He shook those thoughts away and cleared his throat as he regained his composure. “Keep me apprised of anything you discover,” he said. “I will head back now.”

Reynolds nodded, the pity clear on his face. “Very good, my lord. I will keep you informed of anything I hear.”

They left the bar together. Reynolds headed up the street after their goodbyes, and Jasper made his way to the man who was holding their horses. But as he swung up on Ember and urged her in the direction of home, his mind wandered. This time not to his brother, but to Thomasina, waiting for him back in Harcourt Heights. To all he would have to conceal from her to protect her from the nonsense his brother had created.

And to the fact that seeing her was all he wanted to do right now.

Thomasina flicked the tines of her fork across the beef filet once more, breaking up the fibers halfheartedly as she glanced up the table to the very empty seat at the head of it. Jasper’s seat.

Jasper, who had left last night and promised to return just before he kissed her senseless. And yet she felt a powerful fear at the sight of that empty chair. And at her memories of his haunted expression as he rode away from her.

“You are so forlorn, Thomasina,” her father said with a chuckle. “Seems I have made you a love match after all. I suppose you will thank me for it.”

Juliana huffed out her breath and Lady Harcourt glanced up from her plate with a frown. Heat flooded Thomasina’s cheeks at her father’s uncouth comment and she balled her napkin in her lap.

“Not at all, Father,” she said. Lied. He wasn’t wrong about the forlorn part, after all. “I am simply tired after all the excitement of the last few days. Might I beg off the rest of supper?”

He blinked at her. “You want to leave in the middle of supper?” he blustered. “Did I not raise you better?”

“Doubtful,” Lady Harcourt said into her glass, loud enough that Thomasina couldn’t doubt she wished to be heard. Her future mother-in-law seemed to teeter between complete disconnection and abject disdain when it came to her.

And that only made her churning stomach even more unsteady. She glanced at Juliana and found her older sister watching her carefully. For a moment that unspoken connection felt very strong, that bond of a long-ago shared womb that had always united she and her two sisters. How she missed Anne in that moment and her smiles and unspoken jokes.

Juliana smiled at her gently. “Let her go, Papa,” she said, using that tone she always used to soothe him when he was angry or frustrated with one of her sisters. “She will have little opportunity to herself once Lord Harcourt returns from his errand. You cannot begrudge her an early evening when she will be solving so many of your own problems in just a few days.”