Jasper eased the item to the floor. “I swear to you on my life, Maitland, that is all we found.”

Maitland was trembling now. He swore a blue line and then pressed a hand against his forehead as he stared at the statue and back to Jasper. “You—you swear on your life, eh? Do you want me to test that?”

Jasper noted he didn’t turn the gun on him or Thomasina, but his heartrate increased nonetheless at the threat of an armed man.

“He’s not lying,” Thomasina gasped, gripping the edge of the chair until her knuckles went white. “Please!”

Jasper came forward a step, hoping to keep Maitland’s attention on him. “Listen to me. I want to help.”

“You bloody liar, you don’t want to help me.” Maitland shook his head. “You have no idea what is at stake here.”

“Then tell me,” Jasper said, meeting Thomasina’s gaze evenly. Hoping he could soothe her as she had done so many times. Thinking of all he would lose if she were taken from him. Of all he would have left unsaid if he were the one with a bullet through his heart today.

“Let us help you,” Thomasina whispered.

The gun shook as Maitland fought to catch his breath, like he couldn’t find it. “No one can help me.”

Jasper realized this was the moment he could strike. When Maitland was emotional, when he was falling apart from whatever desperation had driven him to this. But he needed help.

He looked at his wife, her eyes wide with terror. And he cried out, “Thomasina, I love you!”

Her eyes went wide and then she swiveled in her chair. She kicked Maitland’s left knee with all her might and he toppled forward. The trigger depressed and the gun fired. The bullet ricocheted past Jasper, lodging in the wall instead.

Jasper dove forward, grabbing for Thomasina and yanking her from the chair as he heard Reynolds’ shouting as he entered the door. Maitland swore as he pushed some of the boxes and trunks down around them, and then there was the crashing of glass as he hurtled himself through one of the back windows and ran.

“Go after him!” Jasper shouted to Reynolds as he kept his body over Thomasina’s, protecting her with all he had, all he was and all he ever would be.

“Jasper,” Thomasina said, her voice muffled against Jasper’s wrinkled shirt, muted by the pounding of his heart as he lay across her body, trembling.

He didn’t move and she pushed gently. “Jasper,” she repeated.

He looked down at her, his eyes widening. All his fear was plain on his face then. But so was his love. He’d said he loved her, a sentence shouted in the heat of the moment, perhaps. But now that she looked into his eyes, she knew it was true.

“Are you unharmed?” he asked as he rolled off of her, pushed to his feet and helped her up. She stretched and smoothed her hands across her body, checking herself for injury and finding only a few bruises from hitting the floor.