“Better than anything,” Thomasina said with a blush.

“Then perhaps he can be convinced,” Juliana said. But it was clear she was worried. “Perhaps together—”

Thomasina stepped forward with a snort of laughter. “Oh no, my dearest sister, this is the one place where together we can do nothing. This is my marriage, my problem. You cannot fix it. You must trust me to handle it myself.”

She could see how difficult an idea that was to Juliana. Juliana, who had fought to protect and support her sisters at every turn. Juliana, who solved all the problems of their family and friends. It was her role. Thomasina knew she was taking that away from her.

At last, though, Juliana bent her head in acquiescence. “Very well. I won’t interfere again, though you know I’m always here to talk to if you need me. I suppose we are better served if I put my energy into Anne. Though without word from her or any other information from her things, I don’t know how in the world to proceed.”

Thomasina’s face fell. Her sister was correct on that score. Anne had to be their focus now, not some silly future she desired but would likely never be. She couldn’t spend her time on that right now at any rate. Jasper had been clear about his desires.

So she had to put her energy into something that mattered.

“We’ll figure something out,” she promised as she tugged Juliana into a hug and tried to forget everything else.

Chapter 18

Jasper stood with his father-in-law, but he wasn’t attending to Mr. Shelley’s nasal voice as he droned on and on. His gaze kept returning to Thomasina as she stood at the fireplace with her sister, their heads close together.

It had been almost a week since he had told his wife that he didn’t want confusion in their marriage. He’d braced himself for her to argue and make her case and try to wear him down. And yet…

She hadn’t.

Instead, she had pulled away, distancing herself from him during the day. She was polite, of course. She smiled and asked after his needs, she was kind to his staff and she took on the duties of a countess as if she had been born for the job.

But she no longer made efforts to connect with him on a deeper level. She no longer pressed him about his brother or his past or their future.

It was exactly what he had told her he desired. It should have made him relieved and happy to see her put away those foolish ideas of a love match. Better for both of them, he tried to tell himself.

And yet he felt no joy about it. He was annoyed when she pulled away, he was troubled when she gave him a false smile. It was very confusing.

It was only in their bed that he felt the connection that had started those first few days of their marriage. When she came to his bed, she was his Thomasina again. Passionate and sweet, enthusiastic and responsive. She was learning how to give him pleasure, she was adept at receiving it. He wanted to drown in her. He wanted to stay in their bed for a week or a month or a year and never return to his duties except for making her sigh out his name in release.