Her sex milked him with ripples of release, massaging him until he could take no more of the pleasure. He slammed forward one last reckless time and then poured himself into her as he dropped his head into the crook of her neck and tried to find some purchase in a world that was now spinning with pleasure, spinning with her, spinning with possibilities he’d never considered.

And a future that was suddenly seeming more possible when he held her in his arms.

Chapter 16

Two days into her young marriage and Thomasina had discovered one very plain thing: her husband was a man of many faces and many moods. From the laughing friend who had taught her to skip stones, to the passionate lover who claimed her by a lakeside - and countless times in their marriage bed - to the man who stood in the foyer now.

A man who was almost unrecognizable when compared to the other two. His face was lined with dark emotion, his brow furrowed and his mouth turned down into a serious scowl as they watched his mother’s carriage pull onto the drive.

In comparison to his dark expression, the dowager’s face was passive, emotionless. And she barely glanced at her only son and the rest as she said, “Well, the time has come. You were under no obligation to gather say goodbye, but here we are.”

“Travel well, Mother,” Jasper said, stepping forward as if to kiss her cheek.

Thomasina flinched as the older woman stepped aside and nodded coolly. “Goodbye, my lord. I will send word when I reach London. I think you will do the same and I will arrange for a ball to mark my approval of your bride. Some will talk of the switch, but certainly if we ignore them long enough, the scandal will fade.” She moved toward the door. “Goodbye.”

She didn’t look back but swept from the foyer and into her carriage, as if it were nothing, even though the trip was long. Even though she might not see her only child for weeks or more.

Thomasina watched Jasper as he waved to her. His jaw was set and some might see him as just as cold as his mother was, but Thomasina saw the truth. There was a flicker of regret in his countenance. A flash of pain that he buried deep under propriety and pride.

The dowager’s disregard hurt him. Thomasina wanted to know more about that. She wanted to dig deeper so that maybe one day she could soothe that ache in him.

“Well, that is that,” her father said, breaking the mood with a shake of his head. “I suppose we will follow soon enough.”

Thomasina turned toward Mr. Shelley and then to Juliana. Her sister looked exhausted, and why wouldn’t she? When Nora hadn’t been able to find further evidence in Anne’s room, Juliana had begun work to convince him to stay. That had gone on for days and he still persisted in his plans.