“Rook.” Jasper shook his head. “These names.”

He had no idea if this second Maitland character was a brother to Ellis or a cousin or just someone who had adopted the name when he joined Ellis’s gang. But there could be no good in the man if Ellis was his partner.

Reynolds had already declared he would try to find out more about the second Maitland person. Jasper rested the letter on his writing table with a sigh and rubbed his eyes.

“Jasper?”

He turned and found Thomasina standing in the entryway to his dressing chamber, just a sheet wrapped around her, and not very well either, for her skin peeked tantalizingly through the gaps.

“I woke up and you weren’t there,” she said, tugging the sheet higher.

He folded the letter and shoved it back into the desk before he got up and faced her. “Yes, I’m sorry. I couldn’t sleep and thought I wouldn’t keep you up.”

She wrinkled her brow. “Something is troubling you? Can I help?”

He flinched at that question. So simple, so complicated. And for a moment, he longed to do exactly that: open up and tell her everything. Everything about Solomon and their complicated relationship, everything about loss and grief and hate all rolled up into one painful package. He longed to tell her about Maitland and his threats. But that would also mean telling Thomasina about what a dangerous person Anne had involved herself with.

What good would that do except to worry her? Make her question? He had no doubt she would question. And pry and wheedle. She would want to help, and she couldn’t help because this was his problem.

So until he had more information there was nothing to say. His troubles were his own and that was exactly where they should stay. Even if that violated their agreement to be honest with each other as their marriage began.

“You can help,” he said, and moved toward her, away from the evidence of his brother’s failures. Away from the evidence of his own. When he reached her, all those things seemed to fade a little. He leaned in toward her and nuzzled the side of her neck. She was soft as silk. “Come back to bed with me,” he whispered.

She seemed unhappy with that answer for a brief moment. It was obvious in the tension that swept across her body. As if she could sense there was more to be said or done, though he didn’t know how she knew when they were barely acquainted in their young marriage.

But then she wiped her concerns away and smiled up at him. The Thomasina bound to please was back, hoping to make him happy without pushing him too far.

“Yes, Jasper,” she said. She reached out to take his hand as she let the sheet fall away. He gaped as she leaned into him and made promises with her body. Promises that he could forget everything that had gone wrong in his life for just a little while longer.