves before meeting his father-in-law’s pleading stare. “You have asked for a great deal of money in addition to what I have already willingly spent.”
“But you agreed, and it is your responsibility to—”
“No, baron. It is your responsibility, and you will be patient if you want my help.”
Jasper left before his irritation overcame his mother’s lessons on politeness. Annabel had been willing to barter herself into marriage, to someone she might consider a traitor, for the sake of her sisters’ futures and her mother’s comfort. None of that should have fallen to her.
