He took her hand again, threading his fingers through hers as they broke their embrace. And as they returned to the house together, he couldn’t help but feel a bond between them. A connection he had always drawn away from.

But in this moment, it felt right. And that made him question everything he’d ever planned, everything he’d ever wanted. And everything he was keeping from her about her sister and his part in her disappearance.

Chapter 11

By the time they had managed to force the farewells of their guests, it was late. After midnight, in fact, and as she sat in the dressing room of her new chamber with Ruby brushing out her hair, Thomasina could not help but wonder if Jasper would want to consummate their union tonight. He had to be as tired as she was, after all the excitement of the past few days.

She stared at the door that connected the countess’s chamber to the earl’s and shivered at how close she was to him now. So close and yet it felt like miles away.

Not that she didn’t know he wanted her. After the unpleasantness at their wedding gathering, he had remained by her side the rest of the evening, his hand finding the small of her back when she needed strength, his gaze holding hers with intention and a new connection that she had to hope was real.

She wanted it after all, more than anything. Enough that it frightened her, because Jasper had been very honest when he told her he hadn’t intended to share his heart with his wife. But then again, he hadn’t intended to marry her at all. So intentions could be thwarted, couldn’t they?

She smiled up at her maid. “Thank you, Ruby,” she said. “I think that will be all for tonight.”

The maid cast a quick, nervous glance toward the adjoining door before she set the silver brush down on Thomasina’s dressing table and bobbed out a curtsey. “Yes, my lady. Good luck.”

Thomasina caught her breath as Ruby hurried from the room and left her alone in the chamber. Good luck. Great God, but it seemed everyone was determined to see her as going into a lion’s den tonight. But she felt a sense of rightness as she thought of surrendering to Jasper.

Assuming, of course, he wasn’t already snoring away in the chamber next door. Did he snore?

“I suppose I’ll find out,” she muttered to herself before she got up and moved to the full-length mirror across the dressing room.

She was wearing another of Anne’s castoffs from her trousseau. A pretty, pale pink nightgown that was almost sheer, the fabric was so thin. It had elbow-length sleeves and tied with a perfectly formed bow right between her breasts. After brushing it until it gleamed, Ruby had bound her hair loosely with a ribbon that matched the nightgown, and Thomasina pinched her cheeks to give them the color her nervousness did not allow for.